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

lxix] Early Plays: Mālatī-Mādhava
It was dangerous to refuse the king's request; so Kāmandakī advises
Bhūrivasu to assent to the king's wish, but to word his assent in such
a way as to leave himself a loophole or chance of evasion in case of need
(ii. 2¹⁰), herself undertaking to contrive to bring the young people together
and arrange for a private marriage. Bhūrivasu could in that case plead
that he was in no wise a party to this clandestine affair, and the king—the
marriage once solemnized—would have no choice but to submit. With
the help of friends, Kāmandakī manages to throw the young people together
in chance encounters on the road or at the spring festival of the God of
Love, or in the city garden; while,—by praising to Mālatī the person and
family and accomplishments of Mādhava, by painting with contrasting
touches the ugliness and stupidity of Nandana, and finally by narrating to
her some ancient stories of girls in like circumstances¹ who chose their
husbands without regard to their parents' wishes,—Kāmandakī so works
upon Mālatī's feelings that when the opportunity comes she is ready to
elope with Mādhava and marry him in a place prepared by Kāmandakī.
33, C.—Such is the main plot. Interwoven with it is a by-plot, also
a love-story, namely between Nandana's sister Madayantikā and Mādhava's
friend Makaranda. This by-plot is clearly intended to be a foil for the main
plot, an element of contrast with it. Thus the first meeting of Mālatī and
Mādhava occurs at the spring festival in a most natural way. The first
meeting of Madayantikā and Makaranda takes place under most exceptional
circumstances: A tiger has broken loose, has killed his keepers, and is
running amuck in the streets, when Madayantikā, who happens to pass by,
is saved from deadly peril by Makaranda.² A second notable contrast
appears in the characters of Mālatī and Madayantikā. Mālatī is a modest
obedient girl whom Kāmandakī finds it hard to persuade to disobey her
father's wishes; while Madayantikā, the sister of the court-favourite, is
a flighty passionate girl who elopes with Makaranda at the very first
opportunity. Further, as compared with Mādhava's love, that of Makaranda
is frankly sensuous. There was nothing to prevent Makaranda from going
in straightforward fashion to Nandana and asking for the hand of his
sister (whom moreover he had saved from the tiger). The actual method
adopted is an elopement under cover of darkness.
33, D.—The story is further complicated and diversified by the intro-
duction of two episodic elements: 1. the marriage of Nandana to Maka-
randa disguised as Mālatī; 2. the two hairbreadth escapes of Mālatī, one
before and one after her marriage. The purpose of the first episode is
¹ Such as Śakuntalā, Urvaśī, and Vāsavadattā.
² His opportune presence is adequately motivated (iv. 0²⁸). The rescuer is wounded.