Act Two
Scene - I
MANAVAKA
Listen, you dreamer!
Are you deaf? I tell you I have found a way:
PURURAVAS
Speak on.
MANAVAKA
Woo sleep that marries men with dreams,
Or on a canvas paint in Urvasie
And gaze on her for ever.
URVASIE
(aside)
O sinking coward heart, now, now revive.
PURURAVAS
And either is impossible. For look!
How can I, with this rankling wound of love,
Call to me sleep who marries men with dreams ?
And if I paint the sweetness of her face,
Will not the tears, before it is half done,
Blurring my gaze with mist, blot the dear vision ?
CHITRALEKHA
Heard'st thou?
URVASIE
I have heard all. It was too little
For my vast greed of love.
MANAVAKA
Well, that's my stock
Of counsel.
PURURAVAS
(sighing)
Oh me! she knows not my heart's pain,
Or knowing it, with those her heavenly eyes
Page –– 937
Scorns my poor passion. Only the arrowed Love
Is gratified tormenting with her bosom
My sad, unsatisfied and pale desire.
CHITRALEKHA
Heard'st thou, sister?
URVASIE
He must not think so of me!
I would make answer, sister, but to his face
I have not hardihood. Suffer me then,
To trust to faery birch-leaf mind-created
My longing.
CHITRALEKHA
It is well. Create and write.
Urvasie writes in a passion of timidity and excitement, then
throws the leaf between Pururavas and Manavaka.
MANAVAKA
Murder! murder! I'm killed! I am dead! help! help!
(looking)
What's this? a serpent's skin come down to eat me?
PURURAVAS
(looks closely and laughs)
No serpent's slough, my friend, only a leaf
Of birch-tree with a scroll of writing traced upon it.
MANAVAKA
Perhaps the invisible fair Urvasie
Heard you complain and answers.
PURURAVAS
To desire
Nothing can seem impossible.
He takes the leaf and reads it
to himself, then with joy.
Page –– 938
O friend,
How happy was your guess!
MANAVAKA
I told you so.
The Brahmin's speech! Read, read! aloud, if it please you.
URVASIE
(aside)
The Brahmin has his own urbanity!
PURURAVAS
Listen.
MANAVAKA
I am all ears.
PURURAVAS
(reading aloud)
"My master and my King!
Were I what thy heart thinks and knows me not,
Scorning thy love, would then the soft-winged breeze
Of deathless gardens and the unfading flowers
That strew the beds of Paradise, to me
Feel fire!"
URVASIE
What will he say now ?
CHITRALEKHA
What each limb,
That is a drooping lotus-stalk with love,
Has said already.
MANAVAKA
You're consoled, I hope ?
Don't tell me what you feel. I've felt the same
When I've been hungry and one popped in on me
With sweetmeats in a tray.
Page –– 939
PURURAVAS
Consoled! a word
How weak! I con this speaking of my sweet,
This dear small sentence full of beautiful meaning,
This gospel of her answering love, and feel
Her mouth upon my mouth and her soft eyes
Swimming and large gaze down into my own,
And touch my lifted lids with hers.
URVASIE
O even
Such sweetness feels thy lover.
PURURAVAS
Friend, my finger
Moistening might blot the lines. Do thou then hold
This sweet handwriting of my love.
He gives the leaf to Manavaka.
MANAVAKA
But tell me.
Why does your mistress, having brought to bloom
Your young desire, deny its perfect fruit ?
URVASIE
O sister, my heart flutters at the thought
Of going to my lord. While I cajole
And strengthen the poor coward, show yourself,
Go to him, tell him all that I may speak.
CHITRALEKHA
I will.
She becomes visible and approaches the King.
Hail, lord our King.
PURURAVAS
(joyfully)
O welcome, welcome!
Page –– 940
He looks around for Urvasie.
Yet, fair one, as the Yamuna not mixed
With Ganges, to the eye that saw their beauty
Of wedded waters, seems not all so fair,
So thou without thy sister givest not
That double delight.
CHITRALEKHA
First is the cloud's dim legion
Seen in the Heavens; afterwards comes the lightning.
MANAVAKA
(aside)
What! this is not the very Urvasie ?
Only the favourite sister of that miracle!
PURURAVAS
Here sit down, fairest.
CHITRALEKHA
Let me first discharge
My duty. Urvasie by me bows down
Her face thus to her monarch's feet, imploring —
PURURAVAS
Rather commanding.
CHITRALEKHA
She whom in Titan hands
Afflicted thou didst pity, thou didst rescue,
Now needs much more thy pity, not by hands
Titan, but crueller violence of love
Oppressed — the sight of thee her sudden cause.
PURURAVAS
O Chitralekha, her thou tell'st me of
Passionate for me. Hast thou not eyes to know
Pururavas in anguish for her sake ?
Page –– 941
One prayer both pray to Kama, 'Iron with iron
Melts in fierce heat; why not my love with me ?'
CHITRALEKHA
(returning to Urvasie)
Come sister, to your lord. So much his need
Surpasses yours, I am his ambassador.
URVASIE
(becoming visible)
How unexpectedly hast thou with ease
Forsook me!
CHITRALEKHA
(with a smile)
In a moment I shall know
Who forsakes whom, sister. But come away
And give due greeting.
Urvasie approaches the King fearfully and
bows down, then low and bashfully.
Conquest to the King!
PURURAVAS
I conquer, love, indeed, when thy dear lips
Give greeting to me, vouchsafed to no mortal
But Indra only.
He takes her by both hands and makes her sit down.
MANAVAKA
I am a mighty Brahmin and the friend
Of all earth's lord. O'erlook me not entirely.
Urvasie smiles and bows to him.
Peace follow you and keep you.
MESSENGER
OF THE GODS (cries from within)
Chitralekha, urge haste on Urvasie.
This day the wardens of the ancient worlds
And the great King of Heaven himself will witness
That piece where all the passions live and move,
Quickened to gracious gesture in the action
Page –– 942
Deposed in you by Bharat Sage, O sisters.
All listen, Urvasie sorrowfully.
CHITRALEKHA
Thou hearst the Messenger of Heaven ? Take leave,
Sweet, of the King.
URVASIE
I cannot speak!
CHITRALEKHA
My liege,
My sister not being lady of herself
Beseeches your indulgence. She would be
Without a fault before the Gods.
PURURAVAS
(articulating with difficulty)
Alas!
I must not wish to hinder you when Heaven
Expects your service. Only do not forget
Pururavas.
Urvasie goes with her sister, still looking
backwards towards the King.
O she is gone! my eyes
Have now no cause for sight: they're worthless balls
Without an object.
MANAVAKA
Why, not utterly.
He is about to give the birch-leaf.
There's — Heavens! 'tis gone; it must have drifted down,
While I, being all amazed with Urvasie,
Noticed nothing.
PURURAVAS
What is it thou wouldst say ?
There is — ?
Page –– 943
MANAVAKA
No need to droop your limbs and pine.
Your Urvasie has to your breast been plucked
With cords of passions, knots that will not slacken
Strive as she may.
PURURAVAS
My soul tells me like comfort.
For as she went, not lady of her limbs
To yield their sweets to me for ever, yet
Her heart, which was her own, in one great sob
From 'twixt two trembling breasts shaken with sighs
Came panting out. I hear it throb within me.
MANAVAKA
(aside)
Well, my heart's all a-twitter too. Each moment
I think he is going to mention the damned birch-leaf.
PURURAVAS
With what shall I persuade mine eyes to comfort?
The letter!
MANAVAKA
(searching)
What! Hullo! It's gone! Come now,
It was no earthly leaf; it must have gone
Flying behind the skirts of Urvasie.
PURURAVAS
(bitterly, in vexation)
Will you then never leave your idiot trick
Of carelessness ? Search for it.
MANAVAKA
{getting up)
Oh, well! well!
It can't be far. Why here it is — or here — or here.
While they search, the Queen enters, with
her attendants and Nipunika.
Page –– 944
AUSHINARIE
Now, maiden, is it true thou tell'st me ? Saw'st thou really
My lord and Manavaka approach the arbour ?
NIPUNIKA
I have not told my lady falsehood ever
That she should doubt me.
AUSHINARIE
Well, I will lurk thick-screened
With hanging creepers and surprise what he
Disburdens from his heart in his security.
So I shall know the truth.
NIPUNIKA
(sulkily)
Well, as you please.
They advance.
AUSHINARIE
(looking ahead)
What's yonder like a faded rag that lightly
The southern wind guides towards us ?
NIPUNIKA
It is a birch-leaf.
There's writing on it; the letters, as it rolls,
Half show their dinted outlines. Look, it has caught
Just on your anklet spike. I'll lift and read.
She disengages the leaf.
AUSHINARIE
Silently first peruse it; if 'tis nothing
Unfit for me to know, then I will hear.
NIPUNIKA
It is, oh, it must be that very scandal.
Verses they seem and penned by Urvasie,
And to my master. Manavaka's neglect
Page –– 945
Has thrown it in our hands.
Laughs.
AUSHINARIE
Tell me the purport.
NIPUNIKA
I'll read the whole. "My master and my King!
Were I what thy heart thinks and knows me not,
Scorning thy love, would then the soft-winged breeze
Of deathless gardens and unfading flowers
That strew the beds of Paradise, to me
Feel fire!"
AUSHINARIE
So! by this dainty love-letter,
He is enamoured then, and of the nymph.
NIPUNIKA
It's plain enough.
They enter the arbour.
MANAVAKA
What's yonder to the wind
Enslaved, that nutters on the parkside rockery?
PURURAVAS
(rising)
Wind of the south, thou darling of the Spring,
Seize rather on the flowery pollen stored
By months of fragrance, that gold dust of trees.
With this thou mightest perfume all thy wings.
How wilt thou profit, snatching from me, O wind,
My darling's dear handwriting, like a kiss
All love ? When thou did'st woo thine Anjana,
Surely thou knewest lovers' dying hearts
Are by a hundred little trifles kept,
All slight as this!
Page –– 946
NIPUNIKA
See, mistress, see! A search
In progress for the leaf.
AUSHINARIE
Be still.
MANAVAKA
Alas!
I was misled with but a peacock's feather,
Faded, a saffron splendour of decay.
PURURAVAS
In every way I am undone.
AUSHINARIE
(approaching suddenly)
My lord,
Be not so passionate; here is your dear letter.
PURURAVAS
(confused)
The Queen! O welcome!
MANAVAKA
(aside)
I'll come, if 'twere convenient
To tell the truth.
PURURAVAS
(aside)
What shall I do now, friend,
Or say?
MANAVAKA
(aside)
Much you will say! A thief red-handed
Caught with his swag!
PURURAVAS
(aside)
Is this a time for jesting?
(aloud)
Page –– 947
Madam, it was not this I sought but other,
A record of state, a paper that I dropped.
AUSHINARIE
Oh, you do well to hide your happiness.
MANAVAKA
My lady, hurry on His Majesty's dinner.
When bile accumulates, dinner does the trick.
AUSHINARIE
A noble consolation for his friend
The Brahmin finds! Heard'st thou, Nipunika?
MANAVAKA
Why, madam, even a goblin is appeased
By dinner.
PURURAVAS
Fool! by force you'ld prove me guilty.
AUSHINARIE
Not yours the guilt, my lord! I am in fault
Who force my hated and unwelcome face
Upon you. But I go. Nipunika,
Attend me.
She is departing in wrath.
PURURAVAS
(following her)
Guilty I am. O pardon, pardon!
O look on me more kindly. How can a slave
Be innocent, when whom he should please is angry ?
He falls at her feet.
AUSHINARIE
(aside)
I am not so weak-minded as to value
Such hollow penitence. And yet the terror
Page –– 948
Of that remorse I know that I shall feel
If I spurn his kindness, frightens me — but no!
She goes out with Nipunika and attendants.
MANAVAKA
She has rushed off like a torrent full of wrath.
Rise, rise! she's gone.
PURURAVAS
(rising)
O she did right to spurn me.
Most dulcet words of lovers, sweetest flatteries,
When passion is not there, can find no entrance
To woman's heart; for she knows well the voice
Of real love, but these are stones false-coloured
Rejected by the jeweller's practised eye.
MANAVAKA
This is what you should wish! The eye affected
Brooks not the naming of a lamp too near.
PURURAVAS
You much misjudge me. Though my heart's gone out
To Urvasie, affection deep I owe
My Queen. But since she scorned my prostrate wooing,
I will have patience till her heart repent.
MANAVAKA
Oh, hang your patience! keep it for home consumption.
Mine's at an end. Have some faint mercy instead
And save a poor starved Brahmin's life. It's time
For bath, and dinner! dinner!!
PURURAVAS
(looking upward)
'Tis noon. The tired
And heated peacock sinks to chill delight
Of water in the tree-encircling channel,
The bee divides a crimson bud and creeps
Page –– 949
Into its womb; there merged and safe from fire,
He's lurking. The duck too leaves her blazing pool
And shelters in cold lilies on the bank,
And in your summer-house weary of heat
The parrot from his cage for water cries.
They go.
Curtain
Page –– 950
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