1917.1 The Dramas of 



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Duryodhana (in great pain, keeping him off). Durjaya ! 

 Durjaya ! O God ! How this hurts ! 



He was my joy, a pleasure to my eyes, 

 He soothed me like the full moon's cooling rays, 

 And now like red-hot iron burns his touch ; 

 Is this thy cruel will, relentless fate ? 



Durjaya. Why won't you let me sit on you, daddy ? 



Duryodhana. Sit near me, sonny, somewhere on the ground, 



I'll be no more the seat vou liked so well. 



Durjaya. Where are you going. King ? 



Duryodhana. To the place where my hundred brothers 

 have gone. 



Durjaya. Take me with you, please ! 



Duryodhana. Go, my child, speak Avith Bhima. 



Durjaya. But we must go now, king, they are searching 

 for you. 



Duryodhana. Who, sonny ? 



Durjaya. Grandfather, grandmother and the ladies. 



Duryodhana. Go, my boy ; I am not strong enough to walk. 



Durjaya. I'll carry you ; daddy. 



Duryodhana. You are too weak, my child. 



Durjaya. Hallo, grandfather ! Here is the king. 



{Enter Dhritara shtra , Gandhari and queens). 



It seems to me* this little scene which I have given as an 

 illustration bears the stamp of the master who has created the 

 garden scene or the dream-scene in " Vasavadatta." But the 

 dramatic power of the ensuing finale has no parallel either in 



+k~ • • i i . _i j„ Tn^.'an dramatic literature. 



remainm 



Duryodhana consoles his despairing parents and wives. He 

 pleads passionatelv with Asvatthama, Drona's son, not to con- 

 tinue the war. He curses the pride of the warrior caste, the root 

 of all this criminal bloodshed. At last his soul leaves the 

 earthly surroundings, the splendours of heaven open themselves 

 to him and he enters eternal peace. , 



Durvodhana, I should say, comes nearest to the idea o a 

 tragic hero with which the Greek tragedy has made « sfa iniliar 

 He produces those feelings of fear and compassion *hich 

 Aristotle postulates for the tragedy. He is a great; sprit .who 

 in his pride over-estimates himself and, violating tte laws rigod 

 and men, comes to grief. But in his fall he finds h » punfi^ 

 tion. He reaches a higher plane of morality Under theses 

 of fate his soul lifts itself up to thoughts of P^ ***^ r 

 ness which had been unknown to him before. In tl ^^e character 

 of Duryodhana the author stirs up the very depths of : human 

 »oul. The poet is logical to the end, and does not he»tateto 

 how us the hero's death on the stage though this is absolutely 



