10. Time and Place of Action

The first act (of the Pradyumna Abhyudaya) seems to begin in the morning. The humming of the bees and the air fragrant with the smell of 43 44 flowers indicate this. It has its background in the palace of Sri Krishna. It ends at midnoon. The announcement of the Vait like of the approach of the mid day is a pointer to it. There is no interval of time between Acts I and II. The place of action in Act II is the palace of Prabhavati in Vajrapura. The time at which the second net comes to a close is not indicated. The third act seems to begin in the night. It has its background in the theatre (praksha mendapa). It seems to end in the early morning of the next day. The description 45 of Sandhye by Harise at the end of the net indicates this. There seems to be an interval of one day between Acts III end IV. The fourth act seems to begin in the night. The rising 46 of the moon referred to by Pradyumna corroborates this. It 43. Ibid., Act.I, V.6, p.3. 44. bhavatu sukhaya, bhavatu madhyandini sandhya ! 45. Ibid., Act.III, V.23, p.31. 46. Ibid., Act. IV, V.17, p.39 Ibid., p.8.

235 has its background in a garden in Vejrapura. The time at which the fourth act comes to a close is not indicated. The fifth act seems to begin in the morning. The description 47 of Sun rise by Narada proves this. The place of action centres round Vajrapura. The time at which the drama comes to a close is not indicated. Thus the drama takes nearly two days and two nights.