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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doubt; did not that conjuring son of a slave say, he had still something<br />
for your Majesty to see?"<br />
The king says to the queen,<br />
"Here, madam, is Sagarika rescued in obedience to your commands." The<br />
queen smiling replies, "I am sensible of your obedience, my lord." She<br />
now informs all present, "Yaugandharayana presented her to me, and told<br />
me she had been rescued from the sea: it was hence we designated her<br />
Sagarika or the ocean Maid." The likeness--the necklace--the recovery of<br />
the damsel from the sea--leave no doubt in the mind of Vasubhuti that<br />
this is the daughter of the king of Simhala, Ratnavali. Vasubhuti<br />
advances to her who looks at him. They recognize each other and both<br />
faint. After some time they recover. As Ratnavali goes to embrace the<br />
queen at her invitation, she stumbles. At the request of the queen who<br />
blushes for her cruelty, the king takes the chains off Ratnavali's feet.<br />
Yaugandharayana now explains his conduct thus, "It was formerly<br />
announced to us by a holy seer, that the husband of the princess of<br />
Simhala should become the emperor of the world. We therefore earnestly<br />
applied to her father to give her hand to our sovereign; but unwilling<br />
to be cause of uneasiness to the queen, the monarch of Simhala declined<br />
compliance with our request: we therefore raised a report that<br />
Vasavadatta had perished by a fire at Lavanaka, and Babhravya was<br />
despatched with the news to the court of Simhala. Vikrambahu then<br />
consented to our proposal and sent his daughter on board a ship<br />
accompanied by Vasubhuti and Babhravya. The ship was wrecked. The<br />
princess was rescued from the sea by a merchant who brought her to me. I<br />
placed her with the queen in a very unsuitable station as I expected you<br />
would see her in the inner apartments, and take pleasure in her sight. I<br />
had some concern in the appearance of the magician who had conjured up a<br />
vision of the gods and a conflagration, as no other means remained of<br />
restoring the damsel to your presence and creating an opportunity for<br />
Vasubhuti to see and recognise the princess." The queen now puts on<br />
Ratnavali her own jewels, then takes her by the hand and presents her to<br />
the king. Ratnavali bows to the queen who embraces her. The king<br />
observes, "My cares are all rewarded. Nothing more is necessary,<br />
Vikrambahu is my kinsman, Sagarika, the essence of the world, the source<br />
of universal victory, is mine, and Vasavadatta rejoices to obtain a<br />
sister. The _Kosalas_ are subdued: what other object does the world<br />
present for which I could entertain a wish? This be alone my prayer; may<br />
Indra with seasonable showers render the earth bountiful of grain; may<br />
the presiding Brahmans secure the favour of the gods by acceptable<br />
sacrifices; may the association of the pious confer delight until the<br />
end of time, and may the appalling blasphemies of the profane be<br />
silenced for ever."<br />
APPENDIX.<br />
69