Yayati (novel)

Last updated

Yayati
Yayati English translation cover.jpeg
Cover of English translation
Author V. S. Khandekar
Original titleययाति
TranslatorY. P. Kulkarni
CountryIndia
Language Marathi
Genre Historical novel
Set in Ancient India
Publication date
1959
Published in English
1978
Awards
OCLC 10703252

Yayati is a 1959 Marathi-language historical novel by Indian writer V. S. Khandekar. One of Khandekar's best-known works, it retells the story of the historical Hindu king, Yayati, from the Hindu epic the Mahabharata . The novel has multiple narrators, and poses several questions on the nature of morality. Scholars have analysed its hero, Yayati, as a representation of modern man. Accepted as classic of Marathi literature, Yayati has won several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1960 and the Jnanapith Award in 1974.

Contents

Background

In his preface to Yayati, Khandekar states that he was drawn to the original story from the Mahabharata at multiple levels, and for many reasons. [1] The resulting novel is a modern retelling of the story of the Hindu king, who enjoyed all the pleasures of the flesh for a millennium only to realise how empty of meaning was his pursuit of desire. [2]

Khandekar saw modernity, with its materialistic values, as an elephant on the rampage through the delicate garden of traditional virtues and feelings, blurring the distinction between good and evil, between selfishness and compassion, and blinding people to the evils of the world. In response, Khandekar looked to the past and chose the story of Yayati, making use of a kind of tale often dismissed as the fairy stories of old women to describe the vacuousness and futility of contemporary society's endless obsession with avarice and lust. Where Khandekar's previous writing had focused predominantly on style and imagination, in Yayati these concerns are integrated into a form of social realism the author had little explored until this point. [2]

The story is taken from the Yayatopakhyan (lit. The Story of Yayati), a sub-narrative in Adi Parva (The Book of the Beginning) of the Mahabharata. Khandekar builds the original material into a full-length novel, adding several new episodes and developing the narrative as a love story with a theme of morality. [3] In so doing, Khandekar brings new relevance and meaning to the story in the context of modern life. [4] For Khandekar, this novel represents the common man, who "in spite of varied happiness is always discontented and restless, and is blindly running after new pleasures". [5]

Characters

The novel's main characters are: [5]

While most of the novel's characters appear in the Mahabharata, Khandekar created several new characters. These include Mukulika and Mandar. [5]

Plot

The novel has three narrators: Yayati, Devayani, and Sharmishtha. [4] [6] Each section of the story is narrated in the first person, from the point of view of its respective narrator. [3] [4] The novel's characters generally use language that is romantic, ornamental, and poetic. [5]

Yayati centres on the life of its eponymous hero, Yayati, the king of Hastinapur. Disillusionment characterises Yayati's early life. His faith in motherly love is shattered when he learns that his mother weaned him for fear of losing her beauty. Later, he experiences cruelty and passion that challenge his manhood. He then has a fleeting experience of carnal love. [5]

When Yayati has to leave the security of the palace for Ashvamedha Yajna (a horse sacrifice ritual in Hindu tradition), he meets his elder brother, Yati, who has become an ascetic and abandoned all material pleasures. After this he meets Kacha, in whom he sees the model of a happy, peaceful life. But Yayati is traumatised when his father, Nahusha, dies, and for the first time he realises the destructive power of death. He is gripped by fear and helplessness. In this state of mind, he encounters Mukulika, a maidservant in the palace. Yayati's attempts to bury his grief in carnal pleasure constitute a critical period in his life. He later meets Alaka and experiences sisterly love. But Alaka ultimately falls prey to the Queen Mother's cruelty. Precisely at this time, Yayati learns of a curse that foretold that his father, and his father's children, would never be happy. [5]

The second part of the narrative recounts Yayati's married life. This section reveals Devayani's love for Kacha, and Kacha's quiet but firm refusal. Devayani seeks revenge on Kacha by making advances to Yayati, whom she ultimately succeeds in marrying. Sharmishtha, originally a princess, is now living with Devayani as her maidservant. At this time, Sharmishtha comes into contact with Yayati. Where Devayani is unable to establish any rapport with Yayati, Sharmishtha finds union with him both in body and in mind. A son is born to them, and for a time Yayati is happy. But, one stormy night, Sharmishtha runs away from Hastinapur. Yayati now suffers both estrangement from Devayani and the loss of Sharmishtha. The resulting vacuum in his life hastens him along a path of moral degradation. [5]

Over an 18-year period, Yayati neglects his royal duties and leads a life of pleasure, with women like Madhavi and Taraka. Even when Hastinapur is attacked by its enemies, Yayati continues to neglect his duties out of anger with Devayani and pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle. His son Yadu is imprisoned. Puru, Yayati's younger son, secures Yadu's release. Then Devayani's father, Shukracharya, seeing his daughter's unhappy marriage and Yayati's degradation, lays a curse of old age on Yayati. [5]

When Yayati finds himself suddenly grown old, his unfulfilled desires trouble him. He asks his sons to lend him their youth. His son Puru comes to his aid and meets his request. But Puru and Sharmishtha's undemanding love for him help Yayati to realise his mistakes. Within a few minutes of accepting Puru's youth, he resolves to return it. [1] Devayani also undergoes a change of heart. At the end of the novel, Yayati hands over responsibility for government to Puru with his blessing, and seeks to retire to a life in the forest with Devayani and Sharmishtha. This completes Yayati's journey from attachment to detachment. [5]

Deviations from the Mahabharata

In the novel, Khandekar makes several significant departures from the original story of the Mahabharata. [1]

The first of these concerns the death of Yayati's father, Nahusha. In The Mahabharata, Nahusha is cursed by the Rishis (sages) to live on earth in the form of a serpent. After long suffering, he eventually meets Pandava king Yudhishthira, who frees him from the curse. The novel, in contrast, shows Nahusha dying in his palace, desperately clinging to life. He pleads with his wife and son to give him a few hours of their own lives so that he may live a little longer. He fears death because of his remaining unfulfilled desires. Nahusha's helpless struggle with death leaves his son Yayati with a lasting sense of insecurity that affects his whole life. [1]

In the original story of the Mahabharata, Yayati enjoys his son Puru's youth for a thousand years. He then returns Puru's youth, and goes on to live for many years more with sages in the Himalayas before finally ascending to Heaven. In the novel, however, Yayati can return his son's youth only at the cost of his own life. Nonetheless, within a few minutes of accepting Puru's youth Yayati decides to return it. He is saved from death by Kacha, who uses the Sanjeevani Mantra. [1]

Analysis

The main characters of Yayati have been interpreted as representing major attitudes to life. Yayati embodies material pleasure-seeking. Devayani shows excessive pride and desire for power, where Sharmishtha epitomises selfless, undemanding love. Kacha symbolises morality and moderation, a clean enjoyment of life and a sense of the well-being of the human race. Yati's rejection of all material pleasures serves as a counterpoint to Yayati. [5]

The novel poses several moral questions, which include: how to define a fulfilling life; where to place the boundary between morality and immorality; and where the pursuit of material pleasure fits into the context of spiritual values. [5] [7]

Reception

Yayati is one of Khandekar's best-known works, [8] and has been described as one of the greatest works in Marathi literature. [9] The novel has won several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1960, the Jnanapith Award in 1974, and the State Government Award in 1960. [4]

Yayati was translated into English in abridged form by Y. P. Kulkarni, as Yayati : A Classic Tale of Lust (1978). The Malayalam translation, by P. Madhavan Pillai, was serialised in the Malayalam weekly Mathrubhumi in 1980, and published in book form the same year. [10] The novel was translated into Kannada by V.M. Inamdar. [11]

Related Research Articles

Itihasa refers to the collection of written descriptions of important events in Hinduism. It includes the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata includes the story of the Kurukshetra War and preserves the traditions of the Lunar dynasty in the form of embedded tales. The Puranas narrate universal history – the books discuss in depth the topics of cosmogony, myth, legend and history. The Ramayana contains the story of Rama and is incidentally related to the legends of the Solar dynasty. A story is considered to be itihasa only when the author of the story has himself witnessed or is part of the story. Vyasa, who wrote the Mahabharata, is himself a character in the story. Similarly, Valmiki, who wrote the Ramayana, was also a character in the story. Many classical Indian poets derive the plots of their poetry and drama from the Itihasa. The tradition of itihāsa is generally understood to be developed by the bardic tradition of Sūtas and Cāraṇas whose duties consisted of composing royal eulogies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girish Karnad</span> Indian playwright, actor, director, and writer

Girish Karnad was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi films. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the coming of age of modern Indian playwriting in Kannada, just as Badal Sarkar did in Bengali, Vijay Tendulkar in Marathi, and Mohan Rakesh in Hindi. He was a recipient of the 1998 Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kusumagraj</span> Indian writer and poet (1912–1999)

Vishnū Vāman Shirwādkar, popularly known by his pen name, Kusumāgraj, was a Marathi poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer, who wrote of freedom, justice and emancipation of the deprived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yayati</span> King in Hindu tradition

Yayati, is a king in Hindu tradition. He is described to be a Chandravamsha king. He is regarded to be the progenitor of the races of the Yadavas and the Pandavas.

<i>Kosala</i> (novel) 1963 Marathi novel by Bhalchandra Nemade

Kosala, sometimes spelled Kosla, is a Marathi novel by Indian writer Bhalchandra Nemade, published in 1963. Regarded as Nemade's magnum opus, and accepted as a modern classic of Marathi literature, the novel uses the autobiographical form to narrate the journey of a young man, Pandurang Sangvikar, and his friends through his college years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devayani</span> Mahabharata character

Devayani is a character in Hindu literature. She is described to be the daughter of Shukra, the acharya (preceptor) of the asuras, and his wife Jayanti, the daughter of Indra. She marries King Yayati, and gives birth to two sons — Yadu and Turvasu.

Gangadhar Gopal Gadgil was a Marathi writer & academic from Maharashtra, India. He was born in Mumbai in 1923. After receiving a master's degree in economics from the University of Mumbai, he worked as a professor of economics at Sydenham College and also a few other colleges in Mumbai. He was the first principal of well known Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics from 1964-71. Gadgil was a prolific and multi-faceted writer, with published work in Economics, Literature, Biography, Literary Criticism and Travel Writing. The U.S. Library of Congress South Asian Literary Recordings Project has recordings of his reading from six of his books. They have also acquired sixty-five of his books for their collection.

Nahusha is a king of the Chandravamsha in Hindu mythology. He is described to be the son of Āyus, the eldest son of Pururavas, and Prabha, the daughter of Svarbhānu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umashankar Joshi</span> Indian poet, scholar and writer

Umashankar Jethalal Joshi was an Indian poet, scholar and writer known for his contributions to Gujarati literature. He wrote most of his works in Gujarati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tripuraneni Gopichand</span> Indian writer

Tripuraneni Gopichand was a Telugu short story writer, novelist, editor, essayist, playwright, film director, and a radical humanist. Gopichand was the son of renowned social reformer and play writer Tripuraneni Ramaswamy. Gopichand, inspired by M.N.Roy's Radical Humanism, became the first state secretary of the Radical Democratic Party (India) Andhra Pradesh. His second novel Asamardhuni Jivayatra, was the first psychological novel in Telugu literature. Gopichand was posthumously awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Pandita Parameswara Sastri Veelunama in 1963, the first Telugu novel to win this award. His novels typically features gloomy, incomplete, unsatisfied and unsatisfying protagonist tortured by a sense of guilt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar</span> Indian writer

Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He was the first Marathi author to win the prestigious Jnanpith Award.

Sharmishtha is a princess in Hindu mythology. She is described to be the daughter of the daitya king Vrishaparvan. She becomes the second wife of Yayati, due to which she becomes an ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

<i>Indian Literature</i> (journal) Academic journal

Indian Literature is an English language literary journal published bi-monthly by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters. It was first launched in 1957, and is currently edited by British-Indian journalist Antara Dev Sen.

Devudu Narasimha Sastry, known popularly by his pen-name Devudu was an eminent Kannada writer and novelist, Sanskrit scholar, actor and a journalist. His guru was Mahamahopadhyaya Vaidhyanatha Shastri.

Puru is a legendary king in Hinduism. He is the youngest son of King Yayati and Sharmishtha, and one of ancestors of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. King Puru marries Kausalya, and is succeeded by his son, Janamejeya.

<i>Mahabharata</i> (comics) Comic book series published by Amar Chitra Katha Private Limited

Mahabharata is a comic adaptation of the Indian epic poem Mahabharata. The 42-issue best-selling series by Amar Chitra Katha, Mumbai was illustrated by Dilip Kadam. The team of script writers included Kamala Chandrakant, TMP Nedungadi, Subba Rao, Yagya Sharma, Lopamudra, Mihir Lal Mitra, Sumona Roy, Mohan Swaminathan, Shubha Kandhekar and Margie Sastry.

In Hindu texts, the Puru and Yadu Dynasties are the descendants of legendary King Pururavas who was a famous Hindu ruler in the Treta Yuga. Pururavas was the son of Ila and Budha. Some of the dynasties' important members were Yayati, Yadu, King Puru, Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu. According to Hindu mythology, Yayāti was one of the ancestors of Pandavas and the Yaduvamsha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. R. Parameswaran</span> Malayalam novelist and essayist

C. R. Parameswaran is a Malayalam novelist and essayist from Kerala, India.

The Turvasu dynasty, Druhyu dynasty and the Anudynasty are the names of three legendary cadet branches of the Lunar dynasty in Hindu literature, featured in the Puranas and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Chandrakant Devtale (1936—2017) was an Indian poet, and a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Gupta, Santosh (September–October 1982). "'Yayati': The Myth and Its Interpretation". Indian Literature . 25 (5). New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi: 150–157. ISSN   0019-5804. JSTOR   23331119. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. 1 2 Khandekar, V. S. (1977). "Yayati and the Modern Man (Bharatiya Jnanpith Award acceptance speech)". Maharashtra, a Profile: Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar Felicitation Volume. V. S. Khandekar Amrit Mahotsava Satkar Samiti. pp. 582–583. OCLC   4858191.
  3. 1 2 Pai, Leena P. (2005). "Chapter III - Selection and Deviation". A Passage Through the Mahabharata Re-tellings : Study of Some Contemporary Novels (PhD thesis). New Delhi: School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. pp. 100–102. hdl:10603/17256.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Mohan Lal (1992). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 4635–4636. ISBN   978-81-260-1221-3.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Inamdar-Sane, Rekha (1997). "Yayati". In George, K. M. (ed.). Masterpieces of Indian literature. New Delhi: National Book Trust. pp. 930–932. ISBN   978-81-237-1978-8.
  6. ↑ Thorat, Harishchandra (January–February 2005). "The "Mahabharata" and the Marathi Novel: Textual Strategies". Indian Literature . 49 (1). New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi: 132. ISSN   0019-5804. JSTOR   23346582. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  7. ↑ Satchidanandan, K. (November–December 2000). "Reflection: Yayati, Yet Again". Indian Literature . 44 (6). New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi: 10. ISSN   0019-5804. JSTOR   23343302. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  8. ↑ "Jnanpith Award to Marathi Writer, V. S. Khandekar". Indian and Foreign Review . 13 (1). New Delhi: Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India: 8. 1975. OCLC   1752828.
  9. ↑ Das, Sisir Kumar (2006). History of Indian Literature: 1911-1956, Struggle for Freedom : Triumph and Tragedy. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. p. 140. ISBN   81-7201-798-7.
  10. ↑ Chandran, Mini (2016). "Into Bhasha and English: Comparative Study of Bhasha and English Translation in India". Comparative Literature Studies . 53 (2). Penn State University Press: 370. doi:10.5325/complitstudies.53.2.0359 – via Project MUSE. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  11. ↑ Mangala, C.N. (November–December 1978). "Kannada Literature: Siesta Time?". Indian Literature . 21 (6). New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi: 59. ISSN   0019-5804. JSTOR   23330097. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
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.