महावीरचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - वीररस-प्रधान रामकथा नाटक सम्पूर्ण ७ अङ्क सटीक)

Bhavabhūti — Uttara-Rāma-Charita [8 case the sight of Pañchavaṭī proved too much for his sorrowing heart. The second, Tamasā, relates (iii. 2⁴⁻⁸) that Queen Sītā, abandoned by Rāma in the forest, there gave birth to twin sons, whom her mother, the Earth, and the divine Ganges have placed in charge of Vālmīki; and that the holy Ganges, anticipating Rāma's present visit to Pañcha- vaṭī, has contrived to bring Sītā herself there (iii. 3¹⁻⁴); and that being, by the favour of the Ganges, rendered invisible (iii. 3¹³) to men (like Rāma) and sylvan deities (like Vāsantī), Sītā can now, in a case of need, revive Rāma by her touch.¹ Thereat Muralā goes to carry the news (iii. 3¹⁶) to Lopāmudrā, and Tamasā to bear company with Sītā. Scene 2 (iii. 5³—iii. 10²). Place and time, the same as before. Enters Sītā, gathering flowers and listening to the speech of Vāsantī behind the curtain. This speech refers to an attack by another elephant upon a young elephant once the pet of Sītā (iii. 6). Sītā, in great excitement, calls upon Rāma to protect her pet, but realizing her situation faints away (iii. 6⁴). Enters Tamasā to comfort her. Sītā is in fact comforted by the sound of Rāma's voice behind the curtain (iii. 6⁹ ff.). Tamasā explains that Rāma was then in Pañchavaṭī on state business (iii. 7⁴). 'How fortunate', observes Sītā (iii. 7⁶), 'that the King is so very assiduous in the discharge of his kingly duties!' Greatly overcome by grief, Rāma, still behind the curtain, calls out Sītā's name and faints (iii. 9⁵). This affects Sītā deeply, and on Tamasā's asking her (iii. 10) to do so, she hurries to where Rāma was (iii. 10¹). Scene 3 (iii. 10³—iii. 15¹⁹). Place and time as before. Enters ² Rāma, at Sītā's touch reviving from his swoon. Sītā, afraid lest Rāma might blame her for presenting herself unbidden before him, suggests to Tamasā that they withdraw. The latter reminds her that she is invisible to Rāma ³ (iii. 12¹¹). Enters Vāsantī (iii. 15⁴) to announce the fight of the elephants, whereupon the whole party—including Sītā and Tamasā—proceed to where the fight was going on (iii. 15¹⁹).

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¹ The mysterious power of the beloved one's touch is the constant theme of our poet. Cp. i. 18, 34, 35, 38; iii. 10–12, 14, 39⁹, 40, 41, 42; iv. 21¹¹; vi. 4⁴ ff., 8, 13, 22; vii. 18. ² In the absence of curtains which could be raised up or pulled sideways, it would seem that Rāma had to enter the stage walking, and then assume the necessary position. Sītā comes in shortly after, while Tamasā, whose exit is not indicated at the end of the last scene, watches, along with the spectators, the whole course of events. ³ This may appear dramatically improbable, but so is the statue-scene in The Winter's Tale (Act v, sc. iii). Each, however, has the same purpose to serve, and it is unfair to question a poet's premises. Invisibility was regarded in India as one of the inci- dental attainments due to the practice of Yoga (cp. Yoga-sūtra, iii. 21), and is constantly employed as a dramatic de- vice: cp. Śākuntala vi, Vikramorvaśīya iii, Bhāsa's Avimāraka iii, &c.