SCENE.--_The Sky_.
_Enter_ KING DUSHYANTA _and_ MÁTALI _in the car of Indra, moving
in the air_.
KING.
My good Mátali, it appears to me incredible that I can merit such
a mark of distinction for having simply fulfilled the behests of
the great Indra.
MÁTALI. [_Smiling_.
Great Prince, it seems to me that neither of you is satisfied
with himself.
You underrate the services you have rendered,
And think too highly of the god's reward;
He deems it scarce sufficient recompense
For your heroic deeds on his behalf.
KING.
Nay, Mátali, say not so. My most ambitious expectations were more
than realised by the honour conferred on me at the moment when I
took my leave. For,
Tinged with celestial sandal, from the breast[105]
Of the great Indra, where before it hung,
A garland of the ever-blooming tree
Of Nandana[106] was cast about my neck
By his own hand; while, in the very presence
Of the assembled gods, I was enthroned
Beside their mighty lord, who smiled to see
His son Jayanta[107] envious of the honour.
MÁTALI.
There is no mark of distinction which your Majesty does not
deserve at the hands of the immortals. See,
Heaven's hosts acknowledge thee their second saviour:
For now thy how's unerring shafts (as erst
The Lion-man's terrific claws[108]) have purged
The empyreal sphere from taint of demons foul.
KING.
The praise of my victory must be ascribed to the majesty of
Indra.
When mighty gods make men their delegates
In martial enterprise, to them belongs
The palm of victory; and not to mortals.
Could the pale Dawn dispel the shades of night,
Did not the god of day, whose diadem
Is jewelled with a thousand beams of light,
Place him in front of his effulgent car[11]?
MÁTALI.
A very just comparison!
[_Driving on_.]
Great King, behold! the glory of thy fame has reached even to the
vault of heaven.
Hark! yonder inmates of the starry sphere
Sing anthems worthy of thy martial deeds,
While with celestial colours they depict
The story of thy victories on scrolls
Formed of the leaves of heaven's immortal trees.
KING.
My good Mátali, yesterday, when I ascended the sky, I was so
eager to do battle with the demons, that the road by which we
were travelling towards Indra's heaven escaped my observation.
Tell me, in which path of the seven winds are we now moving?
MÁTALI.
We journey in the path of Parivaha[109]--
The wind that bears along the triple Ganges[110]
And causes Ursa's seven stars to roll
In their appointed orbits, scattering
Their several rays with equal distribution.
'Tis the same path that once was sanctified
By the divine impression of the foot
Of Vishnu, when, to conquer haughty Bali,
He spanned the heavens in his second stride[111].
KING.
This is the reason, I suppose, that a sensation of calm repose
pervades all my senses.
[_Looking down at the wheels_.]
Ah! Mátali, we are descending towards the earth's atmosphere.
MÁTALI.
What makes you think so?
KING.
The car itself instructs me; we are moving
O'er pregnant clouds, surcharged with rain; below us
I see the moisture-loving Chátakas[112]
In sportive flight dart through the spokes; the steeds
Of Indra glisten with the lightning's flash;
And a thick mist bedews the circling wheels.
MÁTALI.
You are right; in a little while the chariot will touch the
ground, and you will be in your own dominions.
KING. [_Looking down_.
How wonderful the appearance of the earth as we rapidly descend!
Stupendous prospect! yonder lofty hills
Do suddenly uprear their towering heads
Amid the plain, while from beneath their crests
The ground receding sinks; the trees, whose stem
Seemed lately hid within their leafy tresses,
Rise into elevation, and display
Their branching shoulders; yonder streams, whose waters,
Like silver threads, were scarce, but now, discerned,
Grow into mighty rivers; lo! the earth
Seems upward hurled by some gigantic power.
MÁTALI.
Well described!
[_Looking with awe_.]
Grand, indeed, and lovely is the spectacle presented by the
earth.
KING.
Tell me, Mátali, what is the range of mountains which, like a
bank of clouds illumined by the setting sun, pours down a stream
of gold? On one side its base dips into the eastern ocean, and on
the other side into the western.
MÁTALI.
Great Prince, it is called 'Golden-peak[113],' and is the abode
of the attendants of the god of wealth. In this spot the highest
forms of penance are wrought out.
There Ka[s']yapa[114], the great progenitor
Of demons and of gods, himself the offspring
Of the divine Maríchi, Brahmá's son,
With Adití, his wife, in calm seclusion,
Does holy penance for the good of mortals.
KING.
Then I must not neglect so good an opportunity of obtaining his
blessing. I should much like to visit this venerable personage
and offer him my homage.
MÁTALI.
By all means. An excellent idea!
[_Guides the car to the earth_.
KING. [_In a tone of wonder_.
How's this?
Our chariot wheels move noiselessly. Around
No clouds of dust arise; no shock betokened
Our contact with the earth; we seem to glide
Above the ground, so lightly do we touch it.
MÁTALI.
Such is the difference between the car of Indra and that of your
Majesty.
KING.
In which direction, Mátali, is Ka[s']yapa's sacred retreat?
MÁTALI. [_Pointing_.
Where stands yon anchorite, towards the orb
Of the meridian sun, immovable
As a tree's stem, his body half-concealed
By a huge ant-hill. Bound about his breast
No sacred cord is twined[115], but in its stead
A hideous serpent's skin. In place of necklace,
The tendrils of a withered creeper chafe
His wasted neck. His matted hair depends
In thick entanglement about his shoulders,
And birds construct their nests within its folds[116].
KING.
I salute thee, thou man of austere devotion.
MÁTALI. [_Holding in the reins of the car_.
Great Prince, we are now in the sacred grove of the holy
Ka[s']yapa--the grove that boasts as its ornament one of the five
trees of Indra's heaven, reared by Adití.
KING.
This sacred retreat is more delightful than heaven itself. I
could almost fancy myself bathing in a pool of nectar.
MÁTALI. [_Stopping the chariot_.
Descend, mighty Prince.
KING. [_Descending_.
And what will you do, Mátali?
MÁTALI.
The chariot will remain where I have stopped it. We may both
descend.
[_Doing so_.]
This way, great King.
[_Walking on_.]
You see around you the celebrated region where the holiest sages
devote themselves to penitential rites.
KING.
I am filled with awe and wonder as I gaze.
In such a place as this do saints of earth
Long to complete their acts of penance; here,
Beneath the shade of everlasting trees.
Transplanted from the groves of Paradise,
May they inhale the balmy air, and need
No other nourishment[117]; here may they bathe
In fountains sparkling with the golden dust
Of lilies; here, on jewelled slabs of marble,
In meditation rapt, may they recline;
Here, in the presence of celestial nymphs,
E'en passion's voice is powerless to move them.
MÁTALI.
So true is it that the aspirations of the good and great are ever
soaring upwards.
[_Turning round and speaking off the stage_.]
Tell me, Vriddha-[S']ákalya, how is the divine son of Maríchi now
engaged? What sayest thou? that he is conversing with Adití and
some of the wives of the great sages, and that they are
questioning him respecting the duties of a faithful wife?
KING. [_Listening_.
Then we must await the holy father's leisure.
MÁTALI. [_Looking at the_ KING.
If your Majesty will rest under the shade, at the foot of this
A[s']oka-tree [118], I will seek an opportunity of announcing your
arrival to Indra's reputed father.
KING.
As you think proper.
[_Remains under the tree_.
MÁTALI.
Great King, I go. [_Exit_.
KING. [_Feeling his arm throb_.
Wherefore this causeless throbbing, O mine arm[18]?
All hope has fled for ever; mock me not
With presages of good, when happiness
Is lost, and nought but misery remains.
A VOICE BEHIND THE SCENES.
Be not so naughty. Do you begin already to show a refractory
spirit?
KING. [_Listening_.
This is no place for petulance. Who can it be whose behaviour
calls for such a rebuke?
[_Looking in the direction of the sound and smiling_.]
A child, is it? closely attended by two holy women. His
disposition seems anything but child-like. See!
He braves the fury of yon lioness
Suckling its savage offspring, and compels
The angry whelp to leave the half-sucked dug,
Tearing its tender mane in boisterous sport.
_Enter a_ CHILD, _attended by_ TWO WOMEN _of the hermitage, in
the manner described_.
CHILD.
Open your mouth, my young lion, I want to count your teeth.
FIRST ATTENDANT.
You naughty child, why do you tease the animals? Know you not
that we cherish them in this hermitage as if they were our own
children? In good sooth, you have a high spirit of your own, and
are beginning already to do justice to the name Sarva-damana
('All-taming'), given you by the hermits.
KING.
Strange! My heart inclines towards the boy with almost as much
affection as if he were my own child. What can be the reason? I
suppose my own childlessness makes me yearn towards the sons of
others.
SECOND ATTENDANT.
This lioness will certainly attack you if you do not release her
whelp.
CHILD. [_Laughing_.
Oh! indeed! let her come. Much I fear her, to be sure!
[_Pouts his under-lip in defiance_.
KING.
The germ of mighty courage lies concealed
Within this noble infant, like a spark
Beneath the fuel, waiting but a breath
To fan the flame and raise a conflagration.
FIRST ATTENDANT.
Let the young lion go, like a dear child, and I will give you
something else to play with.
CHILD.
Where is it? Give it me first.
[_Stretches out his hand_.
KING. [_Looking at his hand_.
How's that? His hand exhibits one of those mystic marks[84] which
are the sure prognostic of universal empire. See! His fingers
stretched in eager expectation To grasp the wished-for toy, and
knit together By a close-woven web, in shape resemble A lotus
blossom, whose expanding petals The early dawn has only half
unfolded.
SECOND ATTENDANT.
We shall never pacify him by mere words, dear Suvratá. Be kind
enough to go to my cottage, and you will find there a plaything
belonging to Márkandeya, one of the hermit's children. It is a
peacock made of china-ware, painted in many colours. Bring it
here for the child.
FIRST ATTENDANT.
Very well. [_Exit_.
CHILD.
No, no; I shall go on playing with the young lion.
[_Looks at the_ FEMALE ATTENDANT _and laughs_.
KING.
I feel an unaccountable affection for this wayward child.
How blessed the virtuous parents whose attire
Is soiled with dust, by raising from the ground
The child that asks a refuge in their arms!
And happy are they while with lisping prattle,
In accents sweetly inarticulate,
He charms their ears; and with his artless smiles
Gladdens their hearts[119], revealing to their gaze
His pearly teeth just budding into view.
ATTENDANT.
I see how it is. He pays me no manner of attention.
[_Looking off the stage_.]
I wonder whether any of the hermits are about here.
[_ Seeing the_ KING.]
Kind Sir, could you come hither a moment and help me to release
the young lion from the clutch of this child who is teasing him
in boyish play?
KING. [_Approaching and smiling_.
Listen to me, thou child of a mighty saint!
Dost thou dare show a wayward spirit here?
Here, in this hallowed region? Take thou heed
Lest, as the serpent's young defiles the sandal[71],
Thou bring dishonour on the holy sage
Thy tender-hearted parent, who delights
To shield from harm the tenants of the wood.
ATTENDANT.
Gentle Sir, I thank you; but he is not the saint's son.
KING.
His behaviour and whole bearing would have led me to doubt it,
had not the place of his abode encouraged the idea.
[_Follows the_ CHILD, _and takes him by the hand, according to
the request of the attendant. Aside_.
I marvel that the touch of this strange child
Should thrill me with delight; if so it be,
How must the fond caresses of a son
Transport the father's soul who gave him being!
ATTENDANT. [_Looking at them both_.
Wonderful! Prodigious!
KING.
What excites your surprise, my good woman?
ATTENDANT.
I am astonished at the striking resemblance between the child and
yourself; and, what is still more extraordinary, he seems to have
taken to you kindly and submissively, though you are a stranger
to him.
KING. [_Fondling the_ CHILD.
If he be not the son of the great sage, of what family does he
come, may I ask?
ATTENDANT.
Of the race of Puru.
KING. [_Aside_.
What! are we, then, descended from the same ancestry? This, no
doubt, accounts for the resemblance she traces between the child
and me. Certainly it has always been an established usage among
the princes of Puru's race,
To dedicate the morning of their days
To the world's weal, in palaces and halls,
'Mid luxury and regal pomp abiding;
Then, in the wane of life, to seek release
From kingly cares, and make the hallowed shade
Of sacred trees their last asylum, where
As hermits they may practise self-abasement,
And bind themselves by rigid vows of penance.
[_Aloud_.]
But how could mortals by their own power gain admission to this
sacred region?
ATTENDANT.
Your remark is just; but your wonder will cease when I tell you
that his mother is the offspring of a celestial nymph, and gave
him birth in the hallowed grove of Ka[s']yapa.
KING. [_Aside_.
Strange that my hopes should be again excited!
[_Aloud_.]
But what, let me ask, was the name of the prince whom she deigned
to honour with her hand?
ATTENDANT.
How could I think of polluting my lips by the mention of a wretch
who had the cruelty to desert his lawful wife?
KING. [_Aside_.
Ha! the description suits me exactly. Would I could bring myself
to inquire the name of the child's mother!
[_Reflecting_.]
But it is against propriety to make too minute inquiries about
the wife of another man[120].
FIRST ATTENDANT.
[_Entering with the china peacock in her hand_.
Sarva-damana, Sarva-damana, see, see, what a beautiful [S']akoonta
(bird).
CHILD. [_Looking round_.
My mother! Where? Let me go to her.
BOTH ATTENDANTS.
He mistook the word [S']akoonta for [S']akoontalá. The boy dotes upon
his mother, and she is ever uppermost in his thoughts.
SECOND ATTENDANT.
Nay, my dear child, I said: Look at the beauty of this [S']akoonta.
KING. [_Aside_.
What! is his mother's name [S']akoontalá? But the name is not
uncommon among women. Alas! I fear the mere similarity of a name,
like the deceitful vapour of the desert[94], has once more raised
my hopes only to dash them to the ground.
CHILD.
Dear nurse, what a beautiful peacock!
[_Takes the toy_.
FIRST ATTENDANT.
[_Looking at the CHILD. In great distress_.
Alas! alas! I do not see the amulet on his wrist.
KING.
Don't distress yourself. Here it is. It fell off while he was
struggling with the young lion.
[_Stoops to pick it up_.
BOTH ATTENDANTS.
Hold! hold! Touch it not, for your life. How marvellous! He has
actually taken it up without the slightest hesitation.
[_Both raise their hands to their breasts and look at each other
in astonishment_.
KING.
Why did you try to prevent my touching it?
FIRST ATTENDANT.
Listen, great Monarch. This amulet, known as 'The Invincible,'
was given to the boy by the divine son of Maríchi, soon after his
birth, when the natal ceremony was performed. Its peculiar virtue
is, that when it falls on the ground, no one except the father or
mother of the child can touch it unhurt.
KING.
And suppose another person touches it?
FIRST ATTENDANT.
Then it instantly becomes a serpent, and bites him.
KING.
Have you ever witnessed the transformation with your own eyes?
BOTH ATTENDANTS.
Over and over again.
KING. [_With rapture. Aside_.
Joy! joy! Are then my dearest hopes to be fulfilled?
[_Embraces the CHILD_.
SECOND ATTENDANT.
Come, my dear Suvratá, we must inform [S']akoontalá immediately of
this wonderful event, though we have to interrupt her in the
performance of her religious vows.
[_Exeunt_.
CHILD. [_To the_ KING.
Don't hold me. I want to go to my mother.
KING.
We will go to her together, and give her joy, my son.
CHILD.
Dushyanta is my father, not you.
KING. [_Smiling_.
His contradiction only convinces me the more.
_Enter_ [S']AKOONTALÁ, _in widow's apparel, with her long hair
twisted into a single braid_.
[S']AKOONTALÁ. [_Aside_.
I have just heard that Sarva-damana's amulet has retained its
form, though a stranger raised it from the ground. I can hardly
believe in my good fortune. Yet why should not Sánumatí's
prediction be verified?
KING.
Alas! can this indeed be my [S']akoontalá?
Clad in the weeds of widowhood, her face
Emaciate with fasting, her long hair
Twined in a single braid[121], her whole demeanour
Expressive of her purity of soul;
With patient constancy she thus prolongs
The vow to which my cruelty condemned her.
[S']AKOONTALÁ. [_Gazing at the_ KING, _who is pale with remorse_.
Surely this is not like my husband; yet who can it be that dares
pollute by the pressure of his hand my child, whose amulet should
protect him from a stranger's touch?
CHILD. [_Going to his mother_.
Mother, who is this man that has been kissing me and calling me
his son?
KING.
My best beloved, I have indeed treated thee most cruelly, but am
now once more thy fond and affectionate lover. Refuse not to
acknowledge me as thy husband.
[S']AKOONTALÁ. [_Aside_.
Be of good cheer, my heart. The anger of Destiny is at last
appeased. Heaven regards thee with compassion. But is he in very
truth my husband?
KING.
Behold me, best and loveliest of women,
Delivered from the cloud of fatal darkness
That erst oppressed my memory. Again
Behold us brought together by the grace
Of the great lord of Heaven. So the moon
Shines forth from dim eclipse [122], to blend his rays
With the soft lustre of his Rohiní.
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
May my husband be victorious--
[_She stops short, her voice choked with tears_.
KING.
O fair one, though the utterance of thy prayer
Be lost amid the torrent of thy tears,
Yet does the sight of thy fair countenance
And of thy pallid lips, all unadorned[123]
And colourless in sorrow for my absence,
Make me already more than conqueror.
CHILD.
Mother, who is this man?
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
My child, ask the deity that presides over thy destiny.
KING. [_Falling at_ [S']AKOONTALÁ's _feet_.
Fairest of women, banish from thy mind
The memory of my cruelty; reproach
The fell delusion that o'erpowered my soul,
And blame not me, thy husband; 'tis the curse
Of him in whom the power of darkness[124] reigns,
That he mistakes the gifts of those he loves
For deadly evils. Even though a friend
Should wreathe a garland on a blind man's brow,
Will he not cast it from him as a serpent?
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
Rise, my own husband, rise. Thou wast not to blame. My own evil
deeds, committed in a former state of being[37], brought down
this judgment upon me. How else could my husband, who was ever of
a compassionate disposition, have acted so unfeelingly?
[_The_ KING _rises_.]
But tell me, my husband, how did the remembrance of thine
unfortunate wife return to thy mind?
KING.
As soon as my heart's anguish is removed, and its wounds are
healed, I will tell thee all.
Oh! let me, fair one, chase away the drop
That still bedews the fringes of thine eye;
And let me thus efface the memory
Of every tear that stained thy velvet cheek,
Unnoticed and unheeded by thy lord,
When in his madness he rejected thee.
[_Wipes away the tear_.
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
[_Seeing the signet-ring on his finger_.
Ah! my dear husband, is that the Lost Ring?
KING.
Yes; the moment I recovered it my memory was restored.
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
The ring was to blame in allowing itself to be lost at the very
time when I was anxious to convince my noble husband of the
reality of my marriage.
KING.
Receive it back, as the beautiful twining-plant receives again
its blossom in token of its reunion with the spring.
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
Nay; I can never more place confidence in it. Let my husband
retain it.
[_Enter_ MÁTALI.
MÁTALI.
I congratulate your Majesty. Happy are you in your reunion with
your wife; happy are you in beholding the face of your own son.
KING.
Yes, indeed. My heart's dearest wish has borne sweet fruit. But
tell me, Mátali, is this joyful event known to the great Indra?
MÁTALI. [_Smiling_.
What is unknown to the gods? But come with me, noble Prince, the
divine Ka[s']yapa graciously permits thee to be presented to him.
KING.
[S']akoontalá, take our child and lead the way. We will together go
into the presence of the holy Sage.
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
I shrink from entering the august presence of the great Saint,
even with my husband at my side.
KING.
Nay; on such a joyous occasion it is highly proper. Come, come; I
entreat thee.
[_All advance_.
KA[S']YAPA _is discovered seated on a throne with his wife_ ADITI.
KA[S']YAPA.
[_Gazing at_ DUSHYANTA. _To his wife_.
O Adití,
This is the mighty hero, King Dushyanta,
Protector of the earth; who, at the head
Of the celestial armies of thy son,
Does battle with the enemies of heaven.
Thanks to his bow, the thunderbolt of Indra
Rests from its work, no more the minister
Of death and desolation to the world,
But a mere symbol of divinity.
ADITI.
He bears in his noble form all the marks of dignity.
MÁTALI. [_To_ DUSHYANTA
Sire, the venerable progenitors of the celestials are gazing at
your Majesty with as much affection as if you were their son. You
may advance towards them.
KING.
Are these, O Mátali, the holy pair,
Offspring of Daksha and divine Maríchi,
Children of Brahmá's sons[125], by sages deemed
Sole fountain of celestial light, diffused
Through twelve effulgent orbs [114]? Are these the pair
From whom the ruler of the triple world [126],
Sovereign of gods and lord of sacrifice,
Sprang into being? That immortal pair
Whom Vishnu, greater than the Self-existent [127],
Chose for his parents, when, to save mankind,
He took upon himself the shape of mortals?
MÁTALI.
Even so.
KING. [_Prostrating himself_.
Most august of beings! Dushyanta, content to have fulfilled the
commands of your son Indra, offers you his adoration.
KA[S']YAPA.
My son, long may'st thou live, and happily may'st thou reign over
the earth!
ADITI.
My son, may'st thou ever be invincible in the field of battle!
[S']AKOONTALÁ.
I also prostrate myself before you, most adorable Beings, and my
child with me.
KA[S']YAPA.
My daughter,
Thy lord resembles Indra, and thy child
Is noble as Jayanta, Indra's son;
I have no worthier blessing left for thee,
May'st thou be faithful as the god's own wife!
ADITI.
My daughter, may'st thou be always the object of thy husband's
fondest love; and may thy son live long to be the joy of both his
parents! Be seated.
[_All sit down in the presence of KA[S']YAPA_.
KA[S']YAPA. [_Regarding each of them by turns_.
Hail to the beautiful [S']akoontalá,
Hail to her noble son, and hail to thee,
Illustrious Prince--rare triple combination
Of virtue, wealth, and energy united!
KING.
Most venerable Ka[s']yapa, by your favour all my desires were
accomplished even before I was admitted to your presence. Never
was mortal so honoured that his boon should be granted ere it was
solicited. Because--
Bloom before fruit, the clouds before the rain,
Cause first and then effect, in endless sequence,
Is the unchanging law of constant nature;
But, ere the blessing issued from thy lips,
The wishes of my heart were all fulfilled.
MÁTALI.
It is thus that the great progenitors of the world confer
favours.
KING.
Most reverend Sage, this thy handmaid was married to me by the
Gándharva ceremony[55], and after a time was conducted to my
palace by her relations. Meanwhile a fatal delusion seized me; I
lost my memory and rejected her, thus committing a grievous
offence against the venerable Kanwa, who is of thy divine race.
Afterwards the sight of this ring restored my faculties, and
brought back to my mind all the circumstances of my union with
his daughter. But my conduct still seems to me incomprehensible;
As foolish as the fancies of a man
Who, when he sees an elephant, denies
That 'tis an elephant; then afterwards,
When its huge bulk moves onward, hesitates;
Yet will not be convinced till it has passed
For ever from his sight, and left behind
No vestige of its presence save its footsteps.
KA[S']YAPA.
My son, cease to think thyself in fault. Even the delusion that
possessed thy mind was not brought about by any act of thine.
Listen to me.
KING.
I am attentive.
KA[S']YAPA.
Know that when the nymph Menaká, the mother of [S']akoontalá,
became aware of her daughter's anguish in consequence of the loss
of the ring at the nymph's pool, and of thy subsequent rejection
of her, she brought her and confided her to the care of Adití.
And I no sooner saw her than I ascertained by my divine faculty
of meditation[134], that thy repudiation of thy poor faithful
wife had been caused entirely by the curse of Durvásas--not by
thine own fault--and that the spell would terminate on the
discovery of the ring.
KING. [_Drawing a deep breath_.
Oh! what a weight is taken off my mind, now that my character is
cleared of reproach.
[S']AKOONTALÁ. [_Aside_.
Joy! joy! My revered husband did not, then, reject me without
good reason, though I have no recollection of the curse
pronounced upon me. But, in all probability, I unconsciously
brought it upon myself, when I was so distracted on being
separated from my husband soon after our marriage. For I now
remember that my two friends advised me not to fail to show the
ring in case he should have forgotten me.
KA[S']YAPA.
At last, my daughter, thou art happy, and hast gained thy heart's
desire. Indulge, then, no feeling of resentment against thy
consort. See, now,
Though he repulsed thee, 'twas the sage's curse
That clouded his remembrance; 'twas the curse
That made thy tender husband harsh towards thee.
Soon as the spell was broken, and his soul
Delivered from its darkness, in a moment,
Thou didst regain thine empire o'er his heart.
So on the tarnished surface of a mirror
No image is reflected, till the dust,
That dimmed its wonted lustre, is removed.
KING.
Holy father, see here the hope of my royal race.
[_Takes his child by the hand_.
KA[S']YAPA.
Know that he, too, will become the monarch of the
wholes earth. Observe,
Soon, a resistless hero, shall he cross
The trackless ocean, borne above the waves
In an aërial car; and shall subdue
The earth's seven sea-girt isles[128]. Now has he gained,
As the brave tamer of the forest-beasts,
The title Sarva-damana; but then
Mankind shall hail him as King Bharata[129],
And call him the supporter of the world.
KING.
We cannot but entertain the highest hopes of a child for whom
your Highness performed the natal rites.
ADITI.
My revered husband, should not the intelligence be conveyed to
Kanwa, that his daughter's wishes are fulfilled, and her
happiness complete? He is [S']akoontalá's foster-father. Menaká,
who is one of my attendants, is her mother, and dearly does she
love her daughter.
[S']AKOONTALÁ. [_Aside_.
The venerable matron has given utterance to the very wish that
was in my mind.
KA[S']YAPA.
His penances have gained for him the faculty of omniscience, and
the whole scene is already present to his mind's eye.
KING.
Then most assuredly he cannot be very angry with me.
KA[S']YAPA.
Nevertheless, it becomes us to send him intelligence of this
happy event, and hear his reply. What ho there!
PUPIL. [_Entering_.
Holy father, what are your commands?
KA[S']YAPA.
My good Gálava, delay not an instant, but hasten through the air
and convey to the venerable Kanwa, from me, the happy news that
the fatal spell has ceased, that Dushyanta's memory is restored,
that his daughter [S']akoontalá has a son, and that she is once
more tenderly acknowledged by her husband.
PUPIL.
Your Highness' commands shall be obeyed.
[_Exit_.
KA[S']YAPA.
And now, my dear son, take thy consort and thy child, re-ascend
the car of Indra, and return to thy imperial capital.
KING.
Most holy father, I obey.
KA[S']YAPA.
And accept this blessing--
For countless ages may the god of gods,
Lord of the atmosphere, by copious showers
Secure abundant harvests to thy subjects;
And thou by frequent offerings preserve
The Thunderer's friendship. Thus, by interchange
Of kindly actions may you both confer
Unnumbered benefits on earth and heaven.
KING.
Holy father, I will strive, as far as I am able, to attain this
happiness.
KA[S']YAPA.
What other favour can I bestow on thee, my son?
KING.
What other can I desire? If, however, you permit me to form
another wish, I would humbly beg that the saying of the sage
Bharata[130] be fulfilled:
May kings reign only for their subjects' weal;
May the divine Saraswatí[131], the source
Of speech, and goddess of dramatic art,
Be ever honoured by the great and wise;
And may the purple self-existent god[132],
Whose vital Energy[133] pervades all space,
From future transmigrations save my soul.
[_Exeunt omnes_.
NOTES:
1. _Í[S']a preserve you_.
That is, 'the Lord,' a name given to the god Siva, when regarded as
supreme. As presiding over dissolution he is associated with Brahmá
the Creator, and Vishnu the Preserver; constituting with them the
Hindú Triad. Kálidása indulges the religious predilections of his
fellow-townsmen by beginning and ending the play with a prayer to
[S']iva, who had a large temple in Ujjayiní, the modern Oujein, the city
of Vikramáditya, situated north-eastward from Gujarát.
2. _In these eight forms_.
The worshippers of Siva, who were Pantheists in the sense of
believing that [S']iva was himself all that exists, as well as the
cause of all that is, held that there were eight different
manifestations of their god, called Rudras; and that these had
their types in the eight visible forms enumerated here. The
Hindús reckon five elements. The most subtle is Ether (_ákása_),
supposed to convey sound, which is its peculiar attribute or
property (_guna_). The next element--Air, has for its properties
sound and feeling. The third--Fire, has sound, feeling, and
colour. The fourth--Water, has sound, feeling, colour, and taste.
The fifth--Earth, has all the other properties, with the addition
of smell.
3. _An audience of educated and discerning men_.
Lit. 'An audience, who are chiefly men of education and discernment.'
Few could have been present at these dramatic representations excepting
learned and educated men. The mass of the composition being in Sanskrit,
would not have been intelligible to the vulgar and illiterate.
4. _[S']akoontalá; or, The Lost Ring_.
The literal title is '[S']akoontalá recognized by the token or
ring.'
5. _The present Summer season_.
Hindú poets divide the year into six seasons of two months each,
viz. I. Spring (Vasanta), beginning about the middle of March;
or, according to some, February. 2. Summer (Gríshma). 3. Rains
(Varsha). 4. Autumn (Sarad). 5. Winter (Hemanta). 6. Dews
(Sisira). Practically, however, there are only three seasons in
India, 1. The hot season. 2. The rains. 3. The cold weather. In
Lower Bengal and Behar, the first of these seasons begins in
March, the second in June, and the third in November. The
temperature of the cold season is highly exhilarating, and the
climate is then superior to that of any portion of the English
year. In Calcutta, this season continues for about three months;
in Upper India, for about five; and in the Panjáb for about
seven. The rains in Bengal Proper are more violent and protracted
than in Hindústán and the Panjáb. In the latter country they last
for hardly more than two months, and even then only fall at
intervals. Plays were acted on solemn and festive occasions, on
lunar holidays, and especially at the changes of the season.
6. _Of fragrant Pátalas_.
The Pátala or trumpet-flower; _Bignonia suaveolens_.
7. _With sweet [S']irísha flowers_.
The flowers of the _Acacia Sírisha_ were used by the Hindú women
as ear-ornaments.
8. _King Dushyanta_.
For the genealogy of King Dushyanta see Introduction, page
xxxviii.
9. _That wields the trident_.
[S']iva is called Pinákin, that is, 'armed with a trident,' or
according to some, a bow named Pináka. Siva not being invited to
Daksha's sacrifice, was so indignant, that, with his wife, he
suddenly presented himself, confounded the sacrifice, dispersed
the gods, and chasing Yajna, 'the lord of sacrifice,' who fled in
the form of a deer, overtook and decapitated him.
10. _Their waving plumes, that late
Fluttered above their brows, are motionless._
The Chámarí, or chowrie, formed of the white bushy tail of the
Yak, or _Bos grunniens_, was placed as an ornament between the
ears of horses, like the plume of the war-horse of chivalry. The
velocity of the chariot caused it to lose its play, and appear
fixed in one direction, like a flag borne rapidly against the
wind.
11. _The steeds of Indra and the Sun._
That is, the speed of the chariot resembled that of the Wind and
the Sun. Indra was the god of the firmament or atmosphere--the
Jupiter Tonans of Hindú mythology--and presided over the
forty-nine Winds. He has a heaven of his own (Swarga), of which
he is the lord, and, although inferior to the three great deities
of the Hindú Triad (Brahmá, Vishnu, and Siva), he is chief of the
secondary gods. The Hindús represent the Sun as seated in a
chariot, drawn by seven green horses, having before him a lovely
youth without legs, who acts as his charioteer, and who is Aruna,
or the Dawn personified.
12. _Puru's race_.
See Dushyanta's pedigree detailed at page xxxviii of the
Introduction.
13. _The great sage Kanwa_.
The sage Kanwa was a descendant of Kasyapa, whom the Hindús
consider to have been the father of the inferior gods, demons,
man, fish, reptiles, and all animals, by his twelve wives. Kanwa
was the chief of a number of devotees, or hermits, who had
constructed a hermitage on the banks of the river Máliní, and
surrounded it with gardens and groves, where penitential rites
were performed, and animals were reared for sacrificial purposes,
or for the amusement of the inmates. There is nothing new in
asceticism. The craving after self-righteousness, and the desire
of acquiring merit by self-mortification, is an innate principle
of the human heart, and ineradicable even by Christianity.
Witness the monastic institutions of the Romish Church, of which
Indian penance-groves were the type. The Superior of a modern
Convent is but the antitype of Kanwa; and what is Romanism but
humanity developing itself in some of its most inveterate
propensities?
14. _He has gone to Soma tírtha_.
A place of pilgrimage in the west of India, on the coast of
Gujarát, near the temple of Somanáth, or Somnát, made notorious
by its gates, which were brought back from Ghazní by Lord
Ellenborough's orders in 1842, and are now to be seen in the
arsenal at Agra. These places of pilgrimage were generally fixed
on the bank of some sacred stream, or in the vicinity of some
holy spring. The word _tírtha_ is derived from a Sanskrit root,
_trí_, 'to cross,' implying that the river has to be passed
through, either for the washing away of sin, or extrication from
some adverse destiny. Thousands of devotees still flock to the
most celebrated Tírthas on the Ganges, at Benares, Haridwár, etc.
15. _Ingudí_.
A tree, commonly called Ingua, or Jiyaputa, from the fruit of
which oil was extracted, which the devotees used for their lamps
and for ointment. One synonym for this tree is _tápasa-taru_,
'the anchorite's tree.'
16. _Bark-woven vests_.
Dresses made of bark, worn by ascetics, were washed in water, and
then suspended to dry on the branches of trees.
17. _By deep canals_.
It was customary to dig trenches round the roots of trees, to
collect the rain-water.
18. _My throbbing arm_.
A quivering sensation in the right arm was supposed by the Hindús
to prognosticate union with a beautiful woman. Throbbings of the
arm or eyelid, if felt on the right side, were omens of good
fortune in men; if on the left, bad omens. The reverse was true
of women. 19. _The hard acacia's stem_.
The Samí tree, a kind of acacia (_Acacia Suma_), the wood of
which is very hard, and supposed by the Hindús to contain fire.
20. _The lotus_.
This beautiful plant, the varieties of which, white, blue, and
red, are numerous, bears some resemblance to our water-lily. It
is as favourite a subject of allusion and comparison with Hindú
poets as the rose is with Persian.
21. _With the Saivala entwined_.
The [S']aivala (_Vallisneria_) is an aquatic plant, which spreads
itself over ponds, and interweaves itself with the lotus. The
interlacing of its stalks is compared in poetry to braided hair.
22. _Yon Ke[s']ara tree_.
The Ke[s']ara tree (_Mimusops elengi_) is the same as the Bakula,
frequent mention of which is made is some of the Puránas. It
bears a strong-smelling flower, which, according to Sir W. Jones,
is ranked among the flowers of the Hindú paradise. The tree Is
very ornamental in pleasure-grounds.
23. _Would that my union with her were permissible_.
A Bráhman might marry a woman of the military or kingly class
next below him, and the female offspring of such a marriage would
belong to a mixed caste, and might be lawfully solicited in
marriage by a man of the military class. But if [S']akoontalá were
a pure Bráhmaní woman, both on the mother's and father's side,
she would be ineligible as the wife of a Kshatriya king.
Dushyanta discovers afterwards that she was, in fact, the
daughter of the great Vi[s']wámitra (see note 27), who was of the
same caste as himself, though her mother was the nymph Menaká.
24. _I trust all is well with your devotional rites_.
This was the regular formula of salutation addressed to persons
engaged in religions exercises.
25. _This water that we have brought with us will serve to bathe
our guest's feet_.
Water for the feet is one of the first things invariably provided
for a guest in all Eastern countries. Compare Genesis xxiv. 32;
Luke vii. 44. If the guest were a Bráhman, or a man of rank, a
respectful offering (_argha_) of rice, fruit, and flowers was
next presented. In fact, the rites of hospitality in India were
enforced by very stringent regulations. The observance of them
ranked as one of the five great sacred rites, and no punishment
was thought too severe for one who violated them. If a guest
departed unhonoured from a house, his sins were to be transferred
to the householder, and all the merits of the householder were to
be transferred to him.
26. _Sapta-parna tree_.
A tree having seven leaves on a stalk (_Echites scholaris_).
27. _Vis']wámitra, whose family name is Kausika_.
In the Rámáyana, the great sage Vi[s']wámitra (both king and saint),
who raised himself by his austerities from the regal to the
Bráhmanical caste, is said to be the son of Gádhi, King of Kanúj,
grandson of Kusanátha, and great-grandson of Kusika or Kusa. On
his accession to the throne, in the room of his father Gádhi, in
the course of a tour through his dominions, he visited the
hermitage of the sage Vasishtha, where the Cow of Plenty, a cow
granting all desires, excited his cupidity. He offered the sage
untold treasures for the cow; but being refused, prepared to take
it by force. A long war ensued between the king and the sage
(symbolical of the struggles between the military and Bráhmanical
classes), which ended in the defeat of Vi[s']wámitra, whose vexation
was such, that he devoted himself to austerities, in the hope of
attaining the condition of a Bráhman. The Rámáyana recounts how,
by gradually increasing the rigour of his penance through
thousands of years, he successively earned the title of Royal
Sage, Sage, Great Sage, and Bráhman Sage. It was not till he had
gained this last title that Vasishtha consented to acknowledge
his equality with himself, and ratify his admission into the
Bráhmanical state. It was at the time of Vi[s']wámitra's advancement
to the rank of a Sage, and whilst he was still a Kshatriya, that
Indra, jealous of his increasing power, sent the nymph Menaká to
seduce him from his life of mortification and continence. The Rámáyana
records his surrender to this temptation, and relates that the nymph
was his companion in the hermitage for ten years, but does not allude
to the birth of [S']akoontalá during that period.
28. _The inferior gods, I am aware, are jealous_.
According to the Hindú system, Indra and the other inferior
deities were not the possessors of Swarga, or heaven, by
indefeasible right. They accordingly viewed with jealousy, and
even alarm, any extraordinary persistency by a human being in
acts of penance, as it raised him to a level with themselves;
and, if carried beyond a certain point, enabled him to dispossess
them of Paradise. Indra was therefore the enemy of excessive
self-mortification, and had in his service numerous nymphs who
were called his 'weapons,' and whose business it was to impede by
their seductions the devotion of holy men.
29. _Gautamí_.
The name of the matron or Superior of the female part of the
society of hermits. Every association of religious devotees seems
to have included a certain number of women, presided over by an
elderly and venerable matron, whose authority resembled that of
an abbess in a convent of nuns.
30. _Ku[s']a-grass_.
This grass was held sacred by the Hindús, and was abundantly
used in all their religions ceremonies. Its leaves are very long,
and taper to a sharp needle-like point, of which the extreme
acuteness was proverbial; whence the epithet applied to a clever
man, 'sharp as the point of Ku[s']a-grass.' Its botanical name is
_Poa cynosuroïdes_.
31. _Kuruvaka._
A species of Jhintí or Barleria, with purple flowers, and covered
with sharp prickles.
32. _The Jester_.
See an account of this character in the Introduction, p. xxxiv.
33. _We have nothing to eat but roast game_.
Indian game is often very dry and flavourless.
34. _Attended by the Yavana women_.
Who these women were has not been accurately ascertained. Yavana
is properly Arabia, but is also a name applied to Greece. The
Yavana women were therefore either natives of Arabia, or Greece,
and their business was to attend upon the king, and take charge
of his weapons, especially his bow and arrows. Professor H. H.
Wilson, in his translation of the Vikramorva[s']í, where the same
word occurs (Act V. p. 261), remarks that Tartarian or Bactrian
women may be intended.
35. _In the disc of crystal_.
That is, the sun-gem (_Súrya-kánta_, 'beloved by the sun'), a
shining stone resembling crystal. Professor Wilson calls it a
fabulous stone with fabulous properties, and mentions another
stone, the moon-gem (_chandra-kánta_). It may be gathered from
this passage that the sun-stone was a kind of glass lens, and
that the Hindús were not ignorant of the properties of this
instrument at the time when '[S']akoontalá' was written.
36. _Some fallen blossoms of the jasmine_.
The jasmine here intended was a kind of double jasmine with a
very delicious perfume, sometimes called 'Arabian jasmine'
(_Jasminum zambac_). It was a delicate plant, and, as a creeper,
would depend on some other tree for support. The Arka, or
sun-tree (Gigantic Asclepias: _Calotropis gigantea_), on the
other hand, was a large and vigorous shrub. Hence the former is
compared to [S']akoontalá, the latter to the sage Kanwa.
37.
_The mellowed fruit
Of virtuous actions in some former birth_.
The doctrine of the transmigration of the soul from one body to
another is an essential dogma of the Hindú religion, and
connected with it is the belief in the power which every human
being possesses of laying up for himself a store of merit by good
deeds performed in the present and former births. Indeed the
condition of every person is supposed to derive its character of
happiness or misery, elevation or degradation, from the virtues
or vices of previous states of being. The consequences of actions
in a former birth are called _vipáka_; they may be either good
or bad, but are rarely unmixed with evil taint.
In the present comparison, however, they are described as pure
and unalloyed. With reference to the first four lines of this
stanza, compare Catullus, Carmen Nuptiale, verse 39.
'Ut flos in septis secretus nascitur hortis,
Ignotus pecori, nullo contusus aratro,
Quem mulcent auræ, firmat sol, educat imber:
Multi illuum pueri, multæ optavere puellæ:
Idem quum tenui carptus defloruit ungui,
Nulli illum pueri, nallæ optavere puellæ:
Sic virgo, dum intacta manet,' etc.
38. _The sixth part of their grain_.
According to Manu, a king might take a sixth part of liquids,
flowers, roots, fruit, grass, etc.; but, even though dying with
want, he was not to receive any tax from a Bráhman learned in the
Vedas.
39. _A title only one degree removed from that of a Sage_.
Dushyanta was a Rájarshi; that is, a man of the military class
who had attained the rank of Royal Sage or Saint by the practice
of religious austerities. The title of Royal or Imperial Sage was
only one degree inferior to that of Sage. Compare note 27.
40. _Chanted by inspired bards_.
Or celestial minstrels, called Gandharvas. These beings were the
musicians of Indra's heaven, and their business was to amuse the
inhabitants of Swarga by singing the praises of gods, saints, or
heroes. Compare note 11.
41. _In their fierce warfare with the powers of hell_.
Indra and the other inferior gods (compare note 11) were for ever
engaged in hostilities with their half-brothers, the demons
called Daityas, who were the giants or Titans of Hindú mythology.
On such occasions the gods seem to have depended very much upon
the assistance they received from mortal heroes.
42. _Evil demons are disturbing our sacrificial rites_.
The religious rites and sacrifices of holy men were often
disturbed by certain evil spirits or goblins called Rákshasas,
who were the determined enemies of piety and devotion. No great
sacrifice or religious ceremony was ever carried on without an
attempt on the part of these demons to impede its celebration;
and the most renowned saints found it necessary on such occasions
to acknowledge their dependence on the strong arm of the military
class, by seeking the aid of warriors and heroes. The inability
of holy men, who had attained the utmost limit of spiritual
power, to cope with the spirits of evil, and the superiority of
physical force in this respect, is very remarkable.
43. _Vishnu_.
Vishnu, the Preserver, was one of the three gods of the Hindú
Triad. He became incarnate in various forms for the good of
mortals, and is the great enemy of the demons.
14 _Like king Tri[s']anku_.
The story of this monarch is told in the Rámáyana. He is there
described as a just and pious prince of the solar race, who
aspired to celebrate a great sacrifice, hoping thereby to ascend
to heaven in his mortal body. After various failures he had
recourse to Vi[s']wámitra, who undertook to conduct the sacrifice,
and invited all the gods to be present. They, however, refused to
attend; upon which the enraged Vi[s']wámitra, by his own power,
transported Tri[s']anku to the skies, whither he had no sooner
arrived than he was hurled down again by Indra and the gods; but
being arrested in his downward course by the sage, he remained
suspended between heaven and earth, forming a constellation in
the southern hemisphere.
45. _Ointment of Usíra-root_.
The root of a fragrant grass (_Andropogon muricatum_), from
which a cooling ointment was made.
46. _The very breath of his nostrils_.
Compare Lam. iv. 20. 'The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of
the Lord, was taken.'
47. _God of the flowery shafts_.
The Hindú Cupid, or god of love (Káma), is armed with a bow made
of sugar-cane, the string of which consists of bees. He has five
arrows, each tipped with the blossom of a flower, which pierce
the heart through the five senses; and his favourite arrow is
pointed with the _chita_, or mango-flower.
48. _E'en now in thy unbodied essence lurks The fire of [S']iva's
anger_.
The story is thus told in the Rámáyana. Káma (Cupid) once
approached [S']iva that he might influence him with love for his
wife, Párvatí. [S']iva happened then to be practising austerities,
and intent on a vow of chastity. He therefore cursed the god of
love in a terrible voice, and at the same time a flash from his
eye caused the god's body to shrivel into ashes. Thus Káma was
made incorporeal, and from that time was called 'the bodiless
one.'
49.
_Like the flame,
That ever hidden in the secret depths
Of ocean, smoulders there unseen_.
This submarine fire was called Aurva,
from the following fable. The Rishi Aurva, who had gained great
power by his austerities, was pressed by the gods and others to
perpetuate his race. He consented, but warned them that his
offspring would consume the world. Accordingly, he created from
his thigh a devouring fire, which, as soon as it was produced,
demanded nourishment, and would have destroyed the whole earth,
had not Brahmá appeared and assigned the ocean as its habitation,
and the waves as its food. The spot where it entered the sea was
called 'the mare's mouth.' Doubtless the story was invented to
suit the phenomenon of some marine volcano, which may have
exhaled through the water bituminous inflammable gas, and which,
perhaps in the form of a horse's mouth, was at times visible
above the sea.
50 _Who on his 'scutcheon bears the monster-fish_.
The Hindú Cupid is said to have subdued a marine monster, which
was, therefore, painted on his banner.
51 _The graceful undulation of her gait_.
_Hansa-gáminí_, 'walking like a swan,' was an epithet for a
graceful woman. The Indian lawgiver, Manu, recommends that a
Bráhman should choose for his wife a young maiden, whose gait was
like that of a phoenicopter, or flamingo, or even like that of a
young elephant. The idea in the original is, that the weight of
her hips had caused the peculiar appearance observable in the
print of her feet. Largeness of the hips was considered a great
beauty in Hindú women, and would give an undulatory motion to
their walk. 52 _The Mádhaví_.
A large and beautiful creeper (_Gaertnera racemosa_), bearing
white, fragrant flowers, to which constant allusion is made in
Sanskrit plays.
53 _Pines to be united with the Moon_.
A complete revolution of the moon, with respect to the stars, being
made in twenty-seven days, odd hours, the Hindús divide the heavens
into twenty-seven constellations (asterisms) or lunar stations, one
of which receives the moon for one day in each of his monthly journeys.
As the Moon, Chandra, is considered to be a masculine deity, the Hindús
fable these twenty-seven constellations as his wives, and personify
them as the daughters of Daksha. Of these twenty-seven wives, twelve
of whom give names to the twelve months, Chandra is supposed to show
the greatest affection for the fourth, Rohiní; but each of the others,
and amongst them Vi[s']ákhá, is represented as jealous of this
partiality, and eager to secure the Moon's favour for herself,
Dushyanta probably means to compare himself to the Moon (he being of
the Lunar race) and [S']akoontalá to Vi[s']ákhá.
54. _Checks its fall_.
Owing to emaciation and disuse of the bow, the callosities on the
forearm, usually caused by the bow-string, were not sufficiently
prominent to prevent the bracelet from slipping down from the
wrist to the elbow, when the arm was raised to support the head.
This is a favourite idea with Kálidása to express the attenuation
caused by love.
55. _No nuptial rites prevail_.
A marriage without the usual ceremonies is called Gándharva. It
was supposed to be the form of marriage prevalent among the
nymphs of India's heaven. In the 3rd Book of Manu (v. 22), it is
included among the various marriage rites, and is said to be a
union proceeding entirely from love, or mutual inclination, and
concluded without any religious services, and without consulting
relatives. It was recognized as a legal marriage by Manu and
other lawgivers, though it is difficult to say in what respect it
differed from unlawful cohabitation.
56. _The loving birds doomed by fate to nightly separation_.
That is, the male and female of the Chakraváka, commonly called Chakwa
and Chakwí, or Bráhmaní duck (_Anas casarca_). These birds associate
together during the day, and are, like turtle-doves, patterns of
connubial affection; but the legend is, that they are doomed to pass
the night apart, in consequence of a curse pronounced upon them by a
saint whom they had offended. As soon as night commences, they take
up their station on the opposite banks of a river, and call to each
other in piteous cries. The Bengálís consider their flesh to be a good
medicine for fever.
57. _The great sage Durvásas_.
A Saint or Muni, represented by the Hindú poets as excessively
choleric and inexorably severe. The Puránas and other poems
contain frequent accounts of the terrible effects of his
imprecations on various occasions, the slightest offence being in
his eyes deserving of the most fearful punishment. On one
occasion he cursed Indra, merely because his elephant let fall a
garland he had given to this god; and in consequence of this
imprecation all plants withered, men ceased to sacrifice, and the
gods were overcome in their wars with the demons.
58. _Propitiatory offering_.
Compare note 25.
59. _His blushing charioteer_.
Compare note 11.
60. _Night-loving lotus_.
Some species of the lotus, especially the white esculent kind,
open their petals during the night, and close them during the
day, whence the moon is often called the 'lover, or lord of the
lotuses.'
61. _The very centre of the sacred fire_.
Fire was an important object of veneration with the Hindús, as
with the ancient Persians. Perhaps the chief worship recognized
in the Vedas is that of Fire and the Sun. The holy fire was
deposited in a hallowed part of the house, or in a sacred
building, and kept perpetually burning. Every morning and
evening, oblations were offered to it by dropping clarified
butter and other substances into the flame, accompanied with
prayers and invocations.
62. _As in the sacred tree the mystic fire_.
Literally, 'as the [S']ami-tree is pregnant with fire.' The legend
is, that the goddess Párvatí, being one day under the influence
of love, reposed on a trunk of this tree, whereby a sympathetic
warmth was generated in the pith or interior of the wood, which
ever after broke into a sacred flame on the slightest attrition.
63 _Hastinápur_.
The ancient Delhi, situated on the Ganges, and the capital of
Dushyanta. Its site is about fifty miles from the modern Delhi,
which is on the Jumná,
64 _E'en as Yayáti [S']armishthá adored_,
[S']armishthá was the daughter of Vrishaparvan, king of the
demons, and wife of Yayáti, son of Nahusha, one of the princes of
the Lunar dynasty, and ancestor of Dushyanta. Puru was the son of
Yayáti, by [S']armishthá.
65 _And for whose encircling bed, Sacred Kusa-grass is spread_.
At a sacrifice, sacred fires were lighted at the four cardinal
points, and Ku[s']a-grass was scattered around each fire, 66
_Koïl_,
The Koïl, or Kokil, is the Indian cuckoo. It is sometimes called
Para-bhrita ('nourished by another'). because the female is known
to leave her eggs in the nest of the crow to be hatched. The bird
is as great a favourite with Indian poets as the nightingale with
European. One of its names is 'Messenger of Spring.' Its note is
a constant subject of allusion, and is described as beautifully
sweet, and, if heard on a journey, indicative of good fortune.
Everything, however, is beautiful by comparison. The song of the
Koïl is not only very dissimilar, but very inferior to that of
the nightingale,
67 _The peacock on the lawn Ceases its dance_,
The Indian peacock is very restless, especially at the approach
of rain, in which it is thought to take delight. Its circular
movements are a frequent subject of allusion with Hindú poets,
and are often by them compared to dancing.
68. _The moonlight of the grove_.
The name of [S']akoontalá's favourite jasmine, spoken of in the 1st
Act. See page 15 of this volume.
69. _Fig-tree_.
Not the Banyan-tree (_Ficus Indica_), nor the Pippala (_Ficus
religiosa_), but the Glomerous Fig-tree (_Ficus glomerata_),
which yields a resinous milky juice from its bark, and is large
enough to afford abundant shade.
70. _The poor female Chakraváka_.
Compare note 56.
71. _Like a young tendril of the sandal-tree torn from its home
in the western mountains_.
The sandal is a kind of large myrtle with pointed leaves (_Sirium
myrtifolium_). The wood affords many highly esteemed perfumes,
unguents, etc., and is celebrated for its delicious scent. It is
chiefly found on the slopes of the Malaya mountain or Western
Ghauts on the Malabar coast. The roots of the tree are said to be
infested with snakes. Indeed it seems to pay dearly for the
fragrance of its wood: 'The root is infested by serpents, the
blossoms by bees, the branches by monkeys, the summit by bears.
In short there is not a part of the sandal-tree that is not
occupied by the vilest impurities.' Hitopade[s']a, verse 162.
72. _The calm seclusion of thy former home_.
'When the father of a family perceives his own wrinkles and grey
hair, committing the care of his wife to his sons, or accompanied
by her, let him repair to the woods and become a hermit.'--Manu,
vi. 2. It was usual for kings, at a certain time of life, to
abdicate the throne in favour of the heir-apparent, and pass the
remainder of their days in seclusion.
73. _A frequent offering to our household gods_.
This was an offering (_bali_) in honour of those spiritual
beings called 'household deities,' which were supposed to hover
round and protect houses. It was made by throwing up into the air
in some part of the house (generally at the door) the remains of
the morning and evening meal of rice or grain, uttering at the
same time a _mantra_, or prayer.
74. _In other states of being_.
Dim recollections of occurrences in former states of existence
are supposed occasionally to cross the mind. Compare note 37.
75. _The Chamberlain_.
The attendant on the women's apartment. He is generally a
Bráhman, and usually appears in the plays as a tottering and
decrepit old man, leaning on his staff of office. 76. _The king
of serpents on his thousand heads_.
A mythological serpent, the personification of eternity, and king
of the Nágas, or snakes, who inhabit Pátála, the lowermost of the
seven regions below the earth. His body formed the couch of
Vishnu, reposing on the waters of Chaos, whilst his thousand
heads were the god's canopy. He is also said to uphold the world
on one of his heads.
77. _The chamber of the consecrated fire_.
Compare note 61.
78. _Two heralds_.
These heralds were introduced into Hindú plays something in the
same manner as a Chorus; and, although their especial duty was to
announce, in measured verse, the periods of the day, and
particularly the fixed divisions into which the king's day was
divided, yet the strain which they poured forth frequently
contained allusions to incidental circumstances. The royal office
was no sinecure. From the Da[s']a-kumára, it appears that the day
and night were each divided into eight portions of one hour and a
half, reckoned from sunrise; and were thus distributed: Day--l.
The king, being dressed, is to audit accounts; 2. He is to
pronounce judgment in appeals; 3. He is to breakfast; 4. He is to
receive and make presents; 5. He is to discuss political
questions with his ministers; 6. He is to amuse himself; 7. He is
to review his troops; 8. He is to hold a military council.
Night--l. He is to receive the reports of his spies and envoys;
2. He is to sup or dine; 3. He is to retire to rest after the
perusal of some sacred work; 4 and 5. He is to sleep; 6. He is to
rise and purify himself; 7. He is to hold a private consultation
with his ministers, and instruct his officers; 8. He is to attend
upon the _Purohita_ or family priest, for the performance of
religious ceremonies. See Wilson's Hindú Theatre, vol. i. p. 209.
79. _Feeling a quivering sensation in her right eyelid_.
Compare note 18.
80. _The protector of the four classes of the people, the
guardian of the four conditions of the priesthood_.
A remarkable feature in the ancient Hindú social system, as
depicted in the plays, was the division of the people into four
classes or castes:--1st. The sacerdotal, consisting of the
Bráhmans.--2nd. The military, consisting of fighting men, and
including the king himself and the royal family. This class
enjoyed great privileges, and must have been practically the most
powerful.--3rd. The commercial, including merchants and
husbandmen.--4th. The servile, consisting of servants and slaves.
Of these four divisions the first alone has been preserved in its
purity to the present day, although the Rájputs claim to be the
representatives of the second class. The others have been lost in
a multitude of mixed castes formed by intermarriage, and bound
together by similarity of trade or occupation. With regard to the
sacerdotal class, the Bráhmans, who formed it, were held to be
the chief of all human beings; they were superior to the king,
and their lives and property were protected by the most stringent
laws. They were to divide their lives into four quarters, during
which they passed through four states or conditions, viz. as
religious students, as householders, as anchorites, and as
religious mendicants.
81. _That he is pleased with ill-assorted unions_.
The god Brahmá seems to have enjoyed a very unenviable notoriety
as taking pleasure in ill-assorted marriages, and encouraging
them by his own example in the case of his own daughter.
82. _[S']achí's sacred pool near Sakrávatára_.
[S']akra is a name of the god Indra, and Sakrávatára is a sacred
place of pilgrimage where he descended upon earth. [S']achí is his
wife, to whom a _Urtha_, or holy bathing-place, was probably
consecrated at the place where [S']akoontalá had performed her
ablutions. Compare note 14.
83. _The wily Koïl_.
Compare note 66.
84. _With the discus or mark of empire in the lines of his
hand_.
When the lines of the right hand formed themselves into a circle,
it was thought to be the mark of a future hero or emperor.
85. _A most refined occupation, certainly!_
Spoken ironically. The occupation of a fisherman, and, indeed, any
occupation which involved the sin of slaughtering animals, was
considered despicable. Fishermen, butchers, and leather-sellers were
equally objects of scorn. In Lower Bengal the castes of Jáliyás and
Bágdis, who live by fishing, etc., are amongst the lowest, and eke
out a precarious livelihood by thieving and dacoity.
86. _And he should not forsake it_.
The great Hindú lawgiver is very peremptory in restricting
special occupations (such as fishing, slaughtering animals,
basket-making) to the mixed and lowest castes. 'A man of the
lowest caste, who, through covetousness, lives by the acts of the
highest, let the king strip of all his wealth and banish. His own
business, though badly performed, is preferable to that of
another, though well performed.'--Manu, x. 96. In the later Hindú
system the sacrifice of animals is practised by the priests of
the goddess Káli only.
87. _Carp_.
That is, the Rohita, or Rohi (red) fish (_Cyprinus rohita_), a
kind of carp found in lakes and ponds in the neighbourhood of the
Ganges. It grows to the length of three feet, is very voracious,
and its flesh, though it often has a muddy taste, is edible. Its
back is olive-coloured, its belly of a golden hue, its fins and
eyes red. This fish is often caught in tanks in Lower Bengal of
the weight of twenty-five or thirty pounds.
88. _I long to begin binding the flowers round his head_.
It is evident from the Málati-Mádhava, and other plays, that a
victim, about to be offered as a sacrifice, had a wreath of
flowers bound round the head.
89. _The great vernal festival_.
In celebration of the return of Spring, and said to be in honour
of Krishna, and of his son Káma-deva, the god of love. It is
identified with the Holí or Dolá-yátra, the Saturnalia, or
rather, Carnival of the Hindús, when people of all conditions
take liberties with each other, especially by scattering red
powder and coloured water on the clothes of persons passing in
the street, as described in the play called Ratnávalí, where the
crowd are represented as using syringes and waterpipes. Flowers,
and especially the opening blossoms of the mango, would naturally
be much employed for decoration at this festival, as an offering
to the god of love. It was formerly held on the full moon of the
month Chaitra, or about the beginning of April, but it is now
celebrated on the full moon of Phálguna, or about the beginning
of March. The other great Hindú festival, held in the autumn,
about October, is called Durgá-pújá, being in honour of the
goddess Durgá. The Holí festival is now so disfigured by unseemly
practices and coarse jests that it is reprobated by the
respectable natives, and will probably, in the course of time,
either die out or be prohibited by legal enactment.
90. _Am not I named after the Koïl?_
Compare note 66.
91. _Thy fire unerring shafts_.
Compare note 47.
92. _The amaranth_
That is, the Kuruvaka, either the crimson amaranth, or a purple
species of _Barleria_.
93. _My finger burning with the glow of love_.
However offensive to our notions of good taste, it is certain
that, in Hindú erotic poetry, a hot hand is considered to be one
of the signs of passionate love. Compare Othello, Act III. Scene
4. 'Give me your hand: this hand is moist, my lady--hot, hot,
and moist.'
94. _The airy vapours of the desert_.
A kind of mirage floating over waste places, and appearing at a
distance like water. Travellers and some animals, especially
deer, are supposed to be attracted and deceived by it.
95. _Himálaya_.
The name of this celebrated range of mountains is derived from
two Sanskrit words, _hima_, 'ice' or 'snow' (Lat. _hiems_), and
_álaya_, 'abode.' The pronunciation Himalaya is incorrect.
96. _As [S']iva did the poison at the Deluge_.
At the churning of the ocean, after the Deluge, by the gods and
demons, for the recovery or production of fourteen sacred things,
a deadly poison called Kála-kúta, or Halá-hala, was generated, so
virulent that it would have destroyed the world, had not the god
[S']iva swallowed it. Its only effect was to leave a dark blue mark
on his throat, whence his name Níla-kantha. This name is also
given to a beautiful bird, not wholly unlike our jay, common in
Bengal.
97. _Palace of clouds_.
The palace of King Dushyanta, so called because it was lofty as
the clouds.
98. _The foreman of a guild belonging to Ayodhyá_.
The chief of a guild or corporation of artisans practising the
same trade. Ayodhyá, or the Invincible City, was the ancient
capital of Rámachandra, founded by Ikshwáku, the first of the
Solar dynasty. It was situated on the river Sarayu in the north
of India, and is now called Oude.
99. _My ancestors Must drink these glistening tears, the last
libation_.
Oblations to the spirits of the deceased are offered by the
nearest surviving relatives soon after the funeral ceremonies;
and are repeated once in every year. They are supposed to be
necessary to secure the well-being of the souls of the dead in
the world appropriated to them. The oblation-ceremony is called
[S']ráddha, and generally consisted in offering balls made of rice
and milk, or in pouring out water, or water and sesamum-seed
mixed. These ceremonies are still regarded as essential to the
welfare of deceased persons, and their celebration is marked by
magnificent feasts, to which relations and a host of Bráhmans are
invited. A native who had grown rich in the time of Warren
Hastings spent nine lakhs of rupees on his mother's [S']ráddha; and
large sums are still spent on similar occasions by wealthy Hindús
(see my 'Bráhmanism and Hindúism,' p. 306).
100. _The mother of the great Indra_.
That is, Adití, the wife of Ka[s']yapa, with whom, in their sacred
retreat, [S']akoontalá was enjoying an asylum.
101. _Distinguishes the milk from worthless water_.
The Hindús imagine that the flamingo (a kind of goose) is the
vehicle on which the god Brahmá is borne through the air; and
that this bird, being fond of the pulpy fibres of the water-lily,
has been gifted by him with the power of separating the milky
from the watery portion of the juice contained in the stalk of
that plant.
102. _Mátali_.
The charioteer of Indra. In the pictures which represent this god
mounted on his usual vehicle--an elephant called Aírávata--Mátali
is seen seated before him on the withers of the animal, acting as
its driver. In the plays, however, Indra is generally represented
borne in a chariot drawn by two horses, guided by Mátali.
103. _Kálanemi_.
A Daitya or demon, with a hundred arms and as many heads.
104. _Nárada_.
A celebrated divine sage, usually reckoned among the ten
patriarchs first created by Brahmá. He acted as a messenger of
the gods.
105. _Tinged with celestial sandal from the breast_.
The breast of Indra was dyed yellow with a fragrant kind of
sandal-wood (_hari-chandana_); and the garland by rubbing
against it, became tinged with the same color. Wreaths and
garlands of flowers are much used by the Hindús as marks of
honorary distinction, as well as for ornament or festive
occasions. They are suspended round the neck.
106. _The ever-blooming tree of Nandana_.
That is, Mandára, one of the five ever-blooming trees of Nandana,
or Swarga, Indra's heaven. The two most celebrated of these trees
were the Párijáta and the Kalpa-druma, or tree granting all
desires. Each of the superior Hindú gods has a heaven, paradise,
or elysium of his own. That of Brahmá is called Brahma-loka,
situate on the summit of mount Meru; that of Vishnu is Vaikuntha,
on the Himálayas; that of [S']iva and Kuvera is Kailása, also on
the Himálayas; that of Indra is Swarga or Nandana. The latter,
though properly on the summit of mount Meru, below Brahmá's
paradise, is sometimes identified with the sphere of the sky or
heaven in general. It is the only heaven of orthodox Bráhmanism.
107. _Jayanta_.
The son of Indra by his favourite wife Paulomí or [S']achí.
108. _The Lion-man's terrific claws_.
Vishnu, in the monstrous shape of a creature half man, half lion
(his fourth Avatár or incarnation), delivered the three worlds,
that is to say, Earth, Heaven, and the lower regions, from the
tyranny of an insolent demon called Hiranya-ka[S']ipu.
109. _We journey in the path of Parivaha_.
The Hindús divide the heavens into seven Márgas, paths or
orbits, assigning a particular wind to each. The sixth of these
paths is that of the Great Bear, and its peculiar wind is called
Parivaha. This wind is supposed to bear along the seven stars of
Ursa Major, and to propel the heavenly Ganges.
110. _The triple Ganges_.
The Ganges was supposed to take its rise in the toe of Vishnu
(whence one of its names, Vishnu-padí); thence it flowed through
the heavenly sphere, being borne along by the wind Parivaha, and
identified with the Mandákiní, or Milky Way. Its second course is
through the earth; but the weight of its descent was borne by
[S']iva's head, whence, after wandering among the tresses of his
hair, it descended through a chasm in the Himálayas. Its third
course is through Pátála, or the lower regions, the residence of
the Daityas and Nágas, and not to be confounded with Naraka,
'hell,' 'the place of punishment.'
111. _He spanned the heavens in his second stride_.
The story of Vishnu's second stride was this:--An Asura or
Daitya, named Bali, had, by his devotions, gained the dominion of
Heaven, Earth, and Pátála. Vishnu undertook to trick him out of
his power, and assuming the form of a Vámana, or dwarf (his fifth
Avatár), he appeared before the giant and begged as a boon as
much land as he could pace in three steps. This was granted; and
the god immediately expanded himself till he filled the world;
deprived Bali, at the first step, of Earth; at the second, of
Heaven; but, in consideration of some merit, left Pátála still
under his rule.
112. _I see the moisture-loving Chátakas_.
The Chátaka is a kind of Cuckoo (_Cuculus Melanoleucus_). The
Hindús suppose that it drinks only the water of the clouds, and
their poets usually introduce allusions to this bird in connexion
with cloudy or rainy weather.
113. _Golden-peak_.
A sacred range of mountains lying among the Himálaya chain, and
apparently identical with, or immediately adjacent to, Kailása,
the paradise of Kuvera, the god of wealth. It is here described
as the mountain of the Kimpurashas, or servants of Kuvera. They
are a dwarfish kind of monster, with the body of a man and the
head of a horse, and are otherwise called Kinnara.
114. _Ka[s']yapa_.
Ka[s']yapa was the son of Brahmá's son, Maríchi, and was one of
those Patriarchs (created by Brahmá to supply the universe with
inhabitants) who, after fulfilling their mission, retired from
the world to practise penance. He was a progenitor on a
magnificent scale, as he is considered to have been the father of
the gods, demons, man, fish, reptiles, and all animals, by the
thirteen daughters of Daksha. The eldest of the thirteen, his
favourite wife, was Adití, from whom were born Indra and all the
inferior gods, and particularly the twelve Ádityas, or forms of
the sun, which represent him in the several months of the year.
From Diti, Danu, and others of the remaining twelve, came the
Daityas, Dánavas, and other demons.
115. _No sacred cord is twined_.
The serpent's skin was used by the ascetic in place of the
regular Bráhmanical cord. This thread or cord, sometimes called
the sacrificial cord, might be made of various substances, such
as cotton, hempen or woollen thread, according to the class of
the wearer; and was worn over the left shoulder and under the
right. The rite of investiture with this thread, which conferred
the title of 'twice-born,' and corresponded in some respects with
the Christian rite of baptism, was performed on youths of the
first three classes (compare note 80), at ages varying from eight
to sixteen, from eleven to twenty-two, and from twelve to
twenty-four, respectively. At present the Bráhmans alone, and
those who claim to be Kshatriyas, have a right to wear this
thread. Not long since, a Káyath (or man of the writer caste) in
Bengal, who attempted to claim it, was excommunicated.
116. _And birds construct their nests within its folds_.
Such was the immovable impassiveness of this ascetic, that the
ants had thrown up their mound as high as his waist without being
disturbed, and birds had built their nests in his hair.
117. _And need no other nourishment_.
The Hindús imagine that living upon air is a proof of the highest
degree of spirituality to which a man can attain.
118. _A[s']oka-tree_.
The A[s']oka (_Jonesia Asoka_) is one of the most beautiful of
Indian trees. Sir W. Jones observes that 'the vegetable world
scarce exhibits a richer sight than an A[s']oka-tree in full bloom'.
It is about as high as an ordinary cherry-tree. The flowers are
very large, and beautifully diversified with tints of
orange-scarlet, of pale yellow, and of bright orange, which form
a variety of shades according to the age of the blossom.
119. _And with his artless smiles Gladdens their hearts_.
Chézy is enraptured with this verse: ' ... strophe incomparable,
que tout père, ou plutôt toute mère, ne pourra lire sans sentir
battre son coeur, tant le poète a su y rendre, avec les nuances
les plus délicates, l'expression vivante de l'amour maternel.'
Compare Statius, Theb., book v. line 613.
'Heu ubi siderei vultus? ubi verba ligatis
Imperfecta sonis? risusque et murmura soli
Intellecta mihi?'
120. _It is against propriety to make too minute inquiries
about the wife of another man_.
The Hindús were very careful to screen their wives from the curiosity
of strangers; and their great lawgiver, Manu, enjoined that married
women should be cautiously guarded by their husbands in the inner
apartments (_antahpura_) appropriated to women (called by the
Muhammadans, Haram, and in common parlance, in India _andar-mahall_).
The chief duty of a married woman's life seems to have been to keep as
quiet as possible, to know as little as possible, to hear, see, and
inquire about nothing; and above all, to avoid being herself the
subject of conversation or inquiry; in short, the sole end and object
of her existence was to act as a good head-servant, yielding to her
husband a servile obedience, regulating the affairs of his family,
preparing his daily food, and superintending his household. (Manu, ix.
11, 16.) But notwithstanding the social restrictions to which women
were subjected, even in the earlier periods of Indian history, it
seems probable that they were not rigidly excluded from general
society until after the introduction of Muhammadan customs into India.
It appears from the plays that they were allowed to go into public on
certain occasions; they took part in bridal processions, and were
permitted to enter the temples of the gods, [S']akoontalá appears in
the court of King Dushyanta and pleads her own cause; and Vásavadattá,
in the Ratnávalí, holds a conversation with her father's envoy. Even
in later times, the presence of men, other than husbands or sons, in
the inner apartments, was far from being prohibited. See Wilson's
Hindú Theatre, p. xliii.
121. _Her long hair Twined in a single braid_.
Hindú women collect their hair into a single long braid as a sign
of mourning, when their husbands are dead or absent for a long
period.
122. _Shines forth from dim eclipse_.
The following is the Hindú notion of an eclipse:--A certain
demon, which had the tail of a dragon, was decapitated by Vishnu
at the churning of the ocean; but, as he had previously tasted of
the Amrit or nectar reproduced at that time, he was thereby
rendered immortal, and his head and tail, retaining their
separate existence, were transferred to the stellar sphere. The
head was called Ráhu, and became the cause of eclipses, by
endeavouring at various times to swallow the sun and moon. So in
the Hitopade[s']a, line 192, the moon is said to be eaten by Ráhu.
With regard to the love of the Moon for Rohiní, the fourth lunar
constellation, see note 53.
123. _All unadorned_.
That is, from the absence of colouring or paint.
124. _The power of darkness_.
According to Hindú philosophy there are three qualities or
properties which together make up or dominate humanity: 1.
_Sattwa_, 'excellence' or 'goodness' (quiescence), whence
proceed truth, knowledge, purity, etc. 2. _Rajas_, 'passion'
(activity), which produces lust, pride, falsehood, etc., and is
the cause of pain. 3. _Tamas_, 'darkness' (inertia), whence
proceed ignorance, infatuation, delusion, mental blindness, etc.
125. _Children of Brahmá's sons_.
Ka[s']yapa and Adití were the children of Maríchi and Daksha
respectively, and these last were the sons of Brahmá.
126. _The ruler of the triple world_.
That is, Indra, lord of heaven, earth, and the lower regions.
Compare notes 110, 113.
127. _Whom Vishnu, greater than the Self-existent_.
Vishnu, as Náráyana, or the Supreme Spirit, moved over the waters
before the creation of the world, and from his navel came the lotus
from which Brahmá, the World's Creator, here called the Self-existent,
sprang. As Vishnu, the Preserver, he became incarnate in various
forms; and chose Ka[s']yapa and Adití, from whom all human beings
were descended, as his medium of incarnation, especially in the Avatár
in which he was called Upendra, 'Indra's younger brother.' Hence it
appears that the worshippers of Vishnu exalt him above the Creator.
128. _The earth's seven sea-girt isles_.
According to the mythical geography of the Hindús, the earth
consisted of seven islands, or rather insular continents,
surrounded by seven seas. That inhabited by men was called
Jambudwípa, and was in the centre, having in the middle of it the
sacred mountain Meru or Sumeru, a kind of Mount Olympus inhabited
by the gods. About Jambu flowed the sea of salt-water which
extends to the second Dwípa, called Plaksha, which is in its turn
surrounded by a sea of sugar-cane juice. And so with the five
other Dwípas, viz. Sálmali, Ku[S']a, Krauncha, [S']áka, and Pushkara,
which are severally surrounded by the seas of wine, clarified
butter, curds, milk, and fresh water.
129. _Bharata_.
The name Bharata is derived from the root bhri (fero),'to
support.' Many Indian princes were so named, but the most
celebrated was this son of Dushyanta and [S']akoontalá, who so
extended his empire that from him the whole of India was called
Bharata-varsha or Bhárata-varsha; and whose descendants, the sons
of Dhritaráshtra and Pándu, by their quarrels, formed the subject
of the great epic poem called Mahá-bhárata. The Hindús at the
present day continue to call India by the name Bhárata-varsha.
180. _The Sage Bharata_.
The Bharata here intended must not be confounded with the young
prince. He was a holy sage, the director or manager of the gods'
dramas, and inventor of theatrical representations in general. He
wrote a work containing precepts and rules relating to every
branch of dramatic writing, which appears to have been lost, but
is constantly quoted by the commentators. (See p. xxix.)
131. _Saraswatí_.
She is the goddess of speech and eloquence, patroness of the arts
and sciences, and inventress of the Sanskrit language. There is a
festival still held in her honour for two days, about February in
every year, when no Hindú will touch a pen or write a letter. The
courts are all closed accordingly.
132. _The purple self-existent god_.
[S']iva is usually represented as borne on a bull; his colour, as
well as that of the animal he rides, being white, to denote the
purity of Justice, over which he presides. In his destroying
capacity, he is characterized by the quality 'darkness,' and
named Rudra, Kála, etc., when his colour is said to be purple or
black. Some refer the epithet 'purple' to the colour of his
throat; compare note 96. Self-existent, although properly a name
of the Supreme Being (Brahmá), is applied both to Vishnu and
[S']iva by their votaries.
134. _Whose vital Energy_.
That is, [S']iva's wife, Párvatí, who was supposed to personify his
energy or active power. Exemption from further transmigration,
and absorption into the divine soul, was the _summum bonum_ of
Hindú philosophy. Compare note 37.
135. _By my divine faculty of meditation_.
Celestial beings were endowed with a mental faculty (called
dhyána, pranidhána, etc.), which enabled them to arrive at the
knowledge of present and future events.
136. _A roseate dye wherewith to stain The lady's feet_.
That is, the soles of her feet. It was customary for Hindú ladies
to stain the soles of their feet of a red colour with the dye
made from lac--a minute insect bearing some resemblance to the
cochineal--which punctures the bark of the Indian fig-tree, and
surrounds itself with the milky resinous juice of that tree.
This custom is a alluded to in one of Paterson's Hindú odes--
'The rose that humbly bowed to meet,
With glowing lips, her hallowed feet,
And lent them all its bloom.'
See Megha-dúta (Edit. Johnson), p. 32.