V. RAGHAVAN - SAHRDAYANANDA concept of vulgarity and openness, the flaws of Aslila and Agudha which are inimical to Rasa and Vyanjana. For this, he introduces this Däkini in obscene make-up. She is Rasapratibandhaka's eldest wife, Jyestha-patni. The two embrace and indulge in merriment, losing -their garments. Vyanjanamala has evidently an attendent called Patakapotikā, daughter of sin. The whole sequence is full of badly preserved Prakrt dialogues. 22 Two other lady characters are now introduced as seated upon a tree. One is Väkyasphotika and another, Smrti-vibhramā, their names being quite clear about the ideas they stand for. They get down from the tree, mount rams (mesa) and come round to meet Vyanjanamātā. A ram-fight follows. The hubbub and the noise are called off by the annoucement that king Rama Singh, the poet's patron, had returned from his hunt. The Däkinis disappear and the Bharatavakya is pronounced. PALĀNDUMANDANA - SYNOPSIS The whole action of the play is enacted in a hall within a house where arrangements are afoot for conducting the religious ceremony of garbhadhana. The priests and other brahmins gather for the cer- emony and the feasting. The food habits of these Pandits from differ- ent parts of India, Maharashtra, Andhra, Bengal and other parts of the north are used as a means of making fun, particularly their desire to taste articles of food like onion, garlic and others which are prohibited by the Sastras but which they consume stealthily. The poet works in also an additional episode of the fixing up, for the sake of large money, the marriage of a young girl with a wealthy old kinsman. The charac- ters are mostly named after the vegetables and dishes which they are fond of. Prajapati Deva, the Purohita enters the marriage hall where the religious ceremony has to be conducted for the husband and wife. Lingoji Bhatta and Cifica. He finds that the guest-brahmins Palandumandana etc. are turning away from the place and looks out for the reason; the brothers-in-law Tryambaka Bhatta and Lingoji Bhatta are discussing the marriage alliance of their children and the guest-pandits who had come to attend the religious function and par- ticipate in the feast were hence leaving. He wants to go and fetch them back. The auspicious time for the religious function (garbhādhāna) arrives and he wants that the feasting of the brahmins should be gone through quickly. He would now go out to fetch Peram Bhatta and Kavakankurācārya who are to join the function. Enter the husband and wife, Lingoji and Cifica. Enter also the elder pair Tryambaka Bhaṭṭa and Kvathika. While Lingoji is enquir- ing about the delay in the arrival of the brahmins, Kvathikä asks her
