INTRODUCTION:

Drama is the mirror of human action and society. Indian English drama was started when Krishna Mohan Banerji wrote “The Persecuted” in 1837. However, the real journey of Indian English drama began with Michael Madhu Sudan Dutt’s “Is this called Civilization” was written in 1871 and is considered a major play in Indian English drama. Later it flourished with the Mohan Rakesh in Hindi, Badal Sircar in Bengali, Vijay Tendulker in Marathi and Girish Karnad in Kannada is the most representative playwrights of contemporary Indian drama and given remarkable contribution to the modernization of the Indian drama.

Girish Karnad (19^th May 1938 – 10^th June 2019) is one of the best playwright of Indian English drama who is a multi-dimensional and skillful practitioner of performing the arts and literature. His plays were written primarily in Kannada and then later he translated it to English. The myth, history and folk lore influenced legend to tackle the issues of contemporary socio-political condition. Girish Karnad has written plays in such a way that earned immense popularity and has enriched the Indian English theatre.

Girish karnad receipted many awards and rewards in the global platform. He is been praised extensively for his plot-construction, themes, characterization, usage of mythological stories besides folktales and reinterpretation of history and outstanding usage of dramatic technique. He deals with a subject that looked entirely alien to manifestation of native soil. Women are the main character in most of his plays. Significantly projects all his women characters, giving much extent for their self-realization. They go beyond the social norms to fulfill their desires. Usually his female character undergoes some panic but finally finds consolation.

So, the paper study on two different characters; Padimi from Hayavadana and Rani from Naga-Mandala created by Girish Karnad. Who are two female characters (polarities) with different behaviour. Padmini is bold woman representing the modern, outgoing woman of our age. She is quick, dynamic modern and has an enthralling character where as Rani is innocent and victim of the Indian patriarchal society and child marriage much in trend in the native culture.

In Hayavadana (1971), it is theme of the search of identity, completeness and human relationship. Even the theme of Naga-Mandala (1988) ‘the doppelganger theme, carbon copies or the double-self symbols.’ It has been employed strategically to centralize “the exploitation of woman and emergence of her as controlling institution.”¹ As the name signifies ‘Padmini’ is like ‘lotus’ torn between the two different verities. Though the roots of Lotus are on earth, the face is upwards to the sky. Padmini is married to Devadatta but has a penchant for kapila.

Both praise:

She … like a white lotus. Her beauty can be compared to the magic lake; it caste such a spell on you. Her arms are as slender and beautiful as the lotus creepers. Her breasts like vases of gold and her waist … (Hay, p.64)².

As the name ‘Rani’ mean any beautiful woman as ‘queen-like’. She has gifted with a charm, beauty and physique incomparable. Queen, she is, ‘Queen of the whole world wide and the Queen of long tresses. For when her hair was tied-up in a knot, it was as if King Cobra lying curled up at the back of her neck, shining one coil upon another. When her long hair hung loose, it flowed in waves of black down to her silver anklets.’ (Naga, p.56)³. The Naga acclaims, “What beautiful, long hair! Like dark, black snake princesses!”(p. 72).

Padmini is a victim of the patriarchal society. The marriage between Devadatta and Padmini was fixed by her parents without considering her liking and disliking. Padmini was born in an affluent and rich family. She developed her personality, which searches for perfection. Also, Rani is a victim of the patriarchal society and early child marriage much in vogue in the indigenous culture. Parents wishes well being and happy married life for their children. Rani’s parents performed her marriage with a young boy from rich family whose parents were dead with an expectation that she would live a happily married life. Therefore, marriage performed in the whole life of girl does not give any assurance and security of the perfect bliss and comfort later in their married life. No doubt, Padmini dominates the entire play including her husband. She is breaking the chains of tradition and customs where as Rani suffer with the same suppression but she does not step forward at least to freedom and liberate herself from her cruel husband.

Padmini got married with Devadatta, a handsome youngman, an intellectual and a wise personality but possessing a frail and delicate body. But she remains charmed by him not for too longtime. Kapila, a counterpart of Devadatta, also a youngman with robust and masculine figure unconsciously attracts Padmini. She wants the better of two men – the wise head of her husband and strong body of Kapila. Shortly after the Ujjain trip begins, she exclaims in one of her side.

Padmini:

How he climbs up the tree – like a monkey. Before I could even say ‘yes’, he took off his shirt, pulled up his dhoti and climbed up the tree to pluck the flower for me. What a heavenly physique! Such a broad back – like an ocean with muscles rippling like waves on the surface – and the narrow, waist of a woman which seems so vulnerable (Hay,p.76).

She never bothers for her husband or the old traditional customs of the Indian society as a married woman but wants to get in her own way. Even in the company of Devadatta she thinks about Kapila and wants him. Karnad has widely projected her modernistic ideas or thought as against to an idealistic Indian wife or woman who are desirable by the entire world for their chastity. Rani wants to be in love and care of her husband who does not have any connection with the other world but longs for her husband’s relation with concubine. She deprived from familial enjoyment. She cannot even express the same to him. Appanna always denied her feeling and act like a dictator to her.

Appanna: Well, then, I will be back tomorrow at noon. Keep my lunch ready. I’ll have it and go again (Naga, p.56).

Rani looks at him mystified and nonplussed. He pays no attention to her, goes out, shuts the door, and locks it from outside and goes away. She runs to the door, pushed it, finds it locked, peep out of the barred window. He is gone.

It is Padmini, who is satisfied with the relationship of her husband but she wants more love from Kapila.

Padmini: where is Kapila?

Devadatta: ….and you keep talking of Kapila all day.

Padmini: What do you mean?

Devadatta: What else should I say? I wanted to read out a play of Bhasa’s to you, and, sure enough, you start talking of Kapila (Hay,p.71).

Padmini had an absolute and passionate love for the ‘iron-black-body’ of Kapila. She goes beyond that she does not blame anyone or feel guilty, especially for Devadatta. He is a noble person but couldn’t bear the condition of Padmini’s friendship with Kapila but can’t say anything against her wishes. He wants to spend some intense moment with his wife in privacy. He is such a kind and simple human being that he wants to be with his newly married wife and have ‘self’. But Padmini is not interest of such sort. She desires for the companionship of Kapila, who physically attracts her. She romances with him. She drops from the idea of going to a short visit to Ujjain fair on her husband’s request that she cannot go on a journey in such a period but Padmini is carefree. After Kapila comes with the cart, she is ready for the trip and it makes Devadatta feel jealous and anguish. Even she requests Devadatta to agree for the trip for the sake of the Kapila.

Padmini:

Please do not get angry. Poor boy he looked so sad and disappointed that I could not bear to see it. He has been arranging the trip for us for the past one week (Hay,p.75).

Rani shut-up alone without any company feels hurt and humiliated. Even though Kurudavva, a blind old woman comes and meet her window. She doesn’t want to communicate with her. Although she got a chance (magical root) to make Appanna fall in love with her instantly. As She has only loved him.

Kurudavva:

Take this smaller piece. That should be enough for a beautiful girl like you. Take it and grind it into a fine paste, feed it to your husband and watch the results. Once he falls for you, he will not go running after that prostitute. He will immediately make you his wife (Naga,p.64).

Padmini is a clever and mentally sharp woman. Padmini, when both the men beheaded themselves, Padmini doesn’t satisfied for them but she asks Mother Kali that she has something strange in mind.

Padmini:

Mother, you know everything. The past and future are just small particles of time in the palm of your hand. Then why didn’t you stop him when Devadatta came here? Why didn’t you stop Kapila? If you had saved either of them, I would have been spare of all this terror and pain. Why did you wait so long? (Hay,p.83).

Thus, first reason Padmini doesn’t publicly accepted her love with Kapila because she knew very well about socio-culture restriction which prohibit a married woman for developing extra marital relationship. And second reason, is that Kapila belong to lower caste and inter-caste marriage wouldn’t have been accepted in the society. Hence, Padmini make a blunder in her eagerness. Her head transposed, Padmini feel very happy on getting the better of two persons – Kapila’s strong body and Devadatta’s wise head as her husband for which she is ambitious. She lives happy and blissfully life never felt any shame that she is living with Kapila body.

Padmini:

My Devadatta is now like a bridegroom with a strong and muscular body as an ornament….(Hay,p.92)

Wonderful body—wonderful brain—wonderful Devadatta (p.94).

When Rani starts her married life with Naga (king cobra) who comes in the form of Appanna in the nighttime, she doesn’t desire for love but runs for the affectionate treatment of Naga. Rani feels delighted in the company of Naga and feel sexual fulfillment, which she does not have from her husband.

Rani: I was a stupid, ignorant girl when you brought me here. Now I am a wife; I am going to become a mother shortly (Naga, p.85).

She even gets ready to take the snake ordeal when Appanna objects her for getting pregnancy without his touch. She favored her husband. She works according to him and obey him. She found everything in her life, a loving and caring husband, a lovely child and servant lived happily. Apart from all the above she is adored as ‘a Divine Being’, ‘a Goddess” in the village. Finally, Rani succeeds in weaving her family happily with her chastity.

“This hair symbolizes my happiness in marriage. Live in there happily, forever” (Naga,p.99).

In the case of Padmini, she finished her life by performing sati after the death of both the men in a battle. A desperate Padmini send Devadatta to Ujjain fair and get new doll for the child. She came to Kapila, who is in the forest after the transposition of head. She entrusted adultery with him and finally killed himself for the all things that she has created and performed. Then, she realizes that her life is incompletes as she belongs to both Kapila and Devadatta. She makes way for a big funeral pyre with the bodies of both the men’s pyre and finally ends her life as a sati.

Padmini:

Kali, Mother of All Nature, this is a funny situation created by you. Other women can die praying that, they will be blessed with the same husband in all the lives to come. You haven’t given me even that choice (Hay,p.113-114).

So, Karnad is successful in presenting both the female characters in similarity and dissimilarity in many ways both subordinated their own image and responsible for their distiny. It is absolute true that women were mistreated and misused in Indian society but Karnad give new voice and develop her own individuality to his female protagonist.

REFERENCES:

1. Batra, Shakti. (2018). Girish Karnad Hayavadana: A Critical Study. (Fifth Reprint 2018). New Delhi: Surjeet Publication, p. 64, 76, 71, 75, 83, 92, 94, 113-114.

2. Batra, Shakti. (2015). Girish Karnad Naga-Mandala: Critical Study. (Sixth Reprint 2015). New Delhi: Surjeet Publication, p. 56, 72, 56, 64, 85, 99.

3. Bisaria, Subhash. (2013). ‘Girish Karnad: Hayavadana’. (Ninth ed.) New Delhi: Rama Brothers India Pvt. Ltd.

4. Iyengar, K.R. Srinivasa. (1996). Indian Writing in English. (Revised & Updated ed.) New Delhi: Sterling Publisher Pvt. Ltd.

5. Manikanta, G.N. (2021). Compare and Contrast of Padmini and Rani from Hayavadana and Naga-Mandala by Girish Karnad.

6. Naik, M.K. (2021). “A History of Indian English Literature”. (New ed.) New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.

7. Nimsarkar, P.D. (2004). Women in Girish Karnad’s Plays: A Critical Perspective. New Delhi: Creative Book, p. 118.

8. Vaidyanathan, G. (2018). ‘Girish Karnad: Naga-Mandala’. (Third ed.) New Delhi: Rama Brothers India Pvt. Ltd.

Received on 15.07.2022 Modified on 06.09.2022

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2022; 13(4):279-282.

DOI: 10.52711/2321-5828.2022.00045