Urubhangam (The Broken Thighs)

 Urubhangam  (The Broken  Thighs)

Dr. Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

The Broken Thighs is a pathetic, painful and critical description of the single combat between Duryodhana and Bhima which is presented in one act play. The play presents not only the combat of these two but the horrible emotional, psychological and social impact on the every character of this play. Duryodhana and Bhima can be considered as the chief characters of the play but the other characters are also like back bone to the chief characters. The other characters are Stage manager who begins the play with the beautiful description of the requesting to Kesava for the victory on the enemy by giving the example of Arjuna who got victory on his enemy. Then there is the entry of Assistant of the Manager who takes the responsibility to introduce other characters of the play and create excitement and eagerness of the audience to talk about new characters and the narrative moves further. These two characters play an important work on audience psychologically as well emotionally because Assistant talks about the war condition and bloody results. 

“The Sutradhara or stage manager appears and starts talk with an actress, who is supposed to be his wife, or with his assistant one of the actors, for the purpose of saying a few words in praise of the author of the piece, that is being staged in order to attract the attention of the audience towards the play and to prepare them for its presentation. The interlude always ends with an allusion to the characters that are appearing in the particular play.”2 

There are three soldiers in the play next who takes the responsibility to describe the battle, the blood, the sacrifices and the splendor of Great War with the description of lots of elephants, vultures, jackals etc. These three soldiers are there to provide an impression of severe war and the recent activity of the war. This description is completely different from the epic description.

“The Elephant as a ‘determinant’ placed beneath the anthropomorphic symbol of divine powers is common in Sanskrit Drama.”3 

The three soldiers show pity and fear on the death of the soldiers. They talked about clouds, mountains, sea, earth, sky and wind. In Sankrit Drama the clouds, mountain, sea, earth, sky and wind is a myth that symbolizes that they believe in God and they are in need of help from God. When people think that the situation is now out of control, they recall these Gods and believe that now divinity will take care of them. The same thing is happen in Urubhanagam where after getting the alarm situation in war these three soldiers are pleading them for mercy. 

“Most Hindu preferred to believe that God was above fate, that he programmed evil into his creation willingly or unwillingly.4 

Then the next character is Baladeva who is the witness of the injustice done by Bhima on Duryodhana. Baladeva knows that Bhima has done wrong thing but he cannot do anything to save him. The character of Balarama is presented as strong individual personality who sees this bad politics and ethics rules break activity and become angry on Bhima. The next chief character is Duryodhana who is presented as the hero of the play and having good quality. 

“One of the meanings of Duryodhana is ‘one who is difficult to conquer.”5 

He fights like a real soldier in the war with honesty and follows the rules of war and maintains his personal ethics also. He is presented as brave and respected soldiers in the play. Bhasa has used one another name for Duryodhana in his play as ‘Suyodhana’. Gandhari his mother is calling him as Suyodhana. 

“Suyodhana – usually known as Duryodhana (a derogatory term signifying one who does not know how to use weapons or power) is a name given to him by his detractors.6 

The question arises that why the word is related with Duryodhana.  The answer is related with Pandavas who did not want to call him by his name Suyodhana. They call him Duryodhana.

“Though named Suyodhana the Pandavas used the derogatory “Dur” to slander him as “One who does not know how to wield    power or arms.”7 

After Duryodhana Next character is very clearly represented by Bhasa is Bhimasen. Bhima is as good as Duryodhana in the mace fighting. There is no dialogue of Bhima in complete play. Bhasa has not given the opportunity to talk or express the feelings of Bhima. Even the name of the Bhima is not in the list of the characters in the beginning of the play. First soldier is talking about Bhima and Krishna when Krishna gives the indication to Bhima to beat Duryodhana on his thighs. 

“Bhima became an eyesore to Duryodhana as the latter was also a mace fighter and considered himself no less an expert in this art.” 8 

It shows that Bhasa was very clear in writing The Broken Thighs that he will give the quality of the hero to Duryodhana and for that he has not even gives space to Bhima for the interaction with the audience. A great ability of Bhasa can be seen here. Next character is Dhritrashtra, Gandhari, (Duryodhana’s father and mother) Malavi and Purvi they both are Duryodhanas’ queens.  Durjaya is Duryodhan’s son. He is the added character by Bhasa who is not in the original Epic. Durjaya is represented as very young son of his who wanted to sit on the thighs of his father. The next character is Asvatthama who is the son of the old preceptor Drona who at last takes the oath to kill all the members of the family of Pandavas. 

“Urubhangam is a tragedy, viewed from Aristotle’s point or that of Hegel. According to Aristotle, the proper subject for a tragedy is the spectacle of a man, an ordinary human being not absolutely good or wise, who is brought to disaster by some frailty in him; it evokes feelings of fear and compassion and thereby purges the soul.”9 

Plot Construction  of  The Broken Thighs (Urubhangam)

The meaning of the title of the play is smash (bhanga) and thighs means (uru). There is the description of club fight between Bhima and Duryodhana. The warriors come on the stage after the interlude finishes and provide detail evidence of the war field. The war field is completely full of elephants, jackals, vultures. There are lots of dead bodies in the war field and vultures are eating fresh flesh of the soldiers. After the description of dead soldier the play shifted to another place where there is duel combat between Bhima and Duryodhana. Vyasa, Vidura, Balarama and Krishana were there to witness the great and terrifying combat of mace. Both Bhima and Duryodhana are very strong in the mace fight. Behind the curtain there is terrible noise that gives idea of the struggle of Bhima and Duryodhana. The soldiers are giving their opinion that physically Bhima is stout but even Duryodhana is very skilled in the mace fight. But during the middle of the fight Bhima got a strong knock-back on his head and he fell down to the earth. After seeing that the follower of Pandavas become anxious. Then Duryodhana abuses Bhima and says that he is not going to kill Bhima. If Bhima is alive then this will be the mercy of Duryodhana. But there is one strong character in the play Balarama who believed in the disciple and ethical mace fight. He is the elder brother of Krishna. He is neither the side of the Pandavas not the Kauravas. He believes in honesty and moral ethics of war. But Lord Krishna knows very well that it is impossible for Bhima to defeat Duryodhana with the ethics of war. Krishna decided to take another different path and gives signal to Bhima to strike on the thighs of the Duryodhana with mace. Bhima is very sure that whatever instruction is given by Krishna is for the betterment of the Pandavas. Then Bhima without thinking of single minute strikes on the thighs with mace. This act was completely against the rule of the club fight. Duryodhanas thighs are broken completely and bleeding can be seen on the ground. After this incident Vyasa decided to go to the heaven but Balaram became angry on Bhima and Krishna. He shows his anger on Bhima because Bhima has broken the rules of war and done this act. This is unjust done to Duryodhana by Bhima. Vyasa has given the advice to take away Bhima from this place for the betterment of the Pandavas. 

In next scene there is the description of the shouting of the Balrama who is ready to kill Bhima because of his misdeed and he asked Duryodhana to wait for the sometime. But here Duryodhana stopped Balarama not to punish Bhima and let him go. Now Duryodhana is ready to go to heaven. 

“Nay, say not so. Bhima has fulfilled his vow, my hundred brothers have gone to heaven myself have come to such a pass Balarama. What can do war now?”10 

But Balarama is not ready to forgive Bhima and declare that he will kill all the Pandavas. Balarama is talking about the trick and injustice done to him. But Duryodhana stopped him and takes the initiative for saneness acceptance. After this soon the family of Duryodhana came as his father Dhrtrastra, his mother Gandhari and his two wives Malavi and Pauravi. Along with them the son of Duryodhana, Durjaya was in the battle field. They all are searching for Duryodhana. Duryodhana feels severe pain to see his family members. Duryodhana felt emotional and psychological pain in spite of his physical pain. 

“The sight of his queens crying aloud, walking on foot and bare headed without their usual veils, strikes a serious blow to Duryodhana.”11 

This pain is not enough for Duryodhana. Fate has played very serious game with him. He consoles his father Dhrtrastra and his mother Gandharai. He tries to console his queens also. But Duryodhana become more conscious and helpless when his son asked him to sit on his thighs. His Son asked him where you are going father. These questions made him cry and he became senseless for some time. He cannot bare the pain of his son’s wish. 

To give last greeting to his father Duryodhana tries to get up from the ground but he cannot get triumph and decreases down again on the ground. The emotional act between Duryodhana and Durjaya is the most tragic incident in the play. The discussion between father and son is heart tearing and poignant activity.  Dhrtrashtra remembers the death of the hundred sons at the time of the death of Duryodhana. But Duryodhana console his mother by saying that you should be proud of me that –

“Her son died in the war without showing his back and that he is dying in the same dignity in which he was born.”12 

He consoles his queens also by saying that you should not be lament on my death I am taking the death as the hero of the war. I have performed all the duties and rules of the war because of that I will go to the heaven. In the end Ashvathama comes on the stage with the loud voice. He takes the oath to kill the family of Pandavas. But Duryodhana tries to stop him by killing of the Pandavas and Krishna. Duryodhana requests him there is no use of killing because he has already lost his brothers and now he is also going to heaven. But Aswathama argues that now it is the question of his honor and he will kill the complete family of Pandavas. He also declares that after Duryodhana his son Durjaya will be the emperor of the kingdom. After hearing that Durjaya will be the king, Duryodhana feels content and remembers his dynasties. The end come with the death of Duryodhana and Aswathama take departure from there to kill the Pandavas and play finishes. 

 Relevance of The Broken Thighs in the Contemporary Context- 

It is believe that in modern contemporary society it is very difficult to understand people. They are not aware about their individual self. They have lots of problems to face during their lives. But they ignore the past or historical procedure from which our existing provision come into sight. In the same way Bhasa’s The Broken Thighs represents the past life, its vision and this vision will try to relate with the contemporary society. All wars are biggest relevance of all the plays of Bhasa based on the Mahabharata is that characters are changed but war is eternally going on in one or the other corner of the world. The war of Mahabharata was war of power and power of politics. War of Power and Power of Politics you find playing part in today’s world also with changed weapons, warriors and changed nature of war. But power politics plays its role the same way. Every individual and even the characters of Bhasa have to suffer due to war. The Broken Thighs has many characters like Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, Malavi, Paurvi, Durjaya and Asvathama. Each and every character and their roles, actions, emotions say something which is directly or indirectly is related with today’s modern society and influenced by the condition of war. Let’s discuss the character of Duryodhana in context to war and see his relevance with the contemporary modern society. 

Dr. Swati Joshi

Gujarat