उत्तररामचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - संस्कृत मूल एवं हिन्दी व्याख्या)

236 TRANSLATION OF [IV 22-
Arun and Jan. —Ha! ha! That dear Chandraketu is to
be seen to-day coming as he does on the occasion of guarding
the sacrificial horse, is surely a happy day.
Kausalyā — 'The son of dear Lakshmana commands,'
such are the words I hear—charming like drops of nectar
Lava —Noble Sir! who is this man named Chandra-
ketu?
Janaka —Thou knowest Rama and Lakshmana, the sons
of Dasaratha?
Lava —They are the heroes of the poem called Rāmā-
yana.
Janaka —Just so
Lava —How then can I not know them?
Janaka —Chandraketu is the son of that Lakshmana
Lava —Son of Ūrmilā then and the grandson of the
royal sage king of Mithila
Arund. —(Smiling) Oh! the boy has shown a great
knowledge of the poem
Janaka —(Reflecting) If you are so conversant with
that history, then answer me this question. What are the
names of the children of these sons of Dasaratha and from
what wives they were severally born?
Lava —This part of the poem has not been heard before
by me or by any one else
Janaka —What? has it not been composed by the bard?
Lava —It has been composed, but not published. However
a certain portion of it has been arranged in a different form,
full of sentiments and rendered fit for dramatic representa-
tion, and after writing it with his own hand, the revered sage
has sent it to the sage Bharata, the author of the aphoristic
work on dramaturgy
Janaka —With what object?
Lava —That revered sage Bharata will cause it to be
acted by the Apsarases.
Janaka —All this sounds extremely wonderful.
Lava —Moreover the revered Vālmīki has been exceedingly
careful in this matter. That manuscript was sent to the
hermitage of Bharata with some pupils and my brother
was despatched, bow in hand, as their escort to ward off
any possible danger
Kausalyā —My dear child! hast thou a brother too?