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Act V
Scene. — Outside the King’s tents near Pratisthana. In the background the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna. Manavaka alone.
MANAVAKA After long pleasuring with Urvasie In Nandan and all woodlands of the Gods, Our King’s at last returned, and he has entered His city, by the jubilant people met With splendid greetings, and resumed his toils. Ah, were he but a father, nothing now Were wanting to his fullness. This high day At confluence of great Ganges with the stream Dark Yamuna, he and his Queen have bathed. Just now he passed into his tent, and surely His girls adorn him. I will go exact My first share of the ointments and the flowers.
MAID (within lamenting) O me unfortunate! the jewel is lost Accustomed to the noble head of her Most intimate with the bosom of the King, His loveliest playmate. I was carrying it In palm-leaf basket on white cloth of silk; A vulture doubting this some piece of flesh Swoops down and soars away with it.
MANAVAKA Unfortunate!
Page – 206 This was the Union, the crest-jewel, dear O’er all things to the King. Look where he comes, His dress half-worn just as he started up On hearing of his loss. I’ll go to him. He goes. Then Pururavas enters with his Amazons of the Bactrian Guard and other attendants in great excitement.
PURURAVAS Huntress! huntress! Where is that robber bird That snatches his own death? He practises His first bold pillage in the watchman’s house.
HUNTRESS Yonder, the golden thread within his beak! Trailing the jewel how he wheels in air Describing scarlet lines upon the sky!
PURURAVAS I see him, dangling down the thread of gold He wheels and dips in rapid circles vast. The jewel like a whirling firebrand red Goes round and round and with vermilion rings Incarnadines the air. What shall we do To rescue it?
MANAVAKA (coming up) Why do you hesitate to slay him? He is marked out for death, a criminal.
PURURAVAS My bow! my bow!
AN AMAZON I run to bring it! She goes out.
Page – 206 PURURAVAS Friend, I cannot see the bird. Where has it fled?
MANAVAKA Look! to the southern far horizon wings The carrion-eating robber.
PURURAVAS (turns and looks) Yes, I see him. He speeds with the red jewel every way Branching and shooting light, as ’twere a cluster Of crimson roses in the southern sky Or ruby pendant from the lobe of Heaven. Enter Amazon with the bow. AMAZON Sire, I have brought the bow and leathern guard.
PURURAVAS Too late you bring it. Yon eater of raw flesh Goes winging far beyond an arrow’s range, And the bright jewel with the distant bird Blazes like Mars the planet glaring red Against a wild torn piece of cloud. Who’s there? Noble Latavya!
LATAVYA Highness?
PURURAVAS From me command The chief of the police, at evening, when Yon winged outlaw seeks his homing tree, That he be hunted out.
Page – 207 LATAVYA It shall be done. He goes out.
MANAVAKA Sit down and rest. What place in all broad earth This jewel-thief can hide in, shall elude Your world-wide jurisdiction?
PURURAVAS (sitting down with Manavaka) It was not as a gem Of lustre that I treasured yonder stone, Now lost in the bird’s beak, but ’twas my Union And it united me with my dear love.
MANAVAKA I know it, from your own lips heard the tale. Chamberlain enters with the jewel and an arrow.
LATAVYA Behold shot through that robber! Though he fled, Thy anger darting in pursuit has slain him. Plumb down he fell with fluttering wings from Heaven And dropped the jewel bright. All look at it in surprise. Ill fate o’ertaking Much worse offence! My lord, shall not this gem Be washed in water pure and given — to whom?
PURURAVAS Huntress, go, see it purified in fire, Then to its case restore it.
HUNTRESS As the King wills. She goes out with the jewel.
Page – 208 PURURAVAS Noble Latavya, came you not to know The owner of this arrow?
LATAVYA Letters there are Carved on the steel; my eyes grow old and feeble, I could not read them.
PURURAVAS Therefore give me the arrow. I will spell out the writing. The Chamberlain gives him the arrow and he reads.
LATAVYA And I will fill my office. He goes out.
MANAVAKA (seeing the King lost in thought) What do you read there?
PURURAVAS Hear, Manavaka, hear The letters of this bowman’s name.
MANAVAKA I’m all Attention; read.
PURURAVAS O hearken then and wonder. (reading) “Ayus, the smiter of his foeman’s lives, The warrior Ilian’s son by Urvasie, This arrow loosed.”
Page – 209 MANAVAKA (with satisfaction) Hail, King! now dost thou prosper, Who hast a son.
PURURAVAS How should this be? Except By the great ritual once, never was I Parted from that beloved; nor have I witnessed One sign of pregnancy. How could my Goddess Have borne a son? True, I remember once For certain days her paps were dark and stained, And all her fair complexion to the hue Of that wan creeper paled, and languid-large Her eyes were. Nothing more.
MANAVAKA Do not affect With mortal attributes the living Gods. For holiness is as a veil to them Concealing their affections.
PURURAVAS This is true. But why should she conceal her motherhood?
MANAVAKA Plainly, she thought, “If the King sees me old And matron, he’ll be off with some young hussy.”
PURURAVAS No mockery, think it over.
MANAVAKA Who shall guess The riddles of the Gods? Enter Latavya.
Page – 210 LATAVYA Hail to the King! A holy dame from Chyavan’s hermitage Leading a boy would see my lord.
PURURAVAS Latavya, Admit them instantly.
LATAVYA As the King wills. He goes out, then re-enters with Ayus bow in hand and a hermitess. Come, holy lady, to the King. They approach the King.
MANAVAKA How say you, Should not this noble boy be very he, The young and high-born archer with whose name Was lettered yon half-moon of steel that pierced The vulture? His features imitate my lord’s.
PURURAVAS It must be so. The moment that I saw him, My eyes became a mist of tears, my spirit Lightened with joy, and surely ’twas a father That stirred within my bosom. O Heaven! I lose Religious calm; shudderings surprise me; I long To feel him with my limbs, pressed with my love.
LATAVYA (to the hermitess) Here deign to stand.
PURURAVAS Mother, I bow to thee.
Page – 211 SATYAVATIE High-natured! may thy line by thee increase! (aside) Lo, all untold this father knows his son. (aloud) My child, Bow down to thy begetter. Ayus bows down, folding his hands over his bow.
PURURAVAS Live long, dear son.
AYUS (aside) O how must children on their father’s knees Grown great be melted with a filial sweetness, When only hearing that this is my father I feel I love him!
PURURAVAS Vouchsafe me, reverend lady, Thy need of coming.
SATYAVATIE Listen then, O King; This Ayus at his birth was in my hand By Urvasie, I know not why, delivered, A dear deposit. Every perfect rite And holiness unmaimed that princely boys Must grow through, Chyavan’s self, the mighty Sage, Performed, and taught him letters, Scripture, arts, — Last, every warlike science.
PURURAVAS O fortunate In such a teacher!
Page – 212 SATYAVATIE The children fared afield Today for flowers, dry fuel, sacred grass, And Ayus faring with them violated The morals of the hermitage.
PURURAVAS (in alarm) O how?
SATYAVATIE A vulture with a jag of flesh was merging Into a tree-top when the boy levelled His arrow at the bird.
PURURAVAS (anxiously) And then?
SATYAVATIE And then The holy Sage, instructed of that slaughter, Called me and bade, “Give back thy youthful trust Into his mother’s keeping.” Therefore, sir, Let me have audience with the lady.
PURURAVAS Mother, Deign to sit down one moment. The hermitess takes the seat brought for her. Noble Latavya, Let Urvasie be summoned.
LATAVYA It is done. He goes out.
PURURAVAS Child of thy mother, come, O come to me!
Page – 213 Let me feel my son! The touch of his own child, They say, thrills all the father; let me know it. Gladden me as the moonbeam melts the moonstone.
SATYAVATIE Go, child, and gratify thy father’s heart. Ayus goes to the King and clasps his feet.
PURURAVAS (embracing the boy and seating him on his footstool)
This Brahmin is thy father’s friend. Salute him, And have no fear.
MANAVAKA Why should he fear? I think He grew up in the woods and must have seen A mort of monkeys in the trees.
AYUS (smiling) Hail, father.
MANAVAKA Peace and prosperity walk with thee ever. Latavya returns with Urvasie.
LATAVYA This way, my lady.
URVASIE Who is this quivered youth Set on the footstool of the King? Himself My monarch binds his curls into a crest! Who should this be so highly favoured? (seeing Satyavatie) Ah! Satyavatie beside him tells me; it is My Ayus. How he has grown!
Page – 214 PURURAVAS (seeing Urvasie) O child, look up. Lo, she who bore thee, with her whole rapt gaze Grown mother, her veiled bosom heaving towards thee And wet with sacred milk!
SATYAVATIE Rise, son, and greet Thy parent. She goes with the boy to Urvasie.
URVASIE I touch thy feet.
SATYAVATIE Ever be near Thy husband’s heart.
AYUS Mother, I bow to thee.
URVASIE Child, be thy sire’s delight. My lord and husband!
PURURAVAS O welcome to the mother! sit thee here. He makes her sit beside him.
SATYAVATIE My daughter, lo, thine Ayus. He has learned All lore, heroic armour now can wear. I yield thee back before thy husband’s eyes Thy sacred trust. Discharge me. Each idle moment Is a religious duty left undone.
URVASIE It is so long since I beheld you, mother,
Page – 215 I have not satisfied my thirst of you, And cannot let you go. And yet ’twere wrong To keep you. Therefore go for further meeting.
PURURAVAS Say to the Sage, I fall down at his feet.
SATYAVATIE ‘Tis well.
AYUS Are you going to the forest, mother? Will you not take me with you?
PURURAVAS Over, son, Thy studies in the woods. Thou must be now A man, know the great world.
SATYAVATIE Child, hear thy father.
AYUS Then, mother, let me have when he has got His plumes, my little peacock, Jewel-crest, Who’ld sleep upon my lap and let me stroke His crest and pet him.
SATYAVATIE Surely, I will send him.
URVASIE Mother, I touch thy feet.
PURURAVAS I bow to thee, Mother.
Page – 216 SATYAVATIE Peace be upon you both, my children. She goes.
PURURAVAS O blessed lady! Now am I grown through thee A glorious father in this boy, our son; Not Indra, hurler down of cities, more In his Jayanta of Paulomie born. Urvasie weeps.
MANAVAKA Why is my lady suddenly all tears?
PURURAVAS My own beloved! How art thou full of tears While I am swayed with the great joy of princes Who see their line secured? Why do these drops On these high peaks of beauty raining down, O sad sweet prodigal, turn thy bright necklace To repetition vain of costlier pearls? He wipes the tears from her eyes.
URVASIE Alas, my lord! I had forgot my doom In a mother’s joy. But now thy utterance Of that great name of Indra brings to me Cruel remembrance torturing the heart Of my sad limit.
PURURAVAS Tell me, my love, what limit.
URVASIE O King, my heart held captive in thy hands, I stood bewildered by the curse; then Indra Uttered his high command: “When my great soldier,
Page – 217 Earth’s monarch, sees the face that keeps his line Made in thy womb, to Eden thou returnest.” So when I knew my issue, sick with the terror Of being torn from thee, all hidden haste, I gave to noble Satyavatie the child, In Chyavan’s forest to be trained. Today This my beloved son returns to me; No doubt she thought that he was grown and able To gratify his father’s heart. This then Is the last hour of that sweet life with thee, Which goes not farther. Pururavas swoons.
MANAVAKA Help, help!
URVASIE Return to me, my King!
PURURAVAS (reviving) O love, how jealous are the Gods in Heaven Of human gladness! I was comforted With getting of a son, — at once this blow! O small sweet waist, I am divorced from thee! So has a poplar from one equal cloud Received the shower that cooled and fire of Heaven That kills it.
MANAVAKA O sudden evil out of good! For I suppose you now will don the bark And live with hermit trees.
URVASIE I too unhappy! For now my King who sees that I no sooner Behold my son reared up than to my heavens
Page – 218 I soar, will think that I have all my need And go with glad heart from his side.
PURURAVAS Beloved, Do not believe it. How can one be free To do his will who’s subject to a master? He when he’s bid, must cast his heart aside And dwell in exile from the face he loves. Therefore obey King Indra. On this thy son I too my kingdom will repose and dwell In forests where the antlered peoples roam.
AYUS My father should not on an untrained steer Impose the yoke that asks a neck of iron.
PURURAVAS Child, say not so! The ichorous elephant Not yet full-grown tames all the trumpetings Of older rivals; and the young snake’s tooth With energy of virulent poison stored Strikes deadly. So is it with the ruler born: His boyish hand inarms the sceptred world. The force that rises with its task springs not From years, but is a self and inborn greatness. Therefore, Latavya!
LATAVYA
PURURAVAS Direct from me the council to make ready The coronation of my son.
LATAVYA (sorrowfully) It is
Page – 219 Your will, sire. He goes out. Suddenly all act as if dazzled.
PURURAVAS What lightning leaps from cloudless heavens?
URVASIE (gazing up) ‘Tis the Lord Narad.
PURURAVAS Narad? Yes, ’tis he. His hair is matted all a tawny yellow Like ochre-streaks, his holy thread is white And brilliant like a digit of the moon. He looks as if the faery-tree of Heaven Came moving, shooting twigs all gold, and twinkling Pearl splendours for its leaves, its tendrils pearl. Guest-offering for the Sage! Narad enters: all rise to greet him.
URVASIE Here is guest-offering.
NARAD Hail, the great guardian of the middle world!
PURURAVAS Greeting, Lord Narad.
URVASIE Lord, I bow to thee.
NARAD Unsundered live in sweetness conjugal.
PURURAVAS (aside) O that it might be so!
Page – 220 (aloud to Ayus) Child, greet the Sage.
AYUS Urvaseian Ayus bows down to thee.
NARAD Live long, be prosperous.
PURURAVAS Deign to take this seat. Narad sits, after which all take their seats. What brings the holy Narad?
NARAD Hear the message Of mighty Indra.
PURURAVAS I listen.
NARAD Maghavan, Whose soul can see across the world, to thee Intending loneliness in woods —
PURURAVAS Command me.
NARAD The seers to whom the present, past and future Are three wide-open pictures, these divulge Advent of battle and the near uprise Of Titans warring against Gods. Heaven needs Thee, her great soldier; thou shouldst not lay down Thy warlike arms. All thy allotted days This Urvasie is given thee for wife
Page – 221 And lovely helpmeet.
URVASIE Oh, a sword is taken Out of my heart.
PURURAVAS In all I am Indra’s servant.
NARAD ‘Tis fitting. Thou for Indra, he for thee, With interchange of lordly offices. So sun illumes the fire, fire the great sun Ekes out with heat and puissance. He looks up into the sky. Rambha, descend And with thee bring the high investiture Heaven’s King has furnished to crown Ayus, heir Of great Pururavas. Apsaras enter with the articles of investiture.
NYMPHS Lo! Holiness, That store!
NARAD Set down the boy upon the chair Of the anointing.
RAMBHA Come to me, my child. She seats the boy.
NARAD (pouring the cruse of holy oil on the boy’s head) Complete the ritual.
Page – 222 RAMBHA (after so doing) Bow before the Sage, My child, and touch thy parents’ feet. Ayus obeys.
NARAD Be happy.
PURURAVAS Son, be a hero and thy line’s upholder.
URVASIE Son, please thy father.
BARDS (within) Victory to Empire’s heir.
Strophe First the immortal seer of Brahma’s kind And had the soul of Brahma; Atri’s then The Moon his child; and from the Moon again Sprang Budha-Hermes, moonlike was his mind. Pururavas was Budha’s son and had Like starry brightness. Be in thee displayed Thy father’s kindly gifts. All things that bless Mortals, descend in thy surpassing race.
Antistrophe Thy father like Himaloy highest stands Of all the high, but thou all steadfast be, Unchangeable and grandiose like the sea, Fearless, surrounding Earth with godlike hands. Let Empire by division brighter shine; For so the sacred Ganges snow and pine Favours, yet the same waters she divides To Ocean and his vast and heaving tides.
Page – 223 NYMPHS (approaching Urvasie) O thou art blest, our sister, in thy son Crowned heir to Empire, in thy husband blest From whom thou shalt not part.
URVASIE My happiness Is common to you all, sweet sisters: such Our love was always. She takes Ayus by the hand. Come with me, dear child, To fall down at thy elder mother’s feet.
PURURAVAS Stay yet; we all attend you to the Queen.
NARAD Thy son’s great coronation mindeth me Of yet another proud investiture, — Kartikeya crowned by Maghavan, to lead Heaven’s armies.
PURURAVAS Highly has the King of Heaven Favoured him, Narad; how should he not be Most great and fortunate?
NARAD What more shall Indra do For King Pururavas?
PURURAVAS Heaven’s King being pleased, What further can I need? Yet this I’ll ask. He comes forward and speaks towards the audience. Learning and Fortune, Goddesses that stand In endless opposition, dwellers rare
Page – 224 Under one roof, in kindly union join To bless for glory and for ease the good. This too; may every man find his own good, And every man be merry of his mind, And all men in all lands taste all desire. Page – 225 |
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