Literature

Back in the royal palace of Magadha, Vāsavadattā tried to contain her sorrow. She sought solace in gazing upon the paintings depicting Sītā’s woes in the period where she was separated from Rāma. Looking at her beauty and conduct, Padmāvatī was convinced that Avantikā was a high-born lady and treated her accordingly. The princess felt Avantikā’s looks betrayed her noble origins and she had disguised herself, just as Draupadī had in Virāṭa’s palace! 

ಹಣಹಿಡುಕರ ವಿಡಂಬನೆ

‘ಹಣವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಹೆಣ ಸುಡುವುದೂ ಕಷ್ಟ’ ಎಂದು ನಮಗೆ ಹರಿಶ್ಚಂದ್ರನ ಕಾಲದಿಂದ ತಿಳಿದಿದೆ. ಈಗಂತೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಮಾಜ ನಿಂತಿರುವುದೇ ಹಣದ ಮೇಲೆ. ಹೀಗಿರಲು ಜೀವನದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಆಯಾಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಹಣದ ಪ್ರಭಾವ ಕಂಡುಬರುವುದು ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯಲ್ಲ. ಮುಂದಿನ ಪದ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂಥ ಒಂದು ಸಂಗತಿಯತ್ತ ಕವಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಗಮನವನ್ನು ಸೆಳೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ:

ಅಕ್ಷ್ಣೈಕೇನ ವಿಲೋಕನೇ ದಶ ತಥಾ ದ್ವಾಭ್ಯಾಂ ಕೃತೇ ವಿಂಶತಿಃ

ಷಷ್ಟಿರ್ಗಂಧವಿಮರ್ದನೇ ಸ್ರಜ ಉರಸ್ಯಾಧಾಪನೇ ದ್ವೇ ಶತೇ |

ಶುಲ್ಕಂ ರೂಪ್ಯಸಹಸ್ರಮರ್ಧಘಟಿಕಾಭೋಗಾರ್ಥಮಿತ್ಯಾದಿಭಿ-

ರ್ಧೂರ್ತೈಃ ಸಂಪ್ರತಿ ಕುಟ್ಟನೀವ್ಯವಸಿತೈರ್ದೇವೋऽಪಿ ವೇಶ್ಯೀಕೃತಃ ||

Once the king refused, the commander married her. Once when the king was roaming, he saw her standing in the balcony of the commander’s house. As soon as he saw her it was as though he was put under a mesmerising spell. He came back to the palace and laid down with great mental agony.

ಉಪಕ್ರಮ

निर्विघ्नविश्वनिर्माणसिद्धये यदनुग्रहम्।
मन्ये स वव्रे धातापि तस्मै विघ्नजिते नमः॥

[Salutation to that deity, the killer of obstacles, (Gaṇeśa), from whom even the creator (Brahmā) seeks blessings so that the creation can happen without hindrances.]

आश्लिष्यमाणः प्रियया शन्करोऽपि यदाज्ञया।
उत्कम्पते स भुवनं जयत्यसमसायकः॥

The Story of Bālavinaṣṭaka

The next morning, when he regained his senses, the man was ashamed looking at his state. He cleaned up and rushed to Parivrājikā's house. He tied his head with a piece of cloth to hide the embarrassing seal and pretended to have a severe headache. He wanted the rest of them to face the kind of humiliation he had undergone. He said, ‘As I was returning from her place, thieves robbed me of all my belongings.’

Dhanadatta tried to convince him that his son is a suitable groom to his daughter. But Dharmagupta thought that Tāmraliptī was too far and did not agree to this proposal. Meanwhile Devasmitā, having seen Guhasena, was impressed by his qualities and handsomeness, informed through a messenger that she had fallen in love, eloped with him in the night to Tāmraliptī leaving behind all her relatives. There their wedding happened; they lived happily as husband and wife.

As the days went by, Vāsavadattā’s love for the king of the Vatsas increased; her affection and respect towards her parents decreased; she was ready to defy them, then Yaugandharāyaṇa arrived, and making himself visible only to Vatsarāja and Vasantaka, exclaimed, “Mahārāja! Caṇḍamahāsena has deceitfully captured you; he desires to send you home only after getting his daughter married off to you; but if we ourselves abduct her now and go away from here, that would be a fitting response to his arrogance; we will also avoid being derided for lacking in manliness and courage.