Ratnavali 

(Sanskrit drama )

poet-king   Harshavardhana

Ratnavali is a Sanskrit drama about Princess Ratnavali of Simhala.  The play has been credited as the

work of a master playwright, the 7th-century poet-king Harshavardhana of Kanauj. It is the story of a

young named princess Ratnavali, who gets shipwrecked on the way to her wedding and how she finds

love in the end. 

Synopsis 

Princess Ratnavali was the daughter of Vikramabahu, the king of

Simhala. Vikramabahu’s niece, Vasavadatta, was married to King
Udayana of Kaushambi. When the king heard that his niece had died in a
fire, he proposed a marriage between Ratnavali and Udayana, to keep
the relationship between the two families alive. But unknown to him,
Vasavadatta had not died. Rumours of her death had been spread by
Udayana’s minister, Yaugandharayana, as he wanted Ratnavali and
Udayana to get married. What happens to Ratnavali, Udayana and
Vasavadatta, forms the crux of the story. 

Royal alliances 

Royal marriages were among the most sought-after alliances between

kingdoms in ancient times all over the world. In this story, King
Vikramabahu’s niece, Vasavadatta, was married to King Udayana of
Kaushambi. Through this marriage, Vikramabahu formed an alliance and
friendship with Udayana. When Vikramabahu heard that his niece had
died in a fire, he mourned for her. At the same time, he did not want to
lose his relationship with Udayana. If Udayana decided to marry a
princess from another kingdom, her father would be an ally of Udayana’s
instead of Vikramabahu. Hence, he proposes a wedding between his
daughter Ratnavali and Udayana, to keep the relationship between the
two kingdoms alive. 

Consequences of acting without approval 

A loyal minister  always thinks about the well-being of his king and

kingdom. Hence, when a prophecy predicted that the union of Ratnavali
and Udayana will bring prosperity to Udayana, Yaugandharayana, the
king’s minister, worked hard on arranging the match. He told
Vikramabahu that Vasavadatta had died and accepted the marriage
proposal from Ratnavali without informing Udayana. Yaugandharayana’s
intentions may have been good, but his one action caused mishaps and
confusion, which may have permanently strained the relationship between
the two kingdoms. In the end, due to his complete trust in his minister,
Udayana called him and gave him a chance to explain. This highlights
their relationship and indicates that the king understood
Yaugandharayana’s good intentions. With the character of
Yaugandharayana, the playwright shows the terrible consequences of
acting on someone’s behalf without his knowledge or approval.  

The insecurities of a queen 

It is shown that Vasavadatta and Udayana loved and cared for each
other. Yet, when Ratnavali was introduced to Vasavadatta as her new
companion, the queen feared that Udayana may take a liking to her.
Hence, she promised herself that she would never allow them to meet.
This shows that queens , even though they ranked high, next only to the
king in the court, constantly feared a change in their husband’s
affections. When Vasavadatta sees Ratnavali and Udayana together, she
becomes heartbroken and orders that Ratnavali should immediately be
locked in her inner chambers, until further notice. Later, Vasavadatta
learns that Ratnavali is her cousin and sympathizes with her for all the
troubles she had to undergo. When it is revealed that Ratnavali would
bring prosperity to her king and kingdom as per the royal prophecy, the
queen lets go of her insecurities and requests Udayana to accept
Ratnavali as his wife. Through Vasavadatta, the writer shows how a good
queen sacrifices her happiness and insecurities for the greater good of
her kingdom.