TALES FROM THE HINDU DRAMATISTS - Awaken Video
TALES FROM THE HINDU DRAMATISTS - Awaken Video
TALES FROM THE HINDU DRAMATISTS - Awaken Video
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OR<br />
<strong>THE</strong> CARVED STATUE.<br />
Vidyadhar Malla, the chief of the Karachuli race, a Rajput tribe, was<br />
the king of Triling and Kalinga. Bhagurayana was his minister. Charayana<br />
was his Vidushaka or confidential attendant. Chandraverma, the king of<br />
Lata, was the maternal uncle-in-law of Vidyadhar Malla. He had no son.<br />
To satisfy his desire for a son, he dressed his only daughter<br />
Mrigankavali as a son to pass her off as such. People knew that the<br />
child was a son.<br />
Bhagurayana had heard from the sages that "whosoever shall wed the<br />
daughter of Chandravarma shall become the paramount sovereign." So he<br />
told Chandravarma, "My king desires to see your son." Upon this<br />
Chandravarma sent his child to the queen of Vidyadhara Malla to be taken<br />
care of by her. Thus the minister contrived to bring Mrigankavali to the<br />
palace of his king.<br />
One day, while the king is asleep, Mrigankavali puts a necklace on the<br />
neck of the king, being induced by a maid-servant who had instructions<br />
to do so by the minister. The king takes this as a wonderful dream. The<br />
vision of a beautiful maid agitates his mind. The king thus relates to<br />
Bidushaka the story of his fancied vision, "for the burden of the heart<br />
is lightened by sharing it with a faithful friend."<br />
"A glorious halo appeared before me in my dream, bright as the moon's<br />
resplendent disk; within the orb a beauteous maiden moved as gently<br />
radiant as the lunar rays in autumn skies.<br />
Advancing near me, she inclined her head in reverence, and, as if<br />
pouring ambrosia into my ears, pronounced in softest tones,<br />
'Glory to the deity of love!' Then sighing, she took up this string of<br />
costly pearls and placed it on my neck. This awoke me, I started up and<br />
saw my vision realised. I caught the nymph by her scarf, but she hastily<br />
extricated herself from my hands and fled, leaving me this necklace<br />
alone the evidence of her presence." Bidushaka asks his Majesty, "Was<br />
not the queen with you when you dreamt? What did she do?"<br />
The king replies, "The queen got angry and left me." Bidushaka remarks,<br />
"Why could not you assuage her anger?"<br />
The king answers, "I was absorbed in the maid of my vision."<br />
The Vidushaka, however, treats the whole as a dream, and reproaches the<br />
king for his fickleness, as he had just before fallen in love with<br />
Kuvalayamala, the princess of Kuntala, and recommends him to be content<br />
with the queen, as "a partridge in the hand is better than a pea-hen in<br />
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