The King as a symbol of authority and calm
In the Vatsas Kingdom, the king is the symbol of authority and calmness. The state of mind of the king greatly influences his subjects. A student of theology reported that when their king heard that his wife and chief minister had perished in a fire, he was devastated. He left the kingdom and this made his subjects uneasy. The student describes the uneasiness of the villagers as, ' with the departure of the king, the village became desolate like the sky when the moon and the stars have set.'
Allegory to Describe Vasavadatta's sorrow
When Vasavadatta heard that her husband King Udayana was getting remarried, she was very sorrowful. She used an allegory of the lovebird to describe her true feelings. Vasavadatta said, 'Blessed indeed is the lovebird, parted from her mate she ceases to live.' This is allegorical to her present situation whereby she was desolate because she was separated from her husband.
Allegory of the leaving of people from the hermitage
Vasavadatta was with some of her servants at a hermitage. There she received various guests. When they left, her chamberlain used an allegory to describe it, ' For now, the birds have returned to their nests.' This allegory is used to tell the reader that the guests of Vasavadatta had left and gone to their homes.
Allegory of marriage
When the marriage between Udayana and Padmavatti was about to take place, the seolis blossomed. This is allegorical of the marriage and the friendship that was developing between the newlyweds.
Motif of love and friendship
In the play, love and friendship occurs multiple times between various characters. First was the love of Udayana and Vasavadatta that left the king desolate when he was told that Vasavadatta had perished in a fire. The growing love and friendship between Udayana and his second wife Padmavatti. The king had a good relationship that was based on love and friendship with his ministers.
