तृतीयोङ्क:
THIRD ACT
{Then enter
Shaanti (Peace) and Karunaa (Compassion)}
{Context: Shraddhaa
is missing. Shaanti is suffering by her mother’s absence. She doubts that her
mother is kept imprisoned or even killed by the heretic crowd. She is searching
for her among such crowds.}
SHAANTI- (with
tears)
“Mother! Mother!
Where are you? Give me the sweetness of your vision!
Then,
मुक्तातङ्ककुरङ्गकाननभुवः स्खलद्धारयः
पुण्यान्यायतनानि संतततपोनिष्टाश्च वैखानसाः
यस्याः प्रीतिरमीषु सात्रभवती चण्डालवेश्मोदरं
प्राप्ता गौ: कपिलेव जीवति कथं पाषण्डहस्तं गता [1]
‘Forest lands where
the deer can graze without anxiety,
hills abounding in
water-falls, sacred temples,
the Sages who perform penance continuously’
all these were her
favored places.
How does that honored
lady (Shraddhaa) who is now under the control of heretics
pass her days,
like the Kapilaa cow (of
high breed) in the lowly abode of Chaandaalas?!
Or may be there is no hope of her being alive at all!
मामनालोक्य न स्नाति न भुङ्क्ते न पिबत्यपः
न मया रहिता श्रद्धा मुहूर्तमपि जीवति [2]
Without seeing me, she never bathes, eats
or drinks water.
Without me, Shraddhaa cannot live even for
a moment!
Without Shraddhaa,
Shaanti’s living even for a moment is a mockery! Therefore, my friend Karunaa,
kindle a fire for me. I will enter the fire and in no time be with my mother!”
KARUNAA-(with
tears)
“Friend! You speak
words which burn my heart like sparks thrown from a fiercely blazing fire and
are making me lifeless. Just be patient my dear friend and hold on to your life
for a few more minutes.
I will carefully
search all over the banks of River Ganges abounding in sacred hermitages
occupied by Sages and find out if she is hiding somewhere afraid of MahaaMoha!”
SHAANTI-
“Friend! What for
do you search? She has been searched for in the-
नीवाराङ्कितसैकतानि सरितां कूलानि वैखानसैराक्रान्तानि
समिच्चषालचमसव्याप्ता गृहा यज्वनां
प्रत्येकं च निरूपिताः प्रतिपदं चत्वार एवाश्रमाः
श्रद्धायाः क्वचिदप्यहो खलु मया वार्तापि
नाकर्णिता [3]
the sandy beaches
where wild paddy crops grow;
the banks of the
rivers resided by the Sages;
the houses of
officiating priests of sacrifices
which are filled with
thin sacrificial sticks to be used as fuel,
wooden sticks, wooden rings to be placed on
top of the sacrificial post,
and vessels to be used
in sacrificial rites;
all the four stages of
life namely,
Brahmacharya,
Gaarhastha, Vaanaprastha and Sannyaasa
(Celibacy,
householder’s life, retired life in the forest and the life of the recluse)
have been searched step by step;
and I did not hear
even the name of Shraddhaa anywhere.”
{The Purusha, the embodied person has lost faith in all these.}
KARUNAA-
“Friend! What I am saying is that, if Shraddhaa is of Saatvic nature (pure)
then, surely she will not be in any trouble. Such men who are of meritorious
deed, and truthful do not ever experience such tragic situations.”
{There are three types of Shraddhaas (faiths) – Saatvic, Raajasic and Taamasic.
Those of Saatvic faith worship Gods, the Raajasic ones worship demigods and
other super-beings, the Taamasic worship dead souls and spirits.}
SHAANTI-
“Friend! When the Creator does not care, what
cannot happen? As it is-
श्रीदेवी जनकात्मजा दशमुखस्यासीद्गृहे रक्षसो
नीता चैव रसातलं भगवती वेदत्रयी दानवैः
गन्धर्वस्य मदालसां च तनयां पातालकेतुश्च्छलाद्दैत्येन्द्रोsपजहार
हन्त विषमा वामा विधेर्वृत्तयः [4]
Goddess Lakshmi born
as Janaka’s daughter lived at Raavana’s place!
Goddess VedaTrayee
(Tri-Vedas) was carried away by the demons to the nether world!
The demon-king
PaataalaKetu stole away
Madaalasaa, the (lovely)
daughter of a Gandharva, through deceit.
Alas! The actions of
the Creator are indeed crooked (No reason can be found)!!
Know this to be a play of the Creator! Let it be so! Let us check the
abodes of heretics too!”
KARUNAA-
“Let us do that!”
(Both wander here and there. They see a Jain Digambara - naked ascetic)
KARUNAA- (frightened)
“Friend! Demon! Demon!”
SHAANTI-
“Who is this demon?”
KARUNAA-
“Friend! Look Look! His whole person is slimy with dirty liquid oozing all
over his body and he looks disgusting; his head is hairless; he wears no
clothes; he looks ugly; he holds a bunch of peacock feathers in his hand; he is
coming this way only.”
SHAANTI-
“Friend! He is not a demon! He looks powerless!”
KARUNAA-
“Then who do you think he is?”
SHAANTI-
“Friend! I think he is a vampire!”
KARUNAA-
“Friend! When the sharp luster of sun’s sphere is blazing, lighting up the
entire earth with the bursting forth of the great garland of rays, how can
there be vampires?”
SHAANTI-
“Then…, may be he is a dweller of the hell
escaping from the hollows of the hell!”
(observing and thinking)
Aah! I know now! This is the doctrine of Digambara cult come into vogue
because of MahaaMoha! We should stay away from him by all means.”
SHAANTI-
“Friend! Wait for few more minutes! I will search
for Shraddhaa.”
{Both remain searching for Shraddhaa)
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