प्रियदर्शिका नाटिका (सम्राट हर्षवर्धन - चतुरङ्क शास्त्रीय नाटिका सान्वय सटीक)

XXX
This shows that A'raṇyikā was in prison for some days.
Again from the conversation between Sāṅkṛityāyanī and
Vāsavadattā we learn that the Āraṇyikā-love affair was a
recent event. And Vidūshaka's humorous suggestion to the
King to observe a month's fast to gain the Queen's
favour and his words farther on इदानीमेव कल्पशतप्रख्याते परि-
वत्सरेऽस्मिन् p 40, show that not many days, even a week could
have elapsed after the events of the 3rd Act. So the
interval separating the third from the fourth Act must be a
very short one. But we have no means of determining the
exact hour of the day when the action of the fourth Act be-
gins. It lasts for a period of about three hours.
(4) GEOGRAPHY OF THE PLAY
See Notes p 49.
(5) TECHNICAL REMARKS
It will be easily seen that the Priyadarśikā does not closely
follow the various canons found in the Sans. treatises on
dramaturgy, such as the Daśarūpaka and the Sāhityadarpaṇa,
as the Ratnāvalī does. The Sandhis are not elaborated and
well proportioned. The Sṛiṅgārarasa, the main sentiment
of the play, is not well developed in its two parts विप्रलम्भ and
संभोग. In this respect the Māl. is far superior to it. In it the
king's passion (अनुराग) which is compared to a plant is
gradually developed as declared by the poet himself in the
words बद्धमूल, समुद्गतप्रवाल, मुकुलित (कुड्मलित,) and फलित, see IV. 1
A detailed description of the Sandhis and their aṅgas is
not attempted here as it is not of much use to the junior
students. As a Nāṭikā the Priya. conforms to the rules of
dramaturgy on broad lines. As regards the three chief
requisites, the वस्तु is प्रख्यात as the story of Udayana and
Vāsavadattā was popular at the time the play was written.
The Netā or hero is धीरललित (see ante p 9). The Heroine
belongs to the variety known as मुग्धा (defined as मुग्धा नववयःकामा
रतौ वामा मृदुः क्रुधि। Daś, R. II 16 ). The chief sentiment
is शृङ्गार or love. There is an occasional infusion of
Karuṇa as in the lament of A'raṇyikā (see pp. 15, 24)
and when she drinks poison, in order to put an end to her
miserable existence (see p. 54). There is also a slight
tinge of the हास्यरस as when the Vidu. says एते खलु राजानो