345. THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 383

THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 383

the king and Sagarika takes place in the garden, where the picture-board was left. But soon there is separation because of the coming of the queen. In the disguise-scene there is again the supposed attainment of the objective and it is again followed as if it were by the loss in consequence of the revelation by Vasavadatta of her identity. Again in the noose-scene there is meeting and again there is parting, because of the arrival of the queen.1 The presentation of the loss of the attained is the essential part of Garbha Sandhi. For, if there be no loss it will in no way be different from Avamarsa wherein the attain- ment is finally freed from all shadows of doubt about it.

4. AVAMARSA. Avamarsa essentially involves doubt. For, it consists in reflecting or pondering over a situation that does not seem to lead to the goal. This being so, the intro- duction of it at a stage, when hope has already been aroused in the mind of the hero and the goal has been presented to be within the region of fair probability of reali- sation, seems to be against the facts revealed by the study of human psychology. On an analysis of ordinary experience we find that (i) doubt (ii) probability and (iii) certainty follow one another. Further, Avamarsa has as its consti- tuent the Niyatapti. How can Niyatāpti and Samsaya go together ? The critic, whose view is stated above, has apparently taken a different psychological fact into consideration, from that on which the introduction of doubt in Avamarga is based. The object of Avamarsa is to present the climax. And the climax is reached only when the situation, presen- ted, brings out at its best the chief characteristic of the

5. A. Bh., (MSS) Ch. 19. V. 41.