International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 10 September 2017 The Need of A Historical Rereading of Urubhanga Keerthana Santhosh Guest Faculty, History Department, S N College, Chathannoor, Kerala. Email Id- [email protected] Abstract Introduction Sanskrit drama is often considered Bhasa is often introduced as a dramatist as the native Indian drama. Indian before Kalidasa. This is like describing elements clearly influenced and shaped Coleridge as a contemporary of William this. It often attracted the imagination of Wordsworth. In fact, Coleridge is a greater almost all including the Westerners. artist than Wordsworth. Just like that Generally, Euro-centrism rules the world. Bhasa is greater than almost all other It is considered often that, what is west is Sanskrit writers. Then, without the film, good. But regarding Sanskrit literature, ‘Panitheerathaveedu’ in Malayalam and particularly dramas, the picture has been the song beginning with changed. Even western scholars admired Kannuneerthulliye.. Bhasa would not have the beauty and strength of Sanskrit become a household name. That is, what I dramas. Kalidasa and others received am going to substantiate is that Bhasa worldwide reputation through dramas like needs more attention and care. In fact, he Abhinjana Sakunathalam, can be regarded as the architect of Sanskrit Malavikagnimithram etc. But certain drama. scholars are always sidelined. This study Sanskrit Drama aims to grab the attention of scholars to Sanskrit drama is a combination of one such genius who suffered literary music, dialogue, gesticulation and history – Bhasa and one of his master imitation. The aphorism ‘Natakantam pieces – Urubhanga. Kavithvam’ shows the importance given to Keywords dramatic form. India has a rich heritage of Sanskrit theatre. The Natyasastra of Bhasa, Urubhanga, Sanskrit, Duryodhana, Bharata (2 c. BC) is the earliest known and theatre the most authoritative work on dramaturgy. Theatre was popular even earlier. The Brahmanical and Buddhist literature and the grammatical works of Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 95 International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 10 September 2017 Panini and Patanjali which are quite eariler were influenced by Greek Drama2. than the Natyasastra refer to dramatic Historians and many scholors of Indian performances. Like everything Indian, the drama trace a religious and to some extend origin of Indian drama is steeped in a secular origin of Sanskit drama3. mystery, veiled in obscurity and darkness; Bhasa’s Dramas and like most Indian things the origin is The 13 dramas ascribed to Bhasa shown to be religious1. Bharata in his are the earliest dramas available in Natysastra mentions a Vedic origin of Sanskrit. The thirteen plays ascribed to Sanskrit drama. Indra, accompanied by him are – Madhyamavyayoga, gods called on Brahma, the creator and Pancharatram, Dutavakyam, requested him to make an entertainment Dutaghatotkacham, Karnabharam, accessible to all classes of society Urubhangam, Balacaritam, Pratima, including the Sudras, as the later were Abhisheka, Daridracarudattam, prevented from listening to the vedas'. Svapnavasavadattam, Brahma accepted the request and Pratijnayaughandharayanam and composed the fifth Veda taking dialouge Avimarakam. But there are a lot of issues from Rigveda music from Samaveda, the relating to the authorship of these dramas, art of representation and imitation from because of the absence of more evidences Yajurveda and the sentiments from regarding him. The discovery and Atharvaveda and handed it over to Indra publication of these thirteen plays in the who pleaded inability of Devas to enact Trivandrum Sanskrit series will go down the play. The creator then revealed the to posterity as the most epoch-making Natyaveda to Bharata who with his landmark in the history of Sanskrit drama. hundred sons brought it to the earth. Mm. T. Ganapati Shastri in his tour for Kalidasa supports this version'. Another search of manuscripts found these4. But version regarding the origin of drama there are evidences of Bhasa in Indian furnished by the Abhinayadarpana of literature even before these discoveries. Nandikesvara is that Bharata studied Such poets and critics who refers to Bhasa Natyasastraa from Brahma and performed or his works include Kalidasa and Bhoja of before Lord Shiva with the help of Malwa, Vamana and Abhinavagupta of gandharvas and apsaras. Some scholars Kashmir, Bana and Vakpatiraja of Kanauj, have t:icd to prove that Indian dramas Somaprabhasuri of Anhilwad, Soddhala of Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 96 International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 10 September 2017 Ancient Konkana, Ilankovadikal, the the Unity of Action. Tragedy tries as far as Tamil poet etc5. Kalidasa refers to him as a possible to confine itself to a single day, famous and popular dramatist in the for the course of its action (Unity of prologue of his drama Malavikagnimitram Time). Again, tragic hero must be one who – “Shall we neglect the works of such towers head and shoulders above his illustrious authors as Bhasa, Saumilla and contemporaries. He must be generally Kaviputra”. Of these Bhasa’s work alone virtuous. A wicked man’s fall cannot have survived today, the works of the create pity. So the hero must not be an other two having slipped from the terra embodiment of virtues. There must be one firma of history to the loose sands of tragic flaw and his downfall must come as speculation. This provides a true measure a result of his flaw.. Urubhanga confines of the greatness of Bhasa’s art6. Here, his itself to a single day and single action. The work, Urubhanga is going to be analysed. Shakespearean dictum ‘Character is Urubhanga destiny’ is applicable here as well. Judged Urubhanga is an important Sanskrit by theses canons, we can boldly say that play in many respects. It is based on Urubhanga is cast in the mould of the Mahabharata, the Indian epic. Generally, classical tragedy. Sankrit plays are remarkable for its Natyasastra is considered as the absence of tragic plays. But Urubhanga is most authentic work on Indian drama. But an exception. Aristotle defined tragedy as a kind of slight aversion from Natyasastra “an imitation of an action that is serious, can be seen in Bhasa’s plays particularly in complete and of a certain magnitude; in Urubhanga. Natyasastra prohibits the language, embellished with each kind of depiction of death in stage whereas in artistic ornament, the several kinds being Urubhanga, the hero Duryodhana dies in found in separate parts of the play; in the the stage. form of action not of narrative; through Mahabharata had made tremendous pity and fear effecting the proper purgation influence on Indian literature and of theses emotions”7. Judged by this Duryodhana, the haughty, arrogant yardstick, Urubhanga is a perfect tragedy. Duryodhana- does not he confess at one According to Aristotle, in a tragedy all point that he realizes what is dharma but incidents should be relevant to the tragic has no inclination for it, that he knows movement of the action. This is known as what is adharma and has terrible weakness Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 97 International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 04 Issue 10 September 2017 for it and ‘O Lord you sitting in my heart soldiers and jackals pulling out from the direct and and I only do your bidding’? chariot the body of a dead warrior. Blood This coupled with his piteous wail as he is flowing like rivers; horses are still crosses the river of blood on his son’s dead drawing the chariot from which both the body, his desperate attempt to hide in warrior and charioteer have fallen. The Vyasa Sarovara as Bhima calls him to gem set-ornaments and the shining battle make us feel pity for this character weapons of the warriors are scattered on who was indeed a plaything of destiny or the ground glittering in the evening fate8. Urubhanga is also a depiction of sunlight. Then the narrator further Duryodhana but in a different style. describes how Bhima and Duryodhana Urubhanga, the title refers to the smashing engage in a duel with their maces causing of thighs of Duryodhana in Mahabharat by a terrific sound due to the clash of the Bhima and the subsequent tragic death of maces, in the presence of Vyas, Balarama, the former9. Krishna, Yudhishthir, Vidur and Arjuna. The play begins with a prelude in Remembering the insult of dragging which three soldiers come to stage as Draupadi by her hair Bhima is furious and instructed by the stage manager and they Duryodhana is terribly angry due to the start with the description of the great field killing of his hundred brothers by Bhima. of Kurukshetra after the main battle is Duryodhana seemed to be more skillful over, and when the duel between Bhima then Bhim who had been injured by and Duryodhana is about to begin. The Duryodhana in duel. Just then Krishna plain of Kurukshetra is shown strewn with gives a hint to Bhima by striking his own corpses of kings, soldiers, horses and thigh with his hand, Bhima understands elephants slain in battle. Kurukshetra the hint and then Bhimasen hits called the hermitage of battle, the home of Duryodhana’s thighs with his mace called hostility, the touchstone of valour, the Chitrangada, crushing the thighbone. abode of pride and glory, a burnt sacrifice Balarama become furious at this foul act of of human lives, the prince’s bridge to Bhima.