The Little Clay Cart | Page 8

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 Théatre 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: Da?arupa, iii. 38.]
[Footnote 11: Sahityadarpana, 428.]
[Footnote 12: As in Malati-madhava.]
[Footnote 13: Da?arupa, 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. 2
Stage-director. Enough of this tedious work, which fritters away the interest of the audience! Let me then most reverently salute the honorable gentlemen, and announce our intention to produce a drama called "The Little Clay Cart." Its author was a man
Who vied with elephants in lordly grace; Whose eyes were those of the chakora bird That feeds on moonbeams; glorious his face As the full moon; his person, all have heard, Was altogether lovely. First in worth Among the twice-born was this poet, known As Shudraka far over all the earth, His virtue's depth unfathomed and alone. 3
[1.14. S.
And again:
The Samaveda, the Rigveda too, The science mathematical, he knew; The arts wherein fair courtezans excel, And all the lore of elephants as well. Through Shiva's grace, his eye was never dim; He saw his son a king in place of him. The difficult horse-sacrifice he tried Successfully; entered the fiery tide, One hundred years and ten days old, and died. 4
And yet again:
Eager for battle; sloth's determined foe; Of scholars chief, who to the Veda cling; Rich in