Saturday 6 August 2016

(2) Sootradhaara enters



{THE PLAY BEGINS}


SOOTRADHAARA- 
“Enough of lengthy speeches!  I have been ordered to tell you this!
By whom? By Shree Gopaala!
Who is he?
Well, Hear about his greatness!
His lotus feet get bathed by the variegated reflected lights falling from the crest stones of all the subordinate kings under his control!
He takes on the form of Lord NaraSimha when breaking the chests of his strong enemies collected together to attack him!
He takes on the form of the great Varaaha when rescuing the earth which is sinking in the dissolution floods namely the dynasties of great kings!
The sprouts of the creeper of his fame have decorated the ears of all the pretty maidens called ‘Directions’!
His fire of valor dances wildly fanned by the heavy movement of the ears of all the direction-elephants!
That is our great king Gopaala!
He has sent me here with this message!
“KeertiVarma, our bosom-friend has been busy all these days in his victory tour conquering many lands!  We have been spending our days wastefully lost in various types of sense pleasures turning our face away from the bliss of Brahman. Now we feel gratified! Because-

नीताः क्षयं क्षितिभुजो नृपतेर्विपक्षा
रक्षावती क्षितिरभूत्प्रथितैरमात्यैः
साम्राज्यमस्य विहितं क्षितिपालमौलि-
मालार्चितं भुवि पयोनिधिमेखलायां [3]

Now all the enemy kings of the king KeertiVarma have been destroyed!
The earth has been well-protected by the efficient ministers!
His ‘emperorship’ for the ‘land covered by the garment of ocean’,
is worn by the ‘garland of crowns of all kings’!

Therefore, we desire to entertain ourselves with a play filled with the essence of ‘Peace’. Our venerable Guru Shree Krishna Mishra has written a drama named ‘PrabodhaChandrodaya’ and has offered it to you all.
So this play has to be enacted by you in the presence of King KeertiVarma.
The king also is interested in watching this play along with his courtiers.’
That is the message! It is over with!
Now I will go home, call my wife and arrange for the music of the play!

(moves, looks at the back of the screen)

My dear wife! Come here please!”

(The actress enters)

THE ACTRESS-
“Here I am! Order AaryaPutra (Noble Lord), what service can I do for you?”

SOOTRADHAARA-
“Dear lady! You already know that!

अस्ति प्रत्यर्थिपृथ्वीपतिविपुलबलारण्यमूर्च्छत्प्रताप-
ज्योतिर्ज्वालावलीढत्रिभुवनविवरो विश्वविश्रान्तकीर्तिः
गोपालो भूमिपालान्प्रसभमसिलतामात्रमित्रेण जित्वा
साम्राज्ये कीर्तिवर्मा नरपतितिलको येन भूयोsभ्यषेचि [4]

There is this Gopaala! His fame has spread all over the world!
He has conquered the little hole called the tri-worlds
by the blazing fire of his valor increased
by the fuel of the huge forest of the armies of the enemy kings.
He has ruthlessly conquered all the kings
accompanied by only one friend- the creeper namely the sword, and
he has consecrated KeertiVarma, the greatest among all kings,
in the kingdom and made him an emperor.

And also-
अद्याप्युन्मदयातुधानतरुणीचञ्चत्करास्फालन-
व्यावल्गन्नृकपालतालरणितैर्नृत्यत्पिशाचाङ्गनाः
उद्गायन्ति यशांसि यस्य विततैर्नादैः प्रचण्डानिल-
प्रक्षुभ्यत्करिकुम्भकूटकुहरव्यक्तै रणक्षोणयः [5]

Even now, the young intoxicated ladies of the demon-clan shake their hands so fast
that the human skulls held in their hands dash against each other
 making quick rhythmic sounds, attuned to which the vampire ladies dance wildly.

The battle-fields sing his praises
through the musical sound rising out of
the holes in the hoarded elephant skulls
thrown here and there by the heavy stormy winds!

Now he wants to live a life of peace and quietness. I have been ordered by him to stage this play named ‘PrabodhaChandrodaya’ for his entertainment. So please tell the actors to wear the suitable costumes.”

{The term AaryaPutra (Son of an Aarya) refers to a person of noble heritage, usually used by the Aaryan wives to address their husbands.}

THE ACTRESS- (with surprise)
“AaryaPutra! Amazing! Amazing!

He has defeated all the circle of kings with the valor of his shoulders only!

He has shattered to pieces the garland of waves namely the horses, through the heavy downpour of arrows with the string of his thick hard bow pulled up to his ear!

He has uprooted thousands of huge mountains namely the elephants with long tusks, by throwing them here and there using great magical missiles and continuously-shot sharp arrows!

The ocean waters of foot soldiers were hit violently by the Mandara mountain namely his shoulders continuously moving all around!

Churning the army of King Karna he attained the Goddess of Victory in the battlefield, like Vishnu attained Goddess Lakshmi by churning the milk ocean!

How did he now get interested in such a quiet life sought by all the Sages?”



SOOTRADHAARA-
“Dear lady! The light of Brahman is by nature quiescent! Yet for no particular reason, it changes (appears as this world phenomenon) and yet remains in its own nature!

{Our king Gopaala is also of a quiescent nature interested in spiritual way of life always. Yet he has the duty of destroying the wicked enemies and establishing a righteous rule. Even when engaged in such pursuits, his inner peace-loving nature does not alter.}

Similarly our king acted like this only to re-establish the rule of the kings born in Chandra dynasty who were uprooted by Karna, the king of Chedi, who was the dissolution fire of death for all the dynasties of kings!
Observe this!
कल्पान्तवातसंक्षोभलङ्गिताशेषभूभृतः
स्थैर्यप्रसादमर्यादास्ता एव हि महोदधेः [6]

When the dissolution storms blow hard,
the ocean becomes turbulent and floods all the mountains!
After that gets over with, the huge ocean gets back its original states of
stability, pleasantness, and border-limitations!

And also! Those mighty men born with the essence of Lord Naaraayana descend on this earth for the good of all beings; perform the needed works; and return to their quiescent state!
You know the story of ParashuRama, Don’t you?

येन त्रिःसप्तकृत्वो नृपबहुलवसामांसमस्तिष्कपङ्क-
प्राग्भारेsकारि भूरिच्युतरुधिरसरिद्वारिपूरेsभिषेकः
यस्य स्त्रीबालवृद्धावधिनिधनविधौ निर्दयो विश्रुतोsसौ
राजन्योच्चाम्सकूटक्रथनपटुरटद्धोरधारकुठारः [7]

ParashuRama, son of Jamadagni-
performed the rites of bathing etc in the river of overflowing blood
standing on the bank with the ‘soil dampened by
the blood flowing from the foreheads,
and filled with the flesh and marrow of the entire clan of kings’,
whom he had attacked twenty one times.

He is well-known for his cruelty
as he killed all the members of the Kshatriya clan
including women, children and old people without mercy.

His axe with its sharp edge
expertly broke the hosts of shoulder blades of the kings with a terrifying noise.

सोsपि स्ववीर्यादवतार्य भारं भूमेः समुत्खाय कुलं नृपाणां
प्रशान्तकोपज्वलनस्तपोभिः श्रीमान्मुनिः शाम्यति जामदग्न्यः [8]

Even he (of such violent character), the great son of Jamadagni,
lessening the burden of the earth
by uprooting all the dynasties of kings through his valor,
remains in the quiescent state contemplating on the Self,
with the subdued fire of anger.

Similarly even our king Gopaala has fulfilled his task and now has adapted to peaceful ways of life! And also-


{THE GIST OF THE PLAY/PRAISE OF THE KING}

विवेकेनेव निर्जित्य कर्णं मोहमिवोर्जितं
श्री कीर्तिवर्मनृपतेर्बोधस्येवोदयः कृतः [9]

Like the delusion gets conquered by discrimination and
enlightenment rises as the dominating state,
he has defeated the mighty king Karna and made king KeertiVarma ascend the throne.”

(A voice from the backstage)

“Hey you, wicked lowly actor! How dare you mention that our king MahaaMoha (Great Delusion) has been defeated by Viveka (Discrimination) when we are still alive?”

SOOTRADHAARA- (looking anxious)
“Hey, Noble lady (आर्ये)! Come here for a moment!”

उत्तुङ्गपीवरकुचद्वयपीडिताङ्गमालिङ्गितः पुलकितेन भुजेन रत्या
श्रीमाञ्जगन्ति मदयन्नयनाभिरामः कामोsयमेति मदघूर्णितनेत्रपद्मः [10]

Embracing tightly his spouse Rati
with her upstanding, huge breasts getting crushed by the act,
and feeling horripilations in his shoulders because of that,
this God of Passion, Kaama
the most handsome god and the joy of every eye that looks at him,
who has made the whole world deluded by his power,
comes here now, with his eye-lotuses rolling in intoxication.

Oh! He appears as if my words have offended him! It is better that I make myself scarce!”
(Both leave)


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