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Act III
Scene I. — Hermitage of the Saint Bharat in Heaven. Galava and Pelava.
GALAVA Pelava, thee the Sage admitted, happier Chosen, to that great audience in the house Of highest Indra, — I meanwhile must watch The sacred flame; inform my absence. Was The divine session with the acting pleased?
PELAVA
Of pleased I know not; this I well could see They sat all lost in that poetic piece Of Saraswatie, "Luxmie's Choice", — breathlessly Identified themselves with every mood. But —
GALAVA
Ah, that but! It opens doors to censure.
PELAVA
Yes, Urvasie was heedless, missed her word.
GALAVA How? how?
PELAVA
She acted Luxmie; Menaka Was Varunie; who asking, "Sister, see, The noble and the beautiful of Heaven, And Vishnu and the guardians of the worlds.
Page – 165 To whom does thy heart go mid all these glories?" — Urvasie should have answered "Purushottam", But from her lips "Pururavas" leaped forth.
GALAVA Our organs are the slaves of fate and doom! Was not the great Preceptor angry?
PELAVA
Yes; He cursed her, but high Indra blessed.
GALAVA What blessing?
PELAVA
"Since thou hast wronged my teaching and my fame, For thee no place in Heaven", — so frowned the Sage. Heaven's monarch marked her when the piece was ended, Drooping, her sweet face bowed with shame, and said, With gracious brows, "Since thou hast fixed thy heart Upon my friend and strong ally in war, I will do both a kindness. Go to him And love and serve him as thy lord until A child is got in thee and he behold His offspring's face."
GALAVA O nobly this became Indra; he knows to value mighty hearts.
PELAVA (looking at the Sun) Look, in our talk if we have not transgressed Our teacher's hour for bathing. Galava, We should be at his side.
Page – 166 GALAVA Let us make haste. They go out.
Page – 167 Scene II. — Outside the palace of Pururavas, beneath the House of Gems. The terrace of the House of Gems with a great staircase leading up to it. The Chamberlain Latavya enters.
LATAVYA (sighing) All other men when life is green and strong Marry and toil and get them wealth, then, aging, Their sons assume the burden, they towards rest Their laboured faces turn. But us for ever Service, a keyless dungeon still renewed, Wears down; and hard that service is which keeps O'er women ward and on their errands runs. Now Kashi's daughter, careful of her vow, Commands me, "I have put from me, Latavya, The obstinacy of offended love And wooed my husband through Nipunika. Thou too entreat him." Therefore I linger here Waiting till the King's greatness swiftly come, His vesper worship done. It dims apace. How beautifully twilight sits and dreams Upon these palace walls! The peacocks now Sit on their perches, drowsed with sleep and night, Like figures hewn in stone. And on the roof The fluttering pigeons with their pallid wings Mislead the eye, disguised as rings of smoke That from the window-ways have floated out Into the evening. In places flower-bestrewn The elders of the high seraglio, gentle souls Of holy manners, set the evening lamps, Dividing darkness; flames of auspice burn. The King! I hear the sound of many feet, Ringed round with torches he appears, his girls Hold up with young fair arms. O form august Like Mainak, when as yet the hills had wings, Moving, and the slim trees along its ridge Flickered with vermeil shaken blooms. Just here
Page – 168 I'll wait him, in the pathway of his glance. Enter Pururavas, surrounded by girl attendants carrying torches; with him Manavaka. PURURAVAS (aside) Day passes with some pale attempt at calm, For then work walls the mind from the fierce siege Of ever-present passion. But how shall I Add movement to the tardy-footed night, The long void hours by no distraction winged?
LATAVYA (approaching) Long live the King! My lady says, "The moon Tonight in splendour on the House of Jewels Rises like a bright face. On the clear terrace, My husband by my side, I would await With Rohinie, his heavenly fair delight, The God's embracings."
PURURAVAS What the Queen wills, was ever My law, Latavya.
LATAVYA
So I'll tell my lady. He goes. PURURAVAS Think you in very truth for her vow's sake My lady makes this motion?
MANAVAKA
Rather I deem 'Tis her remorse she cloaks with holy vows, Atoning thus for a prostration scorned.
Page – 169 PURURAVAS O true! the proud and loving hearts of women, Who have their prostrate dear ones spurned, repenting Are plagued with sweet accusing memories Of eyes that ask forgiveness, outstretched hands, Half-spoken words and touches on their feet That travel to the heart. Precede me then To the appointed terrace.
MANAVAKA
Look, my lord, The crystal stairs roll upward like bright waves On moonlit Ganges; yonder the terrace sleeps Wide-bosomed to the cold and lovely eve.
PURURAVAS Precede me; we'll ascend. They ascend to the terrace.
MANAVAKA
The moon is surely Upon the verge of rise; swiftly the east Empties of darkness, and the horizon seems All beautiful and brightening like a face.
PURURAVAS O aptly said! Behind the peak of rise The hidden moon, pushing black night aside, Precedes himself with herald lustres. See! The daughter of the imperial East puts back The blinding tresses from her eyes, and smiles, And takes with undimmed face my soul.
MANAVAKA
Hurrah! The king of the twice-born has risen all white And round and luscious like a ball of sugar.
Page – 170 PURURAVAS (smiling) A glutton's eloquence is ever haunted With images of the kitchen. (bowing with folded hands) Hail, God that rulest The inactive night! O settler with the sun For ritual holy, O giver to the Gods And blessed fathers dead of nectarous wine, O slayer of the vasty glooms of night, Whose soul of brightness crowns the Almighty's head, O moon, all hail! accept thy offspring's prayer.
MANAVAKA Well now, your grandpapa has heard your vows; You'll take it from a Brahmin's mouth, through whom Even he may telepath his message. So, That's finished. Now sit down and give me a chance Of being comfortable.
PURURAVAS (sitting down, then looking at his attendants) The moon is risen; These torches are a vain reiteration Of brightness. Ladies, rest.
ALL Our lord commands us. They go. PURURAVAS It is not long before my lady comes. So, let me, while we yet are lonely here, Unburden me of my love-ravaged thoughts.
MANAVAKA They are visible to the blind. Take hope and courage By thinking of her equal love.
Page – 171 PURURAVAS I do; And yet the pain within my heart is great. For as a mighty river whose vast speed Stumbles within a narrow pass of huge And rugged boulders, chides his uncouth bed, Increasing at each check, even so does love, His joy of union stinted or deferred, Rebel and wax a hundredfold in fire.
MANAVAKA So your love-wasted limbs increase their beauty, They are a sign you soon will clasp your love.
PURURAVAS O friend, as you my longing heaviness Comfort with hopeful words, my arm too speaks In quick auspicious throbs. He looks with hope up to the sky.
MANAVAKA A Brahmin's word! There enters in the air Chitralekha with Urvasie in trysting-dress.
URVASIE (looking at herself) Sister, do you not think my trysting-dress, The dark-blue silk and the few ornaments, Becomes me vastly? Do you not approve it?
CHITRALEKHA O inexpressibly! I have no words To praise it. This I'll say; it makes me wish I were Pururavas.
URVASIE Since Love himself
Page – 172 Inspires you, bring me quickly to the dwelling Of that high beautiful face.
CHITRALEKHA Look, we draw near. Your lover's house lifts in stupendous mass, As it were mountain Coilas, to the clouds.
URVASIE Look, sister, with the eye of Gods and know Where is that robber of my heart and what His occupation?
CHITRALEKHA (aside, with a smile) I will jest with her. (aloud) I see him. He, in a sweet region made For love and joy, possesses with desire The body and the bosom of his love.
URVASIE (despairingly) Happy that woman, whosoe'er she be!
CHITRALEKHA Why, sweet faint-hearted fool, in whom but thee Should his thoughts joy?
URVASIE (with a sigh of relief ) Alas, my heart perverse Will doubt.
CHITRALEKHA Here on the terraced House of Gems The King is with his friend sole-sitting. Then, We may approach. They descend.
Page – 173 PURURAVAS O friend, the widening night And pangs of love keep pace in their increase.
URVASIE Sister, my heart is torn with apprehension Of what his words might mean. Let us, ourselves Invisible, hear their unfettered converse. My fears might then have rest.
CHITRALEKHA Good.
MANAVAKA Take the moonbeams Whose pregnant nectar comforts burning limbs.
PURURAVAS But my affliction's not remediable With such faint medicines. Neither smoothest flowers, Moonlight nor sandal visiting every limb, Nor necklaces of cool delightful pearl, Only Heaven's nymph can perfectly expel With bliss, or else —
URVASIE (clutching at her bosom with her hand) O me! who else? who else?
PURURAVAS Speech secret full of her unedge my pangs.
URVASIE Heart that left me to flutter in his hands, Now art thou for that rashness recompensed!
MANAVAKA Yes, I too when I cannot get sweet venison
Page – 174 And hunger for it, often beguile my belly With celebrating all its savoury joys.
PURURAVAS Your belly-loves, good friend, are always with you And ready to your gulp.
MANAVAKA You too shall soon Possess your love.
PURURAVAS My friend, I have strange feeling.
CHITRALEKHA Hearken, insatiable, exacting, hearken, And be convinced!
MANAVAKA What feeling?
PURURAVAS This I feel, As if this shoulder by her shoulder pressed In the car's shock bore all my sum of being, And all this frame besides were only weight Cumbering the impatient earth.
CHITRALEKHA Yet you delay!
URVASIE (suddenly approaching Pururavas) O me! sister!
CHITRALEKHA What is it now?
Page – 175 URVASIE I am Before him, and he does not care!
CHITRALEKHA (smiling) O thou, All passionate unreasoning haste! Thou hast not Put off as yet invisibility.
VOICE (within) This way, my lady. All listen, Urvasie and Chitralekha are despondent.
MANAVAKA (in dismay) Hey? The Queen is here? Keep watch upon your tongue.
PURURAVAS You first discharge Your face of conscious guilt.
URVASIE Sister, what now?
CHITRALEKHA Be calm. We are unseen. This princess looks As for a vow arrayed, nor long, if so, Will tarry. As she speaks, the Queen and Nipunika enter with attendants carrying offerings.
AUSHINARIE How does yonder spotted moon Flush with new beauty, O Nipunika, At Rohinie's embracings.
Page – 176 NIPUNIKA So too with you, Lady, my lord looks fairer than himself.
MANAVAKA The Queen, my lord, looks very sweet and gracious, Either because I know she'll give me sweetmeats Or 'tis a sign of anger quite renounced, And from your memory to exile her harshness She makes her vow an instrument.
PURURAVAS Good reasons both; (smiling) Yet to my humble judgment the poor second Has likelier hue. For she in gracious white Is clad and sylvanly adorned with flowers, Her raven tresses spangled with young green Of sacred grass. All her fair body looks Gentle and kind, its pomp and pride renounced For lovely meekness to her lord.
AUSHINARIE (approaching) My husband!
ATTENDANT Hail to our master!
MANAVAKA Peace attend my lady.
PURURAVAS Welcome. He takes her hand and draws her down on a seat.
URVASIE By right this lady bears the style
Page – 177 Of Goddess and of Empress, since no whit Her noble majesty of fairness yields To Heaven's Queen.
CHITRALEKHA O bravely said, my sister! 'Twas worthy of a soul where jealous baseness Ought never harbour.
AUSHINARIE I have a vow, my lord, Which at my husband's feet must be absolved. Bear with me that I trouble you one moment.
PURURAVAS No, no, it is not trouble, but a kindness.
MANAVAKA The good trouble that brings me sweetmeats! often, O often may such trouble vex my belly.
PURURAVAS What vow is this you would absolve, my own? Aushinarie looks at Nipunika.
NIPUNIKA 'Tis that women perform to win back kindness In eyes of one held dear.
PURURAVAS If this be so, Vainly hast thou these tender flower-soft limbs Afflicted with a vow's austerities, Beloved. Thou suest for favour to thy servant, Propitiatest who for thy propitiated All-loving glance is hungry.
Page – 178 URVASIE Greatly he loves her!
CHITRALEKHA Why, silly one, whose heart is gone astraying, Redoubles words of kindness to his wife. Do you not know so much?
AUSHINARIE (smiling) Not vain my vow, That to such words of love has moved already My husband.
MANAVAKA Stop, my lord, a word well spoken Is spoilt by any answer.
AUSHINARIE Girls, the offering With which I must adore this gentle moonlight That dreams upon our terrace!
NIPUNIKA Here, my lady, Are flowers, here costly scents, all needed things.
AUSHINARIE Give them to me. She worships the moonbeams with flowers and perfumes. Nipunika, present The sweetmeats of the offering to the Brahmin.
NIPUNIKA I will, my lady. Noble Manavaka, Here is for you.
Page – 179 MANAVAKA Blessings attend thee. May Thy vow bear fruit nor end.
AUSHINARIE Now, dear my lord, Pray you, draw nearer to me.
PURURAVAS Behold me, love! What must I do? Aushinarie worships the King, then bowing down with folded hands,
AUSHINARIE I, Aushinarie, call The divine wife and husband, Rohinie And Mrigalanchhan named the spotted moon, To witness here my vowed obedient love To my dear lord. Henceforth whatever woman My lord shall love and she desire him too, I will embrace her and as a sister love, Nor think of jealousy.
URVASIE I know not wholly Her drift, and yet her words have made me feel All pure and full of noble trust.
CHITRALEKHA Be confident, Your love will prove all bliss; surely it must When blessed and sanctioned by this pure, devoted And noble nature.
MANAVAKA (aside) When from twixt his hands
Page – 180 Fish leaps, cries me the disappointed fisher, "Go, trout, I spare you. This will be put down To my account in Heaven." (aloud) No more but this You love my friend, your husband, lady?
AUSHINARIE Dull fool! I with the death of my own happiness Would give my husband ease. From this consider How dearly I love him.
PURURAVAS Since thou hast power on me To give me to another or to keep Thy slave, I have no right to plead. And yet I am not as thou thinkest me, all lost, O thou too jealous, to thy love.
AUSHINARIE My lord, We will not talk of that. I have fulfilled My rite, and with observance earned your kindness. Girls, let us go.
PURURAVAS Is thus my kindness earned? I am not kind, not pleased, if now, beloved, Thou shun and leave me.
AUSHINARIE Pardon, my lord. I never Have yet transgressed the rigour of a vow. Exeunt Queen, Nipunika and attendants.
Page – 181 URVASIE Wife-lover, uxorious is this King, and yet I cannot lure my heart away from him.
CHITRALEKHA Why, what new trick of wilful passion's this?
PURURAVAS (sitting down) The Queen is not far off.
MANAVAKA Never heed that, Speak boldly. She has given you up as hopeless. So doctors leave a patient, when disease Defies all remedy, to his own sweet guidance.
PURURAVAS O that my Urvasie —
URVASIE Today might win Her one dear wish.
PURURAVAS From her invisible feet The lovely sound of anklets on my ear Would tinkle, or coming stealing from behind Blind both my eyes with her soft little hands Like two cool lotuses upon them fallen: Or, oh, most sweet! descending on this roof Shaken with dear delicious terrors, lingering And hanging back, be by her sister drawn With tender violence, faltering step by step, Till she lay panting on my knees.
CHITRALEKHA Go, sister,
Page – 182 And satisfy his wish.
URVASIE Must I? well then, I'll pluck up heart and play with him a little. She becomes visible, steals behind the King and covers his eyes with her hands. Chitralekha puts off her veil of invisibility and makes a sign to Manavaka.
MANAVAKA Now say, friend, who is this?
PURURAVAS The hands of beauty. 'Tis that Narayan-born whose limbs are sweetness.
MANAVAKA How can you guess?
PURURAVAS What is there here to guess? My heart tells me. The lily of the night Needs not to guess it is the moon's cool touch. She starts not to the sunbeam. 'Tis so with me. No other woman could but she alone Heal with her little hands all my sick pining. Urvasie removes her hands and rises to her feet; then moves a step or two away.
URVASIE Conquest attend my lord!
PURURAVAS Welcome, O beauty. He draws her down beside him.
Page – 183 CHITRALEKHA Happiness to my brother!
PURURAVAS Here it sits Beside me.
URVASIE Because the Queen has given you to me, Therefore I dare to take into my arms Your body like a lover. You shall not think me Forward.
MANAVAKA What, set the sun to you on this terrace?
PURURAVAS O love, if thou my body dost embrace As seizable, a largess from my Queen, But whose permission didst thou ask, when thou Stolest my heart away?
CHITRALEKHA Brother, she is Abashed and has no answer. Therefore a moment Turn to me, grant me one entreaty.
PURURAVAS Speak.
CHITRALEKHA When spring is vanished and the torrid heat Thickens, I must attend the glorious Sun. Do thou so act that this my Urvasie Left lonely with thee, shall not miss her Heaven.
Page – 184 MANAVAKA Why, what is there in Heaven to pine for? There You do not eat, you do not drink, only Stare like so many fishes in a row With wide unblinking eyes.
PURURAVAS The joys of Heaven No thought can even outline. Who then shall make The soul forget which thence has fallen? Of this Be sure, fair girl, Pururavas is only Thy sister's slave: no other woman shares That rule nor can share.
CHITRALEKHA Brother, this is kind. Be brave, my Urvasie, and let me go. URVASIE (embracing Chitralekha, pathetically) Chitralekha, my sister, do not forget me!
CHITRALEKHA (with a smile) Of thee I should entreat that mercy, who Hast got thy love's embrace. She bows down to the King and goes.
MANAVAKA Now nobly, sir, Are you increased with bliss and your desire's Accrual.
PURURAVAS You say well. This is my increase; Who felt not half so blest when I acquired The universal sceptre of the world And sovran footstool touched by jewelled heads Of tributary monarchs, as today
Page – 185 I feel most happy who have won the right To touch two little feet and am allowed To be thy slave and do thy lovely bidding.
URVASIE I have not words to make a sweeter answer.
PURURAVAS How does the winning of one loved augment Sweet contradictions! These are the very rays Of moonlight burned me late, and now they soothe; Love's wounding shafts caress the heart like flowers, Thou being with me; all natural sights and sounds, Once rude and hurtful, now caressing come Softly, because of thee in my embrace.
URVASIE I am to blame that I deprived my lord So long.
PURURAVAS Beloved and beautiful, not so! For happiness arising after pain Tastes therefore sweeter, as the shady tree To one perplexed with heat and dust affords A keener taste of Paradise.
MANAVAKA We have courted For a long hour the whole delightfulness Of moonlight in the evening. It is time To seek repose.
PURURAVAS Guide therefore this fair friend The way her feet must henceforth tread.
Page – 186 MANAVAKA This way.
PURURAVAS O love, I have but one wish left.
URVASIE What wish, my lord?
PURURAVAS When I had not embraced thee, my desire, One night in passing seemed a hundred nights; O now if darkness would extend my joys To equal length of real hours with this Sweet face upon my bosom, I were blest. They go.
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