नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

342 THE NATYASASTRA [ XIX. 23-

Addressing an accessible women and an old lady

An accessible woman (gamyā)$^2$ is to be addressed as "gentle-woman" (bhadre)$^3$ and an old lady as "mother" (amba)$^4$.

Addressing king's wives

23. In a play king's wives are to be addressed by their servants and attendants as "mistress" (bhaṭṭinī), "madam" (svāminī)$^1$ and "lady" (devī)$^2$.

24. [Of these], the term "lady" (devī)$^1$ should be applied to the chief queen (mahiṣī) by her servants as well as by the king. The remaining [wives of the king] are to be addressed [simply] as "mistress" (bhaṭṭinī) and "madam" (svāminī)$^3$.

Addressing unmarried princesses

25. Unmarried princesses are to be addressed by their handmaids as "young mistress" (bhartṛ-dārikā)$^1$.

---

$^2$ gamyā— not within the prohibited degree of sexual relationship.

$^3$ Ex. Avimaraka addressing Kuraṅgikā (Avi. III. 19.0). Duṣyanta addressing Priyaṃvadā (Śak. I. 22.6). But the king addresses Citralekhā as bhadramukhī (Vikram. II. 15.9) as well as bhadre (ibid. III. 15.0).

$^4$ Ex. The king, Urvaśī and their son addressing the female ascetic. (Vikram. V. 12.3,5,18).

23 (C. 23; B. XVII. 87b-88a). $^1$ Ex. (i) bhaṭṭinī. Nipuṇikā addressing the queen (Vikram II. 19.19); Kāñcanamālā addressing the queen (Ratnā I. 18.11). But in Pratimā (I. 5.4) the maid (ceṭī) addresses Sītā who is not yet a queen, as bhaṭṭinī. (ii) Svāminī as a term of address to the queen does not seem to occur in any extant drama.

$^2$ Ex. The maid (ceṭī) addressing the queen Bhānumatī (Veṇī. II. 2.14).

24 (C.24; B. XVII. 88b-89a). $^1$ See above 23 note 2. For an example of king addressing the queen as devī see Pratijñā. II. 10.12.

$^2$ The term bhoginī meant those who were merely an object of enjoyment i.e. those who were not dharma-patnīs (wives elligible to take part in religious rites .

$^3$ No example of svāminī being used in addressing such a wife seems to occur in any extant drama. In Mālavi. IV. 17.8 Nipuṇikā addressing Irāvatī the second wife of Agnimitra uses the term bhaṭṭinī the very term to be used rightly for the chief queen Dhāriṇī.

25 (C.25; B. XVII. 89b-90a). $^1$ Ex. The maid (ceṭī) addressing Padmāvatī (Svapna. I. 15.11) and Kuraṅgī (Avi. III. 0.45).