रत्नावली नाटिका (सम्राट हर्षवर्धन - शास्त्रीय नाटिका रत्न सम्पूर्ण ४ अङ्क सान्वय सटीक)

INTRODUCTION xix
quite sufficient for the theory of Mr. S'ástri to collapse down.
Secondly the uniformly simple style in the thirteen dramas of
Bhása shows that Ratnávali of which style is decidedly condensed
and artificial cannot be the production of Bhása. Thus the fact
that S'ri Harsha the king of Thaneswar wrote these three dramas
is provisionally proved at least for the present, and this is
established until some other theory more intrinsic in its merit and
solid in its argument can turn it down.
Story of the play
Act I
Vikramabáhu the king of Simhala had a daughter named
Ratnávali whose lot was forecast by the astrologers that the
king marrying the girl would be the paramount monarch
of the world. Yaugandharáyana the clever minister of Udayana
the king of Kaus'ámbi, got the scent of this rumour and being bent
on doing the utmost good to his master, proposed the marriage of
Ratnávali with Udayana to her father ; but Vikramabáhu being
afraid of incurring the displeasure of the chief queen Vásavadattá
the wife of Udayana refused at first. And Yaugandharáyana in
order to remove the obstacle of the marriage spread a false report
that Vásadadattá died in a fire which broke out in Lávánaka,
a village of Kaus'ámbi. Now the obstacle being removed, the
king of Simhala gave his consent to the proposed marriage and
Yaugandharáyana sent the Kanchuki to Simhala. While
Ratnávali sent by her father was coming to Kaus'ámbi
being escorted by Bábhravya (Udayana's chamberlain) and
Vasubhuti (the minister of Vikramabáhu) on board a ship, the
ship got wrecked. Ratnávali was taken out of water by a
merchant of Kaus'ámbi and was presented to Yaugandharáyana.
who recognised her by the jewel-necklace which she always wore.
Without disclosing the matter to any one Yaugandharáyana
put Ratnaváli in the apartment of Vásavadattá as her handmaid