Culture defines society. The cultural ethos of every society is unique in its form and essence representing the character of its people, their experiences and beliefs. Myth, legends and folklore are in fact the embodiments of these cultural ethos that represent the underlying values and principles of life, the shared experience of the race, the rules and the codes of society. Karnad’s plays are a reflection of the culture in our society. Focusing on our folk culture, he takes inspiration from mythology and folklore.
Girish Karnad has been regarded as the leading dramatist so far as the use of myth and history is concerned with his artistic skill, he combines myth and reality, past and present and portrays the complexities of the modern life. Karnad’s drama focuses on the complexity of human relationship and contains an indirect critique of modern Indian society. In each of his plays, beneath a legendary or mythical or historical story, one can notice subtle and constant juxtaposition of the past and present which is the common feature of Karnad’s dramatic art. With Hayavadana, Karnad has taken us back to the myths and legends of the Hindu religion.Karnad extensively resorts to the myth and folktale in his play Nagamandala also. The play is based on two oral Kannada tales that he had heard from his mentor-friend and well known poet, translator and philologist A K Ramanujan, to whom Karnad dedicated the play.
HAYAVADANA
Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana, a play in two acts, is his third play originally written in Kannada. The play was an immediate success on the stage and received the prestigious Kamala Devi Chattopadyaya Award in 1971. Karnad himself translated it into English retaining, however the original title Hayavadana. Hayavadana literally mean ‘one with horse’s head. The precursor text is the Transposed Heads by Thomas Mann. Although switching of heads of two people is relatively rare in the myths, legends and folktales of most cultures, Indian myth provides a fairly rich source of these stories. The most Indian example of this narrative concerns the origin of the elephant headed God Ganesha
Hayavadanareinforces the central problems of human existence in a world of tangled relationships. Aman’s search for his own self among a web complex relationship, Karnad’s Hayavadana was influenced by Thomas Mann’s Transposed Heads, which in turn is borrowed from Somadeva’s Kathasaritsagara, a collection of stories in Sanskrit dating from 11thcentury. It poses a moral riddle; Mann uses it to question the logic that holds the head superior to the body. Karnad builds on Mann’s line to explore the theme of identity in a world of confused relationships. The play aims at demystification of traditional values and concepts and presents multiple viewpoints that promote a dialogue on the basic accepted tenets of life. This is enhanced by the merging of three levels of experience- the divine, human and animal and the bringing together of the animate and inanimate on a common plane.
The main plot of the play begins with Kapila, who finds his best friend Devadatta despondently dreaming about Padmini. Kapila goes to arrange Devadatta’s marriage to her and realizes that Padmini is a clever as she is beautiful. Although Kapila is attracted to her, he nonetheless finalizes the match, and Devadatta and Padmini are married. The marriage is unhappy from the beginning. Padmini is herself attracted to the strong bodied Kapila and Devadatta is consumed by jealousy. A few months into the marriage three travel to Ujjain to a fair. On the way, they rest between two temples, one devoted to Rudra (The Howler – form of shiva)and the other to Kali. Devadatta decided to offer himself to Kali, but Kapila too is not left behind. The two men behead themselvesin the Kali temple. The pregnant Padmini, afraid that she might be blamed for their deaths, then decides to kill herself. However, Kali stops her and offers to bring the men back to life. Padmini rearranges the heads so that Devadatta’s head on Kapila’s body and vice versa and asks the goddess to do her magic. Kali resignedly comments ‘there should be a limit even to honesty’ and brings the two men back to life.
Along with the central theme, there is a sub plot where in Hayavadana (the horse-man) reflects incompleteness. With the face of a horse and the body of a man, the off spring of a celestial being and a princess, loathes and wants to rid of the horse’s head and longs to be a complete man. He is symbolic of the identity crisis we face today. Karnad implores existentialism by intensifying the motif of incompleteness by a broken tusk and a cracked belly – which other way we look at him he seems the embodiment of imperfection, of incompletion.
In the confusion that ensures after the transposition of heads, Padmini makes it clear that she wants to be with the Devadatta head or Kapila body. Her wish is granted by an ascetic who mediates the conflicting claims from both men to be her husband. With his new body Devadatta returns to the city with Padmini and they begin a blissful marital life. At this point Karnad introduces two dolls that Devadatta presents to Padmini as gifts for the expected child. Karnad through the use of dolls reveals very effectively to the audience the thought processes and inner psyche of character. The two Dolls brought by Devadatta from the Ujjain fair talk with each other but their conversation is inaudible to the other characters. It seems that the dolls allow Karnad to introduce the voice of society in the play. The dolls are not at all necessary to the plot, which can move forward without them, but they are important because they remind audience, the presence of society. Their attitudes provide some of the motivating force for Padmini’s behavior in that she does some of what she does because of what society will say, and some of what she does in spite of what society will say. Through their own dialogues, the dolls describe the dynamic changes occurring in the family. They document the change of Devadatta’s body from its rough muscular Kapila’s nature to a soft, potbellied Brahmin body. They reveal that Padmini has given birth to a disfigured son and that she has now begun dreaming about Kapila again. The dolls also become the theatrical device through which Padmini sends Devadatta to Ujjain, so she can use his absence to sneak away with the child to the forest where Kapila resides. Back in the forest, Padmini finds the rough and muscular Kapila again. He is surprised to see Padmini, and she reveals her desire for his well-muscled body. Devadatta, armed with a sword and two new dolls, finds the lovers, and the two men decided to kill each other since their love for Padmini cannot be reconciled. Padmini then decides to commit Sati. She entrusts the boy to Bhagavatta and leaves instructions for him to be raised both as Kapila’s son and Devadatta’s son.
Karnad reveals the religious sentiments prevalent in our society, psychology and culture by showing the presence of goddess Kali. Hayavadana begins with an invocation of lord Ganesha, who is generally worshipped first among the gods. In the beginning, Devadatta worships Kali in order to win Padmini’s hand for marriage. Later in the course of time, he offers himself to the goddess by beheading himself and his friend Kapila follows suit. The Hindu rituals and superstitions are very well portrayed by showing people offering themselves to Kali. This was a practice that was followed a few decades back. Now people offer goats other animals to goddess Kali, who is also known as the Goddess of Destruction. The theme also reveals the Upanishad principle that visualizes the human body as a symbol of the organic relationship of the parts to the whole.
Hayavadana deals most explicitly with the question of human selfhood beyond our socially constructed identities. Karnad shows that while identity depends on the materialism of the mind or body, it also extends beyond this to include witnessing consciousness. In trying to identify solely with mind and body, both of which are essentially physical, the characters end up feeling confused and frustrated. In taking the audience toward a sense of completion, Hayavadana illustrates that while a mystery in terms of theoretical understanding, completion can be known through direct experience. He has used the folk tradition in his play Hayavadana, to reinforce the central problem of human existence. Very artistically, Karnad interconnects the subplot of Hayavadana’s desperate search for completeness with that of Devadatta, Padmini and Kapila in the main plot
Karnad makes a selection of myths or folktales relevant and suitable for his dramatic purpose and strips off their spatio- temporal bearings. His mythical characters emerge as archetypes, manifestations of general human characteristics, placed in a contemporary context and dealing with contemporary situations. He chooses events or episodes from Indian mythology to question their values and relevance in the present context. Commenting on the use of techniques of the classical and folk theatre of India Karnad says: “The energy of folk theatre comes from the fact that although it seems to uphold traditional values, it has also the means of questioning these values, of making them literally strand on their head”(Intro: 14).
As the practice in other dramatic forms in India, every Yakshagana performance too begins with a host of primary rites. Hayavadana begins with the invocation of Lord Ganesha in the folk drama tradition. A mask of Ganesha is placed on a chair in the center of the stage. The Bhagavata sings verses in praise of Ganesha:
O Elephant-headed Herambha
whose flag is victory
and who shines like a thousand suns,
O husband of Riddhi and Siddhi,
seated on a mouse and decorated with a snake,
O single-tusked destroyer of incompleteness,
we pay homage to you and start our play.(ref)
The opening narration of Bhagavata not onlyquickly introduces the characters, the background and essential rudiments of the plot, but also the central dilemma of the play which is Padmini’s dissatisfaction with human limitations. Even before the characters of the main plot appear, Bhagavata has disclosed the tragic outcome- the inevitable death of Devadatta and Kapila.Bhagavata who is an avatar of the sutradar in ancient drama opens the play with the offering of worship accompanied by signs to the God Ganesha, for ritual worship, for the God with his human body and animal head aptly suggests a major development in the actions such as well as the central of completeness of being. In choosing to open with Ganesha pooja, a ritual found both in classical and folk drama. In his prayer to Ganesha Bhagavata stresses the point of completion of being: “this mangalamoorthy, intends to signify by his very appearance that the completeness of God is something no poor mortal can comprehend” (Haya: 73).
While pooja is done, Bhagavata sings the benedictory verse in praise of Ganesha with musical accompaniment. In Karnad this ritual invocation seems rich in connotations most appropriate to the thematic and structural unity of the play. Ganesha is established at the presiding deity not just as per convention, he is in, in fact, the embodiment of the very idea the play chooses to discuss. Ganesha symbolizes the concepts of completeness and incompleteness. There is also the suggestion thrown in at the very beginning that the idea of totally of being is best left to the gods, it is a goal beyond human comprehension and knowledge. After the introduction of the sub-plot, the Bhagavata once again picks up the thread of the main story. He reveals the love triangle even before the three characters are presented on stage:“Two friends there were – one mind, one heart. They saw a girl and forgot themselves. But they could not understand the song she sang”(Haya: 82).Karnad also uses dolls to describe subconscious images and dreams that cannot be represented visually. The dolls- a child’s discarded playthings, tattle and chuckle like scandalized crones as they look intoand describe Padmini’s dreams about Kapila. In so doing, they prepare the audience for her action later in the play.
In Hayavadana, the presence of goddess Kali reveals the religious sentiment prevalent in Indian society, culture and psychology. Devadatta prays to the goddess to win the hand of Padmini in marriage. Later he beheads himself as an offering to the goddess. Divine intervention unfolds the central theme of the play, incompleteness and quest for completion. The theme also reveals the Upanishadic principle that visualizes the human body as a symbol of the organic relationship of the parts to the whole. Religion and ritual not only forms a part of the narrative of Karnad's plays but is also integral to the dramatic representation of the plays, a take-off of the folk theatrical tradition of the country.
Karnad mocks at the religious beliefs and practices. He boldly questions all the outdated practicesand traditional mindset. This is best conveyed in Hayavadana’s visits to different religious places to achieve perfection. As Hayavadana says: “Banaras, Rameshwar, Gokarn, Haridwar, Gaya, Kedarnath – not only those but the Dargah of Khwaja Yusuf Baba, the Grotto of our Virgin Mary – I’ve tried them all. Magicians, mendicants, maharshis, fakirs, saints and sadhus …… I’ve covered them all” (Haya: 81).Here, Karnad makes fun of the Indian belief that we can obtain anything if we visit such holy places as mentioned above. Through ironic presentation of Hayavadana’sendeavors to be a complete man, Karnad criticizes the Hindu concept of gods and goddesses.
Socio-Cultural practices like Sati, Varna and the Patriarchal moral codes are portrayed with remarkable clarity and precision by the playwright in his plays. The Bhagavata thus says in Hayavadana, "…Padmini became a sati. India is known for its pativratas, wives who dedicated their whole existence to the service of their husbands." (Haya: 132).
Karnad has very successfully employed the folk drama form in Hayavadanato present the perennial problem of identity and search for completeness. An old story gives the dramatist the opportunity to elaborate his thesis to focus on a hitherto unnoticed aspect. The dramatist is able to expose outdated notions and in the process create a contemporary consciousness. Karnad recognizes such a principle and uses familiar tales in all his plays. Hayavadana most effectively subverts the accepted notion of the superiority of head over body, brain over brawn, while making a critique of futile and unreasonable human hopes and aspirations.
The quest for identity or the problem of identity forms a major part of Karnad’s thematic concerns. Hayavadana is concerned entirely with the question of human identity in a world of tangled relationship.Most of the characters in the play are haunted with the problem of identity. The astonishing desire of Padmini and Princess of Karnataka along with the mixed identity of Kapila, Hayavadana and Devadatta baffle the audience.Padmini’s act of transposition of the heads creates the identity crisis of Devadatta, Kapila and of her own. Her going back to Kapila and the fight between Devadatta and Kapila and her final sacrifice -- all this creates an acute sense of identity crisis in her. It is Hayavadana who desperately struggles to know his ‘society.’ In the post-colonial society the identity crisis has become a major issue.Hayavadana is a bold experiment in dramatic technique and thematically rich play. The entire play is cast in the form of traditional Indian folk drama which took several features of the ancient Sanskrit drama, but adapted them to its own special needs as a popular form of art. The particular form of folk drama which Karnad has drawn upon is the Yakshagana of Karnataka, which means music of the heavenly Yaksha, but this form has much in common with traditional folk drama in other Indian languages also.
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