The Little Clay Cart | Page 8

monastery.
ACT IX., entitled The Trial. Fifth day.--Sansthanaka accuses
Charudatta of murdering Vasantasena for her money. In the course of
the trial, it appears that Vasantasena had spent the night of the storm at
Charudatta's house; that she had left the house the next morning to meet
Charudatta in the park; that there had been a struggle in the park, which
apparently ended in the murder of a woman. Charudatta's friend,
Maitreya, enters with the gems which Vasantasena had left to buy
Charudatta's son a toy cart of gold. These gems fall to the floor during a
scuffle between Maitreya and Sansthanaka. In view of Charudatta's
poverty, this seems to establish the motive for the crime, and
Charudatta is condemned to death.
ACT X., entitled The End. Sixth day.--Two headsmen are conducting
Charudatta to the place of execution. Charudatta takes his last leave of
his son and his friend Maitreya. But Sansthanaka's servant escapes
from confinement and betrays the truth; yet he is not believed, owing to
the cunning displayed by his master. The headsmen are preparing to
execute Charudatta, when Vasantasena herself appears upon the scene,
accompanied by the Buddhist monk. Her appearance puts a summary
end to the proceedings. Then news is brought that Aryaka has killed

and supplanted the former king, that he wishes to reward Charudatta,
and that he has by royal edict freed Vasantasena from the necessity of
living as a courtezan. Sansthanaka is brought before Charudatta for
sentence, but is pardoned by the man whom he had so grievously
injured. The play ends with the usual Epilogue.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 2: For an illuminating discussion of these matters, the reader
is referred to Sylvain Lévi's admirable work, Le Théâtre Indien, Paris,
1890, pages 196-211.]
[Footnote 3: In his Malatimadhava, i. 8, he says: "Whoever they may
be who now proclaim their contempt for me,--they know something,
but this work was not for them. Yet there will arise a man of nature like
mine own; for time is endless, and the world is wide." This seems
prophetic of John Milton.]
[Footnote 4: Prasannaraghava, i. 22.]
[Footnote 5: Mahaviracarita, i. 4.]
[Footnote 6: History of Chinese Literature, by H. A. Giles, pages
145-146.]
[Footnote 7: Shakuntala, i. 15.]
[Footnote 8: Latter Acts of Rama, v. 17.]
[Footnote 9: Prakarana.]
[Footnote 10: Dhurtasamkula: Daçarupa, iii. 38.]
[Footnote 11: Sahityadarpana, 428.]
[Footnote 12: As in Malati-madhava.]
[Footnote 13: Daçarupa, iii. 33.]

[Footnote 14: In Kalidasa's Shakuntala.]
[Footnote 15: In Bhavabhuti's Latter Acts of Rama.]
[Footnote 16: See page 128.]
[Footnote 17: Aryaka, Darduraka, Chandanaka, Sharvilaka, and the
courtier.]
[Footnote 18: See x. 27.]
[Footnote 19: See v. 46 and the following stage-direction.]
[Footnote 20: In Kalidasa's play of that name.]
[Footnote 21: In Bhavabhuti's Latter Acts of Rama.]
[Footnote 22: See viii. 43.]
[Footnote 23: See pages 65-66 and page 174.]
[Footnote 24: See viii. 38 and compare the words, "Yet love bids me
prattle," on page 86.]
[Footnote 25: Page 87.]
[Footnote 26: Stanzas of the latter sort in The Little Clay Cart are vii. 2
and viii. 5.]
[Footnote 27: This statement requires a slight limitation; compare, for
example, the footnote to page 82.]
[Footnote 28: But the combination th should be pronounced as in
ant-hill, not as in thin or this; similarly dh as in mad-house; bh as in
abhor.]
[Footnote 29: Except in the names Aryaka and Ahinta, where
typographical considerations have led to the omission of the macron
over the initial letter; and except also in head-lines.]

DRAMATIS PERSONAE
CHARUDATTA, a Brahman merchant
ROHASENA, his son
MAITREYA, his friend
VARDHAMANAKA, a servant in his house
SANSTHANAKA, brother-in-law of King PALAKA
STHAVARAKA, his servant
Another Servant of SANSTHANAKA
A Courtier
ARYAKA, a herdsman who becomes king
SHARVILAKA, a Brahman, in love with MADANIKA
A Shampooer, who becomes a Buddhist monk
MATHURA, a gambling-master
DARDURAKA, a gambler
Another Gambler
KARNAPURAKA } KUMBHILAKA } servants of VASANTASENA
VIRAKA } CHANDANAKA } policemen
GOHA } AHINTA } headsmen
Bastard pages, in VASANTASENA'S house

A Judge, a Gild-warden, a Clerk, and a Beadle
VASANTASENA, a courtezan
Her Mother
MADANIKA, maid to VASANTASENA
Another Maid to VASANTASENA
The Wife of CHARUDATTA
RADANIKA, a maid in CHARUDATTA'S house
SCENE
UJJAYINI (called also AVANTI) and its Environs

THE LITTLE CLAY CART
PROLOGUE
Benediction upon the audience
His bended knees the knotted girdle holds, Fashioned by doubling of a
serpent's folds; His sensive organs, so he checks his breath, Are
numbed, till consciousness seems sunk in death; Within himself, with
eye of truth, he sees The All-soul, free from all activities. May His,
may Shiva's meditation be Your strong defense; on the Great Self
thinks he, Knowing full well the world's vacuity. 1
And again:
May Shiva's neck shield you from every harm, That seems a
threatening thunder-cloud, whereon, Bright as the lightning-flash, lies
Gauri's arm.