सरस्वती पत्रिका का आभार। "कबीर की स्त्री संबंधी धारणा और तत्कालीन समाज" अक्टूबर - दिसंबर 2022 अंक में प्रकाशित।

 

पुरवाई में प्रकाशित दो गज़लें

https://www.thepurvai.com/two-ghazals-by-dr-manish-kumar-mishra/ 

Karna’s Sacrifice- A Healthy Sacrifice?

 Karna’s Sacrifice-  A Healthy Sacrifice?

Dr Swati Joshi 

Now the question arise is it a healthy sacrifice? Karna has given what has come with him by birth, essentially limbs of your being. How will you justify this sacrifice? 

“Don’t be alarmed. Forgive me, holy man. Listen again. My body armor was borne with my limbs, nor god nor fiend can pierce it with their weapons. Yet will I gladly give it thee, with both the ear- rings, if it please thee.”45

          The answer may be even in his giving there were resources of taking and what was he is taking that is “immortality”.  The intentions are questionable if a person does not want to justify the deed of action. The same thing is with Karna who is not able to ask a single question that why Indra in form of beggar wants this. It can be said that this gift giving of Karna makes it useless because there is no use. It cannot be reusable or re adjustable to other bodies. “He just wants to give it as a face saving activity.”

Relevance

   Even in contemporary society people are ready to give donation but without thinking that is it good for the opposite party who takes the donation. In contemporary society everybody who gives, gives for fame and to get a high position in society. 

           There is a big difference between action and intention same as civil offence and crime. This theory can be applicable for the character of Indra whose intention to take the armour of Karna is not good. To save the life of Pandava he has done this work and left Karna to die. This is highly relevant in the contemporary society where every human being is doing every work with intentions and the intentions may be good or evil. But every act and deed has intention even the donation

6 Karna from the Keren Horen perspective

There is a theory of Personality given by Keren Horney where Horney discusses that there are the three categories of people in the society. 

1 People who move towards society

2 Move away from the society.

3 Against the Society. 

In first category there are the people who are ready to do anything to get a prestigious position in the society. They are in the category of – for the society, by the society and of the society. They are ready to accept and to do anything to be the part of society. They are ready to go to the level of extremist. In the second condition where people move away from the society as saints do. The third condition is against the society in which people are in the rebellious form as terrorist, Hitler. Karna is in the category of person who moves towards society but in an extremist way. He just wants to prove that he is also an important part of society and even society is ready to accept him. They are the yes people of the society. 

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

Karna and Indra the winning and losing game

 Karna and Indra the winning and losing game

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

Karna who is ready to give his armour to Indra, has to face two different situations.

1 If he will not give his armour then he will lose his name as Karna- a giver. (Identity of giver) 

2 If he will give then he will loses his life. 

Here he chooses to give his name was larger than life for him. So he decided to give. 

The question is who will emerge as a winner in the game of asking and giving. If Indra wins he can defame Karna by circulating that he has not fulfilled his words of fulfilling desire of a beggar and if Karna wins he will immortalize himself in the anal of mythology by taking the title of the selfless giver. But in both the cases Indra wins more. If he loses he will defame Karna and if he wins he will be able to save his sons life. In both the cases Karna lost as an insane person. If he gives his armour he will lose his life and if he doesn’t he will lose name and in any case where he was not at win-win situation. 

“Without his earrings Karna is a hero who is “without himself” that is dead or soon to be dead- the earrings being an emblem for his identity or life.”44 

Relevance

In contemporary society also life puts forth challenges in which if we accept we lose, if we deny or refuse we also lose. These challenges occur constantly in present contemporary society where people refuse to move on and take negative or criminal actions as for example, killing, murder, or suicide. Most of the people in contemporary society accept the situation but cannot live in society peacefully and move towards to find out the God and become saints, priests, and nuns. They see themselves as it would be better for them to move away from the society. 

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

Karna as a giver

 Karna as a giver

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

 Karna is seen as giver and he creates his image by giving armour to Indra. The reason behind his giving is his willingness to get attention in the society. He wanted his place in the society. Karna needs the attention love, care, respect and position in the family as well as in the society. To prove that he also deserves the fame in the history he sacrifices his Kavach and Kundala. Karna was under the psychological pressure of impressing his identity on the society in general and by giving his (toe to head) his Kavach and Kundala to Indra in particular. Karna was also in the same category where he did not want to think that if he will give his Kavach and Kundala what will be the result. He was just thinking about himself that I want to give these things because I want a place in the history. What will be the result of my giving, what message will be given by me? He never thought about it and took the tag of “Karna- the giver”. Karna must ask question to Angle that why he is in need of my Armour? To give anything to anyone without thinking is not the real meaning of giving or selfless giving. This is our responsibility to ask question why you want this and right to say ‘No”

“The driving force in Personality development is seen by client- centred theorists as the “Self actualization motive” which seeks to optimally develop capacities. As an infant grows the infants “Self Concept” begins to be formed. The development of the self concept is highly dependent on the individual perceptions of his or her experience.”43

Relevance

 In contemporary society we have many people who are using mask on their faces and by using the mask they want to hide their limitations and weakness. These people are in the category of people who will never say single word and they are not on any side. They are not able to decide what is right and wrong. This kind of people is creating poor and weak society. In contemporary society we have many people who are in the same category. They are not able to take their own decision because they feel decision taking activity is a risk and they avoid the risk of taking. But the fact is that these people we have seen make a weak society by just obeying someone. These people are dangerous for themselves as well as for others.

 Another important characteristic of Karna is that he was not able to say ‘No’ to anyone. This shows his mental weakness and he just wanted to be in the category of pleasure (a person who always wanted to make other happy). This is the kind of crossing the boundaries of Sanity. Psychologically if you are not saying no then you are mentally disturbed or stressed and the person’s foundation is shaking somewhere. They just want to make their place as too good to someone. These people just doing this to show off.

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

Relevance of Karna’s Task in the Contemporary Context

 Relevance of Karna’s Task in the Contemporary Context

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

Karna’s Task is a completely based on the character of Karna. Here we see Karna as the individual character that is having his own problems, situations, name, fame, emotions, relations and most important a place in the society. The character of Karna shows relevance with the contemporary society. In modern time everybody face the same problem everyday but the means of problems changed. The description of battlefield, asking of Indra, the politics behind that, the advisory in form of Salya all are the internal part of contemporary time but it come to us in different form. Let’s discuss the character of Karna.

1 Karna

Bhasa’s Karnabharam has also it appeal and relevance in the contemporary context. Karna is the mythological hero who throughout his life suffers, faces injustice and dies for no fault of his own. Karna was the senior most Pandava but lived the life of a discarded and insulted human being. The contemporary times have many such people who find themselves in the same type of condition as is the condition of this mythological hero. The character of Karna can be seen on two bases as his weakness as a part of his personality and his strength and dedication. Karna’s personality is shaped by the childhood incident. He was an abandoned child and he never comes over this thinking of being abandoned by society, friends, family and everybody. This resulted in mental struggle and in search of his self identity. 

Relevance

Troubles hardships and insults which Karna has to undergo are the troubles of every ill legitimate child in the contemporary context. In other words Karna’s pain is the pain of thousands of illegitimate children who suffer for no fault of their own. The insults and setbacks which Karna come across during his life time on the ground of caste are highly relevant in the contemporary context. It’s relevance in the contemporary context is that every illegitimate has to become the victims of social injustice and torture and to run away from the torture the illegitimate children tries to hide their original identity to find out education, benefits and respectful place in the society  as Karna did.

“Karna lied about his lineage in order to study under another great teacher Parsuram.”39 

2 Karna’s Burden

The Burden of Karna is “to give or not to give” Everybody wants recognition in society so does Karna. He wanted to discard his inferiority complex to find the place in the society.  The inferiority was his burden and Karna wanted to come out of it because he was an abandoned child, discarded by his mother, his teacher and by society. This inferiority turns into anxiety.  

“The Neurotic Striving for Power however is born out of anxiety, hatred and feelings of inferiority.”40 

The name of the play itself present the burden of Karna and this burden is released by Karna when he gives his Kavach and Kundal. Kavach and Kundala symbolises his guilt and the feeling of discarded and insulted human being. The armour of Karna was just the means to come out from his emotions or to release emotions. 

Relevance 

The guilt, anger, love, care, cry, hate, acceptance, rejection, hope, expectations; these are the different emotions of humans. These emotions need outlet to maintain mental health, ways may vary. 

“The Neurotic striving for power, prestige and possession serve not only as a protection against anxiety but also as a channel through which repressed hostility can be discharged.”41 

The modern contemporary society is very complex and difficult to deal with. These days it is very difficult to release these emotions in the proper way or correct directions, if they are not released properly will lead to crime or extremist way.

“The Person’s perceptions of experiences are influenced by the “need for positive regarding”. (to be valued by others) The need for positive regard is seen as a universal need in every person. Out of the variety of experiences of frustration or satisfaction of the need for positive regard, the person develops a “sense of self regard” that is a learned sense of self that is based on the perception of the regard he has received from others.” 42

  Many people are desperate, in frustration, in anger but they are releasing these emotions on family members.  Karna has done the same work to come out from the guilt he chooses his death. This is again releasing of one emotion into weird way. This act can be considered as the extremist act. 

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

Plot Construction of Karna’s Task (Karnabharam)

 Plot Construction of Karna’s Task (Karnabharam)

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat 

 The play begins with the stage manager who after the prayer comes across some disturbing noise. A soldier from the Kuru Sena is there to describe the present scenario of the present time which symbolize a war condition. Karna is ready with his entire weapon and wearing the war dress code and want to move towards the battlefield. Salya was there as the driver of his chariot. Karna was in the ominous disposition and in that mental state he asked Salya to drive him towards Arjuna. But Karna was having feeling of brother hood for the Pandavas because the truth is that ultimately they are his younger brothers.

“In days gone by I was born of Kunti though now I am known as the son of charioteer. So Yudhishthira and the other Pandavas are my younger brothers.”32

 To come out from the feelings and emotions Karna talks to Salya about his learning of different weapons. Karna discusses about Jamadagni where he went to lean all the weapons skills. Then Jamadagni said I teach only to Brahmin people. Then Krana lied by saying that-

“I did not belong to the warrior class and began to receive instruction in the art of weapons.”33

 He further discusses that one day he was with his teacher to bring some fruits and other materials and his teacher was tired and he decided to take rest. His teacher slept in the lap of Karna for sometime but unfortunately one insect named steely teeth came and went into my thighs. He was afraid that it may cause disturbance to my teacher. He was beaten by the insect and bleed also. After seeing the bleeding Karna’s majesty became very angry by knowing that Karna lied to him regarding his caste. In fiery anger he cursed Karna that –

“Useless be thy weapons in the time of need.”34

 After this incident Karna was broken from insight. Karna was always discarded and insulted. Karna was struggling mentally but then also decided to be the part of the battlefield. This show the strength of the character of Karna where he was able to struggle till the end of his life, because it is easy to fight with other, but to fight with own family members or loved one is very difficult.

“Still Karna is ready to face the war because he says the efforts of the warrior fighting a war on the battle field never get waste or remain unrewarded. If he wins he gets fame; if he dies he gets heaven.”35

 He recalled memories to come out from his grief of past. Karna comes back to present time and asks Salya to move forward. Salya also touched with the story of Karna. On the other hand Indra was thinking that before meeting Karna that He will go in form of Angle and then he has to bless him. But Indra cannot bless with the words like- “Live Long life” and if Indra will not say anything than it would be easy to recognize him. Then Indra found the middle path by saying that-

“O Karna, eternal as the sun, the moon, the Himalayas and the ocean be your fame.”36

 When Salya was driving the chariot ahead suddenly the Angel (Indra) came there and stopped them. The Angel asked Karna to give a big boon whatever the Angel will ask Karna has to give. Karna tried to offer the Angel horses, elephants, the earth, the benefit of Agnistoma and every materialistic thing. But the Angel refused to take it. But somewhere Salya was able to identify the Angel and his intentions. But Karna was not ready to listen to Salya. Karna has decided to give whatever the Angel will ask he will give.

“Salya seeing through the deceit of Indra sounds a note of warning but Karna after stating that the sacrificial merits and gifts alone are permanent in this transient world satisfies the Brahaman who is really Indra in disguise.”37

 Indra in form of angle asked Karna to give his armor (Kavach and Kundala) to him. Karna was under the dilemma “to give or not to give” and finally he decides to give. But when Angle was going to take the armor there is a sense of guilt in him. So the Angle sends the weapon named Vimala to Karna. Vimala the weapon has Shakti which Karna can use in the battle field to kill one of the Pandavas. But Karna refused to take this by saying that he would not accept the return for the gift. Then Angle says you have to keep it because it is given by Brahman. Then Karna accepts it saying that he cannot disregard Brahman. Karna asked when and how he will get this weapon. The reply was when you will think about the weapon in your mind you will get it. After this incident Salya and Karna both are in different mental status. But both make up their minds and Karna asks Salya to move forward and take him to Arjuna. The play ends with the statement that-

“This is the sound of a conch like the roar of the ocean at the end of the world. Can it be Krishna? No, it is Arjuna’s. With his heart enraged by Yudhishthira’s defeat, he will fight to-day with all his strength. Salya drive my car where Arjun may be.”38

Dr Swati Joshi

Gujarat