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

B. INTERLOCUTORS.¹ For the Prologue at the beginning of Act i. Reciter of the customary Invocation (Nāndī). Stage-manager (Sūtradhāra). An actor. For the Interlude at the beginning of Act ii. Vāsantī, a sylvan deity of the forest of Daṇḍakā.² Ātreyī, a former student of Vālmīki's. For the Interlude at the beginning of Act iii. Tamasā, Goddess of the river Tamasā.² Muralā, Goddess of the river Muralā. For the Interlude at the beginning of Act iv. Bhāṇḍāyana } Saudhātaki,† } ascetic boys, fellow-students of the twins at Vālmīki's. For the arrival of the horse, near the end of Act iv. Boys (baṭavaḥ) much excited upon seeing the unfamiliar animal. For the Interlude at the beginning of Act vi. An air-sprite (Vidyādhara) } witnesses, in an aerial car, of Lava's His mate (Vidyādharī),† } combat with Chandraketu. For the play within the play in Act vii. Stage-manager, for the Prologue in Vālmīki's little play. Sītā,† a heavenly nymph (apsaras) representing Sītā. Earth-goddess (Pṛithivī), mother of Sītā } nymphs enacting these Goddess of the river Bhāgīrathī (Ganges) } parts.³ Twin boys, just born. ¹ These figure mainly in the Prologue and the Interludes, and give information of events not enacted on the stage. ² Takes also an active share in the main plot of Act iii. ³ The real Pṛithivī and Bhāgīrathī have only a stanza in common (vii. 17), and each has separately a short speech from behind the curtain. † These three characters speak Prākrit; the rest, Sanskrit.