ACT I – CHITRADARSHANAM
idham kavibhyaha pUrvEbhyO namOvAkyam prashAsmahE / vandhEmahi cha thAm vAcham amrthAm Athmanah kalAm // 1 //
इदम् कविभ्यः पूर्वेभ्यो नमोवाक्यम् प्रशास्महे /वन्देमहि च ताम् वाचम् अमृताम् आत्मनः कलाम् //१//
Let us begin by expressing our respect to the poets of yore and saluting the Goddess of Speech, Saraswati, who is like nectar and who is an aspect of the Almighty.
(nAndhyanthE)
sUthraDHAraha: alam athivistharENa I adhya khalu bhagavathaha kAlapriyAnATHasya yAthrAyAm AryamishrAn vignyApayAmi I Evam athrabhavanthO vidhAnkurvanthu I asthi thathrabhavAn kAshyapaha shrIkaNTapadhalAnCHanO bhavabhUthirnAma I
yam brahmANam iyam dhEvI vAg vashyEvAnuvarthathE I uththaram rAmacharitham thathpraNItham prayujyathE II 2 II
ESHOsmi kAryavashAdh AyODHyakasthadhAnInthanashcha samvrththaha I
(samanthAdh avalOkya)
bhO bhOho I yadhA thAvadh athrabhavanthaha paulasthyakulaDHUmakEthOr mahArAjarAmasya ayam abhiSHEkasamayO rAthrimdhivam asamhrthAnandhanAndhIkasthath kimadhya vishrAnthachAraNAni chathvarasTH AnAni I
(नान्द्यन्ते) सूत्रधारः – अलम् अतिविस्तरेण / अद्य खलु भगवतः कालप्रियानाथस्य यात्रायाम् आर्यमिश्रान् विज्ञापयामि / एवम् अत्रभवन्तो विदांकुर्वन्तु / अस्ति तत्रभवान् काश्यपः श्रीकण्ठपदलाञ्छ्नॊ भवभूतिर्नाम /
यं ब्रह्माणम् इयं देवी वाग्वश्यॆवानुवर्तते / उत्तरं रामचरितं तत्प्रणीतं प्रयुज्यते //२//
एषोस्मि कार्यवशाद् आयोध्यकस्तदानींतनश्च संवृत्तः / (समन्तादवलोक्य) भो भोः / यदा तावदत्रभवतः पौलस्त्यकुलधूमकेतोर्महाराजरामस्यायम् अभिषेकसमयो रात्रिंदिवम् असंहृतनान्दीकस्तत् किमद्य विश्रान्तचारणानि चत्वरस्थानानि /
(After the prayer)
SUTRADHARA: Let me not take too much time to give you the details. Today, on the occasion of the festival in honour of Lord Kalapriyanatha, I wish to make a submission before this august audience. Hear this, all of you: There is, in the lineage of Kashyapa, one called Bhavabhuti, who has been conferred the title ‘Srikanta’.
This brahmin is followed everywhere by the Goddess of Speech as though she is under a spell. We will now enact Uttararamacharitam written by him.
Now, because of my job, I have become a citizen of Ayodhya and have gone back in time.
(Looking all around)
Oh People! During the coronation of the great Rama, who came like a comet of misfortune to Ravana’s family, the popular centres of the town were full of activity day in and day out. How is it that the streets are deserted now?
(pravishya)
nataha: bhAva I prESHithA hi thE svagrhAn mahArAjEna lankAsamarasuhrdhO mahAthmanaha plavangarAkshasAha sabhAjanOpasTHAyinashcha nAnAdhiganthapAvanA brahmarSHayO rAjrSHayashcha yadhArADHanAyaithAvathO dhivasAn uthsava AsIth I
samprathi hi
vasiSHTADHiSHTithA dhEvyO ghathA rAmasya mAtharaha I arunDHathIm puraskrthya yagnyE jAmAthurAshramam II 3 II
(प्रविश्य)
नटः – भाव / प्रेषिता हि ते स्वगृहान् महाराजेन लङ्कासमरसुहृदो महात्मनः प्लवङ्गराक्षसाः सभाजनोपस्थायिनश्च नानादिगन्तपावना ब्रह्मर्षयो राजर्षयश्च यदाराधनायैतावतो दिवसान् उत्सव आसीत् /
संप्रति हि
वसिष्ठाधिष्ठिता देव्यो गता रामस्य मातरः / अरुन्धतीं पुरस्कृत्य यज्ञे जामातुराश्रमम् //३//
(Enter)
ACTOR: Sir! I understand that the great monkeys and demons, who were befriended during the Lanka war, and also the sages and the wise kings, to honour whom there was a festival all these days, have all returned home after being thanked adequately by the king.
Further,
I believe that as per Vasishta’s advice, all the three queens of Dasaratha, the mothers of Rama, have gone with Arundhati (Vasishta’s wife) to attend the performance of a sacred event at their son-in-law’s hermitage. This is what I have heard.
SUthraDHAraha : EvamEthath I
सूत्रधारः – एवमेतत् /
SUTRADHARA: Ah, yes, That is so.
nataha : vaidhEshikOsmIthi prchCHAmi I kaha punar jAmAthA I
नटः – वैदेशिकोस्मीति पृच्छामि / कः पुनर्जामाता /
ACTOR: I’m new to these parts and so request you to clarify – please tell me who is this son-in-law?
sUthraDHAraha : kanyAm dhasharaTHO rAjA shAnthAm nAma vyajIjanath I apathyakrthikAm rAgnyE lOmapAdhAya yAm dhadhou II 4 II
vibhANdakasuthasthAm rshyashrnga upayEmE I thEna dhvAdhashavArSHikam sathram ArabDHam I thadhanurODHAth kaTOragarbhAm api vaDHUm jAnakIm vimuchya gurujanasthathra gathaha I thath kimanEna I Ehi I rAjadhvAram Eva svajAthisamayEnOpathiSHTAvaha I
सूत्रधारः –
कन्यां दशरथो राजा शान्तां नाम व्यजीजनत् / अपत्यकृतिकां राज्ञे लोमपादाय तां ददौ //४//
विभाण्डकसुतस्तामृष्यशृङ्ग उपयेमे / तेन द्वादशवार्षिकं सत्रमारब्धम् / तदनुरोधात् कठोरगर्भामपि वधूं जानकीं विमुच्य गुरुजनस्तत्र गतः / तत् किमनेन / एहि / राजद्वारमेव स्वजातिसमयेनोपतिष्ठावः /
SUTRADHARA: King Dasharatha had a daughter called hantha. She was given in adoption to King Lomapada. Rishyashringa, sage Vibhandaka’s son, married her. Rishyashringa has started a a religious performance that will go on for the next twelve years. Out of respect for him, all the elders in the palace have gone to his hermitage, leaving Sita behind, though she is in an advanced state of pregnancy. Well, how does that matter to us? Come along. Let’s go to the palace with the others.
nataha: thEna hi nirUpayathu rAgnyaha suparishudhDHam upasTHAnasthOthra – padhDHathim bhAvaha I
नटः – तेन हि निरूपयतु राज्ञः सुपरिशुद्धाम् उपस्थानस्तोत्रपद्धतिं भावः /
ACTOR: You must demonstrate to the king the purity of your language when you pray.
sUtraDHAraha: mAriSHa I
sarvaTHA vyavaharthavyam kuthO hyavachanIyathA I yaTHA shrINAm thaTHA vAchAm sADHuthvE durjanO janaha II 5II
सूत्रधारः – मारिष
सर्वथा व्यवहर्तव्यं कुतो ह्यवचनीयता / यथा स्त्रीणां तथा वाचां साधुत्वे दुर्जनो जनः //५//
SUTRADHARA: (Addressing the actor by name, Marisha) Language is always pure. How can it be defiled? Only the benighted discourse about the purity of language and the purity of women.
nataha: athidhurjana ithi vakthavyam I
dhEvyAm api hi vaidhEhyAm spavAdhO yathO janaha I rakshOgrhasTHirmUlam agnishudhDHau thvanishchayaha II 6 II
नटः –
अतिदुर्जन इति वक्तव्यम् /
देव्याम् अपि हि वैदेह्यां सापवादो यतो जनः / रक्षोगृहस्थितिर्मूलम् अग्निशुद्धौ त्वनिश्चयः //६//
ACTOR: They are very cruel indeed! People suspect even our queen Vaidehi (Sita) because she remained imprisoned in Ravana’s abode. They suspect her chastity even after she was purified by fire!
sUtraDHAraha – yadhi punariyam kimvadhanthI mahArAjam prathi synadhEth thathaha kaSHtam syAth /
सूत्रधारः – यदि पुनरियं किंवदन्ती महाराजं प्रति स्यन्देत् ततः कष्टं स्यात् /
SUTRADHARA: If this gossip reaches the king’s ears, we will be in trouble.
nataha: sarvaTHA rSHayO dhEvathAshcha shrEtO viDHAsyanthi I
(parikramya)
bhO bhOho I kEdhAnIm mahArAjaha I
(AkarNya)
Evam janAha kaTHayanthi I
snEhAth sabhAjayithum Ethya dhinAnyamUni nIthvOthsavEna janakOdhya gathO vidhEhAn I DHarmAsanAdh vishathi vAsagrham narEndhraha II 7 II
(niSHkrAthau)
नटः – सर्वथा ऋषयो देवताश्च श्रेयो विधास्यन्ति /
(परिक्रम्य)
भो भोः / केदानीं महाराजः /
(आकर्ण्य) एवं जनाः कथयन्ति /
स्नेहात् सभाजयितुमेत्य दिनान्यमूनि नीत्वोत्सवेन जनकोद्य गतो विदेहान् / देव्यास्ततो विमनसः परिसान्त्वनाय धर्मासनाद्विशति वासगृहं नरेन्द्रः //७//
(निष्क्रान्तौ)
ACTOR: Surely, the blessings of the sages and the gods will ensure that only good things will happen.
(Walking all over the stage, looking for someone)
Oh, hey there! Where is the king?
(Cupping his ear, to listen)
The people are saying:
Janaka, who had come here for the coronation (of his son-in-law Rama), and had stayed back all these days out of affection (for his daughter Sita and her husband), has just left for Videha (his capital city). The king has gone to his palace to console Sita who is feeling sad (as her father has left) and that’s why we cannot find him on the throne.
(Exit Sutradhara and actor)
