Mahaviracharita

Last updated

Mahaviracharita ("Exploits of a Great Hero") is a play by the 8th-century Sanskrit playwright Bhavabhuti based on the early life of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana and venerated as a Hindu deity. [1] It is the first play of Bhavabhuti, [2] thus lacking in character and style compared to his two known later works: Malatimadhava and Uttararamacharita . [1] Though currently composed of seven acts, the whole present text may not have been composed by Bhavabhuti.

Contents

Structure and plot

The play is composed of seven acts. Most modern scholars agree that Bhavabhuti has written the play from the beginning only to the 46th verse of Act V. [2] [3] According to one theory, the rest of the play is lost to time. Another theory suggests that Bhavabuti left the play incomplete after the 46th verse of Act V. However, two different extensions replace the lost material to make up seven acts. The North Indian version is composed by a poet Vinayaka and the South Indian version is attributed to Subrahmanya, but this is disputed. [2] Both versions do not resemble Bhavabuti's style. However, the North Indian version is considered better in quality than the South Indian version. [4]

Bhavabhuti's original: Act I - V.46

The prologue starts with the sutradhara (narrator) singing the prayer to God, followed by the introduction of Bhavabhuti and the themes of the play, pointing out the starting point and context of the story portrayed in Act I. In Act I, the sage Vishwamitra has called his disciples Rama and his brother Lakshmana to guard his sacrifice against demons. He has also invited King Janaka to the sacrifice site but he is unable to attend and sends his brother Kushadhvaja and daughters Sita and Urmila as his delegates. [5]

Act I begins with Vishwamitra introducing the Ayodhyan princes to Kushadhvaja, who in turn introduces his nieces to the sage. From behind the curtain, Ahalya hails Rama as her saviour and Vishwamitra tells her story to the Mithila royalty. Sita realizes that Rama is no ordinary being and develops feelings for him. Sarvamaya, a messenger of the demon king of Lanka - Ravana - demands Sita for his king. An angry Lakshamana reacts, but is pacified by Rama. Suddenly, demoness Tataka attacks the sacrifice site. Vishwamitra orders Rama to slay her, but Rama hesitates to kill a woman. The sage justifies her slaying since she otherwise would slay the priests. The powerful Tataka is killed, shocking Sarvamaya. A pleased Vishwamitra grants the princes divine weapons. Kushadhvaja wishes to have Rama as his son-in-law. Janaka imposes a condition, only the man who can string the enormous bow of the god Shiva may win the hand of Sita. So, Rama mounts the string on the bow, breaking it in the process. Kushadhvaja and Vishwamitra decide to marry Sita and Urmila to Rama and Lakshamana. Tataka's sons Maricha and Subahu attack the sacrifice site. Vishwamitra orders Rama to slay them, ending the Act. [6]

In Act II, Ravana's minister Malyavan and sister Surpanakha discuss news of Tataka and Subahu's death, Maricha's narrow escape and Rama's marriage. A letter from Parshurama arrives with a veiled threat to Ravana to stop atrocities on sages in Dandaka Forest or face the consequences. It offers friendship on condition he stops the carnage. Malyavan provokes Parshurama against Rama, who broke his guru Shiva's bow. In the main scene of the act, an enraged Parshurama arrives in Mithila and dashes into the inner chambers of Rama and Sita. Rama — embraced by a frightened Sita — meets Parshurama and praises him to calm the warrior-sage. While Sita is taken away, on the orders of Parshurama, Janaka and his family-priest Satananda arrive on the scene and send Rama inside. Satananda tries to pacify Parshurama and reminds him that he had broken social norms by entering the inner chambers, but Parshurama pays no heed. [7]

The sage Vashishtha, family-priest of Rama, Vishwamitra and Satananda try to calm Parshurama in Act III, with arguments including the father Dasharatha's plea, the seniority of Vashishtha to Parshurama (thus Parshurama should listen to his uncle Vashishtha), and Satananda's warning to use his penance power against his cousin Parshurama. Janaka and Dasharatha intervene and accelerate the dispute. As the scene is set for a battle between Vishwamitra and Parshurama's penance powers, Rama enters and humbly praises Parshurama, who prepares to fight him. [8]

In Act IV, Malyavan and Surpanakha visit Mithila in a flying machine and learn of Parshurama's defeat. Malyavan orders Surpanakha to possess the body of Manthara, Rama's stepmother queen Kaikeyi's maid. He plots to bring Rama to the Dandaka Forest where Ravana's demons and monkey ally Vali would get rid of him. Sita could then be easily acquired for Ravana and his brother Vibhishana would not be able to interfere. If he sides with Rama, the plan will fail and Lanka will be doomed, warns Malyavan. In the main scene, the defeated Parshurama politely talks to the sages and kings, with whom he quarrelled in the last Act and is forgiven for his transgressions. The sages bless Rama and Sita and leave. Parshurama gives away his weapons and requests Rama to protect the sages of Dandaka Forest. The possessed Manthara brings a false letter from Kaikeyi which instructs Dasharatha to send Rama to the forest for a 14-year exile and crown her son Bharata as king. Listening to this wish, Dasharatha faints. Bharata agrees to rule the kingdom till Rama returns and takes Rama's sandals as his reminder. The sorrow of Ayodhya is then described. Rama with Sita and Lakshmana leave for the forest and set up camp in Chitrakuta, where demon Viradha is troubling the people. [9]

Act V starts with a short story about Surpanakha lusting for Rama and Lakshmana cutting her nose, when they moved to Panchavati. Demons Khara, Dushana and Trisiras attack in vindication and are killed. The vulture Jatayu sees Rama and Lakshmana chasing a deer, while Ravana kidnaps Sita. Jatayu dies trying to protect Sita. In his last words, he reveals Sita's captor to Rama. As they move forward, they hear the distress call of Shramana. Lakshmana kills demon Kabandha and frees Shramana, the envoy who has joined forces with Vali's brother Sugriva. Malyavan instigates Vali to attack the grief-stricken Rama. Vali confronts Rama, and this is where Bhavabhuti's Act V ends. [10]

North Indian manuscript

Act V continues with a fair duel between Vali and Rama. Rama slays Vali, who in his dying breath asks Rama for forgiveness and advises him to form an alliance with Sugriva and Vibhishana. [11]

Act VI begins with a disappointed Malyavan learning that his plans have failed, Lanka is set on fire by Rama's monkey general Hanuman and Ravana's obsession with Sita and his wife Mandodari's plea to return Sita. In the main scene, Mandodari tells Ravana about a bridge of flowing rocks to by built by the monkeys. Rama's monkey envoy Angada arrives, but his peace deal is rejected. Battle preparations start. The god Indra and the gandharva Chitraratha come to witness the epic war. The whole war is presented as a dialogue between them. Finally, Rama slays Ravana. [11]

Act VII starts with the presiding deities of the cities Lanka and Alaka discussing Sita's trial by fire, Vibhishana's coronation and Rama's preparations to return home. Rama and his party return to Ayodhya in Ravana's flying machine, describing the places they see below them. Hanuman flies ahead to convey the message of Rama's arrival to Bharata. A welcome party greets Rama and the play ends with Rama's coronation. [11]

South Indian manuscript

Act V continues with Vali and Rama agreeing to fight. [12]

In Act VI, Rama kills a deer, not knowing it is Vali, cursed by a sage and turned into a deer. Sage Agastya gives Rama divine vision so that he can see the evil designs of Malyavan and Ravana. [12]

Act VII starts with a conversation between Indra and Dasharatha, who arrive from heaven in Ayodhya in a flying machine. They discuss Ravana's defeat, Vibhishana's coronation, Sita's fire ordeal and Rama's arrival in Ayodhya. The gods and sages bless the crowned Rama and Sita, ending the play. [12]

Themes

Though Bhavabhuti's inspiration is the Ramayana, the earliest narrative of Rama's life; he has deviated with the Ramayana plot at many places, like love feelings in Sita's heart, Kaikeyi absolved of all guilt, Surpanakha possessing Manthara and Rama killing Vali in a fair battle. Bhavabhuti has even quoted some Ramayana verses verbatim. A unique feature of the play is the plotting of Malyavan. [13] While Ramayana is clear that Rama kills Vali justly from a hidden spot while Vali and Sugriva are in a duel, Bhavabhuti portrays Vali allying with the villain Ravana and killed in a fair battle, thus legitimatising the death of Vali at the hands of Rama. [3]

The most prominent rasa is Vira or heroism, expressed in Rama's valorous speech. Other rasas include Raudra (anger), in Parshurama's speech and Bibhasta (disgust) in grotesque descriptions of demons and their corpses. Bhavabhuti uses 20 poetic metres in the 200 verses of the play. [14]

Much about Bhavabhuti's life is known from the information given by him in the prologue of this play. [15]

Assessment

Two of the acts are devoted to a confrontation between Rama and Parashurama. This overstretched dialogue is considered as a sign of the immaturity of Bhavabhuti at this period. [1] The play is also criticized as a listing of events rather than a coherent composition. [16] Bhavabuti is praised for his characterization of the various epic personalities and his innovative remodeling of the story, inducing various new themes and events. [16] [1] Bhavabuti's analysis of politics and his handling of the Manthara, Surpanakha, and Parshurama episodes with Malyavan's devious background politics is commended. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shatrughna</span> Brother of Rama

Shatrughna is a prince of Ayodhya, King of Madhupura and Vidisha, and a brother of Prince Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is also known as Ripudaman. He is the twin of Lakshmana. He is a loyalist of Bharata, just like Lakshmana is to Rama. According to the Valmiki Ramayana, Shatrughna is an incarnation of the Sudarshana Chakra. Shatrughna also appears as the 412th name of Vishnu in the Vishnu Sahasranama of the Mahabharata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maricha</span> Rakshasa (demon) in Ramayana

In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Maricha, or Mareecha is a rakshasha, who was killed by Rama, the hero of the epic and an avatar of Vishnu. He is mentioned as an ally of Ravana, the antagonist of the epic. His most notable exploit is his role in the kidnapping of Sita, Rama's wife. His son Kalanemi was killed by Hanuman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sita</span> Hindu goddess described in the Hindu text Ramayana

Sita, also known as Siya, Janaki, Maithili, Vaidehi and Bhumija, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She is also the chief goddess of Rama-centric Hindu traditions. Sita is known for her dedication, self-sacrifice, courage, and purity.

Bharata (<i>Ramayana</i>) Ramas brother

Bharata is a figure in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana. He is the son of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala, and Kaikeyi, the daughter of King Ashvapati of Kekeya. He is a younger half-brother of Rama. He rules Ayodhya as its regent while Rama is banished from his kingdom, and fights to rescue his wife Sita, kidnapped by Ravana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shurpanakha</span> Sister of Lanka king Ravana in the epic Ramayana

Shurpanakha, is a rakshasi (demoness) in Hindu epic. Her legends are mainly narrated in the epic Ramayana and its other versions. She was the sister of Lanka's king, Ravana, and the daughter of the sage Vishrava and the rakshasi Kaikeshi. Shurpanakha's role in the original epic is small, yet significant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manthara</span> Character in the Hindu epic Ramayana

Manthara is a character in the Hindu epic Ramayana. In the epic, she is described to have convinced Queen Kaikeyi that the throne of Ayodhya belonged to her son Bharata and that her step-son—crown-prince Rama —should be exiled from the kingdom. She is portrayed as a mother-figure to Kaikeyi and her twin Yudhajit, following the banishment of their mother. She accompanied Kaikeyi to Ayodhya after her marriage to Dasharatha.

<i>Ramayan</i> (1987 TV series) Indian epic television series

Ramayan is an Indian Hindi-language epic television series based on ancient Indian Sanskrit Epic Ramayana. The show was created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. It originally aired between 1987 and 1988 on DD National and it was narrated by Ashok Kumar and the director Ramanand Sagar. The music was composed by Ravindra Jain. During its run, the show became most watched television series in the world, and it is the most watched serial in the world, it had a viewership of 82 percent. The repeat telecast was aired on 20 different channels in 17 countries on all the five continents at different times. The success of the series was documented well by the media. According to BBC, the serial has been viewed by over 650 million viewers. Each episode of the series reportedly earned DD National ₹40 lakh.

<i>Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama</i> 1992 film by Yugo Sako

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is a 1992 anime film co-produced by Japan and India; produced and directed by Yugo Sako. It is based on the Indian epic Ramayana. The film was directed by Koichi Sasaki and Ram Mohan, with music composed by Vanraj Bhatia. The film was first released in India at the 24th International Film Festival of India. It was also screened at the 1993 Vancouver International Film Festival. Subsequently, a Hindi dubbed version was released in the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kabandha</span> Demon in Hindu mythology

In Hinduism, Kabandha is a Rakshasa (demon) who is killed and freed from a curse by the god Rama – an Avatar of Vishnu – and his brother Lakshmana. Kabandha's legend appears in the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as in later Ramayana adaptations.

<i>Ramayana: The Epic</i> 2010 Indian film

Ramayana: The Epic is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language computer-animated mythological action film from Maya Digital Media. Directed by Chetan Desai and produced by Ketan Mehta, it was released by Warner Bros. India on 15 October 2010.

<i>Ramayan</i> (2012 TV series) Indian TV series or programme

Ramayan: Sabke Jeevan Ka Aadhar is an Indian television series produced by Sagar Pictures which aired on Zee TV. It is an adaptation of Ramcharitmanas.

Ramleela – Ajay Devgn Ke Saath, commonly known as Ramleela is a mythological on-stage musical drama, based on the famous Indian epic poem Ramayan. The show premiered on 21 October 2012 on Life OK and completed the story in five episodes on 18 November 2012. The show was narrated by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, who provided a prologue at the beginning of each episode or act. The show aired during the period from Dussehra in October till Diwali in November.

<i>Sampoorna Ramayanam</i> (1958 film) 1958 film by K. Somu

Sampoorna Ramayanam is a 1958 Indian Tamil-language Hindu mythological film directed by K. Somu. It is based on Valmiki's Ramayana. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao in the lead role of Rama and Sivaji Ganesan as Bharatha. It was released on 14 April 1958 and ran for over 264 days in theatres, thereby becoming a silver jubilee hit. The film was dubbed into Hindi as Ramayan in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rama in Jainism</span> Jain illustrious person

Rama (Rāma), the hero of Ramayana, is described in the Jain scriptures as one of sixty-three illustrious persons, known as Salakapurusa. Among these, there are nine sets of Balabhadra, Vasudeva and Prati-Vasudeva. Rama was the 8th Balabhadra with Lakshmana and Ravana being his Vasudeva and Prati-Vasudeva counterparts. He is described as a young prince who is deprived of his throne and turned into a pauper. While living in exile his wife Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, King of Lanka. Rama then rescues Sita with the help of his brother Lakshmana and King Sugriva. Ravana is killed by Lakshmana and they both go into hell. Rama becomes a Jain muni and his soul attains moksha. Sita becomes a Jain sadhvi and is born into heaven as Indra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trijata</span> Demoness in the Hindu epic Ramayana

Trijata is a rakshasi (demoness) in the Hindu epic Ramayana who is assigned the duty of guarding Sita who was kidnapped by the demon-king of Lanka Ravana. In later adaptions of Ramayana, Trijata is described as a daughter of Vibhishana, the brother of Ravana.

<i>Siya Ke Ram</i> Indian mythological television series based on Ramayana

Siya Ke Ram is an Indian TV series on Star Plus produced by Nikhil Sinha under the banner of Triangle Film Company. This show presents the epic Ramayana, the story of Rama and Devi Sita from Sita's perspective. The show features Madirakshi Mundle and Ashish Sharma playing as Goddess Sita and Lord Rama, respectively, and Karthik Jayaram as Raavan. It premiered on 16 November 2015 and ended on 4 November 2016.

<i>Ramayan</i> (2002 TV series) Indian mythological television series

Ramayan is a Hindi TV series that was aired on Zee TV in 2001. It is a television adaptation of the ancient Indian epic of the same name, and is primarily based on Valmiki's Ramayana, Tulsidas Ramcharitramanas, Kalidasa's Raghuvaṃśa and Kambar's Kambh Ramayana. It was produced and directed by Baldev Raj Chopra and Ravi Chopra.

<i>Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush</i> Indian mythological television series

Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush is an Indian mythological drama television series, which aired on Colors TV from 5 August 2019 to 10 February 2020. The series focused on the story of Rama and Sita as well as their children Luv and Kush. It starred Shivya Pathania, Himanshu Soni, Krish Chauhan, and Harshit Kabra in lead roles.

Shrimad Ramayan is an Indian Hindi-language mythological television series that premiered on 1 January 2024 on Sony Entertainment Television. Produced by Siddharth Kumar Tewary under the banner of Swastik Productions, the series is based on the epic Ramayana. It stars Sujay Reu as Rama and Prachi Bansal as Sita.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Mahavira Charita". Dictionary Of Indology. Pustak Mahal. 2009. p. 134.
  2. 1 2 3 Mirashi p.111
  3. 1 2 Pillai, S. Devadas (1997). Indian sociology through Ghurye, A dictionary. Popular Prakashan. p. 213.
  4. ↑ Mirashi p.146
  5. ↑ Mirashi pp.111-3
  6. ↑ Mirashi pp.113-6
  7. ↑ Mirashi pp.116-22
  8. ↑ Mirashi pp.122-9
  9. ↑ Mirashi pp.129-37
  10. ↑ Mirashi pp.137-42
  11. 1 2 3 Mirashi pp.142-4
  12. 1 2 3 Mirashi pp.144-6
  13. ↑ Mirashi pp. 146-8
  14. ↑ Mirashi p. 151
  15. ↑ "Bhavabuti". Dictionary Of Indology. Pustak Mahal. 2009. p. 32.
  16. 1 2 3 Das, Sisir Kumar (2005). A history of Indian literature, 500-1399: from courtly to the popular. A history of Indian literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 56.

Books

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.