14. Technique of the Sita-Raghava

Dhananjaya classifies itivritta (story) 167 under three heads viz. Prakhyata, Utpadya and Misra The story in Sita Raghava belongs to the Misra (mixed) type. Though it has been taken from the Valmiki Ramayana, Ramaparivada has made several important innovations and changes as required for a drama. Immediately after the end of the prologue, the play proper is introduced through a device called Pravrttaka. 168 A voice behind the scenes announces that water laden clouds, out of interest in the welfare of the world and which are capable of removing heat are fast 167 prakhyatotpadyamisratva bhedanedyapi tantridha ! 168 Dasarupaka, Ch. I, V.15, p.4 kalasamyasamasipra pravesah syatpravrttakam ! Ibid., Ch.III, V.10, p.65

covering the moon, thereby causing darkness throughout the world. visvesam mitrataya santapaharena salilavahena ! avacchadite candre vicchayo bhavati bhuvanantah || The aforesaid verse indirectly suggests another sense pertaining to the story in the drama namely that Visvamitra is leaving Ayodhya to the forest accompanied by Sri Rama. 169 339 In the Vishkambha at the beginning of the second act the demons known respectively as Karambaka and Mayavasu Through it, the hatching of the plot by the demons to thwart the marriage of Sri Rama is brought out. 170 take part. It is of the mixed type wherein two characters named Karambaka and Nayavasu take part; the former speaks Prakrit while the latter speaks Sanskrit. In the fourth act also, there is a Vishkambha. The demons Mayavasu and Karambaka and the demoness Ayomukhi take part in it. It is also of the mixed type. In the Vishkambha to the fifth act, the messenger of Bharata named Cara and a celestial person named Danu take part. It is of the suddha type. In the seventh act also there is a vishkambha. The principal characters that take part in it are a demon by name Mams apriya and his consort Visragandhini. 169 Sita Raghava, Act.I, V.6, p.3. 170 ekanekakrtah suddhah samkirno nicamadhamaih ! Dasarupaka, Ch.1, p.31

The third act has a pravesaka in the beginning 340 and two female servants Manjarika and Manjushika take part in it. The kanchukiya also appears towards the close of the interlude. The two female characters speak Prakrit. In the sixth act, there is a pravesaka in the beginning. Lanka Lakshmi, the guardian deity of Lanka and Mandaravati, the sylvan goddess take part in it. A Culika 171 has been inserted in the middle of pravesaka in the third act. While Manjarika is narrating to her friend Manjushika the part played by her in arranging the marriage of the two daughters of prince Kusadhvaja, a voice behind the scenes announces the arrival of sage Parasurama in Mithila. Soon the threatening words of the warrior sage are heard calling upon Sri Rama to enter into a duel with him. 172 An Angadvara is found at the close of the sixth act. By this, the death of Ravana and the reunion of Sri Rama with Sita which occur in the seventh act are foretold. In these four ways, the suchya part of the story in the drama is described. The sandhis, arthaprakritis and avasthas in the drama are as follows. In the first act of the play begins 1713292-21-201201212-21 21 211! Dasarupaka, Ch.7, V.61, p.32. 172 345. ld 7122-rd 5. lod 417135.2-21: Ibid., V.62, p.32.

341 the Mikha sandhi. We find king Dasaratha worried by thoughts about the safety of his sons whom he had sent to the forest with sage Visvamitra. It may be noted that Sri Rama's confrontation with demons while protecting Visvamitra's sacrifice, earns him the great enemity of Mayavasu who later on tries to do maximum harm to him. While describing the adventures, of Sri Rama to king Dasaratha, Carayana rightly cautions him about the possibility of danger to his sons from Mayavasu. Both Bija and Arambha are also found here. The next phase of action is reached when Sage Visvamitra takes Sri Rama to Mithila to wield the divine bow and thereby win the hand of Sita, the daughter of king Janaka. Mayavasu makes frantic attempts to prevent 'Sri Rama from tackling the divine bow, but they all end in failure. The Pratimukha sandhi begins from the second act and concludes at the beginning of the third act wherein the marriage of 'Sri Rama with Sita takes place. This is full of thrilling and wonderful situations. Magic is brought into play to add wonder and suspense. The breaking of the divine bow by 'Sri Rama and his subsequent marriage with Sita mark an important milestone in the life of the hero. Here we find the play of the sentiments Vira and Adbhuta. Both Bindu and Prayatna are also incorporated he re. The Garbha sandhi commences from the beginning of the third act and concludes at the end of the fourth act. Mayavasu with his enemity towards Sri Rama intensified

342 by his failure to prevent the latter's wielding the divine bow, incites Parasurama to wreak vengeance on Sri Rams for his impious act of breaking the bow of his (Parasurama's) preceptor (Siva). There also, he meets with dismal failure. However, he succeeds in sending 'Sri Rama on exile to the forest by making Ayomukhi assume the form of Manthara and poisoning the mind of Kaikeyi. He then incites 'Surpanakha to abduct Sri Rama, Lakshmana and sita. He creates passion in his master Ravana for Sita and sees that the latter abducts her. Thus the abduction of Sita forms the main action taking place in this sandhi. There too, he meets with The Avamar's a sandhi begins from the fifth act. 'Sri Rama has forged alliance with Sugriva and has killed Bali. Sugriva on his part has sent monkey warriors in search of Sita. All of them anxiously wait the arrival of Hanuman. Here again, Mayavasu makes mischief by misrepresenting the outcome of the mission of Hanuman. failure. Sri Rama gladdened by the news brought by Hanuman sets himself to the task of building a bridge across the sea for his army to go to Lanka. He forces Varuna yield to his request of letting a passage across the sea for putting up the bridge. The Avamar's a sandhi comes to an end with the close of the sixth act wherein we find 'Sri Rama and Ravana engaged in fierce fight with their forces. The Nirvahana sandhi is found in the seventh act. Both. Ravana and Mayavasu, the inveterate foes of the hero have been killed. 'Sri Rama has redeemed Sita. His fourteen year old period of exile is also over. He goes back to Ayodhya and is coronated as king. The end of the seventh act sees

343 him assume his royal sceptre. Karya and Phalagma are also found here. Ramapanivada makes use of a pathakasthanaka in the fifth act of the drama. Mayavasu misrepresents the outcome of the mission of Hanuman to Lanka to 'Sri Rama, Lakshmane and Sugriva. Mayavasu says that Hanuman on coming to know of the death of sits in the hands of Ravana got infuriated. He began to destroy the gardens and the decorations on the frontage of glass houses. He killed several elephants and faming with rage at the Rakshasas, engaged himself into a duel with Indragit. Indrajit seen vanquished him and sent him to the 173 abode of death. Mayavasu while narrating this concoted story is not aware of the fact that Hanuman after seeing sita really destroyed Lanka by not only setting fire to it but also by his several other acts of plundering and ransacking. This fact is disclosed immediately after Mayavasu's account by Dadhimukha. According to the cannons of dramaturgy, this pathakasthanaka belongs to the category known as Tulyaitivritta.