act opens in Vasantasena's house. Vasantasena confesses to her
maid Madanika her love for Charudatta. Then a shampooer appears
in the street, pursued by the gambling-master and a gambler, who
demand of him ten gold-pieces which he has lost in the gambling-house.
At this point Darduraka enters, and engages the gambling-master
and the gambler in an angry discussion, during which the
shampooer escapes into Vasantasena's house. When Vasantasena
learns that the shampooer had once served Charudatta, she pays his
debt; the grateful shampooer resolves to turn monk. As he leaves
the house he is attacked by a runaway elephant, and saved by
Karnapuraka, a servant of Vasantasena.