Prastavana (prologue): Translation and notes

82 Y NOTES. atha kavikulasiromanih tavabhavan kalidasah grantharambhe cikirsitarthavighna- parisamaptikamah srasaurnamaskiyavastunirdesovapitanmukhamityalankarikavacanaprama- nyat abhimatadevatamurttivisesan kirttayan asirvvacanarupam mangalamacarati yeti- anvayah -ya srasturadyasrstih, ya vidhihutam havih vahati, yaca hoto, ye ha kalam vidhattah, srutivisayaguna ya visva vyapya sthita | yam sabrvvavinaprakrtiriti ahuh yaya praninah pranavantah, pratyacabhih tabhih astabhih tanubhih prapannah isah va: avatu | 1 vyakhya | ya jalarupa murttih srastuh jivarupenanupravisya namarupe vyakaravani itaucchavasat jagadidam nirmatum icchoh isvarasya, ( na tu vedhasah tasyajalasrste ra vagutpatteh tathacitam manuna- so'bhidhyaya sarirat khat sisrcturvividhah pranah | apa eva sasarvvadau tasu vijamavasrjat || tadandamabhavaddhaimam sahasramsusamaprabham | tasmin jajne svayam brahma sarvalokapitamahah || ) adau bhava sradya ( adisavdat yat ) srstih, ya vahnirupa tanuh vidhina sastroddistaya ritya hutam devoddesena homanau ciptam havih ghrtadikam homopakaranam vaiti istan devan prapayati ityarthah ; ya ca hovo yajamanarupa murttih, ye ha suyyacandramasau murti kalam dinaravivibhagarupam samayam bhavirbhavatirobhavabhyam vidhattah kurutah ; sruyate sranaya iti srutih sravanam karna iti yavat tasyah visayah jneyah gunah sabdarupo yasyah sa srutivisayaguna, sabdagunana ya cakasarupa tanuh visva m samagram nagadidam vyapya ahakhana ityarthah sthita ; ya . prthorupam sabrvvesam vijanam prakrtih adharabhuta iti prahuh vadanti vidvamsa iti sesah, (nipatena abhihitatvat prakrtirityava na dvitiya yathaha vamanah nipatenapyabhihite karmmani na dvitiya parigananasya prayikatvat | yaya vayurupaya praninah jivah pranavantah, vayurupa ya murttih pranapanadirupena bhutanam dehesu caranto jovanasya nidanamityarthah, tabhih

2 ABHIJNANA SAKUNTATAM. pratyaccabhih cacuradibhih indriyeh jneyabhih sastabhih tanubhih prapannah bhanvitah isah sivah vo yusman avatu raksatu | bhutarkacandrayajvanah iti sastau yasya pratyaksah murttayah sa siso yusmakam mangalam vidadhyat | sragdharavrttam, tamlaksanam saryana vaye vimuniyatiyuta sragdhara kaurttiteyam | GRAMMAR. - hovo hudhatoh trc striyamnip | hu lat, muhoti ; luna, ahausita, lit juhava, juvambabhuva nuhavamasa juhavancakarasava nuvat ; tah hutah | yaya praninah ityava dhanyena dhanavan itivat abhede trtiya karane ya | cacam indriyam pratigatah iti pratyaksah | yaha aksnoh, pradhanyat anyesam indriyanamupalaksanametat, abhimukham iti pratyaksam " pratiparasamanubhyo'ksana " iti anyayaubhavasamase samasantah tac tat basamasti iti pratyaksa arsa badibhyah pac iti sac | The word aksi ' when compounded with sam, amu, para and af forms a compound base of the alaa kind, it admits of the augment tac | prapannah prapurvvit padadhatoh karmmani ktah, anvitah upalacitah ityarthah prayena prapannasabdasya saranagatatvam ( durgatatvam ) iti arthah drsyate | yatha- "devi prapannarttihare prasauda | mayamayanirastaya prapannajana sevine | sadhi mam tvam prapatram || " patu, lun apadi| Verbs which optionally admit of cin in lun third person singular in the active voice, are nan, vudh pur, dipa, pyaya and taya | isah - isadhatoh igupadhalaksanah kah | is lat iste lun aisista ; lit isaca ke ; sanac isanah | Change of voice. - prapanna isema yuyam bhavyadhvam | ; ye murtti (jala ) isbarera prathama srsti; yaha (agni) sastrabidhananusare pradatta mustadi bahana kare ; ye murtti ( yajnamana ) homa sampadana kare ; ye murttidbaya ( candra o suryya ) samaya bidhana kare ; karnendriyagrahyaguna ye murtti ( akasa ) samasta bisba byapiya rahiyache, ( panditera ) yahake (prthibi) samasta bijera muladhara baliya thakena ebam yadbara (bayu.) jibagana jibanabisista ; se'i pratyaksa astamurttibisista sira toma- gike raksa1 karuna

NOTES-THE PROLOGUE. 3 Let Isa (God) possessed of these eight forms perceptible by the senses ;- viz. water, the first work of the creator ; fire, that bears on high the clarified butter offered according to sacred injunctions: the sacrificial priest ; the sun and the moon, the two, which regulate time; ether, the property of which is the object of the sense of hearing, and which pervades the whole universe; `the earth, which is called the source of all essences; and air by which all that is living lives :- let such Isa preserve you. [ nandyah ante avasane suvavarah idam prayojitavan itah prabhrti maya nataka- mupadiyate iti kaverabhiprayah | anyagha praguktasloke nandolaksanasya anupapattih syat ] - nandolananam yatha- srasirvacanasamyukta nityam yasmat prayujyate | devajinrpadinam tasmat nandauti samcita || mangalyasankhacandranako karavasamsino | padairyukta dadasabhirastabhitripaderata || purva rangasya rangaddarabhidhanamangamiti yaduktam tadevava nandosabdena lacitam | murkha natakasya mutram gharati yah sah sutradharah dharateh karmasvan | sutradharah | [ nepathyabhya vesaracana grhasya abhimukham avalokya ] srayem khapabi- sambodhanametat, yadi nepathyasya vidhanam karanam vesaracana ityarthah avasitam samaptam tarhi itah ava sthane bagamyatam bhavatyeti sesah | avapurvvat sodhatoh tah avasitah | sidhatoh lat syati ; lit sasaum ; lun "asat, asasit ; ghan sayah ; nic sayayati ; jyut ( va anata ) sanam | [ pravisya ] nati | sravyapuveti svamisambodhanam | [ nandira para ] sutradhara | [ nepathyera dike drstipata kariya ] arghye, yadi nesacana sate --ha'iya thake, taha ha'ile e'i dike esa [ prabesa kariya| ] nati| aputra, e'i ami asiyachi| Y

[After the recitation of benediction]. The stage-manager [Looking towards the tiring room] - Lady,.. if you have finished dressing / ( yourself), come here. [ Entering ] The actress-Here I am, my husband. ava sutradharah | srayyem, abhirupaih vihahnih bhuyistha vahula iyam parisat sabha | sabhayam bahavi vipascitah samupasthitah | sradya kalidasena grathitam vastu yasya tena kalidasopanibaddhavisayena navena sadyah pranitena, abhijnayate anena iti abhijnanam mrtyupasthapakam vastu, atra tu bhanguliyakam tena satyamudhapurvasau munitanayeti smrta sakuntala, namavijnatya pravrttam natakamiti abhijnanasakuntalam, "adhikasya krte granye " iti san lup akhyayikabhyah vahulam iti anoluk natakamityanena saha prabhedopa- carat napumsakatvam | yaham abhijnanagrhita sakuntala asmin natake iti madhyapadalopini vahuvrihau abhijnanasakuntalamiti samastapadam abhijnanam sakuntalayah yata iti va vigrahah | klivatvat khatvam hi pratipadikasya napumsake | abhijnana- sakuntalam namadheyam yasya tena natakena asmabhirupasthatavyam | tasya natakasya abhinaya- | pradarsanena ava samsadi upasthitanam samajikanam cetamsi racayitavyani ityarthah | tasmat pave patre iti pratipavam vipsayem avyayibhavah | yanah adhiyatam kriyatam | sarvve eva kusilavah yatha apramattah sva va niyogamanutisthanti tatha kriyatamityarthah | nanu abhijnanasakuntalasya natakesu antarbhavat srakhyayikasu tasyanantarbhavah atasca "luvakhyayikabhyo bahulamiti " varttikasyanavakasat "adhikrtya krti grantha " iti suvena ani krte adyaci vrddhau srabhijnanasakuntalamiti padam syat iti cettava brumah akhyayikasabdasya pravrttiravalankarikastatalacanasampanne gadyakavyabhede kevalam rudeti na kintu tatsadrsesu pravandhesvapi labvavakasa iti varttikakrto'bhiprayamutpasyamah bahuvacanaprayogat srimadgiyaucandratarka vacaspatyorapi tathabhipretatvat akhyayika- gadyapadyapravandhe iti tarkavacaspatih, sabdacintamanisca | "akhyayikabhyah " ityava varttikakarasya visesabhidhitsayam satyam katham vikramorvvasiti padam sidhyati | nava indasamasah abhipretah "sisukrandayamasabhaddande ndra jananadibhyaschah " iti chapratyayasya- darsanat | avapi vikramasahita urvvasiti sakaparthivadivat samase varttika suvena anoluki abhedopacagabhave vikramorvvasisiddha | akhyayikasabdasya pravrtti- rakhyayikabhinnasu kathasu api drsta, taba nidarsanam kadambarityalam vistarena | abhirupayanti nirupayanti tattva ye te srabhirupah panditah curadiganiyat .

na. T NOTES - THE PROLOGUE. 5 rupayateh pateh bhuyistha | bhuyobhumabhuyisthah iti bahusabdat usthamatyayena bhusista- niti siddham | isthasya vit ca iti ithasya lopah vida़ाgamasca | cakarat horadesah | parisidanti srava iti parivat sadrdhatoradhikarane kvip sadiraprateh iti upasargasthanimittat parasa saudateh patvam | nama eva iti namadheyam svarthe gheghapratyayah | bhagarupanamabhyodheyah | nirjane tu vane yakhat sakuntaih parivarita | sakuntaleti namasyah krtaccapi tato maya | sakuntasabdapurvat lateh ghanarthe kah tatah striyamam | natakam khyatavrttam syat pancasandhisamanvitam 40 1 va : ta nah va ke 1- - *** ... pancadika dasaparastavanah parikirttitah prakhyatavamsi rajarsi dharodattah pratapavan divyo'tha divyadivyo va gunavan nayaki matah eka eva bhavedango tangaro vira eva va srangamanye rasah sarvve kayyanirvvahane'dbhutam catvarah panca va mukhyah karya vyaprtapurusah gopucchagrasamagrantu bandhanam tasya kirttitam | natayati iti natakam curadiganiyat nata dhatoh khul va nakah | nata dhatu ta ghatadih abhinayo'pi asya arthantaram | Occidental scholars are of opinion that the Sanskrit drama has developed out of dancing. dhara| arya, e'i sabhaya aneka pandita upahita ; adya abhijnanasakula- name nutana nataka, kalidasa yahara bastu nangraha kariyachena, taha abhinita kariya (ihadigera) aradhana kariba| e'i nimitta pratyeka patre'i yena yatna kara haya | Stage-manager. This assembly (audience) is mainly of learned meny we shall approach them (do them honour) with a new drama, called Abhijnana Sakuntala (Sakuntala known by the ring), the subject matter of which has been put together (or composed) by Kalidasa. Let, therefore, every actor and actress exert themselves, nati | suvihitah samyak anusthitah prayogah abhinayah yena tasya bhavah tata -taya prayogasya samyaganusthanat na kimapi parihasyate ; kapi hanirnabhavisyati ;

kimapi dosasprstam na bhavisyati ityarthah | lutirupam | parihasyate iti jahateh karmakarttari ha lat jahati sata jahat, lit nahim, lun srahasit, lot hi - jahahi jahihi nahohi ; ktah ha inah | vastu sutradharah | ayem, bhutasvasi, parthasveti karmadharayah tam bhutartham satyamartham ba iti yavat tubhyam kathayami | yukte cmadavrte bhutam pranyatite same trisu ityamarah te ityeva kriyagrahanamapikarttavyamiti caturthi | sraparitosaditi- vidusam bha paritosat prayogavijnanam sadhu na manye ; balavadapi sicitanam . cetah sratmani apratyayam | 3 vidusam panditanam a paritosata bha . cittaprasadanat anamayyadabhividhyo- riti samasasya vibhasitatvat na samasah samasapace aparitosam iti syata, prayogasya abhinayasya vijnanam naipunyam sadhu samyak na manye | yavat visvamsah na paritusyanti vavadammakamabhinayah samyak samvrttah iti na manye | sratyantamapi sicitanam jananam cetah manah pratmani visvasah yasya tat ; sratmani na visvastam | patividvamsah api ke kyamiti aperarthah svabhyaste'pi atmanah kalane punyadau na visvasanti | arthantaranyasah alankarah | ava hetumupanyasyati | valavat visaye prapratyayam nasti pratyayah videh saturvvasuh vivas pace vidat | In the case of the root vidu . (to know) in the place of the present participle c, is optionally ordered. N. B. This Sloka reminds the reader of the "Impartial Spectator " of Adam Smith. Change of voice. - prayogavijnanam sadhu na manyate | bhuyate | nati | tvam yat vadasi tat tatha satyamityarthah | tadeva bhavanadisatu | cetasa apratyayena idana maya yat karyyam nati| apani sundararupe prayogabidhana kariyachena, kona truti ba hani ha'ibe na | sutradhara| aryye, tomake satya katha bali | yataksana paryanta panditaganera tusti na hara, tataksana abhinayanaipunya uttama ha'iyache bibecana kari na (karana) atyasta siksita - byaktiganera'o citta nijera upari bisbasa (nirbhara) karite pare na nati| iha satya| ihara para amake ki karite ha'ibe adesa karuna|

ha i. ya ke n h : Q: 0 y 1. na ra ' na NOTES - THE PROLOGUE. 7 Actress. Sir, owing to your judicious management of the performance nothing will be defective. Stage-Manager.-Lady, I will tell you the true state of things. I deem no skill in acting perfect till the learned are satisfied. The mind of even those that are vastly and deeply, read has little confidence in itself. Actress. It is just so. have to do next. And now please order what I shall 3 prataeva svadharah | ' asyah parisadah samsadah sabhaya iti yavata, samavetanam sama- nikanamityarthah sruteh karnasya prasadanatah ranjanat ( pancamyah tasil ) anyat kim karaniyamastiti sesah | na kimapi iti tatpayyaim | anyaraditarat iti pancami | gautama samajikanam govaranjamameva te karaniyam nanyat kimapi | tat tammat hetoh aciram pravrttah tam, atyantasamyogavacinya dvitiyaya saha samasah | upabhogasya camah tam ; upabhogayogyam, sodha, sakyamityarthah gromasamayam groma adhikrtya srasritya gauyatam rtum kancidupadaya bharata vrttimasrayet ityuktah rtugrahanam | gayaterbhave lot| samprati, hi bhava bhavadharane, hi hetavavadharane ityamarah | subhageti | anvaye na kimapi parivartanam | -subhagah sukhotpadakah salilesu jalasayesu bhavamahah bhavagahanam nanamiti yavat yesu te subhagasalilavagahah yesu divasesu jalasaye nimajjanam tapopasamanat prativa . prautikaram ityarthah | patalanam puspabhedanam samsargena samparkena surabhayah sugandhah banavata yesu te patala samsarga surabhivanababa yesu divasesu vikasitanam patalapuspanam- paragaih sobhanagandhah vayavom vahanti ityarthah | prakrsta chaya sramatapo yesu sthanesu tani pracchayani tarutalani ityarthah tesu sulabha lacchana labhya nidra svapo yesu te ; yesu divasesu chayasubhage tarutale sayanasya nidra svayameva srapatati ityarthah- idrsah divasah graumarttu vasarah pariname abasane ramaniyah manoharah | murkhe astacalonmakhe tapasamcayat prasnigdhasamorana sadbhavacca suco manasi mahan pramodo | jayate | svabhavoktiralankarah | svabhavoktirasauca yathavadvastuvarnanam | Change of voice.- subhagasa lilavagahaih patalasamsargasurabhivanavataih pracchaya- sulabhanidrah divasaih parinamaramanauyaih bhuyate | putra| e'i sabhara (sabhastha lokera) srabanaranjana bhinna ara ki ? ata'eba samprati jarandha, upabhogera yogya e'i grisma samaya abalambana kariya gana kara| eksane grisma- kalera dibase, jale abagahana atiba pritikara, patalapuspera sansarge banasamirana

8 CO ABHIJNANA SAKUNTALAM. surabhi, chayalankrta pradese nidra anayase abirbhuta haya| ebam dibasera sesabhaga ramaniya | Stage-Manager - What else than pleasing the ear of this assembly ? _ Sing, therefore, taking this summer season, that has but recently commenced and (therefore) enjoyable, as your theme. NowThe days,-when-agreeable are baths in water, when the gentle sylvan wind in contact with Patala flowers becomes sweet-scented ; and when in the gentle shade sleep is easily obtained, such days are beautiful at the close. nati | tatha | yat bhavanaha tat karomityarthah [ gayati ] dayamanah sadayah pramadah nayah bhramaraih satpadaih isat isat cumbitani sprstani, kusumanam pratipelavataya bhramarabharasahanaca matvaditibhavah, sukumarah atikomalah kesaranam kinjalkanam sikhah agrabhagah yesam tani, sirisakhyani kusumani avatamsayanti, karnabhusanani kurvvanti | sravatamsasabdah karnabhusane rudhah | avatamsam kurvvanti iti sravatamsasabdat nic tato latirupam isadosadityava " prakare gunavacanasya " iti virbhavah yadava nityavipsayoriti nityarthe dviruktih | avyayamidam kriyavisesanam | Cf. "sadayalunapallavah " kumarasambhavam | 43 4 nati| yaha1 balilena taha yatharthe | [ gana karite lagilena ] madagana sadaya- bhabe ( dhire dhire ), bhramaragana kartrka isat srsta, komala kesara'ebisista, sirisapu- guli karnabhusanarupe byabahara kariteche| Actress.-Quite so [sings] Ruthful women are making with kind and gentle care ear-rings of Sirish flowers of soft and delicate filaments, slightly kissed by the bees. sutradharah | bharyye sadhu sundaram manoharamiti yavat gautam | aho iti srasra sravyayam | sarvvato rangah sarvvaeva rangasthitah - precakah janah ragena gautasya madhuryena vada samyata aklasta iti yavat cittasya trptih yasya sah gitapahrtacetah 'alikhitah citrarpita iva aste | gautamya vanena tanmayacitta ; nispandah civalikhita va srotrvargah | tadidanim katamat prakaranam prastavam visayam vastu iti yavat asritya avalamba enam samajikavargam sraradhayamah tosayamah | "ghani ca bhavakaranayoh " iti rakheh nalopat raga iti padam siddham | rajyati asmin iti adhikarane ghani nalopabhavat rangah| The na of ranaj is elided before gham in bhava and karana vacya | |

• NOTES - THE PROLOGUE. 9 sarvvatah iti prathamayah tam itarabhyo'pi drsyate iti sarvvavibhaktikah tasih | The suffix af is seen used in other faufas than the fifth. va vahunam jatipariprasre iti kimasabdat utamac-bhatudadataradibhyah iti napumsake adadesah | prakarana sabdenesha natakadinamanyatamo bhedo na vivacitah, tallaksananupapatteh ; uktanca, bhavet prakarane vrttam laukikam kavikalpitam | srngaro'ngi nayakastu vipro'matyo'thavavanik | idamo'nvadese dvitiyayam enadesah | sutra| aryye, sundara gana kariyacha| ha'iya citralipitera n'yaya rahiyachena | ihadera aradhana kari ? samasta samajika barga gitamadhuryye akrstacitta eksane kon prakarana abalambana kariya! Stage-manager.-Lady, beautifully sung! The audience are (motionless) as statues, their souls being rivetted by the sweetness of the strain. Now what subject shall we choose that we may please them ? nanu prageva bhavadbhiradistam, abhijnanasakuntalasya natakasya abhinayah kriyatamiti | misrasabdah natakadau mananiyesu prayujyate, ava gaurave vahuvacanam nanu sabdo'va vakyarambhe, "vakyarambhe'pyanunayamantrananujnayorapiti " haimah | vismrtam | anvayah - / sarvvam maya sutradharah | aryyam samyak susthu anuvodhitah smaritah asmi | kutah yatah taveti | harina tava gitaragena, atiramhasa sarangena esa raja dusyantah iva prasabha 'hrtah asmi | 5 harati cittamiti hari grahaditvat ninih tena manoharena tava gitasya ragena madhuryena sratisayitam ramhah vego yasya tena srutiramhasa vegavata sarangena esa raja dusyantah iva, aham prasabham valatkarena chato'smi, prakrstah bhavami | sarvvatmana tava gitamakarnayannaham sranyat sabbam vismrtavanasmi ityarthah | -upamalankarah | Change of voice.- hrtena maya bhuyate etena raja dusyanteneva | prasabhamiti kriyavisesanam | niskantaca niskantasca iti niskantau puman striya iti pumlingekasesah | In compound noun bases of the gac kind, the masculine gender remains ; and the feminine is elided.

prastavana - laksanam- "nati vidusakovapi pariparsvika eva va sutradharena sahitah samlapam yava kute | civaivakyaih svakayryotthe prastutacepibhirmithah amukham tatu vijneyam nana prastavanapi sa " | ava avalagitakhyah prastavanabhedah prayuktah, lalacanam- yavaikatvasamavesat kayryamanyat prasadhyate | prayoge khalutajjneyam namravalagitam budhaih || nati| kena, apani prathame'ita adesa kariyachena ye abhijnanasakugula nae apurba nataka abhinayera jan'ya adhikrta ha'uka | sutradhara| aryye bhala mane kariya diyacha| e'i muhurtte ami bhuliya giya- chilama, karana ati begaban ai saranga raja duyyantake yemana akrsta kariya la'iya- raa'iteche, ami'o se'irupa tomara gitamadhuryye akrsta ha'iyachilama| prastabana| [ ubhaye nibhradha ] Actress. Why? your honour has at first ordered that the new drama called Abhijnana Sakuntala should be appointed as the subject of our performance. This Stage-manager.-Lady, I have been rightly reminded! moment I forgot it. For, I have been carried away (by force as it were ) by the transporting melody of your song ; as the king. Dushyanta is allured by the fast-running antelope. [E.reunt.] Prologue.