This script contains lines from a tape recording done by senior devotees many years ago titled "The Syamantaka Jewel". As a Janmastami play in Dallas, this story was done with children and therefore has mostly narration along with simple lines. It was performed in one room with simple change of scenery before each scene, but it can be easily adapted with more lines, setting and so on, as elaborately as desired.
CAST OF CHARACTERS, IN ORDER OF THEIR APPEARANCE
Vivasvan
King Satrajit
Krsna
The citizens of Dvaraka (as many as desired)
Prasena
Lion
Jambavan's son
Nurse
Jambavan
Jambavati
Satyabhauma
Escort
SCENE I (the abode of the sun-god, Vivasvan. Vivasvan is sitting on a throne.)
Narrator: This is the story of Lord Krishna and the Syamantaka Jewel.
(Enter Satrajit, walking reverentially towards Vivasvan)
Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a king of the name Satrajit within the jurisdiciton of Dvarakadhama. He was a great devotee of the sun-god Vivasvan.
(Santrajit bows down to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and stands to offer respectful prayers. Vivasvan raises his palm to bless Satrajit and then hands him the jewel.)
Narrator: The son god- being very pleased with Satrajit- awarded him with an exceptional jewel known as Syamantaka.
(Exit Vivasvan. Exit Satrajit slowly, admiring the jewel.)
SCENE II (Dvaraka city)
(Krishna is playing chess. Enter Satrajit, walking about very proudly with the Symantaka jewel around his neck.)
Narrator: Satrajit entered the city of Dvaraka. Although he was known to everyone there, he could not be recognized because of the dazzling effulgence of the Symantaka jewel.
(Enter citizens of Dvaraka, who try to shield their eyes from the effulgence of the Syamantaka jewel worn by Satrajit.)
Narrator: When Satrajit wore the jewel he appeared to be exactly like the sun-god, so much so that the citizens of Dvaraka thought the real sun-god had come just ot see Lord Krishna, who was sometimes visitied by various demigods. All the inhabitants except Krishna took Satrijit to be the sun-god himself.
Citizen 1 (rushing towards Lord Krishna): My dear Lord Krishna! You are the Supreme Personality of
Godhead! The sun-god, Vivasvan, therefore, has come here just to see Your lotus face!
Krishna (smiling and gently laughing while addressing all the citizens who gather near Him): My dear citizens, this person you believe to be the sun-god is actually King Satrajit, who has come to show his opulence in the form of a very valuable jewel given to him by the real sun-god, Vivasvan.
(Krishna turns to Satrajit)
Krishna: My dear Satrajit, since the best of everything should always be offered to the King, I humbly request that you present this wonderful jewel to King Ugrasena, the overlord of many dynasties.
Satrajit (Aside): Why should I give the jewel to the king! This jewel, MY jewel, is so powerful it gives me more than 170 lbs of gold everyday! Besides that, wherever this jewel, MY jewel, is present, there is all auspiciousness!
(Exit Satrijit stage left. Exit Krishna and the citizens of Dvaraka stage right)
Narrator: The real reason Satrajit had come to Dvaraka was not to see Krishna but to worship the jewel in a temple in order to derive material benefits.
SCENE III (at a forest outside of Dvaraka city)
(Enter Prasena)
Prasena (Aside): Look at me everyone; I have the Syamantaka jewel!
(Prances around the room showing off the jewel to the audience.)
Narrator: One day, Prasena, the younger brother of Satrajit, wore the Syamantaka jewel just to show off his family opulence. He was parading around in a nearby forest...when suddenly...
(Lion jumps out with loud roars and attacks Prasena)
Prasena: Help! Help! Somebody help me! Help me! Ahhhhhhhhh!
Narrator: A lion attacked and killed Prasena. Then he took away the jewel to his cave.
(Enter Jambavan, attacking the lion)
Narrator: The great gorilla king, Jambavan, who dwelled nearby in that same forest, heard what the lion had done.
(Jambavan kills the lion with his bare hands and takes away the jewel.)
Narrator: He killed the lion and took possession of the jewel.
(Exit Jambavan)
SCENE IV (Dwaraka city)
(Enter Satrajit pacing back and forth very disturbed)
Narrator: Meanwhile, back in Dvaraka city, when Satrajit's younger brother Prasena did not return with the jewel, Satrajit became very upset. He did not know that his brother had been killed by a lion.
Satrajit (Aside): Krishna wanted that jewel, and just because I did not give it to him, he might have ambushed my dear brother in the forest and taken it away by force...He
MUST have done it!
(Exit Satrajit)
Narrator: Soon this idea grew into a rumor started by Satrajit and spread like wildfire all over
Dvaraka city.
(Enter citizens talking together.)
Citizen 1: I don't like to gossip but...did you HEAR! Krishna
actually stole the Syamantaka jewel.
Citizen 2: That's not the half of it. He took it by force from Prasena!
Citizen 3: And killed him in the act.
Citizen 4: Oh no! Krishna is a murderer?
Citizen 5: And a thief!
(Enter Krishna)
Narrator: Krishna did not like to be defamed in this manner and therefore He decided that He would go to the forest and find the Syamantaka jewel, taking with Him some of the inhabitants of Dwaraka.
Krishna (addressing the citizens): My dear citizens, come with Me, and I shall prove to you My innocence.
(Exit Krishna and citizens)
SCENE V (the forest)
Narrator: Krishna went to search out Prasena and found him dead, killed by the lion. Nearby, Krsihna also found the lion which had been killed by Jambavan. It was found that the lion had been killed without the assistance of any weapon.
Citizen 1 (frightened): Oh! Who could have done this?
Narrator: Krishna and the citizens then found in the forest a great tunnel, said to be the path to Jambavan's house. Krishna knew that the others were afraid to enter the tunnel.
Krishna: My dear friends, you wait here. I will go and fetch the jewel.
(Krishna marches into the cave.)
Narrator: The citizens remained outside the cave for twelve days.
(Citizens talking amongst themselves)
Narrator: After that, they decided something undesirable must have happened to Krishna.
(Exit citizens, shaking their heads and sorrowful.)
Narrator: Thus, feeling very sorry and tired, they returned home.
SCENE VI (Inside Jambavan's cave. Jambavan's son is seated, playing with the Syamantaka jewel)
(Enter Krishna from the side, looking in and slowly advancing towards him.)
Narrator: Inside the home of Jambavan, Krishna saw the son of Jambavan playing with the Syamantaka jewel as a toy. Jambavan, who was actually a great devotee of the Lord since the time of Lord Ramacandra, had given the jewel to his young son because he considered it insignificant. In order to take the jewel from the child, Krishna now stood before him.
(Enter the son's nurse. She sees Krishna, drops a tray she is carrying and starts shouting)
Nurse: You're going to take the jewel away from my boy! Stop! Thief! Trespasser! Jambavan, HELP! Ahhhhhhhhh!
(Enter Jambavan very angry)
Narrator: Hearing the nurse crying, Jambavan appeared in a very angry mood. Although he was a great devotee of the Lord, because he was angry, he could not recognize his master.
(Nurse grabs the son's hand and they quickly exit)
Jambavan: Prepare to meet your doom, oh foul tresspasser and thief! No mortal in all the three worlds can withstand the force of my sword!
(Jambavan and Krishna begin fighting with swords, followed by other weapons)
Narrator: The fighting went on for twenty-eight days, both in the daytime and at night. First they fought with various weapons... then boulders and uprooted trees... then finally with their fists...
(Pause while fight continues with various weapons, boulder, trees, fists)
Narrator: Although Jambavan was the strongest living entity at that time and was quite aware of his own superhuman bodily strength, he began to feel very, very tired after being constantly struck by the fists of Lord Krishna.
(Jambavan starts staggering, slowing down)
Jambavan (Aside) I am the strongest in the whole world; who is this opponent who is weakening me?
(Pause. Jambavan trying to catch his breath)
Jambavan: Oh, Yes!
(Jambavan runs to Lord Krishna, kneels down and begins to pray)
Jambavan: My dear Lord, I can now understand who you are. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead whom I worship as Lord Ramacandra. No one else has such immeasurable strength. No one else could defeat me in this way. I am very strong, but all of my strength comes from You.
Narrator: This incident has a special significance for devotees. from the Srimad Bhagavatam we learn that the Lord has all the propensities and instincts of a human being. So sometimes, in a sporting attitude He wishes to engage in a mock fight with His devotee, and thus He chooses a suitable devotee such as Jambavan to give Him that pleasure.
In the beginning, Jambavan could not understand Krisna because of material attachment. When Krsna came there to take away the jewel from his son, he became angry. But as soon as Krsna was pleased by the fighting of His devotee, Jambavan could immediately understand that his opponent was none other than the Supreme Lord Himself. He could understand Krishna by his devotional service.
(Krishna relieves Jambava's body from pain ad fatigue by running His hand over it).
Krishna: My dear King Jambavan, may you now be free from all bodily pains and fatigue. I am very much pleased with you. Because you have killed the lion, you are actually the king of the forest and not the lion.
Less intelligent people have made up strories that I had stolen the Syamnataka jewel. I have come to ask you for it in order that I may be freed from defamation.
(Enter Jambavati with the jewel. She gives it to Jambavan who gives it to Krishna)
Jambavan: My Lord of course I am very pleased to give You the jewel, but I will be especially honored if You will also accept my loving daughter, Jambavati, in marriage)
(Exit Jambavati, followed by Krsna and Jambavan talking together)
SCENE VII (Dvaraka city)
(Enter citizens)
Narrator: Back in Dvaraka city, after the citizens had returned without Krsna, everyone had become very worried. They loved Krishna very much and prayed for His return...
( Citizens are walking about or sitting morose, some are in praying position)
(Enter Krsna and Jambavati.)
Narrator: Suddenly... Krishna appeared...along with His new wife Jambavati and the Syamantaka jewel!
(The citizens jump up excitedly and rush towards them.)
Citizen 1: Krsna, you have returned! All glories to Lord Sri Krsna!
Citizens 1-5: Ki Jaya!
Narrator: The inhabitants of Dvaraka became as joyful as someone receiving a dear relative back from the dead.
(Citizens surround Krishna and He talks with them. Enter Satrajit, head downcast)
Narrator: After relating His adventures, Krishna delivered the jewel back to King Satrajit.
(Krishna hands the jewel to Satrajit. Satrijit is ashamed and does not look at Him. Krishna exits with the citizens. )
Satrijit (Aside): I have offended Krishna very grievously, and I sincerely wish to rectify myself.
(Enter Krsna. Satraji kneels before him with folded hands)
Satrajit: My dear Lord, please forgive me. I was so foolish to be attracted by a material thing. Please take this jewel.
(Enter Satyabhauma with escort)
Satrajit: I wish to also give you the hand of my lovely daughter Satyabhauma in marriage.
Krisha: Dear King Satrajit, I thank you. As for the Syamantaka jewel, I haven't any need for it. It is better to let it remain in a temple as you have kept it before. Thus every one of us may benefit for wherever this jewel is worshiped, there is no possibility of famine or anything inauspicious, such as
pestilence or disease.
(Satrajit pays obeisances. Exit Satyabhauma, followed by Krishna who is followed slowly by Satrijit.)
Narrator: Thus ends our story about Lord Krisha, a story so wonderful it is worth telling over and over and over again.
Sri Janmastami ki jaya!
Narrator: Now by order of appearance, let me introduce to you our cast...
THE END
