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Balacarita鈥擳itle. The play gets its name from the subject matter it deals with, viz. the feats (carita) of the boy (bala) Krsna. Plot. The stage-manager after reciting the benedictory stanza in praise of Narayana begins to address the audience when Narada, the wanderer of the sky, descends on the stage. He finds no pleasure in the ever quiet arial regions; he is fond of music and of sowing seeds of discord, which give him pleasure. That divine sage Narada is on his way to pay respects to Narayana who was just then born of Devaki to slay Kamsa. He finds Devaki walking slowly towards Vasudeva, carrying the newly born babe in her arms. Having thus seen the sprouting of the seed of discord in the form of the baby Krsna, Narada returns to his abode Brahmaloka, after circumambulating Lord Narayana. Then begins the main scene of the first act with Devaki entering with a child in her hands. Kamsa had already killed her six sons and hence she is much anxious for the life of the new babe. Vasudeva finds the child in her arms as the death of Kamsa incarnate. Devaki entrusts the child to her husband to be carried away, so that it may be saved.

222 from the clutches of Kamsa. It was midnight, all were asleep, and Vasudeva himself does not know where he is going to take the child when Devaki delivers it to him. Then he asks Devaki to go inside, and proceeds on his way with the child outside the gates of Mathura. There is pitch darkness and Vasudeva is able to see his way through the light cast by the lustre of the child. Further on, he finds the river Jumna in flood and is perplexed for a minute, but decides to enter the flood, when lo ! the waters stand parted yielding him a passage. Having crossed Jumna he reaches the cowherds' quarters and thinks of waiting at the foot of the Nyagrodha tree till dawn. His friend Nanda Gopa, however, is seen lamenting nearby with the dead body of his baby daughter in his hand. At the sound of his voice, Vasudeva calls out to his friend Nanda Gopa by name, but the latter feels afraid lest some Raksasa or ghost be calling him. Nanda Gopa later recognizes Vasudeva and formal greetings. pass between the two. On Vasudeva's pressing Nanda Gopa to tell the truth, Nanda Gopa informs him of the death of his new-born daughter, and his coming away with the child without the knowledge of his wife Yasoda in order not to worry his tribesmen, in view of the Indrayajna festival the next day. After some persuasion and reminding of the previous obligations, Nanda Gopa agrees to keep Vasudeva's child with him. Through the greatness of the divine child there rises a column of water and Nanda Gopa has his purificatory bath therewith. Nanda Gopa then takes the child in his arms but finds it too heavy even for a very strong man like himself, and on Vasudeva's suggestion offers prayers to the child and it becomes of normal weight. The five divine weapons and Garuda appear on the stage, pay their homage to the Lord, and decide to be born in Gokula in the guise of herdsmen. Assuring Vasudeva that the child will be properly cared for, Nanda Gopa sets out to go back. Vasudeva also thinks of returning to Mathura when he hears a cry which later proves to be that of the baby which was not really dead. So he takes up the baby, finds the Jumna fordable as before, and having crossed the river and the city-gates, enters the prison walls with the intention of telling everything to Devaki and consoling her. (Act I).

223 Kamsa meets with ill-omens such as the tumbling down of mansion-tops through earthquake etc. He also appear sees strange visions. Young Candala women before him and ask him to get married with them. Kamsa is afraid, but after a time the outcaste women on Then comes disappear. Then the stage Curse, named Vajrabahu, emanated from Madhuka, in a terrible form, torch in hand, and he declares his intention of entering the heart of Kamsa. He disappears as suddenly as he had come and Kamsa tries to sleep but still gets illusions. Curse comes again with his associates, but Kamsa's Rajasri obstructs their entry. Curse tells her of Visnu's order and she retires. Curse then embraces Kamsa and enters Kamsa's body and disappears. Kamsa suddenly wakes up and calls his portress. To his questions the portress replies that none had entered the palace. Kamsa calls Balaki, the chamberlain, and sends him to consult the astrologers with regard to the particular ill-omens, such as storms, earthquakes, shooting stars. Balaki returns with the information that the omens signify the birth of a divine being. It is further learnt that Devaki gave birth to a daughter. Kamsa sends for Vasudeva to get the correct news with regard to the sex of the child. Vasudeva tells Kamsa that a female child was born to Devaki. In spite of Devaki's protests. Kamsa orders the child to be brought before him to be killed. Kamsa feels some regard for the child after seeing it, but ultimately catches hold of it and strikes it against the Kamsa-stone. The child bursts into two, one half falls to the ground and the other rises into the sky, transformed into Goddess Kartyayani. Then enters Kartyayani with her weapons, all of whom declare their mission to kill Kamsa, and finally decide to be in the ghosa in the form of herdsmen, and make their exit. Kamsa then proposes to perform Santi on a grand scale in order to ward off the evil effects of bad The inter mens, visions, etc. (Act II). The interlude informs us of some of the feats of Krsna since his stay in Gokula, which signalized an increase in the happiness of the herdsmen ; freedom from disease in the cattle, and the appearance of fruits and flowers everywhere . The killing of Putana by sucking her blood; killing Sakata by a single kick; the killing of the demons Yamala and Arjuna standing in the form of trees by passing . the

224 mortar to which he was tied by his mother between them and thus smashing the trees to pieces; killing Dhenuka in the guise of an ass by throwing him by his hind legs at the palmyra tree; and killing Kesi who came in the guise of a horse by riding over him: are the feats mentioned of the child who was named Damodara. Damodara and his elder brother, Sankarsana, prepare for Hallisaka dance with the Gopa damsels. The main scene opens with the aged cowherd and a number of Gopa youths and maidens, after whom enter Damodara, Sankarsana and young Gopas. Music is sounded and all engage in Hallisaka, the old man being content with witnessing the frolic. Some time after it, it is learnt that a demon named Aristarsabha has entered the place. Sankarsana and the Gopa youths and maidens retire to the hillock nearby to witness the fight of Damodara with the demon in the form of the wicked bull. After a wordy war between them, Aristarsabha is convinced of the divinity of the boy by his own inability to shake the child though standing on one foot. However, thinking that he would get heavens if killed by Visnu, he offers to fight and Damodara throws him down. Aristarsabha falls down dead covered all over with blood. Damaka enters and greets Damodara and informs him that Sankarsana has gone to the Jumna on hearing that Kaliya has come up there. Damodara replies by stating that he himself is going to suppress the pride of that lord of serpents. (Act III). At the sight of Damodara ready to fight with Kaliya, the Gopa damsels are afraid and ask him not to enter the waters and request Sankarsana to prevent Damodara from entering the abode of Kaliya. Sankarsana consoles them saying that Kaliya is afraid and is bowing low to approaching Krsna. Damodara enters the pool. The aged cowhersna . and Sankarsana watch the fight and find Kaliya subdued and Krsna standing on the body. Then enters Damodara catching hold of Kaliya. Damodara plays the Hallisaka dance on Kaliya's body and collects flowers from the trees. Kaliya offers some resistance but divinity of the boy, when he finds the fiery poison emitted by him quite impotent to kill the boy. Kaliya then craves for the mercy of the Lord. Damodara orders him to leave the waters of the Jumna comes to know tha

225 saying that Garuda would no longer trouble him on account of the divine foot-prints on Kaliya's body. Kailya withdraws his poison and retires from the pool with his retinue. Damodara offers the flowers to the Gopis. A messenger from Kamsa comes with the news of the celebration of the Dhanurmaha festival at Mathura and asks Damodara to attend the ceremony with his followers. In view of the divine mission (of killing Kamsa) Damodara and Sankarsana agree to start for Mathura. (Act IV). and the. Kamsa is awaiting the arrival of Damodara and Sankarsana and is determined to have them smashed by his wrestlers. Dhruvasena periodically goes out and brings him news of the feats of the two heroes after their entry into Mathura. Damodara attacked the washermen and got clothes, and killed the great elephant Utpalapida sent against him. After entering the main streets, Damodara took the scents and perfumes from the hands of the hunch-backed Madanika, anointed his body with them made her body straight by massaging; he further got flowers from the florists and decorated himself with them; then he proceeded towards the armoury, killed the keeper and broke the bow kept there, and was on his way to the audience hall. Hearing all this, Kamsa gets flurried and orders Canura and Mustika, the wrestlers, to fight with Damodara and Sankarsana, and goes to the palace to witness the fight. He reminds the prize-fighters to do their utmost to discharge their obligations. Kamsa then sends for Damodara and Sankarsana and after their entry the duels begin. Damodara and Sankarsana fight respectively with Canura and Mustika and kill them. Then Damodara ascends the mansion, catches Kamsa by the head and strikes him down dead. Kamsa's army is up in arms against Damodara and Sankarsana. Sankarsana goes out to meet the But Vasudeva enters and informs the citizens of Mathura that both the youths are his own sons. Damodara and Sankarsana make their salutations to their father and he blesses them. The dead bodies are removed and the old king Ugrasena. is ordered to be released from the prison and is crowned king of Mathura. The divine music is sounded, and it rains flowers to honour the destroyer of Kamsa. King Ugrasena is brought on the stage and finally there appears army.

226 Narada. Damodara offers him arghya and padya. The divine sage identifies Damodara with Narayana, pays his respects to the Lord and goes back to the heavens. The usual epilogue ends the play. (Act V). Deviations. As the precise source of the Bal is not known, it cannot be stated to what extent the poet is indebted to the oral traditions about Krsna. The miracle of the divided waters is the poet's invention as found in the Abh. Dr. Winternitz says that some of the miraculous incidents are found embodied in so late a work as the Premasagara; this shows that most probably they are invented by the author of the play especially as they are not found recorded in the Puranas or the Harivamsa. Nonmention of Radha and the absence of the erotic element take the Bal to a very early period. In the story as we get it in the Mahabharata and the Puranas, Krsna is stated as the eighth issue; the daughter of Nanda Gopa is not apparently dead at first. The miracles of the light emanating from the child, of the divided waters, and of the waters rushing out of the ground,-which are some of the feats of Krsna, are not found in the accounts of Krsna as we have them in the Harivamsa, the Puranas, and the Mahabharata Type of drama. The Bal is a Nataka, based on a prakhyata plot, the hero being dhirodatta. Though there are some female characters in the play, there is no heroine and no Srngara. In showing the fights, struggles and deaths on the stage, the Bal contravenes the direct prohibitions of the text-books on dramaturgy. Sankarsana-katha serves as the secondary incident (pataka) to the main story of the adventures of child Krsna. Sentiments etc. The main sentiment is Vira, and there are found at various places Adbhuta (the appearance of the various weapons, as also some of the supernatural feats of Krsna); Karuna (Devaki's lamentation); Raudra and Bhayanaka ( Kamsa's visions, terrible explosions, etc.); Hasya (the old cowherd); Santa and Bhakti (general devotion for Narayana, Visnu); etc. It may be stated in general that excepting Srngara, there 1 Bulletin of the Ramavarma Research Institute, 5, p. 10. 2 Cf. Konow, Indian Antiquary, 49, p. 234; Weller, Introduction, German translation, p. 13; Woolner and Sarup, Thirteen Trivandrum Plays, Volume 2, p. 109; Winternitz, Calcutta Review, December 1924, p. 331.

227 is the play of every other sentiment in this play. The well-known simile about darkness, viz., limpativa tamo'ngani varsativanjanam nabhah | asatpurusaseveva drstirnisphalatam JTAT || is originally from this play (I. 15). The language is most simple. According to Dr. Winternitz, "the Sanskrit is so plain and clear that it might be recommended as a first reading to the beginners in Sanskrit."" The verse is also simple and there are no elaborate figures of speech in this play. Critical remarks. The Bal has, like the Panc, song and dance introduced in it for the sake of popular appeal and we get a glimpse into the life of the cowherds. Some general festivities such as the Indramaha and Dhanurmaha are referred to in the play. The spirited heroes, Damodara and Sankarsana, remind one of Abhimanyu in the Panc. The appearance of the weapons is met with in the Dv, and Narada in the Avi. The low caste women. Curse etc. in the second act of the Bal remind one of the similar scene in the Macbeth (Act I. scene 3). The whole pastoral atmosphere in the cottages of the cowherds with all their songs and dance in the third act of the Bal is similar to that painted in the second and third scenes in the fourth Act of the Winter's Tale. When Kamsa is nearing his doom, his Rajasri leaves him (Bal, Act II. pp. 24-25); similarly lady Lanka leaves Ravana in the Abh (Act V. 4, 5, p. 60). A curious blend of ferocity and mildness, as noticed by Dr. Woolner, is to be met with in this play. Thus, e. g. a dead child left on the ground revives (Act I. p. 20); it is crushed against stone but it rises up before our eyes (Act II. p. 31); Aristarsabha though slain on the stage and Kaliya though hauled out of his pool, feel themselves honoured in that the Lord Krsna Himself was dealing with them (Act III. p. 46; Act IV. pp. 53-54). The excitement consequent on the slaughter of Kamsa is soon quietened (Act V. pp. 64, 66). Somewhat analogous to this is the device, already noted in the Uru, of raising the passions to the highest pitch, to the breaking point so to speak, and then to find some outward diversion to bring down the tension. 1 Bulletin of the Ramavarma Research Institute, 5, p. 10. 2 Thirteen Trivandrum Plays, Volume 2, p. 111.

228 The same high regard is found for the Brahmanas that is the peculiar feature of the plays of this group. The effects of darkness are described in I. 16 and III. 19, the latter of which is bound to appeal to the cowherds. Devaki's condition after entrusting her child to Vasudeva is happily described in I. 13: hrdayeneha tatrangairdvidhabhuteva gacchati | | yatha nabhasi toye ca candralekha dvidhakrta || II. 13 lays down the general rule of conduct at the same time indicating the momentary nature of the kingly whims : smaratapi bhayam raja bhayam na smaratapi va | ubhabhyamapi gantavyo bhayadapyabhayadapi || The tendency to use alliteration and yamakas is found in this play also, though to a small extent. Cf. I. 6 : sokarta sasivadana nisi prasanta | II. 6: sauvarnakantatarakandarakutakunjam | I.8: nara- yanaya naralokaparayanaya | V. 7 :... krtalohamusti, tam mustina mustikamadya rustam | That the use of the Rangasirsa and Rangapitha was required for the staging of the last act has already been dealt with while describing Bhasa's stage.

CHAPTER VIII THIRTEEN BHASA PLAYS (Continued). As compared with the plays considered in the last Chapter, those that are dealt with in the present Chapter may be said to show somewhat successful attempts of the poet in executing dramas proper. The prologues themselves bear ample testimony, as in all the plays in this Chapter both the stage-manager and his mistress are to be met with. In the earlier plays, only the stagemanager appears, his assistant in addition appearing only in the Abh and the Uru. The Svapna has only the stage-manager in the prologue, but there are strong grounds to presume that the prologue in the Svapna has not been faithfully preserved.