Tales from the Hindu Dramatists Part 15

It is said to have been written for the yatra of k.u.mar Pala Deva, by order of Tribhuvana Pala Deva, by the poet Subhata.

DHANANJAYA VIJAYA.

It is the composition of Kanchana Acharya, the son of Narayana, a celebrated teacher of the _yoga_, of the race of Kapi Muni.

MRIGANKALEKHA.

The drama was composed by Viswanath, the son of Trimala Deva, originally from the banks of the G.o.daveri, but residing at Benares, where it was represented at the _yatra_, or festival, of Visweswara, the form under which Siva is particularly wors.h.i.+pped in that city.

KAUTUKA SERVASWA.

This is a Prahasana or Farce, and is especially a satire upon princes who addict themselves to idleness and sensuality, and fail to patronize the Brahmans.

It was composed by a Pandit named Gopinath for representation at the autumnal festival of the _Durga Puja_.

CHITRA YAJNA.

This heterogeneous composition is the work of a Pandit of Nadiya, Vaidyanath Vachespati Bhattacharya, and was composed for the festival of Govinda, by desire of Iswar Chandra, the Raja of Nadiya.

HASYARNAVA.

This comic play is a severe but grossly indelicate satire upon the profligacy of Brahmans a.s.suming the character of religious mendicants.

It satirizes also the encouragement given to vice by princes, the inefficacy of ministers, and the ignorance of physicians and astrologers.

It is the work of a Pandit named Jagaddisa, and was represented at the vernal festival; but where, or when, it is not known.

RATNAVALI.

Although the personages are derived from Hindu history, they are wholly of mortal mould, and unconnected with any mystical or mythological legend; and the incidents are not only the pure inventions of the dramatist, but they are of an entirely domestic nature.

It is stated in the prelude to be the composition of the sovereign, Sri Harsa Deva. A king of this name, and a great patron of learned men, reigned over Kashmir; he was the reputed author of several works, being, however, only the patron, the compositions bearing his name being written by Dhavaka and other authors.

RAJA SEKHAR.

Raja Sekhar is the author of Prachanda Pandava, Biddhasalvanjika, and Karpura Manjari.

MURARI.

Murari composed Anargha Raghava.

VENISANHARA.

The author is Bhatta Narayana surnamed Mrigaraja or Simha, "the lion."

He is one of the five Brahmins who, with five Kayesthas, came from Kanouj and settled in Bengal at the invitation of Adisura, the then king of Bengal.

PROBODHA CHANDRODAYA.

This play was composed by Krishnamisra. It is an allegorical play, the _dramatis personae_ of which consist entirely of abstract ideas, divided into two conflicting hosts.

HANUMANANATAKA.

The play is a dramatized version of the story of Rama interspersed with numerous purely descriptive poetic pa.s.sages. It consists of fourteen acts and on account of its great length is also called the Mahanataka, or the great drama.

Tradition relates that it was composed by Hanuman, the monkey general, and inscribed on rocks; but, Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, being afraid lest it might throw his own poem into the shade, Hanuman allowed him to cast his verses into the sea. Thence fragments were ultimately picked up by a merchant, and brought to King Bhoja, who directed the poet Damodara Misra to put them together, and fill up the lacunae; whence the present composition originated. Whatever particle of truth there may be in this story, the "Great Drama" seems certainly to be the production of different hands.

VASAVADATTA.

Vasavadatta of Subandhu is a short romance, of which the story is this.

Kandarpaketu, a young and valiant prince, son of Chintamani king of Kusumapura, saw in a dream a beautiful maiden of whom he became desperately enamoured. Impressed with the belief, that a person, such as was seen by him in his dream, had a real existence, he resolves to travel in search of her, and departs, attended only by his confidant Makaranda. While reposing under a tree in a forest at the foot of the Vindhya mountains, where they halted, Makaranda overhears two birds conversing, and from their discourse he learns that the princess Vasavadatta, having rejected all the suitors who had been a.s.sembled by the king her father for her to make choice of a husband, had seen Kandarpaketu in a dream, in which she had even dreamt his name. Her confidante, Tamalika, sent by her in search of the prince, had arrived at the same forest, and was discovered there by Makaranda. She delivers to the prince a letter from the princess, and conducts him to king's palace. He obtains from the princess the avowal of her love; and her confidante, Kalavati, reveals to the prince the violence of her pa.s.sion.

The lovers depart together: but, pa.s.sing through the forest, he loses her, in the night. After long and unsuccessful search, in the course of which he reaches the sh.o.r.e of the sea, the prince, grown desperate through grief, resolves on death. But at the moment when he was about to cast himself into the sea, he hears a voice from heaven, which promises to him the recovery of his mistress, and indicates the means. After some time, Kandarpaketu finds a marble statue, the precise resemblance of Vasavadatta. It proves to be she; and she quits her marble form and regains animation. She recounts the circ.u.mstances under which she was transformed into stone.

Having thus fortunately recovered his beloved princess, the prince proceeds to his city, where they pa.s.s many years in uninterrupted happiness.

OPINIONS OF EMINENT EDUCATIONISTS on "THE BOY'S RAMAYANA"

ADOPTED BY THE HINDU SCHOOL CALCUTTA, THE KRISHNAGHUR COLLEGIATE SCHOOL, BETHUNE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL, DUPLEX COLLEGIATE SCHOOL &c.,

_Rev. George Bruce M. A. Senior Professor of English Literature, the Scottish churches College, Calcutta and Examiner to the University of Calcutta for the M.A. Examinations in English writes;--_

I have looked over Babu Ramanath Dutt's Ramayana. The English is simple and idiomatic. The story is given in an interesting manner.

The style & language are, I think, well-suited for Matriculation students.

THE SCOTTISH CHURCHES COLLEGE.} 4 Cornwallis Square, Calcutta.} GEORGE BRUCE M. A.

_10 Sept.--1910_ }

_Mr. Jnan Ranjan Banerjee M. A., B. L. Vice-Princ.i.p.al and Professor of English Literature, Philosophy and Law, the Metropolitan Inst.i.tution, Calcutta; University Lecturer in Philosophy and Examiner to the University of Calcutta writes:--_