4. The sentiment (rasa) of the Ratnaketudaya

The main sentiment of the Ratnaketudaya is Srngara, The dramatist himself expresses his preference to that sentiment as is evident from the following verse in the beginning of the drama, yasyasaktimananyajo'pi bhagavanetya svayam rajate sevante yamanaratanca sudrddhassantyaktakaryantarah ! yam brahmanubhava pramodalaharisarakhyanca acate sodyam sarvarasadhimurvijayate srrngara eko rasah || 221811 24 24 Ibid., Act. I, p. 1.

566 560 Grigara is the only sentiment which is the bedrock of all sentiments and which stands victorious, which the unborn lord accepts and himself shines and which is incessantly sought for by the damsels leaving aside their other things and which is spoken as a companion of transcendental delight". The hero is Retnek@tu and the heroine Lilaveti. In the first not, the seed of love germinates when the hero end heroine see each other in the Chitra mandape in the temple of Sarvasiddhikari. It steadily grows in intensity so that each of them feels its pangs. King Ratnaketu expresses his anguish when he says that his five sense organs are clamouring to enjoy her. mugdhangi madhuradharam mrdugiram campeyagandhanana- mastokastana korakayabharam stokavanamrakrtim ! tamaliksisate pipasati muhussusrusate kim vada myajighrasati calilimgiyati me ha hanta ! pancendriyi " #Ales! My five organs are desirous of respectively seeing her beauty, drinking her sweet lips, hearing her soft words, smelling her face, fragrant like a champaica and embracing her form slightly bent due to the two budding but not small breasts". Here the vipralembha 'sringara (Ayoga) starts its course and we see its first phase viz. Abhilasha. The sthayibhava is rati. The lambena vibhava is the heroine. The uddipana vibhavas are the various beautifulobjects he sees around him such as the moon, the cooing of the cuckoo etc. The anubhave is the desire of his five sense organs to kha़ुda- 25 25 Ibid., p. 15.

561 enjoy her. The vyabhicharibhava is his recollection of his beloved. The heroine is also affected like the hero and her condition is described by her maid in the second act as follows: santapam janayanti candrakirana dravopamam candanam bagodyanasamira mohakalite samjatadharadhare ! sayya punyamayi nisa sahacari nidra pravidravini sammurcchanti sumandravatagata saugandha jaladranilah || 26 "As the cloude gather and as the breese blowing across the garden of Bana puts her in delusion the rays of the moon cause sorrow in her. The sandalwood appears similar to the fire Her bed is made of flowers. Night is her constant companion since she does not have sleep. The wafting of the gentle breeze wet with water make her faint". The alembana vibhava is the heroine. The uadiana vibhavas are the moon, the gentle breeze etc. The vyabhicaribhavas are her sorrow, sleeplessness inthe night and fainting. Here the vipralambha brigure is in its first stage vis. Abhilasha. The love rune its second stage namely cinta in the third act. The hero is sorely afflicted by the pango of love and his condition is described by the chamberlain as follows: vahanbhamam ama vapuratitaram dhusarataram 27 sipanbhuyah svasam ksitivilikhanavyaprtakarah ! disam praptaisocya ciravanavihara pranayini vasam dhyayanvanyah kalama iva vari niyamita dha "His body appears emaciated and very pale, sighing again and 26 bid. Act. II. P.26 27. Ibid., Act.III, p.23.

562 again, he is engaged in doodling over the earth. He looks like a wild elephant caught in the waters thinking of his sad mate who is fond of roaming about in the forest". The alambana vibhave is the heroine, The uddipana vibhava is the enchanting scenery of the garden and the anubhavas are his sighing, restlessness etc. The yyabhi caribhavas are his contemplation. The hero is further seen vailing and longing for his beloved. But, before he lepses into the subsequent stages of vipralambha, a temporary union is effected when he meets the princess in the Kridaparvate owing to the efforts of the enchorite Prabhavati. However, the union lasts only for a brief period owing to two incidents and consequently the sambhoga srngara is followed by vipralambhs. The first incident is the war between the hero and the Vidyadhars. Here there are touches of the sentiments Vire, Adbhuta and Bhayanaka. The following verse where the battle is described to Lilavati and her maids by Prabhaveti may be cited as an exemple. kupyatbhogisphatalidamaratara mukhadyatajatasphulingah sreniravadyotavidyotitajavapavanoduna dhuli bhrtako procanda praksamira pracala jaladharasarasam raviyoga vyaptam sadyo vipatheviyadidamadhunadhomukhenmukhecca || "The sky is now spread with the dust raised by the wind end 1llumined by the Sun in the form of tiny sparks of fire emanating from the friction of the deadly arrows which appear like the fire coming from the hoods of angry serpents in the course of the fight. It is echoing with the loud cries of the 28 Ibid., Act. IV, p. 35. 28

563. 563 cranes blown helter skelter by the fierce wind and covered by the darting large arrows with their heads directed upward and downward. The alambana vibhava is the anchorite and the uddipana vibhavas are the fiery arrows, the cries of the cranes and the driving dusty winds. The vyabhicari bhavas are the fear and wonder generated by in the minds of Prabhavati, Lilavati and her two maids. Though the hero and heroine meet after the war in which the former has been victorious, again they are separated. The heroine goes to meet her father and the hero returns to his city Hemapura to protect it from the invading Kalingas. So in the fourth act, there is a further resume of the vipralambha /srngara. The hero back to his city is again severely affected by the pangs of love and he goes to his garden to see plants and flowers which bear certain features of his beloved. One of t his garden attendants shows him a bud of Palasa and a gandhaphali. On seeing them, he recollects his beloved and describes her lips, mouth, other parts of the body and appearance. hantah smarami, madhurosthi, navadharostha hanta ! smarami, ruciradi, tavadumaduma 29 Here the alambana vibhava is the heroine. The uddipana vibhavas are the redness of the palasa bud and the sweet smell of gandhaphali which are respectively attributed to the lips and the body of the heroine. The vyabhicaribhava is the hero's 29 Ibid., Act.IV, p. 45.

564 recollection of his beloved. Vipralambhe 'srigare is in its third stage vis. smrti. The hero then tells his friend Kasyapa that the namo Lilavati is a misfit to his beloved since she scorns with her foot his appeals. caranapatana purvan bhuyanassamavadana pariharanamapi tvam kim na lilavatitih tadidamaganayitva sa tadevabhidhana skhalanamavad ‌dhana vakti vamahi vadhvah || om "How can you be lavet when you again and again disdain with the kicks of your foot the conciliatory words tendered before you bow down. It is by mistake she is known by that nome without considering the above fect. It is said that women are perverse. Here the hero is in the fourth stage of vipralambha srigere namely gunakathane. To alleviate his agony, a portrait of his beloved is brought before him. He is so greatly delighted by it that he garlands and addresses it as follows. mayi patitavatyasi srjam bahuso bandhuragati suptisu ! sakrdapyahamarpayami te kucakumbhopari komalamimam " 31 30 Ibid., p. 49. 31 Ibid., p. 54.

565 "Oh beautiful lady, during sleep you used to make garlands fall on me several times. I am for once placing this beautiful garland over your full breasts". Here the hero is in the fifth stage of vipralambha krigara nemely udvega. But the hero is no more allowed to undergo the severe stages of the pangs of separation. Prabhavati brings gled tidings that the divine sanction for the marriage hos been obtained and in the fifth net, the marriage of the hero and heroine takes place. From the above, it can be seen that /srigare has been developed stage by stage.