XSABARI (SABARl)

 

XSABARI (SABARl)

 

XSABARI (SABARl) was an aged woman of the tribe of forest-dwellers. Sri Rama, during his life in the forest, gave her salvation.

Xsabari, in her former life, was the only daughter Malini of the Gandharva King, Chithrakavacha.  An erudite scholar, Veethihothra, married her.  As he was ever immersed in contemplation of Brahman his wife Malini, (later Xsabari) kept one hunter, Kalmasha, as her paramour, and her husband cursed her thus: "As you have become a lover of the hunter, you turn out to be a hunter-woman."

At the Suburbs of Maathanga's hermitage, Malini in tears sought redemption from the curse from her husband, and he told her that she would get absolution from her infamy and the curse from Sri Rama. Immediately she was transformed into a hunter-woman and she came to the suburbs of Maathangaasramam. She took a special liking for the place, the reason being that the flowers in the aasramam possessed a special fragrance. Once while the disciples were carrying a load of flowers for the muni (Maathanga) a few drops of sweat from their bodies fell on the ground, and the muni blessed that the trees and creepers, which grew up from the sweat and their flowers would never fade.

This is described as follows in Canto 73, Aaranyakaandam of Valmiki Ramayanam. "Oh ! Rama ! nobody plucks and wears those flowers. They neither fade nor fall down. While the disciples of Maathanga were carrying a load of flowers for him, they sweated on account of exhaustion and some drops of sweat fell on earth which developed themselves into flowers due to the prowess of the guru's tapas. Even today may be seen there Xsabari, who has taken to sanyaasa and who tends the flowers. She will attain heaven only after seeing you."

Xsabari lived for long there serving Maathanga's disciples, performing tapas and learning knowledge about Brahman. At the time of the munis giving up their physical bodies they blessed Xsabari that without further delay she would meet Rama and get redemption from the curse. They also blessed that she would possess divine eyes to see hidden things and also the past and the future. After that she was spending her days awaiting the arrival of Rama.

It was the period of the life in the forest of Rama and Lakshmana. After visiting various aasramams, Rama at last came to Maathangasramam. Hearing about Rama's visit Xsabari had gathered a lot of fruits. Now, Rama and Lakshmana came and Xsabari received them most respectfully. After herself biting each fruit from every bunches to test its taste she gave the fruits for them to eat. The left-overs of Xsabari appeared as nectar to Rama. Then Xsabari told Rama thus: "When you go a short distance south-wards there is the beautiful stream called Pampa. You cross Pampa and advance a little further and you will reach mount Rushyamuka. On the top of that mountain lives Sugriva, son of Sun, and if you enter into alliance with him you will succeed in finding out and getting back Sita after annihilating the enemies. Oh ! Lord ! my salutations."

After speaking thus, Xsabari the great anchorite and chaste woman closed her eyes. Immediately she was transformed into Malini, the Gandharva damsel, and all at once a handsome Gandharva prince appeared there in a divine plane. It was Veethihotra, the husband of Malini.  After saluting Sri Rama, he took away his wife in a chariot to the Gandharva city.

 

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WASAVADHATTHAA (VASAVADHATTHAA) (26.04.2024)

 

WASAVADHATTHAA  (VASAVADHATTHAA)

          Wasavadhatthaa is the chief queen of the king Vatsaraja (Udhayana) in all the plays like SvapnaVaasavadhattam, Rathnavali, Priyadarsika, ThaapasaVathsaraajam etc.  According to the play Ratnavali, she is elderly and staid, her love for her lord is deep-rooted and is recognized as such later when VatsaRaja remarks “Priyaa munchathyadhya sphutamasahathaa jeevithamasau prakrushtasya premnah skhalithamavishahyam hi bhavathi” (134) means our attachment has developed from day to day owing to the feeling of love being mutually highly esteemed.  So seeing this slip on my part, never committed before, that intolerant darling of mine will surely give up life today; for, a blundering, when love reaches its climax, becomes intolerable.

She is well aware of the king’s fondness for a pretty face, and hence tries (Waasavadhatthaa herself tells that Oh! The carelessness of my servants! She will fall within the view of Him (King) from whose range of sight she has been assiduously kept away.  Well, I will say this much.  Then aloud, Maid Sagarika why have you come here, leaving away the Sarika (canary bird) when all attendants are entirely occupied with the Madana festival?) her best to keep Sagarika (Ratnavali) out of his sight.

Failing there, she is naturally jealous and as such interrupts the King in his love passages, but she is really affectionate at heart and her anger is of short duration.  This is amply illustrated by her almost instantaneous repentance at having spurned the King’s reconciliation. “Hajje! Kaanchanamaale! Tham thathaa charana-nipathitham Aaryaputhram avadheerya Aagacchanthyaa mayaa Athinishturam krutham.  Thadhidhaaneem svayameva gathvaa Aaryaputhram Anuneshyaami ” means Maid! Kanchanamaalaa! I acted very cruelly in coming away after having slighted my husband fallen at my feet in that manner.  So, I will now go personally and conciliate my husband.

Her tenderness of heart is shown when she readily confesses her secret, viz., the imprisonment of Sagarika in fetters, the moment she perceived her to be in danger of life.  Her magnanimity is shown finally when she willingly accepts Sagarika as her rival and sharer in her lord’s affection, her character thus appearing in a generous and lovable light.

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VASANTASENA

 

VASANTASENA

          Vasantasena, the heroine of the play Mrucchakatikam of the king Sudraka, is a professional courtesan born and bred as such; but she is as pure-minded as any lady of noble station.  She falls in love with Chaarudhattha (the hero of the play) the very first time she sees him at a festival in Cupid’s shrine, and from that time, she cannot tolerate the very idea of entertaining any other suitor; it is needless to remark that upon such as Sakara she looks with loathing and contempt.

          She is generous hearted, as is shown by her readily paying off the debt of Samvahaka, and releasing Madanika from her bondage with equal alacrity.  Her passion for Chaarudhattha grown so intense in the end that she goes to visit him as an abhisaarika, inspite of a raging thunderstorm; when in his house she gives a further proof of her generous nature by handing over her own ornaments to her lover’s son for making a golden toy-cart.

          When, finally, Sakara persecutes her with his attentions, she is ready even to accept death at his hands rather than prove faithless to one that was enshrined in her heart; and, to all appearances, she dies with his name on her lips.   She thus gives the greatest possible proof that lay in her power of the death of her affection and the loyalty of her love, for which she receives recognition later at the hands of king Aryaka, who bestows upon her title of a Vadhoo.

          The development of Vasanthasena’s passion has been delineated by the poet with touches of such tenderness as raise her character to a very high degree in our eyes; compare, for instance, her behaviour when Rohasena - the innocent-minded son of Chaarudhattha, declines to consider her as his mother because she happened to be wearing ornaments.  In fact, the more one sees of Vasanthasena the more on thinks of her as a Kulasthree and the less as a Ganikaa, so far removed she is from the ways that one naturally associates with the latter.

          And if we find the nature of Vasanthasena not rising to the high or sublime level of Sita or Sakuntala that is because the situation and environment are different.       

 

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URMILA

 

URMILA

Lakshmana married Urmila, the daughter of King Janaka and the sister of Sita. When Lakshmana went to the forest with Sri Rama and Sita, Urmila remained in Ayodhya.

Urmila gladly accepted and slept for 14 years without once waking up. She sacrificed 14 years of her life for the love she bore for her husband and to help him carry on with his duty towards his brother and her sister Sita. That proved to be a boon too. Urmila was the younger sister of the goddess Sita.

After the forest life, Sri Rama and Lakshmana returned with Sita. Lakshmana wondered if his wife could sleep instead of him. After hearing this, Nidra enquired Urmila regarding this, and the latter happily accepted the task. Oormila is notable for this unparalleled sacrifice, which is called Urmila Nidra.

When Sri Rama was ruling over the country, two sons were born to Lakshmana by Urmila. The elder son was named Takshaka and the second was given the name Chatraketu. At the instruction of Sri Rama, Lakshmana went to the Eastern sea and killed the foresters there and built there a city called Agati.

Takshaka was made the King of Agati. Lakshmana then went to the western sea and killed the Barbarians there and built a city called Candramati and made Chatraketu the King of that city.

Being punished by Sri Rama, Lakshmana drowned himself in the river Sarayu. After that Urmila jumped into a pile of fire and reached the world of Visnu.

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TEJASVATl

 

TEJASVATl

Tejasvati was A heroine in a story in Kathasaritsagara in Sanskrit intended to show that all happenings either good or bad are but the workings of fate. Tejasvati was the daughter of king Vikramasena of Ujjayini and was very beautiful. She never liked any male and so never wished to marry.

One day while she was sitting upstairs in her palace, she happened to see a young man passing that way and surprisingly was attracted by him. She sent her companion to him and informed him of her liking for him. He did not like the idea first, but the clever persuasions of the maid made him agree to a clandestine meeting with the princess at a temple at night that day. Tejasvati anxiously waited for the night to come. About that time a Rajput prince greatly grieved at the loss of his father and subsequent loss of his kingdom started on a tour to see an old friend of his father. That night, by sheer accident, he came and rested in the same temple where the rendezvous of the princess was fixed.

When night fell the princess came to the temple and without the least suspicion went and embraced the solitary figure sitting in the temple. The prince did not show any surprise and responded fully. The princess then understood all details of her lover and took him to his father the next morning. Somadatta (that was the prince's name) then told Vikramasena all his mishaps and Vikramasena got back all the lost kingdom of Somadatta and also gave his daughter in marriage to him.

 

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SAKUNTALA.

 

SAKUNTALA.

Sakuntala was a Foster-daughter of sage Kanva.   Sakuntala was a daughter born to Visva-mitra of the Apsara woman called Menaka. Visvamitra was engaged in intense tapas on the banks of river Malini in the Himalayas. Indra deputed Menaka to break the maharsi's tapas. She enticed him away from his tapas and got pregnant by him. But she forsook the child on the banks of Malini and returned to Devaloka. Birds gathered round the forsaken orphan-child. While Sakuntas i.e. birds were petting the child Kanva came that way, saw the child and took it with him to the asrama. As sakuntas had petted it, the child was named Sakuntala.

King Dusyanta of the lunar dynasty married Sakuntala and to the couple was born the famous Bharata. This is the original story about Sakuntala's married life. All the Indian languages contain two different versions of Sakuntala's life. One version is that related in Vyasa's Bharata and the second is that contained in Kalidasa's Sakuntala. Many scholars opine that in the matter of the Sakuntala episode Kalidasa has gone a step further and for the better.

Kanva brought up Sakuntala born to Visvamitra of Menaka in his asrama and she had two companions called Anasuya and Priyarhvada. All the three grew up and became maidens. King Dusyanta, who went out hunting in the forest followed a deer to Kanva's agrama where he saw Sakuntala watering the garden with her companions. Kanva was then away at Cakratirtha. Dusyanta, who fell in love with Sakuntala, married her according to the Gandharva rules and lived with her at the asrama for a few days. Meanwhile Sakuntala became preg- nant, and emissaries from the palace came and the King returned with them. He left the asrama after promising Sakuntala that he would soon return to her. He gave her his signet ring. Sad over the separation from Dusyanta and immersed in thought about him, Sakuntala was sitting there in the asrama when Durvasas came there. She did not see the maharsi nor welcome him respectfully. He got angry at this and cursed her that she be forgotten by him about whom she was so intensely thinking. Sakun- tala did not hear the curse either, but her companions who heard it begged pardon of the muni on behalf of Sakuntala and prayed for absolution from the curse. Then he said that if Sakuntala showed the King any sign about their relationship the King would remember her.    Her companions did not tell Sakuntala about the above incidents. Kanva gladly welcomed Sakuntala's wedding with Dusyanta. Days and months passed by, yet Dusyanta did not return and Kanva sent Sakuntala, in whom signs of pregnancy had become prominent, to the palace of the King in the company of Gautami and Sarrigarava. Anasuya reminded Sakuntala to take particular care of the signet ring.   On their way to the palace Sakuntala and others bathed in the Somavaratirtha, and nobody noticed Sakuntala losing from her finger the ring in the tirtha. They reached the King's palace. None noticed them. Dusyanta did not remember having even seen her. The signet ring was missing. After leaving Sakuntala at the palace her companions returned to the agrama. Menaka, whose heart melted at the pathetic wailings of Sakuntala led her to Kasyapa's agrama, left her there and returned to Devaloka. The signet ring lost by Sakuntala was swallowed by a fish, which was netted by a fisherman, who went about the streets to sell the ring extracted from inside the fish. Servants of the King took the fisherman captive. At the sight of the ring thoughts about the past dawned on the King and he remembered all about Sakuntala. His days became sad pondering over separation from Sakuntala. Sakuntala delivered a boy at the asrama of Kasyapa. The child was named Sarvadamana and he grew up as a courageous boy.

On his return from the devasura war, Dusyanta entered Kagyapa's airama where he saw Sarvadamana counting the teeth of a lion he had captured. Having heard details about him from the boy the King went inside the a£rama and saw Kasyapa and Sakuntala. He returned with Sakuntala and the boy to the palace with Kasyapa's blessings. It was this boy Sarva- damana, who afterwards became Bharata, the famous emperor of India.

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RATNAVALI

 

RATNAVALI

          Ratnavali is the heroine of the play Ratnavali written by the great emperor HarshaVardhana of Kannauj.  The play is named Ratnavali after the Heroine.  The Rathnavali or the “Jewel-Necklace” is a drama in four Acts, it is so named after the Heroine, the Simhala Princess Ratnavali, whose union with the King Udayana of Kausambi forms the theme of the play. Though Ratnavali is the original name, she is called by everyone as Saagarikaa because she was rescued from the ocean in which the ship was wrecked while she came from Srilanka to Kausambi. She is described as young and an uncommonly beautiful princess charming and accomplished – one who captivates the Hero’s mind at the mere sight of her picture.

          Her character is not drawn to represent her in the glory of the maiden of high birth but to paint her in the grandeur of married life.  The chief noticeable thing about her is her great love for the King, with whom she falls in love at first sight, thinking him as handsome as Cupid.

          Her other trait is her extreme sensitiveness of feeling, and the slightest untoward incident plunges her into a depth of despondency so that she immediately thinks of death suicide. The following phrases -

“Sarvathaa maranameva mama mandhabhaaginyaa Upasthitham”

This means death itself has approached me, a luckless person, as indicated by this evil omen.

“JeevithaMaranayoranthare varthe” Means I stand between life and death.

“Varamidhaaneem svayamevaathmaanam abdhadhyoparathaa na punar jnaathasankethavrtthaanthayaa dhevyaa paribhoothaa” Means Better I should cease to exist (die) by hanging myself up, than be disgraced by the Queen on coming to know about our enragement-affair.

“Iyam rathnamaala jeevithaniraasayaa thayaa” Means This jewel-necklace was delivered into my hands by her, despairing of life” are the representations of weakness detract not a little from her character as a Heroine.

          The only receiving feature of her character indirectly indicated is her high sense of family honour which prevents her from disclosing her identity to even her friend Susangatha.

 

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