Analysis of Viṣūcī (Queen of Rajayakṣmā)

The dramatist refers to Yakṣmā’s wife Viṣūcī in the interlude of the second Act during the discussion between Chardi and Kāsa. Viṣūcī’s direct appearance on the stage is presented by the dramatist, only at the end of the sixth Act.

At the end of the war between Yakṣmā’s team of various diseases and Jīvarāja’s armies of very powerful medicines, Yakṣmā had lost all his army. On seeing the war front strewn with the bodies of his soldiers who are mostly his near and dear ones, Yakṣmā and Viṣūcī are lost in deep sorrow. The mother in Viṣūcī is heart broken since all her royal sons seen by her alive just before the final war, are now, not to be seen anywhere.

This sorrow vehemently burns her heart like the fire burning the dry grass (VI. 96):

idāniṃ khalaveva dṛṣṭā rājakumārāḥ kutra gatā yūyam |
dahati hṛdayaṃ śoko'gniriva śuṣkatṛṇajālam ||

Her agony is observed by Rajayakṣmā–with dishelved hair, checks wet with tears pouring down from her eyes and beating her chest with her hands–Viṣūcī is lamenting the loss of her sons; it multiplies his own anguish (VI.97):

gaṇḍadvaye'pi galitairnayanāmbupūrairāmṛṣṭapatralatamākulakeśapāśam |
pāṇidvayaprahatapāṭalabāhumadhyamasyā vapurmama śucaṃ dviguṇīkaroti ||