Svapnavasavadattam - The Svapnavāsavadattam Act-IV

ACT - IV

[Palace at Magadha]
INTERLUDE

(Enter the Jester)

JESTER — (Joyfully) Ah! Fortunately, I have seen the time, de­lightful and auspicious on account of the coveted marriage-ceremony of his Honour, the king of Vatsa. Oh! Who could have known that after being hurled into such a whirlpool of misfortune we would emerge again. Now, we live in palaces, we bathe in the tanks of the inner court, we eat dainty and delicious dishes of sweetmeats - in short, I feel myself to be in Paradise, except that there are no heavenly nymphs to keep me company. But there is one great drawback. I do not digest my food at all well, and I do not get sleep even on a bed having excellent coverlets, so that I see as if gout is down upon me on all sides. Ah! There is no happiness in life, if you are full of ailments, or without a good breakfast.

(Enter a maid)

MAID—Where could the noble Vasantaka have gone? (Walking

about and looking on) Ah! Here is the noble Vasantaka?

(Approaching) Noble Vasantaka, it is such a long time that I have been searching for you.

JESTER — (Seeing her) – For what purpose are you looking for me, my dear?

MAID — Our queen asks – "Has the son-in-law bathed?" JESTER — Why does her ladyship ask that?

MAID — Why else? So that I may bring flowers and unguents (sandalwood paste and garland etc.) for him.

Jester — His Honour has bathed. Your ladyship may bring all except food.

MAID — Why do you forbid food?

JESTER — Because unlucky as I am, there is some thing turning in my belly like the rolling of the eyes of the cuckoo.

MAID — Well, remain like that.

JESTER — Your ladyship may go. In the meantime I too will go to his Honour.

(Exeunt)

End of Interlude

(Then enter Padrnavati with retinue and Vasavadatta dis­guised as Avantika)

MAID — What has brought your ladyship to this pleasure garden?

PADMAVATT — Friend, that I may see if the Sephalika clusters have blossomed or not.

MAID — Yes, Princess, they have blossomed and are thickset

with flowers, like pendants of pearls interspersed with coral. PADMAVATT — If that is so, my dear, why do you delay?

MAID — Then may the princess sit on this stone-bench for a

moment, while I gather some flowers?

PADMAVATT — Lady, shall we sit here? VASAVADATTA — Let it be so.

(Both sit down)

MAID — (After gathering some flowers) May the princess be­hold! May the princess behold! My hands are full of Sephalika flowers that look like the half cut flakes of red arsenic.

PADMAVATT — Oh! The varied hue of the flowers! See, see re­vered lady.

VASAVADATTA — Oh, the loveliness of the flowers!

MAID — Princess, shall I gather the flowers again?

PADMAVATT — Friend, do not, do not pluck the flowers again. VASAVADATTA — Friend, why do you forbid her?

PADMAVATT — If my noble lord should come here and see this abundance of flowers, I shall be so honored.

VASAVADATTA — Friend, is your husband so dear to you? PADMAVATI— That I do not know; but separated from my hus­band, I long for him (feel uneasy).

VASAVADATTA — (Aside) I, indeed, find it hard (a trial); this (princess) also says so.

MAID — Nobly indeed, did my princess say, "I love my husband".

PADMAVATT — I have one doubt, indeed.

VASAVADATTA — What is that, what is that?

PADMAVATT — Whether my noble lord was (as dear) to the re­vered Vasavadatta as he is to me?

VASAVADATTA — Even more than this.

PADMAVATI — How do you know?

VASAVADATTA — (Aside) Hum! Partiality to my noble lord has made me transgress the bounds of propriety. So this is what I will say. (Aloud) Had her love been less, she would not have forsaken her own people.

PADMAVATT — It must have been so.

MAID — Princess, you might gently suggest to your husband, that you too would like to learn to play the lute.

PADMAVATT — I did speak to him about it.

VASAVADATTA — What did he say then?

PADMAVATT— Without saying anything, he heaved a long sigh, and remained quiet.

VASAVADATTA — What do you guess may be the reason? PADMAVATT — I think he remembered the virtues of her lady-

ship, Vasavadatta, but did not weep out of courtesy in my presence. VASAVADATTA — (Aside) Blessed, indeed, am I, if this be true.

(Enter the King and the Jester)

JESTER— Ho, ho! The Female-garden is lovely (inviting) owing to the gentle breeze blowing (therein) and the fallen Bandhujiva flowers, collected in heaps. This way, my lord.

KING — Friend Vasantaka, here I come.

When I who had gone to Ujjayini, saw at will (unchecked), the daughter of Avanti and was reduced to an indescribable state, (all the) five arrows were let fall upon me by Kama (god of love): my heart has to this day their barbs in it; and I am again wounded (with a shaft), when Madana has (is known to have) five arrows only whence is this sixth arrow dropped on me?

JESTER — Where could her ladyship Padmavati have gone? Can she have gone to the arbour of creepers, or repaired to the stone seat, by name Parvata-tilaka, strewn with the asana flowers, and therefore looking as if covered with a tiger's skin, or entered the Saptacchada grove with its strong pungent odour, or retired to the wooden-hill, crowded with the painted figures of beasts and birds?

(Looking upwards) Ho. Ho. may your honour! First behold the flight of cranes sailing in an even line and looking charming like the extended arms of Baladeva in the clear sky autumnal sky.

KING — Friend, I see it.

Now straight and extended, now in a thin line, now sinking low and again rising up, and now crooked like the constellation of the Great Bear in its turnings, as though it were a boundary line that di­vides the sky in two, and white like the belly of a serpent when being freed from its skin.

PADMAVATT — Hum! My lord! Madam, on your account I avoid the sight of my husband. So, we shall just enter this bower of Madhavi creepers.

VASAVADATTA — Let it be so.

(They act accordingly)

JESTER — Her ladyship Padmavati, might have come here and then gone away.

KING — How do you know this?

JESTER — Your highness may just see these clusters of Sephalika from which flowers have been plucked.

KING — Oh, the varied appearance of the flowers, Vasantaka! VASAVADATTA— (To herself) By his mention of Vasantaka I feel as if I were in Ujjayini.

KING — Vasantaka, sitting on this very stone (slab), let us wait for Padmavati.

JESTER — Oh, we shall do so.

(Sitting and rising) Oh, oh, the scorching autumnal sun is un­bearable. Let us just enter this MadhavT bower.

KING — All right! Go ahead.

JESTER — Let it be so.

(Both walk about)

PADMAVATI — The noble Vasantaka is going to upset the whole (arrangement). What shall we do now?

MAID— Princess shall I keep off the lords by shaking the hanging creeper swarming with black bees?

PADMAVATT — Yes, do

(Maid acts accordingly)

JESTER — Help, Help! Hold; hold, your Honour.

KING — What is the matter?

JESTER — I am troubled by these wretched bees.

KING — You should not say so, you should not. We must avoid frightening the bees. See —

The bees that are humming sweetly through the intoxication of honey and are embraced by their beloveds smitten by passion, will like myself be separated from their dear mates when disturbed by our foot steps.

We shall therefore just sit here.

JESTER —Very well.

(Both sit down)

KING — (Marking the seat)

The flowers are trodden under foot, and this stone bench is warm, so some female sitting here must have hurriedly gone away on seeing me.

MAID — Princess, we are held up indeed.

PADMAVATT— Fortunately, my lord has sat down. VASAVADATTA — (Aside) Fortunately my lord is quite well now.

MAID — Princess, the eyes of her ladyship are full of tears. VASAVADATTA — Indeed my eyes are full of tears owing to the

pollen of the Ka§a flowers that fell by the rudeness of the bees. PADMAVATT — It is right.

JESTER — Well. now, there is nobody in this pleasure garden. There is something I want to ask. May I ask you?

KING — Undoubtedly.

JESTER — Who is dearer to you? Her ladyship Vasavadatta then (when she lived), or Padmavati now?

KING — Why do you put me in this very great difficulty? PADMAVATT — Friend, see into what kind of difficulty my noble lord is thrown?

VASAVADATTA— ( Aside) And I too, hapless woman.

JESTER — Freely, freely may you speak. The one is dead; the other is not near at hand.

PADMAVATT — By so much he has said enough.

JESTER — Oh! I swear truly, I won't tell a soul. My lips are sealed.

KING — No, my friend, I will not speak.

PADMAVATT— Oh, his foolishness! Even after that he can't read his heart!

JESTER — What, you won't tell me? If you don't, you shall not stir a step from the stone seat. Your honour is now my prisoner.

KING — What, by force?

JESTER — Yes, by force.

KING — Then let me see.

JESTER — Forgive me your Highness. I adjure you in the name of our friendship to tell me the truth.

KING — No escape. Well listen,

Although Padmavati I much admire for her beauty, charm and virtue, yet she has not won my heart still bound to Vasavadatta.

VASAVADATTA — (Aside) This has paid me the compensa­tion of this suffering. Oh, even remaining incognito here proves very beneficial.

MAID — Princess, the lord is impolite indeed.

PADMAVATT— Friend, say not so. My lord is full of kindness, since he even now remembers the virtues of the revered Vasavadatta.

VASAVADATTA— Dear, you have spoken in a manner worthy of your noble birth.

KING — I have told you. You should tell me now - who is dear to you? Vasavadatta then, or, Padmavati now?

PADMAVATT — My lord also has become (is acting like) Vasantaka.

JESTER — What is the use of my prattling? Both their ladyships I hold in high esteem.

KING — Idiot, having heard me thus by force, why do you not confess now?

JESTER — What from me too, by force?

KING — What else? By force.

JESTER — Then you cannot hear it.

KING — Be pleased, be pleased great Brahmaria. Freely, freely speak out.

JESTER — Your honour may hear it now. Her ladyship Vasavadatta was highly liked by me. Her ladyship Padmavati is young, beautiful, free from anger and vanity, of sweet address and courteous. And she possesses this quality above all – she welcomes me with de­licious food saying – "Where could the noble Vasantaka have gone?"

VASAVADATTA — Well, well, Vasantaka, bear these words in your memory now

KING — Well, well, Vasantaka, I shall report all this to queen Vasavadatta.

JESTER — Pity! Vasavadatta! Where is Vasavadatta? Vasavadatta is dead long since.

KING — (Sorrowfully) Thus it is; dead Vasavadatta! By your rail­lery you confused my mind and by force of former habit these words escaped me just as they did formerly.

PADMAVATT — This was a delightful conversation, but now the wretch has spoiled it all.

VASAVADATTA — (Aside) Well, I am consoled. How, sweet it is to hear these words without being seen.

JESTER — Take courage, take courage, your Honour. (The will of) Fate is inviolable. Such is this (that has come to pass) now.

KING — Friend, you do not know the state (I am in). For,

It is difficult to cast off (forget) deep-rooted love; grief revives at each remembrance. It is (in) the course of nature that on shedding tears in this world the mind attains freshness, having a debt paid off (as it were).

JESTER— His Highness's face is wet with tears. I shall get some water to wash it. (Exit)

PADMAVATT— Lady, the face of my lord is concealed by the veil of obstructing tears. In the mean time we shall depart.

VASAVADATTA— Be it so. Or rather do you stay. It is not proper to go away leaving your husband affected with tender emotion. I will alone go.

MAID — The lady speaks well. Let the princess at once go

PADMAVATI — What, shall Igo into his presence? VASAVADATTA — My dear, do so. (Exit having said so).

(Enter the Jester)

JESTER — (With water in a lotus leaf) Here is her ladyship Padmavati!

PADMAVATI — Noble Vasantaka, what is this?

JESTER — It is this - This it is.

PADMAVATI — Speak out, speak out - let the noble one speak

out.

JESTER — Lady, the pollen of the Ka§a flowers, wafted by the wind has got into his Honour's eyes, and his face is wet with falling tears. Please take him this water to wash his face.

PADMAVATI— (Aside) Oh! Like master, like man, how courteous

he is.

(Approaching the king) Prosperity to my lord! Here is some water for washing your face with.

KING — Ah Padmavati! (Aside to Jester) Vasantaka, what is

this?

JESTER — It is like this. (Whispers in his ears).

KING — Bravo, Vasantaka, bravo. (Having washed his face), Padmavati, be seated.

PADMAVATI — As my lord commands (Sits down).

KING — Padmavati,

This my face, 0 charming one, this my face had tears trickling down from it owing to the pollen of the Kaa flowers, white like the autumnal moon, wafted by the breeze.

(Aside)

She is but a girl and newly wed, should she learn the truth it would distress her. Courage she has, it is true, but women are by nature easily alarmed.

KING — (Rises) Yes, indeed. It is of capital importance. The conferrers of mighty benefits and of high honours are always easily found in this world, but their appreciators are rare.

(Exeunt Omnes)

End of Act IV