TALES FROM THE HINDU DRAMATISTS - Awaken Video

the bird away. She perches on the plantain bower. They follow her there.
Vasantaka finds a picture and shows it to the king, who gives him a
golden bracelet. Looking at it, the king dwells upon the beauties of the
damsel.
Susangata and Sagarika hide themselves behind the plantain trees and
overhear the conversation between the king and his companion. Susangata
remarks, "You are in luck, girl; your lover is dwelling upon your
praises. The bird, as I told you, has repeated our conversation."
Sagarika thinks to herself, "What will he reply? I hang between life and
death." The king remarks farther to his companion, "My sight insatiate
rests upon her graceful limbs and slender waist. I cannot deny that she
has flatteringly delineated my likeness, nor doubt her sentiments--for
observe the traces of the tear that has fallen upon her work, like the
moist dew that starts from every pore of my frame." Sagarika says to
herself, "Heart, be of good cheer! your passion is directed to a
corresponding object." Susangata now comes forward, so as to be seen by
Vasantaka. At this the king, on the advice of his companion, covers the
picture with his mantle. Susangata says, "I am acquainted with the
secret of the picture and some other matters of which I shall apprise
her Majesty." The king takes off his bracelet and other ornaments and
offers them to her with the object of bribing her to be silent. She
replies, "Your Majesty is bountiful. You need not fear me. I was but in
jest, and do not want these jewels. The truth is, my dear friend,
Sagarika is very angry with me for drawing her picture, and I shall be
much obliged to your Majesty to intercede for me and appease her
resentment." The king springs up and exclaims, "Where is she? Lead me to
her."
Then all advance to Sagarika. She thinks, "He is here--I tremble at his
sight. I can neither stand nor move--what shall I do?" Vasantaka, seeing
her, exclaims, "A most surprising damsel, truly; such another is not to
be found in this world. I am confident that when she was created,
_Brahma_ was astonished at his own performance." The king is struck with
her and observes, "such are my impressions. The four mouths of _Brahma_
must at once have exclaimed in concert, bravo, bravo! when the deity
beheld these eyes more beauteous than the leaves of his own lotus; and
his head must have shaken with wonder, as he contemplated her
loveliness, the ornament of all the world." Sagarika prepares to go away
when the king addresses her thus, "You turn your eyes upon your friend
in anger, lovely maid; yet such is their native tenderness that they
cannot assume a harsh expression. Look thus, but do not leave us, for
your departure hence will alone give me pain." Susangata now advises the
king to take Sagarika by the hand and pacify her. The king approves the
advice and acts up to it. Vasantaka congratulates the king on his
unprecedented fortune.
The king replies, "You say rightly--she is the very deity Lakshmi
herself. Her hand is the new shoot of the _Parijata_ tree, else whence
distil these dewdrops of ambrosia?" Susangata remarks, "It is not
possible, my dear friend, you can remain inexorable whilst honoured thus
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