ramayana plays of bhasa

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ISSN 0975-4067

KIRA¤ÀVALÃJournal of Sanskrit Research Foundation

The New Trivandrum Sanskrit Series

Vol.V. Book.I & II

January-June

2013

SANSKRIT RESEARCH FOUNDATIONT.C 39/37

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-36



KIRA¤ÀVALÃJournal of Sanskrit Research Foundation

Editor

Dr.M. ManimohananSree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit,Kalady

[email protected]

Executive Editor

Dr.C.S.Sasikumar

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit,Kalady

[email protected]

Managing Editor

Dr.G.Narayanan

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit,Kalady

[email protected]

Editorial Board

Dr.V.Sisupalapanikkar,Professor of Sanskrit(Rtd.) Uty. of Kerala

Dr.R.Vijayakumar, Professor of Vyakarana, S.S.U.S.Kalady

Dr.K.Muthulakshmi, Associate professor in Vedanta, S.S.U.S.

Kalady

Dr.K.K.Sundaresan, Registrar, Kalamandalam

Editorial Advisory BoardDr.T.Devarajan, Professor of Sanskrit(Rtd), University of Kerala

Dr.P.Chithambaran, Rtd.Professor of Vedanta,S.S.U.S. Kalady

Dr.P.K.Dharmarajan, Professor of Sahitya, S.S.U.S. Kalady

Dr..S.Sobhana, Associate professor in Vedanta, S.S.U.S.Kalady

Dr.K.Sekharan, Professor of Sanskrit, University of Calicut

Associate Editor

Prof.R.Jinu

[email protected]

Views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not

necessarily those of the publishers



Contents

I¿a UpaniÀad and R¡m¡ya¸a Dr.V.Vasudevan- 7

Bhadrakalikalam- a Reminiscence of

Dhuli Chitra: A study Babu.K -15

Modern and Vedantic Views

on Mental Health Dr.H.Sylaja -38

Cultivation and related income

in the Artha¿¡stra Pushpadasan Kuniyil -44

R¡m¡ya¸a Plays of Bh¡sa Dr. N. Vijayamohanan Pillai - 49

The Creative Genius

in Sree Narayana Guru Dr.Asaletha.V -56

Eco Feminism Shamshad Begum.R - 62

Ajitamah¡tantra:

Treatise on V¡stuvidya Soumya. K -70

Historical and Cultural Aspects Reflected In

Ashtamimahotsava Prabandha Krishnaveni -79Influence of Buddhism in the Social Health

Environment of Kerala Soumya.c.s -84

¶É¤nùùºÉÉvÉÖ i´ÉÊSÉxiÉÉvÉÉ®úÉ b÷É.ªÉ¨ÉÖ xÉÉ.Eä ò -90

{ Éä ¯ûxiÉÉxÉÆ xÉÉ®úÉªÉhÉÊuùVÉ´É®úºªÉ

ºÉÖ MÉÖ ±ÉÉlÉÇ ¨ÉÉ±ÉÉªÉÉ& Éè Ê¶É¹]õ¬¨ÉÂ b÷É.BºÉÂ .Ê´ÉVÉªÉEÖ ò¨ÉÉÊ® -96

EòÉ±É&-´ÉèªÉÉEò®úhÉ¨ÉiÉä ¦ÉÉMÉÇ É®úÉ¨É& .Eä ò.Eä ò -104

nä ù¶ÉÒªÉÉä nÂ ùOÉlÉxÉä ¶ÉRÂ óEò®ú´Éä nùÉxiÉºªÉ |ÉºÉÊHò& b÷Éì. ÊºÉ. BxÉÂ . Ê´ÉVÉªÉEÖ ò¨ÉÉ®úÒ -109

EÖ òºÉÖ ¨ÉÉ\VÉ±ÉÒ®úÒiªÉÉ |É±ÉªÉºlÉÉ{ÉxÉ¨ÉÂ ¸ÉÒnùÉºÉÂ . B.Ê¤É -113



R¡m¡ya¸a Plays of Bh¡saDr. N. Vijayamohanan Pillai

R¡m¡ya¸a is a brilliant blend of poetry, myths, history, fables and

inspiring thoughts. This unparalleled epic of the world contains the

insight of ancient great thinkers of India which direct a person in

achieving the ultimate aim of human life. R¡m¡ya¸a plays down the

technique of attaining the four puruÀ¡rthas - dharma, artha, k¡ma and

mokÀa - which enable human beings to attain pleasure and perfection

of life. The narration revolves around the life and character of R¡ma

who upheld the highest ideals of humanity. Though V¡lm¢ki, the first

poet mentioned R¡ma in some verses as the incarnation of ViÀ¸u, he

mainly illustrated him as an absolute powerful human being. It brings

out the qualities of R¡ma like kindness, purity, bravery, composure of

mind, dedication to responsibility and selflessness that make himmagnificent and great figure. The story of his life gives out as a guiding

light for anyone in the path of principles, spirituality and moral values.

Its beautiful description sometimes catches the reader to the utmost

stature of pleasure, and sometimes throws in the deepness of sorrow.

R¡m¡ya¸a has stayed behind as a permanent and stable basis of

motivation down the centuries to the writers in all the literatures in

India. Bh¡sa, the earliest and most celebrated dramatist in Sanskrit

Literature was also greatly influenced by the first Indian epic poetry,

R¡m¡ya¸a. Though, Bh¡sa is one of the most distinguished names in

Classical Sanskrit Literature we have got very little about his life history.There are a lot of deferential indications about the greatness of Bh¡sain



50 Kira¸¡val¢

the works of a long line of later eminent poets like K¡lid¡sa and Da¸di.

Among the thirteen plays attributed to Bh¡sa, AbhiÀekan¡¶aka and

Pratim¡n¡¶aka are dealing with the story, characters and situations of

R¡m¡ya¸a. Bh¡sadidn’t narrate the whole story of R¡m¡ya¸a in his

dramas. He found out certain dramatic situations from the ¡dik¡vya

and developed it carefully and successfully as a drama.

Later, another drama of seven acts named Yajμaphala was also

ascribed to Bh¡sa. But most of the scholars refuse its authorship by

Bh¡sa. It deals with the R¡m¡ya¸astory up to the meeting of Para¿ur¡ma

and ¿r¢r¡ma after the breaking of the bow of Lord ¿iva by the latter asthe wager of getting S¢t¡. Da¿aratha, his wives and sons, Sumantra,

VasiÀ¶ha, Vi¿v¡mitra, Janaka, Manthar¡, S¢t¡ , Para¿ur¡ma etc. are

the charecters in the drama. The play describes three types of yajμas –

putrayajμa, viv¡ha and the yajμa of Vi¿v¡mitra. Kaikey¢ appears as a

spouse of great traits who stands along the wishes of her husband, in

the drama. The seethe of the common characters through a variety of

incidents make the drama a great success. But some of the scholars

have different opinion about the authorship of this drama. They did not

accept Bh¡saas the author of Yajμabhala.

Pratim¡n¡¶akaPratim¡n¡¶aka is a drama of seven acts. The first act describes the

story of the journey of R¡ma, S¢t¡ and LakÀma¸a to the forest. The

last act ends with the story of their returning to Ayodhya. Bh¡sadid not

narrate the whole R¡m¡ya¸astory in the drama. He took certain striking

incidents from the R¡m¡ya¸aand developed it as some interesting

dramatic situations. The name Pratim¡n¡¶aka is given by T. Ga¸apati

¿astri, the first editor of the play on the basis of the colophon at the end

of the manuscript.

Pratim¡n¡¶aka starts with the depiction of the coronation of R¡ma.

Bh¡saskillfully incorporate the story of a tree bark there. S¢t¡ isconfabulating with her friends in the first act of the drama. She brings



Kira¸¡val¢ 51

a tree bark from Avadatika, the servant and wears it for a fun. It is the

time she hears the news of Da¿aratha’s decision to coronate R¡ma and

then the obstruction of the same by Kaikey¢. She accompanied R¡ma

along with LakÀma¸a to the forest wearing the same valkala.

Bh¡sacreate such a dramatic situation there by making a slight deviation

from the original R¡m¡ya¸astory. LakÀma¸a decides to accompany

R¡ma because he considers himself as R¡ma’s right leg and S¢t¡ as

left leg.

‘gurorme p¡da¿u¿ruÀ¡m tvamek¡ kartumicchasi

tavaiva daksi¸ah p¡do mama savyo bhaviÀyati’ (I. 27) Before wearing the tree bark S¢t¡ enquired Avad¡tik¡ -‘hal¡! kim nu

khalu mam¡pi t¡vat ¿obhate.’(Bhasa 2007) She replies -‘Bha¶¶ini!

sarva¿obhan¢yam sur£pam n¡ma. ala´akarotu bha¶¶in¢.’(5) Later, the

tree bark also beatifies S¢t¡ during her existence in the forest. We can

see a similar usage in K¡lidasa’s Abhiμ j¡na¿¡kuntala -‘kimiva hi

madhur¡¸¡m ma¸danam n¡krt¢n¡m.’(I. 20) The king DuÀyanta utters

these words while seeing ¿akuntal¡ at first in a tree bark dress.

Sumantra’s narrations to Da¿aratha about the journey of R¡ma to

the forest, the king’s lamentation, Dasarartha’s death due to the sunder

of his beloved son etc. are the subject of the second act. Da¿aratha’sexpression of grief because of the exile of R¡ma is the central description

of this act. Da¿aratha laments by calling R¡ma his son as Sun, LakÀma¸a

as day and S¢t¡ as shade.

‘s£rya iva gato r¡mah s£ryam divasa iva lakÀma¸o’nugatah

s£ryadivas¡vas¡ne ch¡yeva na d¤¿yate s¢t¡’ (Pratim¡n¡¶aka, II. 7)

Seeing the returning of Sumantra alone without R¡ma in the chariot

from the forest, Da¿aratha says that it is the vehicle send by Yama to

bring him. At the time of Da¿aratha’s demise Bharata was not in

Ayodhya. He was in his uncle’s palace at Kekaya. A Messenger was

send to Kekaya to bring him back. Though the messenger brings Bharatafrom his uncle’s house, he doesn’t reveal the tragic incidents that



52 Kira¸¡val¢

happened in Ayodhya. The entering of Pratim¡gºha by Bharata on the

way to Ayodhya along with the messenger is described in the third act.

Bharata infers the tragic death of his father on seeing the statue of

Da¿aratha along with the forefathers in the statue house.

Though Bharata vituperates his mother Kaikey¢ acrimoniously as the

reason of the exile of his elder brother R¡ma and the death of his beloved

father Da¿aratha, she responds in a calm and cool way as a portliness

mother. She hears Bharata patiently and replies that she only motivates

her husband to keep his rectitude. But Bharata decides to go to the

forest for requesting R¡ma to come back. He says -‘tatra y¡sy¡mi yatr¡sau vartate lakÀma¸apriyah

n¡yodhaya tam vin¡yodhy¡ s¡ydhy¡ yatra ragh¡vah’(III. 24)

The fourth act describes the meeting of Bharata and R¡ma along

with Sumantra in the forest. Though Bharata requests R¡ma to come

back to Ayodhya repeatedly, he rejects. R¡ma advises Bharata to rule

the country on behalf of him. The significant incident describes in the

fifth act is the abduction of S¢t¡ by R¡va¸a. The returning of Sumantra

from the forest, Sumantra’s description of the life of R¡ma in the forest

to Bharata and Kaikey¢ etc. are the subject matter in the sixth act. Here

also Bharata blames Kaikey¢ bitterly.‘yah svar¡jyam parityajya tvanniyogadvanam gatah

tasya bh¡ry¡ h¤t¡ s¢t¡ pary¡ptaste manaorathah.’(VI. 13)

Then Kaikey¢ elucidates the incident how Da¿aratha was cursed by

a sage earlier whose son was died by the hands of Da¿aratha. In

continuation of her words Sumantra explained the story of the cuss in

detail which reduces the culpability accused on Kaikey¢ by Bharata

and also it dignifies her character. The destruction of R¡va¸a by R¡ma

and the coronation of Vibh¢Àa¸a are described in the last act of the

play. While they were enjoying the victory of the battle, Bharata and

Satrughna along with their mothers reached the forest to call back R¡ma,LakÀma¸a and S¢t¡ and they all returned to Ayodhya.



Kira¸¡val¢ 53

Kaikey¢ in the R¡m¡ya¸aappears so cruel in her debars and benefits

due to the toxic admonitory of Manthara. Thus she pleads her husband

to put in practice of the two boons that he promised her in the past. She

demands the deportation of R¡ma to the forest for fourteen years and

the coronation of Bharata in Ayodhya. But in Pratim¡n¡¶aka, Kaikey¢

demands the expatriation of R¡ma to the forest and the coronation of

Bharata, her son as the kany¡¿ulka that Da¿aratha promised her earlier.

Kaikey¢ reveals this to Bharata in the third act of the drama – ‘J¡ta!

¿ulkalubdh¡ nanu praÀ¶avy¡.’(Bhasa 2007 p. 34). The significant

point appears here that the king really offered the kingdom to the sonof Kaikey¢ if she married him. Such a diversion in the story brings in

by Bh¡sadignifies the character of Kaikey¢ in the drama.

AbhiÀekan¡¶aka

AbhiÀekan¡¶aka deals with the story of KiÀkindh¡k¡¸da,

Sundarak¡¸da and Yuddhak¡¸da of R¡m¡yana. The drama consists of

six acts. ¿r¢r¡ma, S¢t¡, Laksma¸a, Sugr¢va, B¡l¢, T¡r¡, R¡va¸a,

Vibh¢sa¸a, Lord Varu¸a, Lord Agni, Vidy¡dharas, ¿a´kukar¸a and

other r¡kÀasas, Han£m¡n and other v¡naras etc. are the characters

appeared in the drama. The first Act of the drama describes the fight

between B¡l¢ and Sugr¢va. While they are fighting each other R¡makills B¡l¢ with his arrows as agreed with Sugr¢va. After the death of

B¡l¢, Sugr¢va becomes the king of KiÀkindha and the leader of v¡naras

as per the direction of R¡ma.

The story in the second act happens in La´ka. Han£m¡n reaches

La´ka in order to find out S¢t¡. The conversation between R¡vana and

S¢t¡, meeting of Han£m¡n and S¢t¡ etc. are the subjects here. The

avocations of Han£m¡n in La´ka are described in the third act. He

destroys the A¿oka garden and kills Aksakum¡ra. At last he is defeated

by Indrajit and put before R¡va¸a. Han£m¡n discloses the aim of his

arrival to R¡va¸a. He is released by igniting fire on his tail. Dialogues between R¡vana and Vibh¢sa a also count in here. Han£m¡n informs



54 Kira¸¡val¢

the condition of S¢t¡ in La´ka to R¡ma, LakÀma¸a, Sugr¢va and others

in the fourth a Act.

During their debate, Vibh¢Àa¸a who is afraid of his brother, R¡va¸a

reaches there and takes refuge in R¡ma. Hearing the words of

Vibh¢Àa¸a, R¡ma asks Varu¸a to give a way to La´ka through the

ocean. Varu¸a appears before him and accepts to give his requirement.

They are all along with v¡naras go to La´ka through the path given by

Varu¸a along the ocean. Fifth act of the drama is the conversation

between R¡va¸a and S¢t¡. R¡vana requests S¢t¡ repeatedly to accept

him and to refuse R¡ma.‘s¢te bh¡vam parityajya m¡nuse’smin gat¡yuÀi

adyaiva tv¡m vi¿al¡kÀi! mahat¢m ¿riyamav¡pnuhi.’ (V. 9)

The war between R¡ma and R¡va¸a is presented in the drama

through the words of two vidy¡dharas in the last Act. S¢t¡ enters in

fire to prove her chastity at the end of the play. But Lord Agni gives

back her to R¡ma. AbhiÀekan¡¶aka says the story of two coronations

made by R¡ma – the coronation of Sugr¢va in the first act and the

coronation of Vibh¢Àa¸a in the last act. The character B¡l¢ comes in

the first act of the drama. The questions rise by B¡l¢ prior to his death

and the replies of R¡ma are enthusiastic thought provoking.Bh¡sa gives much importance to the character of B¡l¢ in

AbhiÀekan¡¶aka. He is described as a tragic character in the play. R¡ma

decided to kill B¡l¢ because of the agreement done with Sugr¢va in the

presence of Han£m¡n. While B¡l¢ questions R¡ma in the last moments

of his life, he replies some other reasons based on dharma.

‘ bhavat¡ v¡narendre¸a dharm¡dharmou vij¡nat¡

¡tm¡nam m¤gamuddi¿ya bhr¡t¤d¡r¡bhimar¿anam’(I. 20)

But Bali doesn’t satisfy with his reply. He points out that Sugr¢va

also did the same deed. But he was not punished. Rama replied that

‘da¸ditastvam hi da¸dyatv¡d, ad¸dyo naiva dandyate.’11 Byincorporating such a discussion Bh¡sahighlights the character of B¡l¢



Kira¸¡val¢ 55

in the drama.

Bharata and Kaikey¢ are the two shining characters in the

Pratim¡n¡¶aka. Considering Kaikey¢ as the reasons for the two evils,

ie. R¡ma’s sojourn and Da¿aratha’s death, Bharata scolds her angrily.

He calls her as a river of polluted water in between the holy rivers

Ganga and Yamuna, ie. the other two mothers, Kausaly¡ and Sumitr¡.

‘mama m¡tu¿ca m¡tu¿ca madhyasth¡ tvam na sobhase

ga´g¡yamunayormadhye kunad¢va prave¿it¡.’ ( III. 16)

Bharata questions Kaikey¢ for connecting r¡jya¿ulka and the

expatriation of R¡ma to the forest in the third Act of Pratim¡n¡¶aka.Then Kaikey¢ replies that she will say the reason in the correct place

and in the correct time. She discloses the curse story of Da¿aratha in

the correct time in the sixth act and in the correct place in the presence

of Sumantra, the other person who knows the details of the curse.

AbhiÀekan¡¶aka and Pratim¡n¡¶aka were performed in the Kerala

stage as a serial by professional actors called C¡kyars. These two plays

along with the ¡¿caryac£d¡ma¸i of ¿aktibhadra are referred to as

R¡m¡ya¸atrilogy in Kerala.

Works Cited

Bhasa. The Abhishekanataka of Bhasa. Ed. Sastri T. Ganapati.Trivandrum: TSS, 1913. Print.

Bhasa. Pratimanatakam : Ed. Rupanarayana Tripathi and

Manikya Lala Sastri. Jayapura: Hamsa Prakasana, 2007. Print.

Kalidasa. The Abhijnanasakuntalam. Ed. M. R. Kale and

Raghavabhatta. Bombay: Gopal Narayan &, 1920. Print.

ramayana plays of bhasa

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