MAHABRATA
According
to custom, a king with a grown up daughter looks for a good match
by holding a contest. At Dewi Siti Sundari's own request, the king
announces that whoever brings two beautiful twin girls as a wedding-gift
will be Dewi Siti Sundari's husband.
Abimayu, Arjuna's son, is attracted by Dewi Siti Sundari and proposes
to her, saying that fie will look for the beautiful twin girls.
Gatotkoca
reach the ground then he becomes restless seeing the beauty of the
two girls, especially that of Pregiwa, He falls in love with pregiwa
and intends to ask his uncle Arjuna for her hand after they reach
Madukara. Pregiwa seems to respord to his love, though she does
not show it.
They
arrive at Madukara, and Arjuna is delighted to see that his son
has managed to find twin girls, rind that they are moreover his
own daughters. Gatotkaca then asks Arjuna's permission to marry
Pregiwa, and his request is granted.
After
a few days of rest, Abimanyu, Gatotkaca, Pregiwa and Pregiwati,
with Arjuna, go to Dwarawati to present Abimayus wedding gift and
arrange the marriage. The story of Pregiwa-Pregiwati ends with the
happy marriage of Abimanyu and Dewi Siti Sundari.
THE SUPRADAWATI TINANDING WAYANG WONG
In
Yogyakarta there is another lakon, an addition to the Pregiwa -Pregiwati
story, called lakon Suprabawati Tinanding (Suprabawati fighting
Srikandi). One distinctive characteristic of this wayang wong is
that all leading parts in the story are heroines. The story of the
lakon is as follows:
When
king Kresna holds the contest for his daughter, a king from Simbarmanyura
called Dasalengkara, also wants to marry Dewi Siti Sundari. The
wedding-gift is his twin sisters Dewi Suprabawati and Dewi Suradewati.
Dasalengkara sends a messenger to Dwarawati to propose to Dewi Siti
Sundari.
Unfortunately, when the messenger arrives at Dwarawati the marriage
between Abimanyu and Dewi Siti Sundari is already in preparation.
The messenger flies into a passion and says that if the proposal
is not accepted Dwarawati will be levelled to the ground.
Hearing the messenger's impudent words Bima becomes violently angry
and with two strides kicks the messenger out of the palace. Tottering,
he runs away and reports to his king that his proposal has been
rejected.
In the meantime, the Pandawas prepare themselves to face the coming
danger. The troops from the Simbarmanyura kingdom all women are
led by Dewi Suprabawati herself and her younger sister
Dewi
Suradewati. From the Pandawa family, the wives of Arjuna go to battle
under the command of Srikandi. A heavy battle with violent fighting
then takes place between the two women's armies where even Garudas
are used as vehicles for aif-fights. Abirnanyu
also joins the fighting as he feels responsible for the cause of
it and Gatotkaca, his future brother-inlaw,, helps him as much as
possible.
The battle is won by the Pandawas and the marriage between Abimanyu
and Dewi Siti Sundari takes place without any hindrance.
THE
ARJUNAWIWAHA DANCE-DRAMA
The
Arjunawiwaha dance-drama (wayang wong or sendratari), Yogyakarta
style, describes the marriage between Arjuna and the heavenli nymphs.
The story is briefly as follows
0ne
day the situation of Kahyangan heaven is very critical because the
giant king Newatakawaca from Ngimanimantaka has prosposed to the
nymph Supraba. All the gods seem to be unable to face this powerful
giant king. The only means of evading is by
asking the help of the Pandawa family.
According to the gods, only Arjuna can face Newatakawaca. At that
time Arjuna happens to be living as an ascetic. Batara Guru, disguised
as a king, called Kilatawarna, tests Arjuna's supernatural
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