Page:The Sanskrit Drama.djvu/228

Rh Ratnāvalī. The definitions of the theory leave this idea far from clear; Viçvanātha seems to treat it as the bearing of insult for the sake of the end to be reached, and the allusion in the case of Sītä may be to her abandonment by Rāma as an act of duty.

A much less favourable impression is left by the few fragments of the Udāttarāghava which are preserved. The poet seems to have affected the horrible, as two of his few stanzas deal with it; the better is:

jīyante jayino 'pi sāndratimiravrātair viyadvyāpibhir

bhāsvantaḥ sakalā raver api rucaḥ kasmād akasmād amī

etāç cograkabandharandhrarudhirair ādhmāyamānodarā

muñcanty ānanakandarānalamucas tīvrā ravāḥ pheravāḥ.

'The victors are vanquished; thick darkness invades the sky and triumphs over the brilliant rays of the sun; why this inexplicable event? Why do these jackals, whose bellies are swollen with the blood sucked from the wounds of bleeding corpses, and whose gaping jaws belch flame, utter these piercing cries?

A somewhat flat passage illustrates the conflict of thought in Rāma's mind when appealed to by Citramāya on the score that Lakṣmaṇa is in danger from a Rākṣasa:

vatsasyābhayavāridheḥ pratibhayam manye kathaṁ rākṣasāt

trastaç caiṣa munir virauti manasaç cāsty eva me sambhramaḥ

mā hāsīr Janakātmajām iti muhuḥ snehād gurur yācate

na sthātuṁ na ca gantum ākulamater mūḍhasya me niçcayaḥ.

'The boy is an ocean of valour; how can I fear danger for him from a Rākṣasa? Yet the sage here is terrified and calls for aid, and my own mind is confused; my master too in his affection ever begs me not to leave Janaka's daughter alone; my heart is troubled, and in my confusion I cannot resolve either to go or to stay.'

Another Rāma drama, the Chalitarāma, is also referred to by Dhanika in his comment on the Daçarūpa; it may belong to this period, or fall somewhat later; we have from it a picture of the leading captive of Lava:

yenāvṛtya mukhāni sāma pathatām atyantam āyāsitam

bālye yena hṛtākṣasūtravalayapratyarpaṇaiḥ krīḍitam

yuṣmākaṁ hṛdayaṁ sa eṣa viçikhair āpūritāṅsasthalo

mūrchāghoratamaspraveçavivaço baddhvā Lavo nīyate.