* * * * * * * *

CAST: Narrator, Prince, Jester, Govinda Dasi, Jagadish Das.

Narrator: The following drama is adapted from an essay called "Truth and Beauty," written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and published in one of his first issues of Back to Godhead magazine. We hope the audience will try to appreciate and understand the valuable message of this story, for it concerns all of us in our pursuit of truth and beauty. There may sometimes be arguments about whether truth and beauty are compatible terms. Indeed it appears that truth is frequently rather startling and unpleasant, so how is one to express truth and beauty at the same time? In reply, we may emphatically assert that the actual truth, which is absolute, is always beautiful. Truth is so beautiful that many sages, saints and devotees have left everything for the sake of the truth. And every one of us has the urge to search for truth alone, for the Truth is not only beautiful, but also all-powerful, all-resourceful, all-famous, all-renounced and all-knowledgeable.

Unfortunately, 99.9 percent of the people have no information of the truth, and are pursuing untruth only — in the name of truth. We are actually attracted by the beauty of truth, but since time immemorial we have been habituated to love of untruth appearing like truth. Therefore, to the mundane person, truth and beauty are incompatible terms. This mundane idea of truth and beauty is explained in the following drama.

The Forest

(Enter the Jester, blowing conchshell)

Jester: All glories to the Prince! The Prince! The Prince! The beautiful Prince! And here he comes now! Oh, just see the beauty of this Prince! He's just like the rising sun on a clear spring day. And just see the strength of this Prince! He's as strong as thousands of elephants! And just listen to the Prince sing...

Prince: La la la la la la la!!!

Jester: Oh! He's just like a canary! And just see how rich he is... he... he may be the richest man in the world! And just see how famous he is... he happens to be Kamaraja Puri The Third! (claps and get audience to applaud) And just see how much knowledge he has...

Prince: A mans ability to retain information is based on a variety of many important factors. The individual's mental apparatus is supplied knowledge in conjunction with birth, nationality, peer-group influence, intestinal fortitude, determination, and, of course, the weight of favorable and unfavorable activities in accordance with the modes of nature.

Jester: Oh! He's just like a walking encyclopedia! And just see how renounced he is... You're not attached to any of this, are you?

Prince: Of course not!

Jester: Oh! Isn't he wonderful?! The Prince... the Prince... the beautiful Prince!!! (exits, blowing conch)

Prince: Being rightfully appreciated, I, handsome and distinguished Prince that I am, am also a young man. And as is the interest of all young and capable men, I desire a suitable spouse. Now, not just any ordinary woman will do; rather, she must possess the utmost in womanly qualities. Chastity, beauty, shyness, kind-heartedness, humility, ability to speak sweetly, intelligence, cleanliness, punctuality... are but a few of the necessary requirements of my bride-to-be. In a word, she must be perfect, and as comparable to me as is possible! Wherever will I find such a woman? (enter Govinda Dasi, chanting Hare Krishna)

Govinda Dasi: Simply by chanting Lord Krishna's glories, all the sinful contaminations, accumulated by contact with this material world, are immediately eradicated! Therefore, if one truly seeks unending happiness, then he will take to the process of bhakti-yoga or devotional service! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna...

Prince: Just see the power of sincere desire! Just as I go in quest of the most beautiful and suitable bride, the personification of womanhood appears before me. I must make haste, so as not to waste this opportunity to fulfill my life's desire. (clears throat to attract her attention. She sees him and covers her head, turning away shyly) Excuse me, O most delicate and tantalizing lady. Oh, but I must inquire from you — what is your name?

Govinda Dasi: Surely, you are not asking me of my identity, O most distinguished gentleman! I am just an insignificant daughter of a cowherd man.

Prince: (aside) Not only is she beautiful, but modest as well... (aloud) O flower of the forest! Do not be coy with me... reveal to me your name! I happen to be Kamaraja Puri The Third, and I do not tolerate insubordination in my subjects!

Govinda Dasi: O Prince of the Puris, please do not be angry with me! I am greatly embarrassed by your aggressive inquiries. It is not at all proper for a young girl to be speaking so intimately with a young man if she has not been properly introduced to him by her parents or guardians. This is a Vedic injunction. If a woman neglects scriptural injunctions, she is considered to be no better than a prostitute. Besides, I don't even know if you are a devotee of Krishna!

Prince: Besides all of her other good qualities, she is chaste, clever, able to speak sweetly, and highly learned in Vedic instructions. I will do whatever is necessary to gain her hand in marriage... (at that moment, the Jester enters, blowing conch. Prince goes up behind the lady and surprises her, she flees t other side of stage. The Prince laughs and says) My dear lady, if you insist on being a difficult prize, I will gladly play your game!

Jester: Oh! The Prince — the beautiful Prince! (blows conch)

Prince: Jester! Jester, come here! I wish to have a word with you.

Jester: The beautiful Prince wants talk to me! (blows conch)

Prince: Jester! It's all right, my little friend! I have heard from reliable sources that you are acquainted with everyone in this village. Is this true?

Jester: Oh yup yup yup yup yup!

Prince: All right, my good man. I have one request to make from you. I wish to know the name of the beautiful maiden who is standing over there. (Jester walks right over to her to get a closer look)

Jester: Oh, that's easy! That's Govinda Dasi! She's the daughter of Jagadish Das, the farmer. He lives on the east side of town and... hoo hoo... he takes care of cows... hee hee, yup yup yup!

Prince: Very good! Very good! And to show my appreciation, here's a little token of my gratitude... (hands Jester some trinket, then exits)

Jester: (in amazement) Golly! Gold! All glories to the Prince! The Prince! The beautiful Prince! (exits, blowing conch)

At the home of Jagadish Das (Jagadish is on stage. Enter the Prince)

Jagadish: My dear Prince! To what do I owe the pleasure of having you as my guest?

Prince: My dear Sir, are you not Jagadish Das, the farmer? The cowherd man?

Jagadish: I am he. How can I help you?

Prince: I have heard from reliable sources that you have one very beautiful daughter by the name of Govinda Dasi. Is this true?

Jagadish: She is my daughter. Has she done something wrong?

Prince: Oh, no! No, of course not! On the contrary, I find her to be very... pleasing. I'll come right to the point, my dear farmer — I have come here today to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage! If you oblige me, I will be permanently indebted to you. Indeed, all my wealth will be yours!

Jagadish: You need not tempt me with riches, O Prince! I would gladly consent to you wedding my daughter! I accept your proposal! Come back in one week and you may take my daughter as your bride! This will give her time to prepare for you!

Prince: My dear farmer, you have made me a very happy man! Thank you very much! Thank you!

Jagadish: Thank you! (Prince exits) Govinda Dasi! Govinda Dasi!

Govinda Dasi: Yes, father, what is it?

Jagadish: I wish to speak to you. Come here!

Govinda Dasi: How can I serve you, father?

Jagadish: My dearest daughter, I have wonderful news for you! Prince Kamaraja Puri The Third wishes to take you as his bride!

Govinda Dasi: Oh! But father, I have heard that this prince is simply a materialistic man, interested only in money and sense gratification. Not only that — he's not even a devotee of Krishna! I'm not against marriage, but at least my husband must be a devotee of the Lord.

Jagadish: (angrily) Listen to me, you ungrateful girl! It may be true the prince is a materialistic man, but he's a highly respected man within the community! Besides, I've given my consent to the Prince that you will become his bride. Now in one week, he is going to come and take you away as his bride, do you understand? Do you understand?

Govinda Dasi: Yes, father.

Jagadish: Now go and prepare yourself for the Prince. (exits cackling)

Govinda Dasi: Now what am I going to do? (tearfully) My father has arranged my marriage with a man who is interested only in materialism. How will I become Krishna conscious now? I have to prepare myself to be taken away by him in only one week! One week! Since this Prince is so attracted to the beauty of this body, which is actually only a combination of obnoxious and abominable substances, I will not only prepare myself for his return, but I will present to him with a gift, which is the essence of this beauty. In order to achieve this end, I will take these purgatives and laxatives. (swallows with difficulty) Now let us see how enticed our sweet Prince will remain! (exits vomiting)

Outside the residence of Jagadish (One week later. Jester enters, blowing conch. Enter the Prince)

Prince: (singing) Today is the big day!!! Today I achieve what I rightfully deserve! Today I attain the perfection of my life! O Govinda Dasi! (Jester also calls out and the Prince rebukes him). Govinda Dasi! Come forward — your handsome Prince awaits you!

Govinda Dasi: (from offstage) Coming, my Prince! (enters staggering and coughing)

Prince: Who are you, you ugly wretch? (appalled)

Govinda Dasi: I am your lovely wife-to-be!

Prince: (tearfully) No! You cant be! Where is your beauty?

Govinda Dasi: Oh that! I saved it for you so you can take it wherever you go!

Prince: What do you mean?

Govinda Dasi: Just wait a moment and I'll get it for you. (exits and brings on a bucket) Here, my Prince, is the beauty you so long desired! Now you can enjoy it to your fullest satisfaction!

(Prince and Jester peer cautiously into the bucket and then see what the contents are... They both recoil in disgust)

Prince: Yuck! What is that?!

Govinda Dasi: Oh, a little mucus, loose stool, urine, some blood, a few little worms and lots of vomit!

Prince: What kind of joke is this?

Govinda Dasi: I'm not joking, dear Prince. The joke is on you! You've been fooled by the material nature! You see, everyone is attracted by the external beauty of this material body. But, when one analyzes it, one actually sees it is only a skin bag full of abominable things. You were thinking, "Oh what a lovely woman!" But now you don't find me so attractive? What's the matter? My body is the same as before, except for the contents of that bucket. When I emptied the contents of my body into that bucket, my beauty was also removed, so it seems quite clear that my former beauty is now in that bucket!

Jester: I guess we would call it... "LIQUID BEAUTY"!!!

Narrator: Materialistic persons are all deluded by the outward beauty and attraction of the relative truth, and are unaware of the spirit soul within the body, which is both truth and beauty at the same time. The spiritual spark is so beautiful that when it leaves the so-called beautiful body, which in fact is full of stool and vomit, no one wants to touch that body, even if it is decorated with costly garments. The beauty of the outer skin can be destroyed in only a few hours, merely by a dose of strong purgative, but the beauty of truth is indestructible and always the same.

Unfortunately, mundane persons are ignorant of this beautiful spark of spirit as well as the original complete fire, Lord Krishna, who is the source of all these spiritual sparks. They do not know that Krishna is the beautiful person who attracts everything, that He is the prime substance, the prime source and fountainhead of everything that be. The infinitesimal spiritual sparks, being parts and parcels of that whole spirit, are qualitatively the same in beauty and eternity. The only difference is that the whole is eternally the whole and the parts are eternally the parts. Both of them, however, possess the ultimate knowledge, energy, renunciation, opulence, as well as the ultimate TRUTH AND BEAUTY. (kirtan)

The End