प्रियदर्शिका नाटिका (सम्राट हर्षवर्धन - चतुरङ्क शास्त्रीय नाटिका सान्वय सटीक)

Ratnā. similar schemes are devised for the meeting of the lovers by Vasantaka and a maid servant. Other similar episodes in the fourth Act of both the plays are the imprisonment of Vasantaka and of the princesses and their rescue by the king, in one case from poison and in the other from fire, and the final sanction of the Queen to the marriage of the Heroine of each play with the Hero. Other minor similarities are pointed out in the notes. The Priyadarśikā, however, bears a closer resemblance 'to the Mālavikāgnimitra of Kālidāsa in the general outline of its plot, both being based on the story of Bandhumatī (see supra p. xxv). Thus the hand of the Princess Priya is promised to king Vatsa by her father while in the Māl. an alliance is sought with king Agnimitra by Mādhavasena by giving him in marriage his sister Mālavikā. Both Mādhav- sena and Dṛḍhavarman, Priy.'s father, are taken prisoners by rival kings and both are finally rescued by the Heroes of the two dramas. Mādhavasena's minister tries to bring Māl. to king Agnimitra, while it is Dṛḍh.'s chamberlain who tries to bring Priya to king Vatsa. Both meet with accidents: the heroine of the Māl. is brought by Vīrasena, the keeper of a border fort and given in charge of Dhāriṇī, Agnimitra's Queen, while Priya is brought by Vijayasena, the victorious commander of the army of Vatsa, to his master, who in his turn orders her to be committed to the care of his queen Vāsavadattā. Both the Heroines are taught dancing, singing &c., and both are accidentally seen by the respective Kings, and love springs up between the heroes and the heroines of the two plays. To bring about the meeting of the two lovers the mimic play is arranged in the Priy., while a dancing exhibition is arranged in the Māl. Mālavikā is seen with her attendant in a garden by the King and his confidant, and so is Āraṇyikā in the Priyadarśikā. We have Kauśikī, the sister of Mādhavasena's minister, in the role of a religious lady, appearing as a friend of the Queen in the Māl., and so we have Sāṁkṛtyāyanī in the third and fourth Acts of the Priy. The Vidu.'s careless talk in sleep in the Māl. betrays Mālavikā's meeting with the King, while Vasantaka's talk in sleep during the course of the Mimic play brings to light the ruse used for bringing about Āraṇyikā's meeting with the King in the Priy. The magic use of the ring bearing a snake