रत्नावली नाटिका (सम्राट हर्षवर्धन - शास्त्रीय नाटिका रत्न सम्पूर्ण ४ अङ्क सान्वय सटीक)

[Header] INTRODUCTION xxvii

the chief minister and Vasantaka, the Vidushaka, rescued the King by tricks. Vāsavadattá was also brought with him and the nuptials were finished in the Kaus'ámbi palace. In the subsequent history of Udayana a summary mention is made of the king's love with Virachitá the harem-attendant and his intrigue with the captive princess Bandhumati. The Queen detected their intrigues and took Vasantaka captive. The reconciliation was made by Sámkrityáyani who was the friend of Vāsavadattá. The third stage of the story relates the political motive of Yaugandhárayana who wanted to strengthen the foundation of the kingdom on a more secure basis. With that objective in view he had brought about the alliance between Mahásena and Udayana by the marriage of Vāsavadattá. He now wanted to bring about a matrimonial alliance with the royal family of Magadha. Ajátas'atru the king of Magadha had a beautiful daughter named Padmávati who was solicited in marriage for his master. But the king of Magadha did not want his daughter to be put in the posi- tion of a co-wife of Vāsavadattá for whom Udayana had an unflinching love. In order to remove this obstacle Yaugandharáyana took Vāsavadattá in confidence and one day in the absence of Uda- yana announced that Vāsavadattá had perished in a big fire that broke out in Lávánaka. Vāsavadattá under disguise travelled with Yaugandharáyana who called her his sister. Now fresh proposals for marriage of Padmávati with Udayana were made and Udayana went to Magadha and after the conclusion of the nuptial ceremo- nies returned to the capital. Vāsavadattá also returned to the capital and the deep-laid design of the minister came out to be successful as the king Udayana became a very powerful monarch due to the alliance with those eminent royal families. With this last stage of the story the subject-matter of Ratná- vali is connected. The subject-matter of स्वप्नवासवदत्तम् of Bhása strictly conforms to the story of the Kathásaritságara but in रत्नावली the author has made some important modifications. He has taken