Friday, 26 April 2024

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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