The Little Clay Cart Part 2

[Footnote 22: See viii. 43.]

[Footnote 23: See pages 65-66 and page 174.]

[Footnote 24: See viii. 38 and compare the words, "Yet love bids me prattle," on page 86.]

[Footnote 25: Page 87.]

[Footnote 26: Stanzas of the latter sort in The Little Clay Cart are vii. 2 and viii. 5.]

[Footnote 27: This statement requires a slight limitation; compare, for example, the footnote to page 82.]

[Footnote 28: But the combination _th_ should be p.r.o.nounced as in _ant-hill_, not as in _thin_ or _this_; similarly _dh_ as in _mad-house_; _bh_ as in _abhor._]

[Footnote 29: Except in the names Aryaka and Ahinta, where typographical considerations have led to the omission of the macron over the initial letter; and except also in head-lines.]

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

CHARUDATTA, _a Brahman merchant_

ROHASENA, _his son_

MAITREYA, _his friend_

VARDHAMANAKA, _a servant in his house_

SANSTHANAKA, _brother-in-law of King_ PALAKA

STHAVARAKA, _his servant_

_Another Servant of_ SANSTHANAKA

_A Courtier_

ARYAKA, _a herdsman who becomes king_

SHARVILAKA, _a Brahman, in love with_ MADANIKA

_A Shampooer, who becomes a Buddhist monk_

MATHURA, _a gambling-master_

DARDURAKA, _a gambler_

_Another Gambler_

KARNAPURAKA } k.u.mBHILAKA } _servants of_ VASANTASENA

VIRAKA } CHANDANAKA } _policemen_

GOHA } AHINTA } _headsmen_

_b.a.s.t.a.r.d pages, in_ VASANTASENA'S _house_

_A Judge_, _a Gild-warden_, _a Clerk_, _and a Beadle_

VASANTASENA, _a courtezan_

_Her Mother_

MADANIKA, _maid to_ VASANTASENA

_Another Maid to_ VASANTASENA

_The Wife of_ CHARUDATTA

RADANIKA, _a maid in_ CHARUDATTA'S _house_

SCENE

UJJAYINI (_called also_ AVANTI) _and its Environs_

THE LITTLE CLAY CART

PROLOGUE

_Benediction upon the audience_

His bended knees the knotted girdle holds, Fas.h.i.+oned by doubling of a serpent's folds; His sensive organs, so he checks his breath, Are numbed, till consciousness seems sunk in death; Within himself, with eye of truth, he sees The All-soul, free from all activities.

May His, may s.h.i.+va's meditation be Your strong defense; on the Great Self thinks he, Knowing full well the world's vacuity. 1

And again:

May s.h.i.+va's neck s.h.i.+eld you from every harm, That seems a threatening thunder-cloud, whereon, Bright as the lightning-flash, lies Gauri's arm. 2

_Stage-director._ Enough of this tedious work, which fritters away the interest of the audience! Let me then most reverently salute the honorable gentlemen, and announce our intention to produce a drama called "The Little Clay Cart." Its author was a man

Who vied with elephants in lordly grace; Whose eyes were those of the chakora bird That feeds on moonbeams; glorious his face As the full moon; his person, all have heard, Was altogether lovely. First in worth Among the twice-born was this poet, known As Shudraka far over all the earth, His virtue's depth unfathomed and alone. 3

[1.14. S.

And again: