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

vi. 19ᶜ—] Bhavabhūti — Uttara-Rāma-Charita [88 even in his tender-youth he carries the hauteur of a mountain— Is it the Sentiment of Heroism or of Pride that, [incarnate in him,] is approaching me? 19 Lava, approaching [Kuśa]—Victory unto the noble one! Kuśa—Well, long-lived [Lava], what is all this talk about the fight? Lava—Ah, a mere trifle. Towards this one, let my noble brother, laying aside his haughty bearing, behave with respect. Kuśa—And why? Lava—Because it is the King, the Lord of the Raghus, that is standing there. He is affectionate towards us and is eager to meet you. Kuśa, reflecting—Dost thou mean the hero of the Rāmāyaṇa story, the guardian of the treasures of the Sacred Word? Lava—The same. Kuśa—He certainly is a great man, and to see him is sanctifying and a thing to wish for! But how are we going to accost him, that is what I do not see. Lava—In the mode prescribed for a guru: with reverence. Kuśa—But how in the world can that be? Lava—Here is Chandraketu, son of Ūrmilā, a youth exceedingly noble, who calls me his dear friend and offers me his friendship; so by virtue of that relation this Royal sage becomes, strictly speaking, our father.¹ Kuśa—In that case, albeit a Kshatriya, we may show him deference without incurring any reproach [for lack of self-respect]. Both walk about. Lava—Let my noble brother look upon this great personality: [Are not] his mien, his majesty, his serene-dignity sure indications of those countless and extraordinarily noble achievements? Kuśa, gazing attentively— How graceful is his form—how hallowing his majestic presence! Rightly indeed has the poet of the Rāmāyaṇa [Vālmīki] trans- formed² the Goddess of Speech [into that poem]. 20 Approaching. Father, this is Kuśa, the pupil of the son of Varuṇa [Vālmīki], making his salutation. Rāma—Come, thou long-lived one, come: Here am I eager, in my affection, to embrace thee whose form- and-stature is lovely like a cloud filled with nectar. 21 Embraces him. To himself. Whose child then may this youth be? [He seems to be—] ¹ The irony of the dramatic situation is obvious. ² Compare ii. 5ᵃᶠᶠ. above.