Indic drama; Sanskrit drama -- Translations into English
ACT I., entitled _The Gems are left Behind_. Evening of the first
day.--After the prologue, Chārudatta, who is within his house, converses
with his friend Maitreya, and deplores his poverty. While they are
speaking, Vasantasenā appears in the street outside. She is pursued by
the courtier and Sansthānaka; the latter makes her degrading offers of
his love, which she indignantly rejects. Chārudatta sends Maitreya from
the house to offer sacrifice, and through the open door Vasantasenā
slips unobserved into the house. Maitreya returns after an altercation
with Sansthānaka, and recognizes Vasantasenā. Vasantasenā leaves a
casket of gems in the house for safe keeping and returns to her home.
ACT II., entitled _The Shampooer who Gambled_. Second day.--The
act opens in Vasantasenā's house. Vasantasenā confesses to her
maid Madanikā her love for Chārudatta. Then a shampooer appears
in the street, pursued by the gambling-master and a gambler, who
demand of him ten gold-pieces which he has lost in the gambling-house.
At this point Darduraka enters, and engages the gambling-master
and the gambler in an angry discussion, during which the
shampooer escapes into Vasantasenā's house. When Vasantasenā
learns that the shampooer had once served Chārudatta, she pays his
debt; the grateful shampooer resolves to turn monk. As he leaves
the house he is attacked by a runaway elephant, and saved by
Karnapūraka, a servant of Vasantasenā.
ACT III., entitled _The Hole in the Wall_. The night following the
second day.--Chārudatta and Maitreya return home after midnight
from a concert, and go to sleep. Maitreya has in his hand the
gem-casket which Vasantasenā has left behind. Sharvilaka enters.
He is in love with Madanikā, a maid of Vasantasenā's, and is
resolved to acquire by theft the means of buying her freedom. He
makes a hole in the wall of the house, enters, and steals the casket
of gems which Vasantasenā had left. Chārudatta wakes to find
casket and thief gone. His wife gives him her pearl necklace with
which to make restitution.
ACT IV., entitled _Madanikā and Sharvilaka_. Third day.--Sharvilaka
comes to Vasantasenā's house to buy Madanikā's freedom.
Vasantasenā overhears the facts concerning the theft of her gem-casket
from Chārudatta's house, but accepts the casket, and gives
Madanikā her freedom. As Sharvilaka leaves the house, he hears
that his friend Aryaka, who had been imprisoned by the king, has
escaped and is being pursued. Sharvilaka departs to help him.
Maitreya comes from Chārudatta with the pearl necklace, to repay
Vasantasenā for the gem-casket. She accepts the necklace also, as
giving her an excuse for a visit to Chārudatta.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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