महावीरचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - वीररस-प्रधान रामकथा नाटक सम्पूर्ण ७ अङ्क सटीक)

9] Synoptic Analysis of the Play
Scene 4 (iii. 15²⁰—iii. 49¹). Another part of Pañchavaṭī: At a distance,
the river Godāvarī, with elephants fighting in the waters. Characters
same as before. The elephant-fight has resulted in a victory for Sītā's
pet (iii. 15²¹); all rejoice in consequence (iii. 16 ff.). Vāsantī now avails
herself of the occasion to point out a number of other objects (iii. 19,
22, 37⁵, 38, 44) connected with their earlier life in Pañchavaṭī, as if
casually, but really with a view to reprobate Rāma's conduct towards
his wife. Rāma in reply lays his whole heart open to Vāsantī (iii. 27⁶ ff.,
29, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39), who is much moved by his sorrows and his
sufferings and the sublime grandeur of his soul. All this takes place,
of course, within the hearing of Sītā, though neither Rāma nor Vāsantī
was aware of her presence. The result is that Sītā, who in Scene 2
(iii. 7⁶) was full of just resentment against her husband, gradually finds
herself softening towards him,¹ until finally she absolves him from all
wrong whatsoever (iii. 46¹³ ᶠ.). As it was getting late, Rāma rises to
go to Ayodhyā and take part in the holy horse-sacrifice (iii. 48¹).²
Exeunt all.
ACT IV. KAUSALYĀ AND JANAKA
Translation, pages 60–72.
This Act is practically synchronous with the last two, and is partly meant
as a humorous relief after the intense emotional excitement of Act iii.
Scene 1, Interlude (iv. 0¹—iv. 2²). Vālmīki's hermitage on the Ganges:
An open space near by. Enter two pupils. One of them admires the
beauty of the hermitage, which is now putting on its best appearance
(iv. 1) to welcome some venerable guests. The other—evidently
a youngster³—is delighted at the thought that the guests bring with
them also a holiday for the schools (iv. 1¹). In the course of their
conversation it transpires that the guests are no other than Arundhatī,
Vasishṭha, and the Queen-mothers, who, on the conclusion of
Ṛishyaśṛiṅga's twelve-year sacrifice (cp. i. 3), not caring to return
to Ayodhyā where Sītā was not, have repaired to Vālmīki's
hermitage. Among the day's guests there is also Janaka (iv. 1²³),
Sītā's father, come on a friendly visit to Vālmīki (iv. 1³³). The boys
go off to play.
¹ The psychological moments in this process
are described at length in the note to
iii. 7⁶. They show the poet's thorough
understanding of human passions, and
a deft handling of them.
² For the nature of this sacrifice compare
Introduction, § 18, P.
³ Who cannot yet speak his Sanskrit properly.
2 [H.O.S. 21]