Autumn-Festival
CHARACTERS
Sanyasi
Emperor Vijayaditya in disguise
Thakurdada
Luckeswar
Upananda
Rajah
Boys
Ministers, Courtiers, etc
Scene. The forest near the river Vetasini.
LUCKESWAR and UPANANDA.
LUCKESWAR. Have you brought me the money which is long overdue?
UPANANDA. My master died last night.
LUCKESWAR. Died! Absurd! That trick won't do. What about the money?
UPANANDA. He hasn't left anything except the vina which was his only means
of paying off your debt.
LUCKESWAR. Only the vina! That's a consoling piece of news to bring to me.
UPANANDA. I haven't come to give you news. There was a time when I was a
beggar in the street; he sheltered me and allowed me to share his food, which was
scanty enough. I have come to offer my service till his debt is fully paid.
LUCKESWAR. Indeed! Now that he is no more you have come to share my food,
which is not overabundant. I am not such an ass as to be taken in by you.
However let me First know what you can do.
UPANANDA. I can copy manuscripts and illuminate them. Food I won't take in
your house. I shall earn it and also pay off the debt.
LUCKESWAR. (aside). The vina player was a big fool and he has moulded this
boy in his own pattern. This vagabond is pining to take up some voluntary burden
to be crushed to death. For some creatures this is the only natural death.—Good, I
agree. But you must pay me the money on the third day of each month,
otherwise—
UPANANDA. Otherwise what! Your threats are of no use. In memory of my dear
master I take this up. But no threats for me, I warn you.
LUCKESWAR. Don't take offence, my child. You are made of gold, every inch
of you: you are a jewel. You know I have my god in the temple, his worship
depends upon my charity. If, owing to any irregularity in your payment, I have to
curtail the temple expenses, the sin will be on your head. (UPANANDA moves
away to another side of the forest.) Who's that! It must be my own boy prowling
about this place. I am sure the rogue is seeking for the place where I keep my
treasure hidden. Simply out of fear of these prying noses I have to remove it from
place to place.— Dhanapati, why on earth are you here?
DHANAPATI. If you give me leave, I can have my game here this morning with
the other boys.
LUCKESWAR. [aside]. I know their game. They have got scent of that big pearl
which I hid near this spot. [To DHANAPATI] No, that won't do! Come at once to
your multiplication table.
DHANAPATI. But, Sir, it is a beautiful day—
LUCKESWAR. What do you mean by the day being beautiful! Come at once!
{Drags him away.}
(Enter BOYS with THAKURDADA.)
FIRST BOY. You belong to our party, Thakurdada!
SECOND BOY. No, to ours.
THAKURDADA. Children, I don't sell myself in shares. I must remain undivided.
Now for the song. (They sing.) Over the green and yellow rice fields sweeps the
shadows of the autumn clouds followed by the swift-chasing sun. The bees forget
to sip their honey; drunken with light they foolishly hover and hum. The ducks in
the islands of the river clamour in joy for nothing.
(Enter another group of boys.)
THIRD BOY. Was it fair? Why didn't you call us when you came out?
THAKURDADA. It is your part to call me out. Don't quarrel, Finish the song.
{They sing.} Let none go back home, brothers, this morning, let none go to work.
Let us take the blue sky by storm and plunder space as we run. Laughter floats in
the air like foam on the flood. Brothers, let us squander our morning infutile
songs.
FIRST BOY. Look there Thakurdada, a sanyasi is coming.
SECOND BOY. It's grand! We shall have a game with the sanyasi. We shall be
his followers.
THIRD BOY. We shall follow him to the end of the earth and nobody will be able
to find us out.
THAKURDADA. Hush, he has come.
THE BOYS. {shouting}. Sanyasi Thakur! Sanyasi Thakur!
THAKURDADA. Stop that noise! The father will be angry.
FIRST BOY. Sanyasi Thakur, will you be angry with us?
SECOND BOY. We shall become your followers for this morning.
SANYASI. Excellent! When you have had your turn, I shall be your followers.
That will be splendid fun!
THAKURDADA. My salutation. Who are you, father?
SANYASI. I am a student.
THAKURDADA. Student!
SANYASI. I have come out to fling to the four winds my books.
THAKURDADA. I understand. You want to be lightened of your learning, to
follow the path of wisdom unburdened.
FIRST BOY. Thakurdada is wasting time with talk, and our holiday will come to
its close.
SANYASI. You are right, my boys. My holidays are also near their end.
THE BOYS. Have you long holidays?
SANYASI. Oh! no, extremely short. My school-master is already after me.
FIRST BOY. You frighten us! Even you have school-masters?
SANYASI. What boy is that under the shade of that tree, merged in his
manuscripts?
BOYS. He is Upananda.
FIRST BOY. Upananda, we are Sanyasi Thakur's followers, come and become
our chief.
UPANANDA. Not to-day. I have my work.
SECOND BOY. No work. You must come!
UPANANDA. I must Finish copying manuscripts.
THIRD BOY. Father, you ask him to come. He won't listen to us.
SANYASI. [to UPANANDA]. What work have you, my son? To-day is not
meant for work.
UPANANDA. I know it is our holiday. But I have my debt to pay and I must
work.
THAKURDADA. Upananda, your debt! To whom?
UPANANDA. My master has died, he is in debt to Luckeswar. I must pay it off.
THAKURDADA. Alas! that such a boy as you must pay your debts, and on such
a day! The first breath of the autumn has sent a shiver through the white crest of
flowering grass and the shiuli blossoms have offered their fragrance to the air, as
if in the joy of reckless sacrifice, and it pains me to see that boy sitting in the
midst of all this, foiling to pay his debts.
SANYASI. Why, this is as beautiful as all these flowers,—his paying his debts.
He has made this morning glorious, sitting in its centre. Baba, you go on writing,
let me watch you. Every line you finish brings you freedom, and thus you fill your
holiday with truth. Give me one of your manuscripts and let me help you.
THAKURDADA. I have my spectacles with me, let me also sit down to this
work.
FIRST BOY. We shall also write. This is great fun!
SECOND BOY. Yes, yes, let us try.
UPANANDA. But it will be such a great trouble to you, father.
SANYASI. That is why I join you. We shall take trouble for fun. What do you say
to that, boys?
THE BOYS. (clapping hands).Yes, yes.
FIRST BOY. Give me one of the books.
SECOND BOY. And me also.
UPANANDA. But are you sure you can do it.
THE BOYS. O! Yes!
UPANANDA. You won't be tired?
SECOND BOY. Never.
UPANANDA. You will have to be very careful.
FIRST BOY. Try us.
UPANANDA. There must be no mistakes.
SECOND BOY. Not a bit.
SANYASI. Baba Upananda, what was your master's name?
UPANANDA. Surasen.
SANYASI. Surasen, the vina player?
UPANANDA. Yes, father. Was he known to you?
SANYASI. I came to this place with the one hope of hearing him.
UPANANDA. Had he such fame?
THAKURDADA. Was he such a master, that a sanyasi like yourself should have
come all this way to hear him? Then we must have missed knowing him truly.
SANYASI. But the Rajah of this place?
THAKURDADA. The Rajah never even saw him. But where could you have
heard him play?
SANYASI. I suppose you know that there is a Rajah whose name is Vijayaditya.
THAKURDADA. We may be very provincial, but surely you don't expect us not
even to know him.
SANYASI. Very likely. Surasen played the vina in his court, where I was present.
The Rajah tried hard to keep him permanently in his capital, but he failed.
THAKURDADA. What a pity that we did not honour him.
SANYASI. But that neglect has only made him all the greater. God has called him
to His own court. Upananda, how did you come to know him?
UPANANDA. At my father's death I came to this town seeking shelter. It was at
the end of July and the rain was pouring down in torrents. I was trying to find a
corner in Lokanath temple, when the priest came and drove me out, expecting me
to be of a low caste. My master was playing the vina in the temple. At once he
came up and putting his arms round my neck asked me to come to his house.
From that day he brought me up suffering calumny for my sake.
SANYASI. How did you learn illuminating manuscripts?
UPANANDA. At first I asked him to teach me to play the vina, so that I could
earn something and be useful to him. He said, 'Baba, this art is not for filling one's
stomach.' And so he taught me how to use paints for copying books.
SANYASI. Though Surasen's vina is silent, I hear the undying music of his life
through you. My boy go on with your writing.
THE BOYS {starting up). There he comes, Lucki's owl! We must run away.
{They go.}
(Enters LUCKESWAR.)
LUCKESWAR. Horror! Upananda is sitting exactly on the spot where the pearl is
hidden. I was simple to think he was a fool seeking to pay off other people's debts.
He is cleverer than he looked. He is after my pearl. I see he has captured a sanyasi
to help him. Upananda!
UPANANDA. What's the matter!
LUCKESWAR. Get up from that spot at once! What business have you to be
sitting there!
UPANANDA. And what business have you to be shouting at me like that! Does
this place belong to you?
LUCKESWAR. It is no concern of yours, if it does or does not. You are cunning!
The other day this fellow came to me, looking innocent as a babe whose mother's
milk had hardly dried on his lips. And I believed him when he said that he came to
pay his master's debts. Of course, it is in the King's statute also,—
UPANANDA. I sat down to my work here for that very purpose.
LUCKESWAR. That very purpose! How old am I do you think? Only born
overnight?
SANYASI. But why do you suspect him and of what?
LUCKESWAR. As if you know nothing! False Sanyasi!
UPANANDA. (getting excited). Won to just smash his teeth with this pestle of
mine!
[LUCKESWAR hides himself behind the SANYASI.]
SANYASI. Don't be excited. Luckeswar knows human nature better than any of
you here. Directly he sets his eyes upon me, I am caught,—a sanyasi false from
his matted hair to his bare foot. I have passed through many countries and
everywhere they believed in me, but Luckeswar is hard to deceive.
LUCKESWAR. (aside). I am afraid I am mistaken. It was rash on my part. He
may curse me. I still have three boats on the sea. (Taking the dust off SANYASI's
feet.) My salutation to you, father! I did make a blunder. Thakurdada, you had
better take our Sanyasi to our house. I'll give him some alms. But you go First;
don't delay, I shall be there in a minute.
THAKURDADA. You are excessively kind. Do you think that father come
crossing hills and seas to accept a handful of rice from you?
SANYASI. Why not Thakurdada! Where that handful of rice is so very dear, I
must claim it. Come Luckeswar!
LUCKESWAR. I shall follow you. Upananda, you get up first! Get up, I say, with
your books and other nonsense.
UPANANDA. Very well, I get up. Than I cut off all connection with you for
good.
LUCKESWAR. That will be a great relief to me. I was getting on splendidly
before I had any connection with you.
UPANANDA. My debt is paid with this insult that I suffer from your hands.
(Goes.)
LUCKESWAR. My God! Sepoys riding on horses are coming this way! I wonder
if our Rajah also—I prefer Upananda to him. (To SANYASI) Father, by your holy
feet I entreat you, sit on this spot, just on this spot; no, slightly to the left, slightly
more. Yes, now it is all right. Sit Firmly on this plot of grass. Let the Rajah come
or the Emperor, don't you budge an inch. If you keep my words, I'll satisfy you
later on.
THAKURDADA. What is the matter with Luckeswar? Has he gone mad?
LUCKESWAR. Father, the very sight of me suggests money to my Rajah. My
enemies have falsely informed him that I keep my treasure hidden underground.
Since this report, our Rajah has been digging an enormous number of wells in this
kingdom. When asked for reasons, he said it was to remove the scarcity of water
from this land. And now I can't sleep at nights because of the fear that a sudden fit
of his generosity might lead him to remove the water scarcity from the floor of my
own dwelling.
(Enters the King's MESSENGER.)
MESSENGER. Father, my salutation! You are Apurva-Ananda?
SANYASI. Some people know me by that name.
MESSENGER. The rumour is abroad of your extraordinary powers. Our Rajah is
desirous of seeing you.
SANYASI. He will see me whenever he sets his eyes on me.
MESSENGER, If you would kindly—
SANYASI. I have given my word to somebody that I shall remain immovable in
this place.
MESSENGER. The King's garden is close by.
SANYASI. All the less trouble for him to come.
MESSENGER. I shall make known to him your wishes.
{Goes.}
THAKURDADA. Since an irruption of Rajahs is apprehended, I take my leave.
SANYASI. Do you gather my scattered friends together and keep them ready for
me.
THAKURDADA. Let disasters come in the shape of Kings or of anarchy firmly
hold by you. (Goes.)
(Enters LUCKESWAR.)
LUCKESWAR. I have overheard all. You are the famous Apurva Ananda! I ask
your pardon for the liberties I have taken.
SANYASI. I readily pardon you for your calling me a sham sanyasi.
LUCKESWAR. But. father, mere pardon does not cost much. You cannot dismiss
Luckeswar with that. I must have a boon,—quite a substantial one.
SANYASI. What boon do you ask?
LUCKESWAR. I must confess to you, father, that I have piled up a little money
for myself, though not quite to the measure of what people imagine. But the
amount does not satisfy me. Tell me the secret of some treasure, which may lead
me to the end of my wanderings.
SANYASI. I am also seeking for this.
LUFKESWAR. I can't believe it.
SANYASI. Yes, it is true.
LUCKESWAR. Then you are wider awake than we are.
SANYASI. Certainly.
LUCKESWAR {whispering). Have got on the track?
SANYASI. Otherwise I shouldn't be roving about like this.
LUCKESWAR. {touching his fret}. Do make it a little plain to me. I swear I shall
keep it secret from everybody else.
SANYASI. Then listen. I am on the quest of the golden lotus on which Lakshmi
keeps her feet.
LUCKESWAR. How bold! This takes my breath away. But, do you think you can
find it unaided? It means expense. Do one thing, let us go shares in it.
SANYASI. In that case you will have to be a sanyasi, never touching gold for a
long time.
LUCKESWAR. That is hard.
SANYASI. You can only prosper in this business if you give up all others.
LUCKESWAR. That sounds very much like bankruptcy. But all the same I do
believe in you—which astounds even myself. There comes our Rajah! Let me
hide behind this tree.
{Hides himself.}
(Enters the RAJAH.)
RAJAH. My salutation!
SANYASI. Victory to you! What is your desire?
RAJAH. Surely you can divine it already. My desire is to rule over a kingdom
which is supreme.
SANYASI. Then begin by giving up what is small.
RAJAH. The overlordship of Vijayaditya has become intolerable to me.
SANYASI. To tell you the truth he is growing too much even for me.
RAJAH. Is that so?
SANVASI. Yes. All my practices are to bring him under control.
RAJAH. Is that why you have become a sanyasi?
SANYASI. Yes.
RAJAH. Do you think your charms will be potent enough to bring you success?
SANYASI. It is not impossible.
RAJAH. In that case do not forget me.
SANYASI. I shall bring him to your court.
RAJAH. Yes, his pride must be brought low.
SANYASI. That will do him good.
RAJAH. With your leave I take my departure. (Goes.)
(Returning) Father, I am sure you know Vijayaditya personally is he as great as
the people make him out to be?
SANYASI. He is like an ordinary person,—it is his dress which gives him a false
distinction.
RAJAH. Just what I thought. Quite an ordinary person!
SANYASI. I want to convince him that he is very much so. I must free his mind
from the notion that he is a different creature from others.
RAJAH. Yes, yes, let him feel it. Fools puff him up and he believes them, being
the greatest of their kind. Pull down his conceit to the dust.
SANYASI. I am engaged in that difficult task. (The RAJAH goes.)
(Enters UPANANDA.)
UPANANDA. Father, the burden is not yet off my mind.
SANYASI. What is it that troubles you, my son?
UPANANUA. In my anger, at the insult offered to me, I thought I was right in
disowning my debt to him. Therefore I went back home. But just as I was dusting
my master's vina its strings struck up a chord and it sent a thrill through my heart.
I felt that I must do something super-human for my master. If I can lay down my
life to pay his debts for him, this beautiful day of October will then have its full
due from me.
SANYASI. Baba, what you say is true.
UPANANDA. Father, you have seen many countries, do you know of any great
man who is likely to buy a boy like me for a thousand kahan. That is all that I
need for the debt.
SANYASI. What do you say to trying Vijayaditya, who used to be so fond of
your master?
UPANANDA. Vijayaditya? But he is our emperor.
SANYASI. Is that so?
UPANANDA. Don't you know that?
SANYASI. But what if he is your emperor?
UPANANDA. Do you think he will care to pay any price for a boy like myself?
SANYASI. I can assure you, that he will be ashamed of his full treasury, if he
does not pay your debt.
UPANANDA. Is that possible, father?
SANYASI. Do you think in God's world Luckeswar is the only possibility?
UPANANDA. But I must not idly wait for chances. In the meanwhile, let me go
on with my work and pay off in small parts what I owe.
SANYASI. Yes, my boy, take up your burden.
UPANANDA. I feel ever so much stronger, for having known you. Now I take
my leave. [Goes.]
[Enters LUCKESWAR.]
LUCKESWAR. I give it up. It is not in my power to be your follower. With an
infinite struggle I have earned what I have done. To leave all that, at your bidding,
and then to repent of my rashness till the end of my days, would be worse than
madness; it would be so awfully unlike myself. Now then, father, you must move
from your seat.
SANYASI. [rising]. Then I have got my release from you?
LUCKESWAR [taking out a jewel case from under some turf and dry leaves]. For
this tiny little thing I have been haunting this place, like a ghost from the morning.
You are the first human being to whom I have shown this. (Holding it up to him
and then hastily withdrawing it.) No, impossible! I fully trust you, yet I have not
the power to put it into your hands even for a moment. Merely holding it in the
light makes my heart palpitate. Can you tell me, father, what kind of man is
Vijayaditya? If I try to sell it to him, are you sure he won't take it away by force?
Can you trust him?
SANYASI. Not always.
LUCKESWAR. Well, that does not sound promising. I suspect, after all, this will
lie underground, and after my death nobody will be able to find it.
SANYASI. Neither Kings nor Emperors, but the dust will claim it as its final
tribute.
LUCKESWAR. Let it; that does not trouble me. But my anxiety is lest some one
should discover it, when I am no more. . . However, father, I shall never forget
about that golden lotus. I feel sure you will get it some day; but all the same I
cannot be your follower. (Goes.)
(Enters THAKURDADA.)
SANYASI. After long days I have learnt one thing at last, and that I must tell you.
THAKURDADA. Father, you are very kind to me.
SANYASI. I know why this world is so beautiful,—simply because it is ever
paying back its debt. The ricefield has done its utmost to earn its fulfilment and
the Betasini River is what it is because it keeps nothing back.
THAKURDADA. I understand, father. There is One Who has given Himself in
creation in his abundance of joy. And Creation is every moment working to repay
the gift, and this perpetual sacrifice is blossoming everywhere in beauty and life.
SANYASI. Wherever there is sluggishness, there accumulates debt, and there it is
ugly.
THAKURDADA. Because where there is a lacking in the gift, the harmony is
broken in the eternal rhythm of the payment and repayment.
(Enters LUCKESWAR.)
LUCKESWAR. What are you two people conspiring about?
SANYASI. About that golden lotus.
LUCKESWAR. Have you already given away your secret to Thakurdada? You
hope to be successful when you do your business in such a manner? But is
Thakurdada the proper man to help you? How much capital has he, do you think?
SANYASI. You don't know the secret. He has quite a big amount, though he does
not show it.
LUCKESWAR. (slapping THAKURDADA on the shoulder). You are deep. I
never thought of that. And yet people only suspect me and not you, not even the
Rajah himself... -Father, I can't bear Thakurdada to steal a march on me. Let all
three of us join in this business. Look there, a crowd of people is coming this way.
They must have got news that a Swami is here. Father, they will wear out your
feet up to the knees taking the dust of them. But I warn you, father, you are too
simple. Don't take anybody else into your confidence.. . . But, Thakurdada, you
must know business is not mere child's play. The chances of loss are eleven to
one—keep that in mind. I give it up. But no, I must take time to decide.
(Goes.)
(Enter VILLAGERS.)
FIRST VILLAGER. Where is the sanyasi they talked about?
SECOND VILLAGER. Is this the man?
THIRD VILLAGER. He looks like a fraud. Where is the real one.
SANYASI. A real one is difficult to find. I am playing at Sanyasi to amuse boys.
FIRST VILLAGER. But we are not boys.
SANYASI. I know the distinction.
SECOND VILLAGER. Then why did someone say, that some swami is
somewhere about?
FIRST VILLAGER. But your appearance is good. Have you learnt some charms?
SANYASI. I am willing to learn. But who is to teach me?
SECOND VILLAGER. There is a proper man. He lives in Bhairabpur. He has
control over some spirits, and there is no doubt of that. Only the other day a boy
was about to die. And what do you think this man did? He simply let the boy's
life-spark fly into the inside of a panther. You won't believe it, but I can assure
you, that panther is still alive, though the boy died. You may laugh, but my own
brother-in-law has seen the panther with his own eyes. If anybody tries to injure it,
the father rushes at him with his big stick. The man is quite ruining himself by
offering kids twice a day to this beast. If you must learn charms, this is the man
for you.
THIRD VILLAGER. What is the use of wasting time? Didn't I tell you in the
beginning, that I didn't believe a word about this sanyasi. There are very few
people in these days who have magic powers.
SECOND VILLAGER. That is true. But I was told by Kalu's mother that her
nephew knew a Sanyasi who overturned his pipe of ganja and there came out a
skull and a full pot of liquor.
THIRD VILLAGER. But did he see it with his own eyes?
SECOND VILLAGER. Yes, with his very own eyes. [They go.]
(Enters LUCKESWAR.)
LUCKESWAR. I can't stand this. You must take away your charm from me. My
accounts are all getting wrong. My head is in a muddle. Now I feel quite reckless
about that golden lotus, and now it seems pure foolishness. Now I am afraid
Thakurdada will win, and now I say to myself let Thakurdada go to the dogs. But
this doesn't seem right. It is sorcery for the purpose of kidnapping. No, no, that
will never do with me. What is there to smile about? I am pretty tough, and you
shall never have me for your disciple. {Goes.}
(Enter BOYS.)
FIRST BOY. We are ready for the autumn festival. What must we do?
SANYASI. We must begin with a song.
{Sings.}
The breeze has touched the white sails, the boat revels
in the beauty of its dancing speed.
It sings of the treasure of the distant shore, it lures
my heart to the voyage of the perilous quest.
The captain stands at his helm with the sun shining
on his face and the rain-clouds looming behind.
My heart aches to know how to sing to him of tears
and smiles made one in joy.
SANYASI. Now you have seen the face of the autumn.
FIRST BOY. But where is it, father?
SANYASI. Don't you see those white clouds sailing on?
SECOND BOY. Yes, yes.
THIRD BOY. Yes, I can see them.
SANYASI. The sky fills up.
FIRST BOY. With what?
SANYASI. With light. And don't you feel the touch of the dew in the air?
SECOND BOY. Yes.
SANYASI. Only look at that Betasini River—what headlong rush to spend
herself. And see the shiver in the young shoots of rice. Thakurdada, let the boys
sing the welcome song of the autumn and go round the forests and hills yonder.
(THAKURDADA sings and the BOYS join him.)
I have spread my heart in the sky and found your touch in my dreams.
Take away that veil from your face, let me see your eyes.
There rings your welcome at the doors of the forest fairies;
your anklet bells sound
in all my thoughts
filling my work with music.
(The BOYS go out singing.)
(Enters LUCKESWAR.)
THAKURDADA. Hallo! Our Luckeswar in a sanyasi's garb!
LUCKESWAR. I have become your disciple at last father. Here is my pearl-case,
and here are the jewel caskets. Take care of them.
SANYASI. Why has this sudden change come over you?
LUCKESWAR. The Emperor Vijayaditya's army is marching towards this town.
Nobody will dare touch you, so you are the safest man to whom I can entrust my
treasure.—1 am your devoted follower,—protect me!
(Enters the RAJAH.)
RAJAH. Father!
SANYASI. Sit down. You seem to be out of breath. Rest awhile.
RAJAH. No time for rest. I am informed that Vijayaditya is almost upon us. His
flag has been seen.
SANYASI. Very likely. He must be feeling eager to acquire new dominions.
RAJAH. What do you say? New dominions?
SANYASI. Why do you take offence at it, my son? You also had a similar idea.
RAJAH. Oh! no, that was quite different. But whatever that might be, I ask for
your protection. Some mischief-makers must have carried tales to him. Please tell
him, they are all lies. Am I mad, that I should want to be the Emperor? Have I got
the power.
SANYASI. Thakurdada!
THAKURDADA. Yes, my master!
SANYASI. Simply with this rag upon my back and a few boys as my followers, I
was fully successful in making this day glorious. But look at this wretched man,—
this emperor,—he has power only to ruin it.
RAJAH. Hush! Somebody may overhear you!
SANYASI. I must fight it out with that—
RAJAH. I won't allow it. You are becoming dangerous. Can't you keep your
sentiments to yourself?
SANYASI. But I already had a discussion about this with you, haven't I?
RAJAH. What an awful man you are! Luckeswar, why are you here? Leave this
place at once.
LUCKESWAR. Sire, I can tell you, it is not for the pure pleasure of your presence
that I am here. I should be only too glad to get away, but I am fixed to this spot. I
have not the power to move.
(Enter VIJAYADITYA's MINISTER and courtiers.)
MINISTER. Victory to the Emperor Vijayaditya! (They all bow.)
RAJAH. Stop that stupid jest! I am not Vijayaditya. I am his most unworthy
servant—Somapal.
MINISTER. (to the SANYASI) Sire, the time has come for you to come back to
your capital.
THAKURDADA. My master, is this a dream?
SANYASI. Whether your dream or theirs is true who can tell.
THAKURDADA. Then—
SANYASI. Yes, these people happen to know me as Vijayaditya.
THAKURDADA. But this new situation has made things critical for me.
LUCKESWAR. And for me also. I surrendered myself to the Sanyasi. In order to
be saved from the Emperor. But I do not know in whose hands I am now.
RAJAH. Sire, did you come to try me?
SANYASI. And also myself.
RAJAH. What is to be my punishment?
SANYASI. To leave you to your memory.
(Enters UPANANDA.)
UPANANDA. Who are these people? Oh! here is the Rajah. {About to leave.}
SANYASI. Upananda, do not go! Tell me what you had come to say.
UPANANDA. I came to tell you that I had earned this three Kahans by my day's
work.
SANYASI. Give them to me. They are too valuable to go for clearing
Luckeswar's debt. I take these for myself.
UPANANDA. Must you take these, father?
SANYASI. Yes, I must. Do you think I have mastered my greed, because I have
become a sanyasi? These tempt me beyond anything else.
LUCKESWAR. This sounds ominous! I am undone!
SANYASI. Where is my treasurer?
TREASURER. Here I am.
SANYASI. Let this man have a thousand Kahan from my treasury.
UPANANDA. Then does he buy me?
SANYASI. You are mine. [To the INISTER] You were troubled, because no son
had been born to my house. But I have earned my son, by my merit, and here he
is.
LUCKESWAR. How unlucky for me that I am too old for such adoption!
SANYASI. Luckeswar!
LUCKESWAR. Command me!
SANYASI. I have protected your jewels from the grasp of Vijayaditya. Now they
are given back to you.
LUCKESWAR. If the Maharajah had given them back in secret, I could feel
secure. Who is to save them now?
SANYASI. That is my business. But Luckeswar, something is due to me from
you.
LUCKESWAR {aside}. Curse me! I knew it would come at last.
SANYASI. Thakurdada is witness to my claim.
LUCKESWAR. (aside). There will be no lack of false witnesses for him now.
SANYASI. You wanted to give me alms. You owe me a handful of rice. Do you
think you will be, able to fill an Emperor's hand?
LUCKESWAR. But, Sire, it was a sanyasi's hand which gave me courage to
propose what I did.
SANYASI. Then I free you from your promise.
LUCKESWAR. With the Maharajah's leave I take my departure. Everybody's
eyes seem to be turned upon these caskets.
{He goes.}
(Enter the BOYS.)
BOYS. {shouting} Sanyasi Thakur! {They suddenly stop and are about to run
away.}
THAKURDADA. Boys, do not go.
SANYASI. Rajah, leave me.
(RAJAH goes.)
{To his courtiers} And you also. {They go.}
……………………………………………….
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