Udayana and Vasavadatta: The Classic Love

Love stories are always fascinating, be they modern or ancient ones. One such tale is mentioned in 'A Kingdom for His Love', a collaboration of Vani Mahesh and Shinie Antony, and originally a play written by Bhasa. The story of Prince Udayana, who fell in love with the princess of the rival kingdom, Vasavadatta. This story is considered a charming example of a traditional love tale.

The love tale of Udayana and Vasavadatta, Image source- Tamil and Vedas

This tale of love starts with Udayana, the prince of the Chandra clan. He was a popular king whom the princesses dreamt of. His looks and qualities attracted her. Along with being the embodiment of exceptional courage, he was also an excellent Veena player. His melodious Veena tunes could even tame wild elephants.

Everything was going well with Prince Udayana and his kingdom of Kaushambi, but suddenly a mishap came in the disguise of King Pradyot. Kaushambi was in conflict with the nearby state of Ujjain. Once, the king of the rival state, King Pradyot decided to strike against Udayana.

However, it was an easy victory for Udayana, who calmed down the war elephants with his mesmerising Veena tunes. From that moment, Pradyot decided to learn the Veena playing technique. By then, he had also learned that overpowering Udayan on the battlefield was impossible, and he was in search of a substitute plan.

The plan was set, and the forest guards came with the news of a unique white elephant. Being an animal lover, the Prince rushed to the forest and sat in front of the elephant to play the Veena, but as soon as he sat down to play, soldiers came out of it and captured Prince Udayana.

As soon as he landed in Ujjayini, Pradyot ordered him to teach him the art of music. Udayana agreed to this, but with a condition that he must accept him as his Guru and treat him with respect. However, Pradyot could in no way accept his rival as his teacher. So, he decided to train his daughter Vasavadatta as Udayana's student.

Along with his decision, he was also aware of the possibility of two young people falling in love. So he tricked both of them with a plan. He informed the prince that his student was an unattractive girl with a hunchback and that her looks were extremely unpleasant. The princess, on the other hand, was told that although her master is a talented artist, he has leprosy and unsightly sores. To tackle the problem of visual terror, a curtain was to be raised between them.

With the arrangements, the lessons started. Princess Vasavadatta was a fast learner, and Udayan was pretty impressed with it. However, one day she made the same mistake continuously, and this frustrated the prince. In a lost temper, he offended the girl by calling her hunched back. She was surprised and infuriated by the comment and addressed him as a leper.

The confused prince saw no way but to pull off the curtain. As soon as he did so, both stood in complete astoundment and were taken aback by each other's beauty. This was the start of their love.

Soon, Yaugandharayan, minister and advisor to Udayana, arrived at Ujjayini and took Udayana and Vasavadatta away to their kingdom. But, drowned in love, Udayana began to disregard his duties as king, and his kingdom was captured by King Aruni.

Yaugandharayan was worried about the deteriorating condition of the country. Thus, he decided to help a powerful kingdom through a marriage alliance. He decided to arrange the marriage of Udayana to Padmavati, the sister of the great Magadha ruler, Darsaka.

When Vasavadatta learned about the problems of the empire, she decided to support Yaugandharayan in his plan. A fake scenario was made in which Yaugandharayan and Vasavadatta were portrayed as dead in a fire incident.

Udayana was deeply hurt, but he managed to cope with the grief and married Padmavati to protect his empire. With the marriage, the enemy was defeated, allowing Udayana to reclaim his realm.

After a long span of time had passed, Udayana found out that his love, Vasavadatta, was alive. Yaugandharayan also appeared in front of him, revealing the truth. Finally, both lovers reunited, and as it happened, the love story made its way into the annals of time and history.

The love story of Udayana and Vasavadatta, as depicted in 'A Kingdom for His Love', is a timeless tale that has captured the hearts of readers for generations. The story is an exemplary demonstration of traditional love stories, with its elements of adventure, deception, and the ultimate triumph of love.