Myth has remained a major source for literary works. Many authors of the world have used myths of their country and culture to write literary works. Bhasa is one such writer who has taken help of the Indian myth for writing his plays. The myth of the Mahabharata has remained major source for Bhasa to compose his plays. Most of his plays just like Karnabharam (The Burden of Karna), Dutavakyam,(The Embassy) Ghatotkacam,(Potsherds As An Envoy) MadhyamaVyayoga,( The Middle One) Pancaratram, (The Five Nights) Urubhangam,( Karna’s Task) are based on the myths of the Mahabharata where as Abhishēka- Natakam (The Consecration), Pratima-Natakam (The Statue Play) based on the myths of the Ramayana. Bhasa has taken historical background plays like The Minister’s Vow and The Vision of Vasavadatta depend upon the history for the theme and subject matter to deal with mythical concept.
The plays of Bhasa’s are completely based on the conflict of humans in a dialogue form. Bhasa’s not only main characters seem to be real and related with contemporary modern society but also his minor characters are represented without any disingenuousness. The charms of his characters are still with us as these characters will never be evaporating from the mind and heart of the person who reads. The characters of Bhasa touch the soul of the reader. The major and minor characters of Bhasa represent every aspect of contemporary modern society. All the characters as Duryodhana, Bharata, Vasavdatta, Udayana, Hidimba, Karna, Madhyama, Bhima, Udayana, Gandhari etc, are among us even in the contemporary modern society. It can be said that Bhasa himself was a great psychologist who has given soul to his character by presenting them on psychological and sociological perspective. Bhasa must not know the word psychological or archetypal perspective, sociological, feminist perspective, philosophical perspective but he is well equipped with the study of the mind of humans and their issues which is associated with their life and still in continuation in the contemporary modern world.
Bhasa is not the author simply to repeat and represent the myth of those scriptures in his plays. He reconstructs myth, gives a new interpretation to myth and makes it relevant to present day life situation. The success of Bhasa as a playwright is to be found in his achievements that every play that he wrote has been made relevant by giving a new interpretation to the myth. Bhasa has given chance to expand authority of interpretation, has given new sense of creativity by giving unique narration of his dramas, he has given various perspective of characters, at last but not least a new and different message to contemporary society.
The mythical concept is represented by his characters, events, incidents, and by the narratives of dramas. Though his plots are from different era he become successful in representing the mythical concept of that particular time. The work is to find out the myth in all selected dramas and showing their reinterpretation with the contemporary context. That symbolizes that how these myths are related even in the contemporary society and what are the medium to represent different myths.
Any myth Ancient or Modern, it never loses its relevance. The appeal of myth is ever lasting and its relevance can be found or established in any age. It makes myth a living entity. When myth loses its relevance, it remains no more myth. Relevance of myth means how much a given myth is applicable in modern context if it has something to teach, something to preach, something to comment and something to instruct in the light of modern era, it proves the relevance of that myth. Myth can be seen as the enlightenment of life, the significance of life, function of life. Each and Every Myth has its own particular format and thematic intelligence. Myth which we find in the plays of Bhasa whether based on Epics or History, they have an appeal to make in the modern context and so they can be considered plays with the appeal of myth in the modern context. Bhasa has personalized myths which indicated that Bhasa wanted to talk about present issues making primordial figure as his weapon. Bhasa has tried to bring together culture, myths and literature. Myths can be seen from two perspectives.
1 Rearrangement
2 Parallelisms
Relocation or Rearrangement symbolizes the straight use of mythical characters and events but with some essential amendment. Parallelism stands for relating some significance of particular uniqueness from primeval reproduction with the circumstances and characters of contemporary modern society. When there is a discussion on myth then all the characters, settings and events of the narrative are converted into the complicated but meaningful signs as for examples Duryodhana becomes the symbol of war ethics, Karna as a sacrificial image but with some unconscious purpose of mental urge, as Dhritrashtra and Gandhari symbolizes a silence but can feel the human emotions, Bhima as corrupted dishonest warrior, Vasavadatta and Bharata symbolizes the victims of politics and conspiracy, Ahwathama symbolizes animal cruelty in the form of human, infertile brainpower is symbolized by Sanjay and Vidura, Krishna symbolizes as mere the outside player , Sita symbolizes a category of being good wife by doing sacrifice and Kaikeyi symbolizes a category of terrible woman who demanded and become notorious in the world, etc. These characters represents that the formation of myths are based on certain beliefs and policies, which cultivate the principles of the edict category. Myths are full of lots of communication and counter discussions. Sometime Myths play the role of analytical, based on certain role and on the particular models the judgment is given on the people’s conduct as Rama as an ideal personality with all his duties.
It can be concluded into the following manner. Genuine endeavor has been prepared to see the plays of Bhasa from the various perspectives.
1Relevance of Myths in The Broken Thighs, The Burden of Karna, and The Middle One in the Contemporary Context.
2 Relevance of Myths in The Statue Play in the Contemporary Context.
3 Relevance of Myths in The Minister’s Vow and The Vision of Vasavadatta in the Contemporary Context.
It is believed that Myths can be judged on the scientific or logical basis, but the findings of the study tried to see the six plays of Bhasa from different perspective as psychological, social, philosophical, emotional and intellectual basis. These various perspectives have given wide ground to see myth and to relate it with the contemporary context. Myths are everywhere in the society sometimes comes to us in oral form, sometime written, sometime as narratives and sometime we ourselves gain and accept the myths. Family is the first source for a new born baby to deal with the different myths of the society and culture. As for example, the myth of sacrifice which is represented by Karna in The Burden of Karna’. In Indian mythology the character of Karna is accepted as an image of great sacrificial image. The research of mine asks a question that why he has done this great sacrifice and what was the reason behind it. I have tried to see his character from the psychological perspective and I found that Karna was an abandoned child, abandoned youth, never got fame and place in the society. Somewhere in his unconscious mind there was an urge of his to get place and recognition in the society. By giving his Kavach and Kundala he got the place in myths and become a great sacrificial personality. But the myth of sacrifice does not considered as to give everything even life for the sake of doing sacrifice. The question is that is it a healthy sacrifice? Karna knew that if he will give his Kavach and Kundal then he will lose his life but he considered recognition larger than life. The character of Karna reflect that even myths have psychological touch and the psychological understanding will give new lights to the new generation who are struggling to understand and accept the various myths of the past and it also help them to deal with the myths in their routine life and to decide the purpose of their life. It is highly relevant with the contemporary society that merely acceptance of myth is now not important but to understand it on various levels is important. Even in the contemporary society there are many people who are interested in doing sacrifices but why they are doing it. One has to be ready to find out the reason that there are always certain purpose behind doing any action, yes it would be better to say that the intentions may be at conscious mind or may be sometime at unconscious mind. The second example which shows the concept of the myth of sacrifice is King Dashrath, who has also done sacrifice because of his oath (Vachan). He knew that because of his decision what will be the result, but I have again question that is it a healthy sacrifice? He looses his life because of his oath and sacrifice. These two examples show that the situation, background, circumstances of previous time was different than the present contemporary modern society or world. The myths which we accept and blindly follow without understanding, without knowing the exact situation that may create problems in life. The character of Karna and King Dasrath also symbolizes excessive action. Even in the Contemporary modern life people are doing excessive action which resulted in rape, acid attack, murder, fraud, conspiracy, prostitutions, terrorist, etc. When you will do excessive action or take excessive decision then it will affect others also. So it can be said that myths symbolizes something significant for the contemporary society but only thing is that we need eyes and open brain to understand and accept it. The character of Duryodhana which is represented by Bhasa as a hero of the play is again symbolizes the laws of war field and ethics of war. Duryodhana lost his fight and died just because he followed all the ethics of war with honesty and Bhima won because he cheated and did not act according to the ethics of war. The genuine attempt required the answer that is the winning situation of Bhima acceptable? Even in contemporary society people are doing the same thing just to win and they are ready to do anything to win. This mind set lead them to commit a crime. The myth of ethics has been challenged by people from a long time and still it is in continuous process. After knowing the breaking of myths of ethics and its result even in contemporary society people are not learning any lesson. From the time to Bhasa to till date almost every writer try to say the real meaning of using Myths in their work, and its relations with the contemporary modern world. Because of the genuine attempt it is possible to relate the myths of the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and some historical plays, with contemporary society but just relating is not important. It has its value when it is understood by societal people and also applicable in their routine life to make their life ideal, respectful and happy. Bhasa did his genuine and genius works not only with the male characters but also he has done justice with the female characters and relates his female characters with the contemporary context. His female characters as Gandhari, Vasavadatta, Sita, Hidimba, Kaikayi, Padmavati, Malavi, Puravi, other minor female characters as Kaushalya, Sumitra, Hamsaka, Vijaya, Salaka etc. They are represented from different perspective as they were represented in their respective epics and historical background. These female characters are at their best performance to say something based on myths and attempt has been made to relate them with contemporary society. As for instance Kaikai who is considered as she is the responsible for the exile of Ram but Bhasa has presented with a different perspective that Kaikeyi become the medium of destiny, and it is mandatory for Rama to go exile and then to kill Ravana. But the study remarks that in both the situation a woman has to suffer, has to become victim in the society and it continues even in the contemporary context. Another example is Sita who is considered as great wife because she went with Ram but if she will not go with Rama for exile then what would be the category for her. It is still in there in contemporary society where we see woman and accept her as wife, sister, mother, daughter but we are not ready to accept her as a woman, as a human being. Another example is Puravi and Malavi who is the wife of Duryodhana. They both cry and feel themselves as they will be alone after the death of their husband. To cry is a part of sentiments or emotions but to take pride for something very brilliant is also a part of sentiments. They both should be proud on the Royal, ethical and brevity of their husband. Their husband fought like a Royal tiger with war ethics, hurt and then died. But these two women did not feel it and even not expressed it. The reason behind it is that they are not taught that even woman can feel pride or express something else than the tears in her eyes and just to cry is her role and she will be considered as a woman when she will cry. If a woman is strong, ready to fight and do not want to cry, want to demand something, not ready accept others decisions, do not want to sacrifice then she is not considered and accepted as good woman or ideal for marriage, or to be the part of the family. ‘Woman should be mute and weak’ this mentality prevails in the society. Bhasa has beautifully presented a feminist perspective through his female characters which is still related with the contemporary context.
The events are also related with the contemporary context as War field in The Broken Thighs, exile scene and family background of Rama’s family, the political background and narrative in The Vision of Vasavadatta, the forest scene in The Middle one, and the psychological and social pressure scene of Karna in Karna’s Task etc. are still with us in our life what we requires only reinterpretations of myths and its relations with contemporary context. We have every day war like situation where we break social and moral ethics every day sometime consciously sometime unconsciously. We have to face politics everywhere around us and we have to be sometime victim of politics and sometime we have to make others victims of politics. The forest scene of The Middle one symbolize that we are alone and helpless in our life where we need the support and help of others. In contemporary world for the sake of family and family members we have to go outside and leave them alone because we are forced to do it even in contemporary context. The psychological and social of Karna which is represented by Bhasa is still with us in form of “To be or not to be.” All these examples are the matters of reinterpretations of myths.
According to G.S.Iyer,
“In the case of Bhasa, his works do not just constitute great literature but are still eminently stage worthy. We must remember that for many centuries they were virtually the only classic plays that were used for presentation on stage through the elaborate medium of Koodiyattam. At the same time his crisp dialogues, innovative use of mythological episodes the vivid portrayal of characters both major and minor and his intense awareness and faithful presentation of the human condition is an unvarnished manner ensure that he remains relevant and can be staged comfortably to a present day audience.”1
To conclude it can be said that Bhasa’s characters, situations, events, narratives, language, dialect, are directly or somewhere indirectly related with myths, some time in form of symbols. These myths are saying something hidden but rationale to the human beings and send a message which we have to decode with our understandings and intellectuals. These myths are related with contemporary context but the forms, methods and level of representation and reinterpretation is different. No one can live his life without the touch of myths and myth’s relevance with the contemporary context. Bhasa has done a great job which does reinterpretations of Myths in Contemporary context and will continue to guide us as according to the changes of the time. The Plays of Bhasa will be the medium to make us aware of different myths and its reinterpretation will create a good repo with the contemporary context. Myths will be with us till we are alive and will show the directions towards a good life forever.
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