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

XXX RATNAVALI looked. Its author flourished at such a period when Sanskrit poetry was having a transit from originality to artificiality. H. H. Wilson observes, "the Ratnávalí in short may be taken as one of the connecting links of the old and the new school as a not unpleasing production of that middle region through which Hindu poetry passed from elevation to extravagance." Characters.—C. R. Devadhara observes, "most of the characters in the play are traditional and the poet has delineated them in exact conformity with the legend." The main interest of the play depends upon the incidents that have helped the action of the drama to move towards the successful end of the plot. As the action of the play is circumscribed within the limit of a few days, the characters have not been given the opportunity of displaying their individual peculiarities which mostly ensure the abiding interest in the drama. Wilson remarks, in the circum- scribed limits of the action "we have no right to entail much contrast or development of character and it is enough that all the individuals introduced preserve their identity." The principal characters are :— (I) Yaugandharáyana :—He is an astute farsighted politician bent heart and soul on the welfare and future good of his master. He was alert to the foretelling of a fortune-teller that the marriage with Ratnávali would ensure the paramount monarchy of his master and so he caught the first opportunity of removing all obstacles from this marriage. From the beginning to the end he has uniformly and unerringly manipulated the matters to a successful end. He knew that the girl rescued from the sea was Ratnávali ; yet he did not disclose it at once and put her under the care of Vásavadattá so that the King might have a hankering for having her as his bride when she would get the opportunity of coming across his sight. He became satisfied and attained self-complacency when Ratnávali was given to the King by Vásavadattá ( इदानीं सफलपरिश्रमोऽस्मि संवृत्तः,—IV ). His