The Little Clay Cart by Sudraka (best classic romance novels TXT) š
But a spirit so powerful as that of King Shudraka could not be confined within the strait-jacket of the minute, and sometimes puerile, rules of the technical works. In the very title of the drama, he has disregarded the rule[11] that the name of a drama of invention should be formed by compounding the names of heroine and hero.[12] Again, the books prescribe[13] that the hero shall appear in every act; yet Charudatta does not appear in acts ii., iv., vi., and viii. And further, various characters, Vasantasena, Maitreya, the courtier, and others, have vastly gained because they do not conform too closely to the technical definitions.
The characters of The Little Clay Cart are living men and women. Even when the type makes no strong appeal to Western minds, as in the case of Charudatta, the character lives, in a sense in which Dushyanta[14] or even Rama[15] can
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From the cart wherein you ride,
As did JatÄyu BÄli's fair,
The monkey BÄli's bride.20
Courtier.
Insulted thus despitefully;
Nor garden creepers may not be
Robbed of their leaves so cruelly.21
Stand up, man. I will help her to alight. Come, VasantasenÄ! [VasantasenÄ alights and stands apart.]
SansthÄnaka. [Aside.] The flame of wrath was kindled when she despised my proposition, and now it blazes up because she kicked me. Sho now I 'll murder her. Good! Thish way. [Aloud.] Well, shir, what do you want?
Tied with a hundred shtrings? or good ragout,
To make you shmack your greedy lips and call
"Chuhoo, chuhoo, chukku, chuhoo, chuhooo"?22
Courtier. Well?
SansthÄnaka. Do me a favor.
[123.11. S.
Courtier. Certainly. Anything, unless it be a sin.
SansthÄnaka. There's not a shmell of a shin in it, shir. Not a perfume!
Courtier. Speak, then.
SansthÄnaka. Murder VasantasenÄ.
Courtier. [Stopping his ears.]
A courtezan whose love was stainless everā
If I should kill her, sinless, without pity.
What boat would bear me on the gloomy river?23
SansthÄnaka. I'll give you a boat. And beshides, in thish deserted garden, who'll shee you murdering her?
Courtier.
The wind, the moon, the sun whose rays are light,
Virtue, my conscienceāthese I cannot fly,
Nor earth, that witnesses to wrong and right.24
SansthÄnaka. Well then, put your cloak over her and murder her.
Courtier. You fool! You scoundrel!
SansthÄnaka. The old hog is afraid of a shin. Never mind. I'll pershuade SthÄvaraka, my shlave. SthÄvaraka, my little shon, my shlave, I'll give you golden bracelets.
SthÄvaraka. And I'll wear them.
SansthÄnaka. I'll have a golden sheat made for you.
SthÄvaraka. And I'll sit on it.
SansthÄnaka. I'll give you all my leavings.
SthÄvaraka. And I'll eat them.
SansthÄnaka. I'll make you the chief of all my shervants.
SthÄvaraka. Master, I'll be the chief.
SansthÄnaka. You only have to attend to what I shay.
SthÄvaraka. Master, I will do anything, unless it be a sin.
P. 205.12]
SansthÄnaka. There's not a shmell of a shin in it.
SthÄvaraka. Then speak, master.
SansthÄnaka. Murder VasantasenÄ.
SthÄvaraka. Oh, master, be merciful! Unworthy as I am, I brought this worthy lady hither, because she mistook this bullock-cart for another.
SansthÄnaka. You shlave, ain't I your mashter?
SthÄvaraka. Master of my body, not of my character. Be merciful, master, be merciful! I am afraid.
SansthÄnaka. You're my shlave. Who are you afraid of?
SthÄvaraka. Of the other world, master.
SansthÄnaka. Who is thish "other world"?
SthÄvaraka. Master, it is a rewarder of righteousness and sin.
SansthÄnaka. What is the reward of righteoushness?
SthÄvaraka. To be like my master, with plenty of golden ornaments.
SansthÄnaka. What is the reward of shin?
SthÄvaraka. To be like me, eating another man's bread. That is why I will do no sin.
SansthÄnaka. Sho you won't murder her? [He beats him with all his might.]
SthÄvaraka. You may beat me, master. You may kill me, master. I will do no sin.
A slave I live, a slave I die;
But further woe I will not buy,
I will not, will not sin.25
VasantasenÄ. Sir, I throw myself upon your protection.
Courtier. Pardon him, jackass! Well done, SthÄvaraka!
Seek virtue's meed beyond the grave?
And is his lord indifferent?
Then why are not such creatures sent
To instant hell, whose sinful store
Grows great, who know not virtue more?26
[125.14. S.
And again:
And enters through the straitest gate;
Since he is slave, and you are lord,
Since he does not enjoy your hoard,
Since you do not obey his word.27
SansthÄnaka. [Aside.] The old jackal is afraid of a shin, and the "lifelong shlave" is afraid of the other world. Who am I afraid of, I, the king's brother-in-law, an arishtocrat, a man? [Aloud.] Well, shervant, you "lifelong shlave," you can go. Go to your room and resht and keep out of my way.
SthÄvaraka. Yes, master. [To VasantasenÄ.] Madam, I have no further power.[Exit.
SansthÄnaka. [Girds up his loins.] Wait a minute, VasantasenÄ, wait a minute. I want to murder you.
Courtier. You will kill her before my eyes? [He seizes him by the throat.]
SansthÄnaka. [Falls to the ground.] Shir, you 're murdering your mashter. [He loses consciousness, but recovers.]
And gave him butter too, to eat;
Now for the friend in need I search;
Why does he leave me in the lurch?28
[After reflection.] Good! I have an idea. The old jackal gave her a hint by shaking his head at her. Sho I 'll shend him away, and then I 'll murder VasantasenÄ. That's the idea. [Aloud.] Shir, I was born in a noble family as great as a wine-glass. How could I do that shin I shpoke about? I jusht shaid it to make her love me.
P. 209.3]
Courtier. Why should you boast of this your noble birth?
But thorns and weeds grow rank in fertile earth.29
SansthÄnaka. She 's ashamed to confessh her love when you 're here. Please go. My shervant SthÄvaraka has gone too after getting a beating. He may be running away. Catch him, shir, and come back with him.
Courtier. [Aside.]
While I am near, her love for one so crude;
So now I leave her here with him alone;
Love's confidences long for solitude.30
[Aloud.] Very well. I go.
VasantasenÄ. [Seizing the hem of his garment.] Did I not throw myself upon your protection?
Courtier. Do not fear, VasantasenÄ. Jackass, VasantasenÄ is a pledge, committed to your hand.
SansthÄnaka. All right. Jusht let her be committed to my hand. It 's a pledge that I 'll execute.
Courtier. Are you honest?
SansthÄnaka. Honesht.
Courtier. [Takes a few steps.] No! If I go, the wretch might kill her. I will conceal myself for a moment, and see what he intends to do. [He stands apart.]
SansthÄnaka. Good! I 'll murder her. But no! Perhaps thish tricky trickshter, thish Brahman, thish old jackal, has gone and hidden himshelf; he might raise a howl like the jackal he is. I 'll jusht do thish to deceive him. [He gathers flowers and adorns himself.] VasantasenÄ, my love, my love! Come!
Courtier. Yes, he has turned lover. Good! I am content. I will go.[Exit.
[127.12. S.
SansthÄnaka.
My turbaned head adores your feet.
Why not love me, my clean-toothed girl?
Why worship such a pauper churl?31
VasantasenÄ. How can you ask? [She bows her head and recites the following verses.]
Why tempt me now with gold and power?
The honey-loving bees adore
The pure and stainless lotus flower.32
Peculiar honor waits upon his woe;
And 't is the glory of a courtezan
To set her love upon an honest man.33
And I, who have loved the mango-tree, I cannot cling to the locust-tree.
SansthÄnaka. Wench, you make that poor little ChÄrudatta into a mango-tree, and me you call a locusht-tree, not even an acacia! That 's the way you abuse me, and even yet you remember ChÄrudatta.
VasantasenÄ. Why should I not remember him who dwells in my heart?
SansthÄnaka. Thish very minute I 'm going to shtrangle "him who dwells in your heart," and you too. Shtand shtill, you poor-merchant-man's lover!
VasantasenÄ. Oh speak, oh speak again these words that do me honor!
SansthÄnaka. Jusht let poor ChÄrudattaāthe shon of a shlaveāreshcue you now!
VasantasenÄ. He would rescue me, if he saw me.
SansthÄnaka.
Shon of a nymph? or wears a demon's shape?
The kingly deity of wind and rain?
The offshpring of the PÄndu-princes' bane?
A prophet? or a vulture known afar?
A shtatesman? or a beetle? or a shtar?34
P. 212.11]
But even if he was, he could n't reshcue you.
Was killed by good old ChÄnakya,
Sho I intend to throttle thee,
As did JatÄyu DraupadÄ«.35
[He raises his arm to strike her.]
VasantasenÄ. Mother! where are you? Oh, ChÄrudatta! my heart's longing is unfulfilled, and now I die! I will scream for help. No! It would bring shame on VasantasenÄ, should she scream for help. Heaven bless ChÄrudatta!
SansthÄnaka. Does the wench shpeak that rashcal's name even yet? [He seizes her by the throat.] Remember him, wench, remember him!
VasantasenÄ. Heaven bless ChÄrudatta!
SansthÄnaka. Die, wench! [He strangles her. VasantasenÄ loses consciousness, and falls motionless.]
SansthÄnaka. [Gleefully.]
Thish foul abode of impudenceā
She came to love, she shtayed to blench,
For Death's embrace took every sense.
But why boasht I of valorous arms and shtout?
She shimply died because her breath gave out.
Like SÄ«tÄ in the BhÄrata, she lies.
Ah, mother mine! how prettily she dies.36
[129.4. S.
I shaw the empty garden, set the shnare,
And frightened her, and made the poor girl blench.
My brother! Oh, my father! Thish is where
You misshed the shight of heroism shtout;
Your brother and your shon here blosshomed out
Into a man; like Mother Draupadī,
You were not there, my bravery to shee.37
Good! The old jackal will be here in a minute. I 'll shtep ashide and wait. [He does so.]
[Enter the courtier, with SthÄvaraka.]
Courtier. I have persuaded the servant SthÄvaraka to come back, and now I will look for the jackass. [He walks about and looks around him.] But see! A tree has fallen by the roadside, and killed a woman in its fall. O cruel! How couldst thou do this deed of shame? And when I see that a woman was slain by thy fatal fall, I too am felled to the earth. Truly, my heart's fear for VasantasenÄ was an evil omen. Oh, heaven grant that all may yet be well! [He approaches SansthÄnaka.] Jackass, I have persuaded your servant SthÄvaraka to return.
SansthÄnaka. How do you do, shir? SthÄvaraka, my little shon, my shlave, how do you do?
SthÄvaraka. Well, thank you.
Courtier. Give me my pledge.
SansthÄnaka. What pledge?
Courtier. VasantasenÄ.
SansthÄnaka. She's gone.
Courtier. Where?
SansthÄnaka. Right after you.
Courtier. [Doubtfully.] No, she did not go in that direction.
SansthÄnaka. In what direction did you go?
Courtier. Toward the east.
SansthÄnaka. Well, she went shouth.[81]
Courtier. So did I.
P. 216.2]
SansthÄnaka. She went north.
Courtier. This is nonsense. My heart is not satisfied. Speak the truth.
SansthÄnaka. I shwear by your head, shir, and my own feet. You may be easy in your heart. I murdered her.
Courtier. [Despairingly.] You really killed her?
SansthÄnaka. If you don't believe my words, then shee the firsht heroic deed of SansthÄnaka, the king's brother-in-law. [He points out the body.]
Courtier. Alas! Ah, woe is me! [He falls in a swoon.]
SansthÄnaka. Hee, hee! The gentleman is calm enough now!
SthÄvaraka. Oh, sir! Come to yourself! I am the first murderer, for I brought the bullock-cart hither without looking into it.
Courtier. [Comes to himself. Mournfully.] Alas, VasantasenÄ!
And happiness to her own land doth flee,
Sweet gem of gems, that knew love's gentle play,
Love's mart and beauty's! Joy of
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