MALAYAVATI

 

MALAYAVATI

Malayavati is the heoine of the play Naganandam written by the great Emperor and Playwright HarshaVardhana.  The hero is JeemoothaVaahana.

The part played by the heroine in this drama is comparatively very little.  Yet she makes a deep impression and leaves her stamp in the minds of the readers. Readers are introduced to her through her divine song accompanied by Veena which thrills not only the Hero and his friend but even the animals in the penance forest.  She is beautiful, young and shy qualifying for the title Mugdhaa Naayikaa.  Highly devoted to the Goddess Gauri, she propitiates her by prayers and songs and the Goddess tells her that she would be married by the king of Vidhyaadharas whom she loved – “Hrudhayeshta Eva Varah”.  Even at the first meeting of the Hero in the temple she falls in love with him.  Her exceptional beauty also leaves a strong impression in the Hero.  The lovers are made for each other, they meet, love and depart not knowing much about each other.

In her longing for her lover, she feels miserable and goes to the sandal plant bower with her maid to divert herself.  There she listens to the hero narrating something about his love affair and not knowing that he is only narrating a dream which is concerned with her only, she becomes desperate.  The rejection of Malayavati’s hand offered by Visvaavasu through Mithraavasu by the hero makes her frustration complete and she attempts to commit suicide and is saved by the Hero himself.  She is quite innocent and her misunderstandings are cleared.  They are happily married and Malayavati goes with her husband to live with her parents-in-law serving them.

Apart from her simplicity, innocence and personal charm, Malayavati is so good natured that everyone loves her.  As a true Hindu wife, she does not say a word against her husband even in her bitterest grief and prepares to follow him in death.  Her faith and devotion in Goddess Gauri is so firm that she only makes an appeal to Her in the hour of trial and the Goddess Gauri answers her call.  Malayavati has shown extraordinary restraint and courage in facing the most painful situation in the last Act.  Here she has proved to be a worthy wife of a Bodhisathva.

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