Malatimadhava (study)

by Jintu Moni Dutta | 2017 | 52,468 words | ISBN-10: 8120813057 | ISBN-13: 9788120813052

This page relates ‘Source of the Malatimadhava’ from the English study on the Malatimadhava of Bhavabhuti:—A Prakarana type of Drama in ten acts revolving around the love-story of Malati (from Padmāvatī) and Madhava (from Vidarbha). This study discusses the history of its author and the literary, social, religious, historical and cultural aspects of the Malatimadhava.

Part 2d-f - Source of the Mālatīmādhava

1. Source of the Mālatīmādhava:

Bhavabhūti has extracted the plot of the Mālatīmādhava from the Bṛhatkathā of Guṇāḍhya while he has taken the theme of his other two plays viz., Mahāvīracarita and Uttararāmacarita from the Rāmāyaṇa.[1] Unfortunately, the Bṛhatkathā in its original form is lost to all appearances but there are two abridgements of Bṛhatkathā found in Sanskrit viz., Kṣemendra’s Bṛhatkathāmañjarī and Somadeva’s Kathāsaritsāgara.[2] Bhavabhūti mainly depended upon the story of union between Mādhava and Mālatī which covers the 13th chapter of the Kathāsaritsāgara of Somadeva[3] and also covers the 3rd chapter of the Kathāsaritsāgara to embody the incidents of the 5th act of the Mālatīmādhava.[4]

The main story has been described in the Kathāsaritsāgara in the following way—

In the town of Śobhāvatī in Kaliṅga there lived a Brāhmaṇa whose name was Yaśaskara. He had his wife and only son. Owing to a terrible famine he had to leave his country. Then he went to Viśālā and began to live there. His son, who had then come of age, was studying at the house of a learned guru in the town where among many others like him also remained. There he formed an intimate friendship with one Vijayasena, a Kṣatriya youth. This Vijayasena had a sister named Madirāvatī. Once she went to the house of her brother’s guru, where she and the youthful son of Yaśaskara, her brother’s friend, saw each other. They fell in love immediately.

Thereafter the Brāhmaṇa youth was invited by Vijayasena to his house; for his mother’s curiosity.There he was very kindly and hospitably received by his friend’s mother. He had there the gratification of receiving, as a present, a garland of Mālatī flowers, from the nurse of Madirāvatī. The same nurse also intimated to him, in equivocal terms, how deeply her young mistress loved him, and entreated him to bring the matter to a speedy end by marrying her.

In the meanwhile, however a certain Kṣatriya youth of noble descent made an offer for Madirāvatī’s hand and got her father’s consent. The day of the marriage approached. The disappointed lover, the son of Yaśaskara found solace only in one thing i.e. to hang himself from the branch of a tree. But fortunately, he was saved from that peril by a man, who was also in a disappointment. He was an inhabitant of Nishadha country. In his wanderings he came to Śaṅkhapura, the ladies of which town had gathered at the lake Śaṅkhapura to take a bath. There he beheld lovely maiden collecting flowers in Mādhavī bower. They fell in love with each other at first sight.

As the maiden began to go home, the youthful stranger followed her. Before she could reach her home, however, an elephant rushed out into the street, spreading consternation among the towns-folk. The lover had here a lucky chance of saving his beloved and of embracing her too. Before long, however, her attendants and a crowd of people gathered round her and she was taken home in the bustle, the stranger being left ignorant of her name and address. Sadly disappointed he then wandered a long time. At last he came to the spot, where Madirāvatī’s lover had all but accomplished suicide. Just as the two lovers had finished their sad tales, Madirāvatī came to the temple of Kāmadeva, at a little distance from them, as it was customary for the girls to do before the wedding.

At this, her lover, the son of Yaśaskara was advised by his friend to conceal himself behind the shrine and to watch the proceedings. They both then went into the temple and stand carefully hidden behind the idol.Splendidly attired as a bride of rank, Madirāvatī entered into the temple leaving outside her retinue. She disclosed her heart to Kāmadeva, prayed to him to unite her with the Brāhmaṇa youth in the next birth at least, if not in this birth. She attempted to put an end to her life by means of her upper garment. Suddenly her lover, the son of Yaśaskara came forward from behind, rescued her from the peril, and escaped with her by a hind door. His friend then takes the upper garment and veil of Madirāvatī and disguised as Madirāvatī, joined the party outside. The time being evening, the disguise proved successful.

The counterfeit bride, on returning home, was surrounded by a number of young girls and ladies. Strangely enough, the same girl, whom this stranger, now in disguise as Madirāvatī had been at the lake of Śaṅkhapura, happened to be a friend of the real Madirāvatī and she came there to bid her farewell that night. As she kept aside the veil of her friend, she was startled to discover under that veil of a person far more important and dearer to her than the beloved Madirāvatī. In an instant their resolve was formed. In another instant they stealthily passed by a side-door, walked the whole night and at day–break found themselves in a forest at some distance from the town. Lastly, they got married in an agrahāra or monastery.[5]

The second story which is known as the story of Vidūṣaka is found in the 3rd chapter of the Kathāsaritsāgara in the following way—

Once king Ᾱdityasena of Ujjain returned to the town at night, after a terrible riding experience. But then the city–gates being closed, he tried to obtain shelter for the night in a monastery. The monastery was situated at no great distance from the cemetery of the town. The timid Brāhmaṇas of the monastery took him for an obnoxious night–farer, and began to rudely address him. When Vidūṣaka, who though a Brāhmaṇa by caste, had all the qualities of a Kṣatriya stepped in and knowing the stranger to be some great man from his appearance, received him politely and accorded him a splendid hospitality. Next morning the king entered his capital, and in gratitude for the services of Viduṣaka, made a grant of thousand villages to his monastery and retained him as his own priest in the town.

In course of time, however, there were quarrels among the Brāhmaṇas suddenly enriched by the king’s generosity for the sake of supremacy. They conveniently forgot that for their present greatness they were indebted to Vidūṣaka. When one day there came a mendicant Brāhmaṇa of remarkable outspokenness, he showed only a supreme contempt for the meanness of the other Brāhmaṇas and remained indifferent. This latter reproved the swollen upstarts of the monastery, as indeed they deserved, and proposed to them to have recourse to a trial of strength, to settle the point of supremacy.

“There are” said he “three corpses hanging on the gallows in the cemetery; whosoever among you dares to cut and bring their noses at midnight, shall be your acknowledged leader.”

The swollen upstarts naturally evaded the trial. While Vidūṣaka stood to it, he took his sword, given to him by the god Agni, went to the burning ground at mid-night, notwithstanding the terrible spirits performed the heroic feat. As he was about to return he found a man sitting on a corpse and mounting mantras to acquire superhuman powers. When he gained his desideratum, he repaired to the temple of Kātyāyanī near by. Vidūṣaka, who was secretly watching his actions, also followed him there. The fierce Kāpālika grimly implored a boon from the goddess, when there came the voice that he would have it if he gave the goddess the daughter of king Ᾱdityasena as a victim. Immediately he mounted the corpse animated by a goblin, made an aerial flight to the palace, and returned with the princess.

As he was about to slaughter her, the brave Vidūṣaka suddenly stepped in, and with one sure stroke of his sword struck off his head. He was then directed by the same invisible voice to carry the princes home riding the same animated corpse. Vidūṣaka did accordingly and the next morning he was discovered in the apartment of the princess by the surprised maids. When the king was informed of this he investigated the whole matter, and convinced of Vidūṣaka’s heroic defence of his daughter, and of her love for him, settled their marriage.[6]

2. Deviations from the Original Source:

The above said two stories are narrated in the Kathāsaritsāgara of Somadeva. However, Bhavabhūti had his own planning and as a result, there are found some deviations in the Mālatīmādhava.

The deviations from the original noticed in the Mālatīmādhava are mentioned in the following lines—

(a) It was found in the story of Kathāsaritsāgara that owing to a terrible famine Yaśaskara and his family had to leave their country and shifted their residence to Viśālā. There Yaśaskara sent his son for studying at the house of a learned guru in the town. But, in the Mālatīmādhava Bhavabhūti does not make any reference of famine. Here it is found that Devarāta sent his son Mādhava to Padmāvatī for the sake of taking instruction on logical philosophy.

(b) In the Kathāsaritsāgara, the hero was just shown as a Brāhmaṇa youth but here in the Mālatīmādhava Bhavabhūti has portrayed the hero Mādhava as a person of ministerial rank.

(c) In the main story Madirāvatī was being made an offer to a kṣatriya youth of noble descent while in the Mālatīmādhava Mālatī is being made an offer to a minister of a king.

(d) In the Kathāsaritsāgara, being disappointed the lover of Madirāvatī hanged himself from the branch of a tree although he was saved by a man, who also was a disappointed Brāhmaṇa lover like him. But in the Mālatīmādhava being disappointed Mādhava the lover of Mālatī resolves to sell human flesh to the ghost residing in the cemetery ground.

(e) Again, in the Kathāsaritsāgara, an elephant rushed out into the street and created havoc among people, whereas in the Mālatīmādhava a tiger creates havoc among the people.

(f) As found in the story of Kathāsaritsāgara, Madirāvatī presented a garland of Mālatī flower to the hero, the son of Yaśaskara through her nurse whereas in the Mālatīmādhava, Mādhava presents a garland of bakula flowers to Mālatī.

3. Innovations Made by Bhavabhūti in the Mālatīmādhava:

Bhavabhūti has made some innovations in the Mālatīmādhava to suit the theme. The innovations appear attractive when considered from dramatic perspectives.

The innovations found in the Mālatīmādhava are as follows—

(a) In the 1st act the solemn agreement being made by Bhūrivasu and Devarāta that they should join their offsprings in wedlock is purely Bhavabhūti’s own creation.

(b) Due to intense love for Mādhava, Mālatī drew a portrait of Mādhava and placed it into the hands of Mandārikā by Lavaṅgikā so that Mādhava finds the portrait. Again when Mādhava received this portrait then he drew the picture of Mālatī by the side of his portrait and also wrote a verse there. But there was not allusion of drawing portrait in the Kathāsaritsāgara.

(c) In the 7th act Bhavabhūti describes that in the residence of Nandana the untimely Kaumudī festival had commenced for the entrance of the bride into the house of her husband where the whole body of servants were busily engaged. Moreover, Kapālakuṇḍalā snatched away Mālatī to Śrīśaila where she would bring an agonising death of her. Such incidents are Bhavabhūti’s own creation.

(d) In the 8th act there is the fighting of Makaranda and Mādhava with the city guards which was not found in the main story.

(e) In the 9th act, Saudāminī laid down a pen–picture of the city Padmāvatī while she came to Padmāvatī with the bakula garland to inform Mādhava that Mālatī was safe. A description of Padmāvatī and its surroundings from the air was given by Saudāminī. In this act Mādhava’s grief at the disappearance of Mālatī has been described at great length. Like Purūravā in the Vikramorvarśīya, here Mādhava addressed the clouds, peacocks, kokilas, monkeys, elephants etc for news about his beloved. As Saudāminī wanted to carry Mādhava with her, she made use of ākṣepiṇī siddhi. Saudāminī was all powerful by her might.

(f) In the 10th act all the characters had been committing suicide at the loss of Mālatī. Even, Bhūrivasu was approaching the mountain Suvarṇavindu with intention to caste himself into fire. But everybody’s life was saved by the work of a Yoginī, Saudāminī. In this act Bhavabhūti described the successful use of the power of Yoga through the character Saudāminī.

Such incidents were not alluded to in the main story. These are Bhavabhūti’s innovations. Such innovations are brought in by Bhavabhūti to give some realistic touch to the realization of the taste of a Prakaraṇa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vide, Kale,M.R.,Op.cit.,Introduction,p.24

[2]:

Ibid.

[3]:

Ibid.,p.26

[4]:

Ibid.,p.27

[5]:

Kathāsaritsāgara, XIII.1

[6]:

Ibid.,III.4

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