CHAPTER 6 The Fire and the Rain: Themes and Techniques

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 6 The Fire and the Rain: Themes and Techniques

2 6 Pandey 206 The play The Fire & the Rain is 6 th in the chronology of Karnad s plays, published in It is a trans-creation of Kannada play Agni Mattu Male. It was first staged in Bangalore and directed by Arjun Sajnani. The word Agni carries connotations of holiness. Male in Kannada means rain, pure and simple, while Mattu stands for the connective and. Thus, the literal meaning of the phrase Agni Mattu Male is Fire and the Rain. Karnad has taken the story of the play from an ancient Yavakreeta myth from the Mahabharata for the dramatic construction of his play. Karnad clearly accepts in his note appended in the play, that the structure of the play is originally based on Bharat Muni s Natya Shastra, an encyclopedia of Indian Dramaturgy. The playwright through his dramatic genius exploits myth of Yavakreeta to reveal the inner psyche of human mind. As Laxmi Chandrasekhar writes: Agni Mattu Male (The Fire and the Rain) as the title itself suggests, is about the confrontation and fusion of opposites in nature, art and society At the heart of the play are Brahmanical fire ritual (a Yajna undertaken to please rain god) and its non- Brahmanical parallel Natya or theatre.(96) Karnad first came across the story of Yavakri and Paravasu in Chakravarti Rajagopalachari s abridgement of the epic, when he was studying in college. For the next thirty seven years, the story was stored in one corner of his mind. Then in 1993, Karnad was assigned to write a play by Guthrie Theatre of Minneapolis, USA and that old legend took the shape of The Fire and the Rain. The story is intensely embedded in mythology, ritualistic matrix and psychological significances. Karnad s rebuilding of the past liberates the contemporary consciousness from the shackles of the present. Being a complicated drama, the research on it, on some specific points can be described and pointed out in the following subtitles:

3 Pandey 207 Mythological Background: A Tale from Vanaparva of Mahabharata Girish Karnad is a master in taking his themes from mythology. The play invokes a remote world of ancient India-the flora and fauna, deities and demons of the pre- Mahabharata period. In terms of its content, it serves as a parable of the story of Mahabharata. The volcanic world of Mahabharata is fraught with demonic desires, pent-up secret rivalries, themes of incest and murders in the world, where innocence is made the scapegoat and where both the evildoers as well as the virtuous are made to suffer and die. Among the innumerable stories of Mahabharata, Karnad found the story of Yavakari and Paravasu, suitable for the plot of his play, The Fire and the Rain. Karnad comments on the origin of the plot in the opening paragraph of preface of the play: The myth of Yavakari (or Yavakrita) occurs in chapters of the Vana Parva (Forest Canto) of the Mahabharata. It is narrated by the ascetic Lomasha to the Pandavas, as they wander across the land during their exile. I have met Sanskrit scholars who were unaware of the existence of the myth: it is easy to lose track of a short narrative like this in the tangled undergrowth that covers the floor of that epic. It was fortunate for me that Rajaji did not do so, for the moment I read the tale, I knew it had to be turned into a play. (Karnad, Fand R ix) Thus, the play is based on the myth of Yavakri taken from Vana Parva (Forest Canto) of the Mahabharata. It is a tale told by the ascetic Lomasha to the Pandavas. The basic myth story is important to have understanding of the theme of The Fire and the Rain. Girish Karnad has himself narrated this story in the preface to The Fire and the Rain. In his narration, he said that Bhardwaja and Raibhya were good friends. On one

4 Pandey 208 hand, Raibhya was a highly learned and ambitious. On the other hand, Bhardwaja s sole focus was his spiritual practices. Yavakri, the son of Bhardwaja was frustrated, because he felt that his father had not received the expected recognition. In order to overcome his frustration, he goes to the forest for penance, to gain knowledge of Vedas directly from gods. In response to his practice, Indra appears and advices him that knowledge should be obtained by studying at the feet of a Guru, but Yavakri turns a deaf ear to this explanation of Indra and with a stubborn attitude receives the boon. Bhardwaja also warns his son. But Yavakri, filled with the intentions of revenge, corners Vishakha, Raibhya s daughter-in-law and molests her. When Raibhya comes to know about this, he invokes the Kritya spirit. He creates a Bramha Rakshasa i.e. a demon and a woman who looks just like Vishakha. He sends the two to kill Yavakri. Bhardwaja, although well aware of his son s misdeeds, when comes to know about his death, curses Raibhya that he would die at the hands of his own son. Later on, repenting his own curse immolates himself. One day, Paravasu out of his misunderstanding kills his father Raibhya and cunningly puts the whole blame of patricide to his younger brother Arvasu. After this, Arvasu retires to the jungle and prays to the Sun god. When the God appears, Arvasu asks him to restore Yavakri, Bhardwaja and Raibhya back to life and Paravasu forget his evil act. Arvasu asks for boon out of the feelings: Sarvebhavantu Sukhhinah, sarve santu niramaya. Sarve bhadrani pashyantu, ma kashchid dukh bhag bhavet. (Brihadaranyaka Upnishad Verse )

5 Pandey 209 The use of Prologue and Epilogue: The play The Fire and the Rain is divided into three acts. It begins with a prologue and ends with an epilogue. The main function of the prologue and the epilogue is to narrate the story and comment on the proceedings and to provide information to the audience. The prologue begins with a ritual of a seven year long sacrifice held by the king to propitiate Indra, the god of rain. The king conducts the fire ceremony and Paravasu is appointed as the chief priest of fire sacrifice. Karnad uses prologue and epilogue in The Fire and the Rain to present the relationship between dramatic theme and myth in contemporary context. It is explained in the prologue that in which condition and why the king and chief priest are performing the fire sacrifice. At the end of the play, epilogue is given to explain how Arvasu puts on the mask. There is a roar of drums and then a sudden silence. Arvasu gives a roar and jumps up. He dances violently. The play begins. The Actor Manager dressed up as Indra enters from one side. The Actor playing Vishwarupa enters from the other side and conversation between Vishwarupa and Indra begins. This information is presented in epilogue. Hence, it is one of Karnad s dramatic characteristics to present his prologue and epilogue to interlink or relate to the main theme of the play and audience should be aware about this fact. In her article Self Discovery in The Fire and the Rain Rama Nair emphasizes on the significance of myth: The play begins with the dominant myth of Yavakri. It places the action that follows in the realm of mythical and the elemental. The quests for personal and social meaning through the myth, contribute to the cohesive structure of the play. It involves the nature of the world, in which the greatest reality is the reality of man. There is a sensitive

6 Pandey 210 analysis of the concept of morality and emotion, which leads one to the essentiality of human experience itself. The myth of Vritra and Indra acts as a catalyst to free Paravasu and Arvasu from the human bondage of fear and vengeance. The Prologue and the Epilogue are inevitably conjoined to project a holistic view of life. (148) Girish Karnad gives all background and surrounding information of characters and the theme of the play to audience. The prologue starts as: It has not rained adequately for nearly ten years. Drought grips the land. A seven year long fire sacrifice (Yajna) is being held to propitiate Indra, the god of rains (Karnad,FandR 1.I) Through this prologue, Karnad provides much information related to theme, situation, characters and stage property of the play. Even he produces the information of character s age, his intention and place on the stage. In the prologue, it is presented through the dialogues of king, courtier, actor-manager and Paravasu, what is the meaning of fire sacrifice for them and how important to please the gods, without breaking the pious nature of Yajna. The Prologue presents the intricate details of the Yajna ceremony that is the principal setting, where action starts and finally ends in the epilogue. In this connection, O.P.Budholia writes. The entire plot structure of The Fire and the Rain is based on the performance of Vedic rituals, tradition and the art of Natya. On the pattern of Bharata s Natyashastra, Girish Karnad follows the pattern of The fire and the Rain. (115) Yajna: The Central Metaphor The Yajna has been illustrated in the Bhagwat Geeta from where Karnad has taken it in his play. The whole play moves around the Yajna. According to the Vedic belief,

7 Pandey 211 Yajna is the holy instrument for the meeting of gods with men on this earth. Yajna is called as the soul of the Vedic religion. In so many Hindu epics, various Yajnas which are performed for the benevolence of mankind have been illustrated. It is the medium through which one can please God and fulfill one s ambition. Here in this play, Karnad uses Yajna as a medium to obtain God Indra s blessings in the form of rain. According to Bharat Muni s Natyashastra, the art of drama is considered as the 5 th Veda, the Veda of working class people and the metaphor is extended to the level that a performance is given equal status to the Yajna. Karma i.e. the best of actions creates Yajna. In Bhagwat Geeta, Lord Sri Krishna has also given utmost importance to Karma. Selfless task is the best karma and therefore, it tells that one should act constantly without having expectation of any reward. Karma is created by nature and nature is created by the Almighty. So God exists right within the Yajna. The English saying As you sow so shall you reap is quite applicable here. In this play whatever the characters want, what they offer and what they finally get from the Yajna, has been clearly shown by following diagram: Fig.16 : YAJNA The Central Metaphor

8 Pandey 212 Ambition and Passion: The Real Picture of Brahmanism The Fire and the Rain is the result of the playwright s mature mind and it has the passion, conspiracy and vengeance like that of a Shakespearean tragedy. There is Yavakri with his terrific passion of revenge and Paravasu with his ambition to be the chief Priest of the sacrifice (Yajna). At the same time, it has a soothing, sharing and spiritual air of love composed by Arvasu-Nittilai affair. The play The Fire and the Rain is a complex play. The main theme of the play is man s urge to establish supremacy over others, which is aired by ambition, competitiveness, jealousy, and finally by revenge. Yavakri wants to establish himself as superior to others, because according to him: The time has come to show the world what my father s son is capable of. This is my moment (Karnad,FandR 1.23). Yavakri is too much ambitious to obtain the universal knowledge. Right from his childhood, he achieves what he craves to be. Even Andhaka who brought him up, was confident of his success. Karnad tries to present the ambitious nature of man. In this play Raibhya is also ambitious. He does not like Paravasu getting the honour of Chief Priest. Instead of getting pride of being father of the son, who is invited and honored to be the Chief Priest of the Royal Fire Sacrifice, he was himself ambitious for being the Chief Priest. But the King considers his old age and invites Paravasu. At this, Raibhya gets infuriated. RAIBHYA. So you measured my life span, did you-you and your King? Tested the strength of my life line? Well, the sacrifice is almost over and I m still here. Still here. Alive and kicking. Tell the king I shall outlive my sons. I shall live long enough to feed their dead souls. (Karnad,FandR 29.II)

9 Pandey 213 Vishakha, daughter-in-law of Raibhya, is also aware of the fact that Raibhya wants to become the Chief Priest. It is reflected through her dialogue. VISHAKHA. Something died inside your father the day the king invited you to be the Chief Priest. He s been drying up like a dead tree since then. No sap runs in him. (Karnad,FandR 32. II) Of course, no one can deny Raibhya s scholarship and his pedantic knowledge. In fact, he should be the first person to have been invited for the fire sacrifice. But if he is not invited and his son gets the chance, then he should not feel humiliated. His own son has surpassed him. In fact, he should be happy that his son has proved equal to him, like father, like son. In the end, his ambition invites his death by the hands of his son, Paravasu. In the play, he kills Raibhya (his father) intentionally while in the original story, Paravasu kills his father unintentionally, Karnad mentions this fact in his epilogue. This change has been made by the playwright. Karnad s Paravasu thinks that Raibhya has killed Yavakri, just to disturb him from the fire sacrifice and hence executes him without any regret. Here, it proves that Karnad s characters like Paravasu and Raibhya don t care for others comforts, rather they just work for satisfying their own desires, almost like the modern man. Revenge and Conspiracy: Ubiquitous Theme Karnad has chosen revenge as the central theme for his play, which has projected the futility of knowledge and fragileness of human nature. Although, Bhardwaja has the maturity to congratulate Paravasu for his success, yet his son Yavakri feels insulted. He feels it as the defeat of his father hence, decides to take revenge with Raibhya and his family. In this connection, Yavakri molests Vishakha and plans conspiracy. In

10 Pandey 214 spite tough penance in the forest and getting the universal knowledge, he is unable to overcome the worldly emotions like revenge and lust. He becomes the slave of his emotions and uses them in the wrong direction. He also brings the fact to the notice of Raibhya, Arvasu and Paravasu. Raibhya becomes angry and creates the demon Kritya to kill Yavakri. Vishakha tries to save the life of Yavakri by telling him to go to his father s hermitage. But Yavakri is so confident and replies: YAVAKRI. Don t be afraid Vishakha; I was expecting something like this. You see this water I have consecrated it. (He points to the water in the Kamandla)(Karnad,FandR I.22) Yavakri becomes adamant and arrogant when he receives knowledge directly from Indra. Karnad artistically presents the futility of Yavakri s knowledge. Yavakri s deeds and comments show that he believes that now he has the power to challenge anyone, even Raibhya. Yavakri could not free himself from the bondage of selfhood and selfishness, even after receiving the Universal Knowledge. This knowledge without having practical experience does not help him to conquer the evils residing in him. On the contrary, his knowledge increases his passion and pride for a desire to take revenge. Vishakha rightly remarks: VISHAKHA. I can t believe it! The whole world may be singing yours praises. But you haven t grown up! These ten years have not made any difference to your teenage fantasies. That s all gone, Yavakri. (Karnad,FandR I.14) When Yavakri plans the conspiracy against Raibhya s family, Vishakha becomes a part of it unknowingly. Yavakri s purpose is to destroy the reputation and happiness of Raibhya and Paravasu, as he is scorching in the furnace of jealousy and hatred. He boldly says to Vishakha:

11 Pandey 215 YAVAKRI. You don t even flatter me with the word hatred. But it doesn t matter. What matters is that, I hate your husband s family. My father deserved to be invited as the chief priest of the sacrifice. But that too went to Paravasu, your husband. (Karnad,FandR I.22) He continuously shares his experiences with Vishakha and says: YAVAKRI. One night in the jungle, Indra came to me and said: You are ready now to receive knowledge. But knowledge involves control of passions, serenity and objectivity. And I shouted back: No, that s not the knowledge I want. That s not knowledge. That s suicide! This obsession. This hatred. This venom. All this is me. I ll not deny anything of myself. I want knowledge so I can be vicious, destructive. (Karnad,FandR I. 23) Revenge is the central instinct of the play which can be shown through following diagram: Fig. 17

12 Pandey 216 In the play, Karnad mainly deals with the themes of revenge and jealousy which lead to the destruction and condemnation. Jealousy acts as a natural catalyst to destroy everything. Over ambition has hit Raibhya, the learned sage, and turns him into the enemy of his brother, Bhardwaja. Raibhya as a father becomes envious of Paravasu, his own son, in order to be the chief priest of the Fire Sacrifice. And Paravasu who has killed his father, charges his brother Arvasu of patricide. Nittilai, the hunter girl, remarks the whole family of learned men lies in shambles; she inspires her companion Arvasu, not to get involved in taking revenge, because in her opinion it is endless and meaningless. The female protagonists Vishakha, after knowing the truth that she has been molested by Yavakri intentionally to defame her and her family, pours the sanctified water from Yavakri s kamandala so that demon (Brahma rakshasa)could kill him. Thus the play, The Fire and the Rain is impregnated with the themes of jealousy and hatred, love and lust, revenge and conspiracy etc. Raibhya, Paravasu and Yavakri become the victims of calamity, though they are highly intellectual. P. Jayalaxmi observes: The nature and purpose of knowledge attained by men like Raibhya, Paravasu and Yavakri leads neither to disciplined life dedicated to common good nor towards the absolute Brahmin characters such as they stand as instances of life and energy wasted in pursuit of personal gain. (257) The play is full of the various types of violence i.e. psychological, sexual, physical and social etc. In the entire play, much violence is seen like false knowledge, jealousy, pride and prejudice, betrayal, bloodshed and molestation. The characters like Raibhya, Yavakri and Paravasu crave for supremacy and power. They have their own desires and dreams and when these desires are not fulfilled, they get frustrated. These

13 Pandey 217 failures and frustrations create violence. Yavakri wants to show everyone what he is capable of. It is the inward wrath that makes him behave deceitfully. The play The Fire and the Rain is full of violence and betrayal. In the beginning, Vishakha is betrayed by her lover Yavakri and when he returns back after completing the penance, they come together, but once again get separated when she realizes that Yavakri has used her as a weapon for taking revenge. Her husband Paravasu also used her as an instrument to fulfill his desires. Paravasu betrays his younger brother Arvasu, and behaves treacherously, when he returns back after performing the funeral rites of Raibhya Paravasu does not recognize him and blames for patricide and throws him out of the sacrificial place. Thus, Arvasu becomes the victim of conspiracy of his brother Paravasu. The play conveys some messages apparently that cannot be overlooked; the Brahmans, in spite of their loud claims about possessing the knowledge of Brahma, like common men have the propensity to jealousy, revenge, rape and incest with their consequent vicious effects; and that the individual attainment of knowledge has no value unless that knowledge is conjoined with the welfare of human beings. As expected, at the end of the sacrificial ritual, it is not Paravasu, but the simple minded innocent and kind Arvasu who experiences the revelatory epiphany of Indra. Thus, Karnad exhibits the futility of ambition and materialism by correlating the mythological characters mindset with that of the present day man s mentality. The Pseudo Blame of Patricide Karnad exploits the theme of patricide in the play The Fire and the Rain as he has used it in his second play Tughlaq. The innocent Arvasu obeys his elder brother to the last detail, despite his sister-in-law Vishakha s warning. But when Arvasu reaches the

14 Pandey 218 sacrificial place where Paravasu is presiding over the royal sacrifice, Paravasu accuses him of having killed his own father and gets him thrown out of the premises. He calls Arvasu a demon, who has committed the heinous crime of patricide and betrays him for self aggrandizement and glory. Arvasu is aghast at this accusation but can do nothing about it as he is overpowered, dragged and pushed out of the sacrificial enclosure at the behest of his elder brother. Arvasu gets heavily shocked and so he says to his lady love Nittilai, I worshipped my brother and he betrayed me. (Karnad,FandR 3.41) Here, Paravasu emerges as a callous and vindictive figure despite his learning and high position. Paravasu s attitude towards his younger brother reveals his heartlessness, like Biblical character Cain, who kills his brother Abel in the story of Bible. The history of India is also replete with the examples and stories where fratricide and patricide were performed for the sake of power. Thus, the play is definitely one i.e. based on the fires of jealousy, love, sex and politics. Prof. O.P. Budholia aptly remarks: The Fire and the Rain abounds in its hard woven texture the riches of psychology, the aversion and the jealousy of man against man, father against son, brother against brother, wife against husband, God against demon, rituals against sacrifice, freedom against bondage, attraction against repulsion, hate against love, the fire against the rain, illusion against the reality, passion against the truth and above all vidya (knowledge) against avidya (ignorance). (107) Ego and jealousy are the two important human aspects prevalent in the play. Different types of relationships are seen in the play. Raibhya and Bhardwaja both the brothers love their families. Hence, their sons Paravasu, Arvasu and Yavakri are members of a

15 Pandey 219 family, but lack of love, respect and understanding is found in their relationship. The play is the tale of conflict between family expectations and personal aspirations. Every character of the play is indulged in conspiracy, attacks and counter attacks due to the jealousy with their counter-foil. The Fire and the Rain is a play dealing with mind games, ego centrism, and ruthlessness. It deals with the demand of love, compassion, and hope. The story of Paravasu and Arvasu is the story of every home in modern society. The prevailing evil is a natural vice which still continues with sharper sting without sparing anyone and creating madness in the hearts of people. Out of wrath, Raibhya misuses his spiritual powers, creates a Brahma Rakshasa to kill Yavakri. In the original story, Bhardwaja, a learned saint and a friend of Raibhya, feels offended by this act of his friend and in payback; he curses his friend to be killed by his elder son. But Karnad deliberately leaves out the curse episode of the sage Bhardwaja, because Karnad wants to correlate this play with the contemporary scenario of the country and the modern context. He also uses it for revealing the psychic aberration and the existentialist dilemma. Incestuous Relationship Karnad has shown many extra-marital affairs in his play e.g. Yayati with Sharmishtha and Appanna with concubine etc. Here, Raibhya has made an incestuous relationship with his own daughter-in-law Vishakha. Yavakri has also sexually exploited his exbeloved with the malice intention of revenge. People had a belief that the Brahmins were highly learned and ethical, but the playwright mirrors another aspect of the socio-cultural milieu of that era.

16 Pandey 220 Raibhya, Yavakri, Paravasu all are learned men, but they are also deviated from the right path and do not use their knowledge in constructive and creative way. Misuse of the knowledge causes a lot of destruction and degradation in the play. In this connection, Dr. (Mrs.) Gulshan Das and Ms. Tanjeem Ara Khan aptly remark. Ascetic Lomasha, in the myth imparts knowledge to the Pandvas and Karnad imparts it to the world by rewriting it. He finds the myth very relevant to the contemporary society. Misuse of knowledge which is rampant now-a-days is leading the world towards destruction. Karnad has adopted the myth to make it a medium to warn the society. ( ) The play explicitly conveys the strong message about the so called image of Brahmins and god men who are gripped in their emotions like normal human beings. Transformation of women Girish Karnad has shown the changing roles of women in the modern society. To fulfill this aim, he has chosen some amazing examples of heroines, who have been exploited by the male dominated society. Consequently, they stood firmly against the parameters of society. In the words of P.D. Nimsarkar: Karnad is outstandingly liberal in portrayal and development of women protagonists in his plays. His mind is conditioned in the ambience typical in the Hindu society and human relationship that the orthodox families and society have nurtured through the generations Karnad s heroines take care of their desires and to achieve them, find their own ways. (20)

17 Pandey 221 Vishakha and Nittilai both are the victims of male dominated society. Due to the norms of social system, they have to go through a lot of psychological, physical as well as emotional violence. Both have to get married to a person whom they don t love. They are forced to marry according to their parents choice. Their husbands cannot understand the feelings which they have to face. No one wants to understand their better halves desires, psychology and thus reality. It is a kind of injustice on their part. Sex is also one of the major factors. The play The Fire and the Rain, like other plays of Karnad, is quite bold and post modern statement on the nature of marital life and sexual behavior. Vishakha has experienced various aspects of manwoman relationship. She has gone through different relationships, with Yavakri as a beloved, with Paravasu as a wife and later on her father-in-law; Raibhaya exploited her at various levels. The relationship between Vishakha and Yavakri has been much dramatic and intense. In spite of a severe penance of ten years in the forest, Yavakri cannot forget Vishakha, his love. YAVAKRI. The day I decided my penance was over I fell down in a dead faint. I don t know how long I was in that state. It was terrible exhaustion, the pain of sheer relief. And when I opened my eyes, do you know the first thing that I thought of? Ten years ago, I had come to your house to bid you good bye. And you led me quickly to the jackfruit grove behind your house.... Ten years later I opened my eyes and I know I was hungry for that moment. (Karnad,FandR I.14) Through the character of Vishakha, Girish Karnad presents the problems of women in the traditional society. Karnad has pointed out the fact that in the ancient period even

18 Pandey 222 some ascetic persons like Raibhya had a tendency to exploit woman sexually. This fact can hurt a man who has a belief in the pious life style and men of noble characters of that era. Karnad deals with the problem of women and describes their miserable condition in the society. Women are treated as a commodity of joy and entertainment, not as human beings. When Paravasu leaves Vishakha alone for seven years, she faces many problems in her life. She could have faced day to day problems with the cooperation and fatherly love of Raibhya like Urmila Laxman s wife in the Ramayana, seven years period could not prove too long in such circumstances. Here, Vishakha seems like a modern woman who is capable to take her own decisions. The modern woman is conscious about her desires, equal rights in family and society, educated and sometimes employed also. She knows how to behave in the society. Such qualities of a modern woman are found in Vishakha. She does not fear to accept her extra-marital relationship. However, it cannot be termed as extramarital relationship directly because Yavakri exploits her sexually and uses this incident as an instrument for taking revenge. She even confesses it in-front of her father-in-law. A brief conversation between Vishakha and Raibhya is worth quoting here: RAIBHYA. Where can she go? I want the truth. I ll kill her if necessary. Let me go! I know how to handle her. VISHAKHA. Let him go, Arvasu. (Calmly) Yes, there was somebody else there. Yavakri! And he had come to see me. Alone. (Karnad,FandR I. 20)

19 Pandey 223 Thus, Vishakha expresses that she had gone to meet Yavakri. Through this statement, the playwright shows that Vishakha keeps the quality of modern woman, who has the courage to react against the injustice. It is one of the characteristics of Karnad that he focuses on the modernity, shrewd nature of the modern man and how male dominated society is responsible to exploit the woman by using rich ancient myths. He uses myths to show how patriarchal system begins from ancient times and it is present in modern times. In this reference, Om Prakash Budholia comments: Karnad reveals some psychoanalytic features when he shows the sexual exploitation of Vishakha by sage Raibhya in his own Ashram. The Fire and the Rain, as a symbolic and psychological interpretation of the myth of the Mahabharata, revivifies the Yavakreeta myth in modern contexts (105). The Class Struggle and Tribal Culture The next issue which Karnad took artistically is Varna Vayavshtha (Brahmin, Kshtriya, Vaishya and Shudra). Nittilai and her relatives belong to Shudra strata of the Varna Vayavshtha that is why they are not permitted to go in the periphery of Yajna. The play mirrors the growing war between Saints, Rishis, Brahmins and low caste people, actors, hunters and man-made classification of the caste war as a tool of achieving the height of superiority and power. The playwright attempts to highlight the difference between low class people and high class people, their behaviors and presets, how high class men are glad to use low-class women from ancient times. Even in the modern era chastity and virginity are considered to be the jewels of women while for men, it is their boldness and rigid behavior. Because of these dual

20 Pandey 224 standards of the Indian society, men also tend to become dominant. The parameters of good characters are different for man and woman in the Indian society. The episode of Nittilai and Arvasu affair could reach to its final culmination because the hunter girl Nittilai belonged to the lower class tribe. Her community could never permit her to marry with a high class Brahmin boy because they did not have any faith in Brahmins. Karnad has shown Nittilai s attitude humanitarian and much logical. She raises the question over the futility of Universal Knowledge; rather she prefers rain for drought affected people who come to ask for a handful of grains daily. Along with this, she highlights the hypocrite nature of Brahmins and their rituals and asks why low caste people and actors etc are not permitted to enter into the periphery of yajna. The Power Politics: Nature of Contemporary Brahmins The playwright, through this play cleverly commented on the ritual practices of Brahmins. The play clearly shows that Brahmins made and modified religious rules and rituals for their own advantages. Even they are not bothered about the truth, the ethics and morality. Karnad s The Fire and the Rain is a criticism of Brahmin society on one hand, while on the other; his approach is realistic and existential. In this play, Karnad treats the problem of immoral behavior in the contemporary life. The playwright artistically brings forth the issues and social evils prevailing in the society. He reveals the hypocrisy of contemporary Brahmanism. Brahmins made people fool on the name of religious ceremonies and rituals. In the Vedic ages, Brahmins were known for their austerity and prudence and they were not expected to indulge in conspiracy of power and politics. But in this scenario, Brahmins are doing everything which has been spoiling their dignity and position in the society. This corrupt and immoral attitude of Brahmin characters has been presented by the playwright. Here, it is noteworthy that one of the main characters Paravasu has ruined

21 Pandey 225 the sacred concept of Yajna. He is the culprit of patricide and through a conspiracy he has imposed this charge on his younger brother, who was innocent. Paravasu, Yavakri and Raibhya belong to a high class Brahmin society and their quest for spiritual power and universal knowledge does not bring them to the state of supremacy as they are involved in the acts of jealousy, power hankering, and ruthless curses for total ruin of each other. Brahmins are considered the torch bearers of the society, but they themselves are lost and misguided in the way of ignorable deeds. Karnad making an allegory throws light on the irony of the contemporary society that the educated, talented and scholarly people of the upper strata of the society exploit the downtrodden and browbeaten people. Through The Fire and the Rain, Karnad focuses the self-centeredness, egotism and exhibition of knowledge prevailing in the contemporary society, by associating it with the mythological stories of the past. This play inscribed the human condition linking the present with the eternal and the contemporary with archetypal, projecting new meaning in every generation. Aparna Dharwarkar aptly remarks, Karnad has shown us how the matter of myth and legend resonates in modern experience and how the past history of the nation prefigures its present. The intuitive intensity of such a method should be the reason for appreciation, not devaluation. (87) Power politics is the important theme of this play. Many characters of the play like Raibhya, Paravasu, and Yavakri are indulged in the politics to remain in power through Yajna. They have lost their discretion and acted as an immoral man. Karnad projects the present day situation and the inner psyche of human being through this play.

22 Pandey 226 Thus, his character Paravasu, who tried to achieve his goal of political heights, without caring for dharma and morality, represents the intellectual Brahmins of that time. Yavakri represents the contemporary scholar who tried to get the highest degree of knowledge without following the social norms. The story of Yavakri is a lesson to people, that knowledge should be acquired in the right manner. It is a story of the modern pundits of intellectual society that Karnad has beautifully narrated through the character of Yavakri in The Fire and the Rain. Thus, Karnad has thread bared the vices and evils of the contemporary Post -Vedic society in an effective manner. Love as an instrument of Revenge As love is the central force of human life, which can lead the life in both the ways negative as well as positive. In Karnad s plays, we can assume the serene depth of love as well as its rebellious mode. Karnad has revealed the different kinds of love through his characters. Girish Karnad in this play brings forth the concept of platonic love. The concept of platonic love is found in many places in Indian literature. The term platonic is derived from the Greek Literature. It simply means love without body or love between the souls i.e. spiritual love. In this stage of love, the conjugal of bodies becomes senseless, because the two souls meet each other and reach the stage of ecstasy. This type of love can be best exemplified narrating the example of Radha and Krishna. Nittilai is the embodiment of pure love. She is virtuous and follows the rich tradition of Indian culture. She is illiterate as compared to Vishakha, who belongs to a high caste society. But Nittilai has rich qualities like love and compassion etc. which differentiate her from the high class society. Though she is a hunter girl of low caste tribe, yet she loves Arvasu who is a high class Brahmin. The relationship

23 Pandey 227 between Nittilai and Arvasu is highly ideal and platonic, because they are ready to sacrifice for each other happily. Arvasu loves Nittilai very passionately: ARVASU. I ll tell him: I can t give up Nittilai. She is my life. Can t live without her- I would rather be an outcast. (Karnad,FandR I.8) In this way, Arvasu expresses his love and concern for Nittilai. He is ready to sacrifice his status in the high class Brahmin society. Arvasu represents the serene depth of love, whereas Yavakri s love shows his rebellious nature. The two love stories dealt with in the play can be exhibited through the following diagram: Fig. 18 The playwright dexterously presents the triangular relationship in most of his plays. Triangulation between two men and a woman comes again and again in Karnad s plays while portraying conjugal life. It seems Karnad s female protagonists crave for something other than what fate offers them as their life partner. This craving gives birth to extramarital relationship. In the play The Fire and the Rain, the female protagonist Vishakha keeps love triangle in her conjugal life, because her male counterpart Paravasu fails to understand her love and emotions. Paravasu leaves his

24 Pandey 228 wife alone in house and he goes to perform the Fire Scarifice for seven years. In his absence, Vishakha is subjected to Raibhya s jealousy and lust. Yavakri reminds her of the love moments of their past, and raises her desire for sex. He inveigles Vishakha and debauches her, in this way uses his former beloved to settle his score against his cousin Paravasu and uncle Raibhya. Later on, Vishakha realizes Yavakri s desires and becomes an instrument of his death. But she doesn t appear to be sorry for her adulterous act with Yavakri. She boldly admits to her family that she had slept with Yavakri and is ready to bear punishment. Unlike Rani s unconscious adultery in Naga Mandala, Vishakha is conscious and intentionally betrays her husband. This act does not empower her, but makes her life worse than before. She realizes that she has been used as a tool in the game of revenge. She becomes wise and laments over, but there is no test for her to prove her faithfulness. Karnad s Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala and The Fire and the Rain reveal various women characters like Rani, Padmini and Vishakha who are engaged in love triangles in their conjugal lives and break the shackles created by the society. It can be said that love is an emotion and at the same time a biological need in Karnad s dramatic world. Nittilai: An Amalgamation of Dare, Power and Ethics Nittilai is the unique and bold creation of Karnad. On one hand; she is as innocent as Miranda (The Tempest) and at the same time on the other as clever as Viola (Twelfth Night) of Shakespeare world. In spite of being uneducated she has common sense and logical attitude. As she proposes, instead of acquiring universal knowledge, the rain is important for the common man. Yavakri is blessed with universal knowledge from god Indra. Yavakri should have asked for rain, so that it would have been a help to

25 Pandey 229 most of the people in a drought-inflected land, thereby bringing smile on the face of a common man. Such intelligent hope and questions about Yavakri s false and selfish nature is exposed by Nittilai: NITTILAI: My point is since Lord Indra appeared to Yavakri and Indra is their God of Rains, why didn t Yavakri ask for couple of good showers? You should see the region around our village. Parched the land needs is a couple of heavy downpours. That ll revive the earth. Not too much to ask of a god, is it? (Karnad,FandR I.10). Nittilai is conscious about the needs of common people and she focuses on the selfish nature of Yavakri. Nittilai becomes angry when she thinks and discusses with Andhaka about usage of knowledge and scholar person like Yavakri. So she says: NITTILAI. Actually, I want to ask Yavakri two questions. Can he make it rain? And then, can he tell when he is going to die?... Just two. What is the point of your knowledge, if you can t save dying children and if you can t predict your moment of death? (Karnad,FandR I.11). Nittilai is sensible as well as sensitive about the problems of human beings. She is a humanitarian lady and an illiterate lower caste girl. She loves Arvasu and keeps herself pious in love relationship. When Arvasu wants to embrace her, she says that no physical intimacy should be there until they get married. The girl is not supposed to touch her husband till marriage. Through the love of Nittilai and Arvasu, Girish Karnad presents the problem of inter caste marriage between high caste boy and low caste girl. When Nittilai says to Andhaka that she would like to marry Arvasu who is high caste boy, Andhaka being an old man says:

26 Pandey 230 ANDHAKA. You two are brave. It is one thing to frolic together as children. But you are not children any longer. You are old enough to know that the world can be cruel and ruthless. (Karnad,FandR I.7) Here, Andhaka makes the traditional rules and regulations of the Indian society very clear. The inter-caste marriage between high caste boy and low caste girl is not allowed at all. It is the knowledge and the experience of the old man conveyed to Nittilai, that she stands against the traditional social rules. If inter-caste marriage takes place, society deals with cruelty and ruthlessness for that couple and marriage between Nittilai and Arvasu cannot take place. But Nittilai s love for Arvasu remains spiritual and unconditional. Nittilai marries a boy from her own tribe and becomes happy. But when she knows that Arvasu is facing problems, she offers help to him and runs away from her husband s home to help Arvasu. Her intention is quite pious. She takes care of Arvasu and shows her kindness and eternal love towards him. Nittilai is exceptional in Karnad s world that she rejects the concept of extra-marital love saying: NITTILAI. Arvasu, when I say we should go together- I don t mean we have to live together- like lovers or like husband and wife. I have been vicious enough to my husband. I don t want to disgrace him further. Let s be together like brother and sister. You marry any girl you like. Only please, Arvasu- spare a corner for me. (Karnad,FandR III. 42) Nittilai shows her sacred nature and wants to be like a loyal woman in the society. She is conscious about married life and responsibilities of a wife. At the same time her response to life and people around her is natural and spontaneous and her action,

27 Pandey 231 both in normal and critical situation is instinctual and intuitive.(jayalakshmi255) Thus, Nittilai is different from Karnad s other heroines like Rani, Padmini and Vishakha. They do not hesitate in making extra-marital relationships. But Karnad s Nittilai is a simple ordinary woman, who firmly believes in the principle of Indian society, where woman is expected to be faithful to her husband. In the words of Manoj Kumar Pandey: She accepts her predicament without any resistance. She accepts it not because she is powerless but because she is endowed with broader vision of human relationship. She is above the petty personal interest.(93) Nittilai wants to convey the moral lesson to Arvasu that patience is important in life. Vanshree Tripathi describes Nittilai in her article: The playwright s interest in exploring the varieties of ideologies that have replenished the Indian civilization through ages is represented in Nittilai.. A hunter girl. Nittilai is the most human of the entire gamut of characters. (150) She does not encourage Arvasu to avenge his brother for his attempts to ill treat Arvasu. When Arvasu wants to meet his brother Paravasu and ask him the reason of his unethical and ruthless behavior, Nittilai wishes that Arvasu should not meet Paravasu. So she tries to convey him. She says: NITTILAI. Leave that to the gods, Arvasu. Look at your family. Yavakri avenges his father s shame by attacking your sister-in-law. Your father avenges her by killing Yavakri. Your brother kills your father. And now you in your turn

28 Pandey 232 want vengeance- where will it all ends? (Karnad,FandR III.43). Nittilai is the symbol of love and humanity in the play. She has the ability to recognize the goodness in people around her. She has her own identity created by herself. In The Fire and the Rain Nittilai s innocence never goes off, it remains with her and mellows into profound philosophy of life (Pandey 86) She is like a goddess for him because she saves his life. Finally after the sacrifice of Arvasu and Nittilai, all condemned souls get salvation i.e. moksha, the ultimate desire of man on earth. This could take place because of the purushartha of Arvasu and sacrifice of Nittilai. The playwright shows the complete and clear picture of true love in the relationship of Arvasu and Nittilai, which is not found in Karnad s other plays. In this way, Karnad wants to show that love and humanity are still alive. Her presence in the play gives human touch to the melodramatic happenings as she lives and dies for the sake of humanity. She is a woman full of milk of human kindness. (Nimsarkar 158). Thus, Nittilai has been represented as an amalgamation of dare, power and ethics. In spite of knowing the social mentality of people, she went to help Arvasu when he is in trouble. She is all the way powerful because she had the courage to speak the right thing. The Interpretation of Characters on the Basis of Mandala Theory The themes and characters of The Fire and the Rain can be well interpreted on the concept of Mandala circles. As in Mandala Diagram, circles are the representative of divine aspect of the universe and the rectangles are symbolizing the materialistic nature. In this way, it shows the dualism of the human nature. In Karnad s dramatic

29 Pandey 233 world, utmost every character has a dual attitude. In the play The Fire and the Rain, all the characters exhibit this dualism. Paravasu, the chief priest of the Yajna(fire sacrifice), is the topmost authority of ritualistic activities. The chief priest is considered the representative of God and is expected to be spiritual and ethical. Paravasu also pretends to be according to the expected parameters. On one hand, he seems the ascetic of celibacy for the sake of Yajna. But on the other hand, he breaks the rules and meets his wife Vishakha and leaves the periphery of Yajna. His indulgence in worldly affairs is further revealed in the action of patricide. One night, when he comes to meet Vishakha in his father s hermitage, in a series of events and in a tug-of-war, he intentionally kills his father. Not only this, he blames his younger brother, Arvasu for the patricide and also plots a conspiracy against his younger brother, so that he could be arrested in this connection. Now, Paravasu is guilty of his father s death, brother s plight, as well as his wife and it was against the fundamental ethics of religion. Thus, the character of Paravasu can be traced completely on the rectangles of Mandala. Like Yayati and Tughlaq, he is fully involved in worldly pleasures, power politics and conspiracies. In this way, the character of Paravasu can be drawn in the following way. Fig. 19

30 Pandey 234 In the character of Paravasu, like Yayati, one may observe the second thought, when Arvasu, the younger son of Raibhya performs the play within the play, at the place of Yajna. In the last scene of the play, his inner conscious provokes him and he offers himself in to the altar, so that Yajna which was started by him could get its culmination. By doing this, he tries to wash out his sins, not by water but by the sacred fire. Like Tughlaq, he is a second character in Karnad s dramatic world, which performs trivial work, like patricide. Like Yayati, he also has a second thought. Yayati after accepting his blunders gives up all the pleasures, returns the youth to his son and chooses the path of Vanprastha, similarly Paravasu, in a spiritual fringe offers himself into the altar. This shift from worldly involvement to the ethereal space in the character of Paravasu, arises a positive thought for some extent in the audience. This shifting can be projected on the Mandala diagram. Fig. 20 : Diagrammatic Representation of the Character of Paravasu In the above diagram, spiritual side of Paravasu is highlighted as he gives up this mortal and ephemeral world for the sake of his ambitious project Yajna. Another aspect is that he has hardly any option left with him after exposing all his sinful acts. Various techniques used in the play The Fire and the Rain are as follows:

31 Pandey 235 The Use of Myth and Folk Tales Girish Karnad adroitly draws the material of his plays from the myths and folk culture, weaves them in the current state of affairs and makes them desirable for the upcoming events His play presents the charismatic realism of folk culture. (Nayak 87) The playwright is deeply rooted in Indian thoughts and imagination but at the same time, he is western in modernization and orientation of his ideas. As a creator germinated from his own soil, Girish Karnad introduces traditional devices like the mask, prologue and epilogue in the play to express his own themes in his desired forms. The playwright experiments boldly with the myths, which are taken from the great mythological epic of India, Mahabharata. Yavakri s myth has already been illustrated at the commencement of this chapter, which is the very foundation of this play. The myth of Yavakri is a myth of cosmic sacrifice. The myth expresses the fear of brother destroying brother and treachery in fraternal bonding. His treatments of mythical themes directly deal with the social and philosophical aspect of life. In the re-working of myths he has analyzed casteism, asceticism, and communalism, difference between sacred and secular, rigours of rituals and parochialism in religious concepts. (Nayak 235). The Fire and the Rain is symbolic and allegorical play. It dramatically presents the conflict between good and evil. The play is cast into a Hindi feature film, Agnivarsha. While exploiting the myth he does not seem to be talking about the problems of his age but the predicaments of human being as a whole. Girish Karnad is endowed with rare genius and imagination. The play shows marvelous craftsmanship of his dramatic art, and the native dramaturgy, like use of mask, myths and play

32 Pandey 236 within the play. The adeptness of Karnad s dramatic art has been successively developed after each drama. The Unique Technique: Parallel Revelation of Various Plots The play The Fire and the Rain runs simultaneously at three places at the same time. This indicates the unique identity of Karnad s dramatic style. Three different places talk about three different situations and the characters involved in these proceedings are different. However, they are intermingled and attached with each other. The action at one place, performed by any character affects the scene and situations at the other places. The first scene takes place in the hermitage of Raibhya, where the conversation between Vishakha and her father-in-law is going on. Here, the character of Vishakha is revealed, she boldly accepts what she has done in the forest with her former lover Yavakri, when asked by her father-in-law. She violates the set rules of the society and it has been already demonstrated in the other plays of Karnad. Through this technique, Karnad expresses his concept of the modern women, how she revolts against the patriarchal order and male dominated ethics of the society. Raibhya is the symbol of the patriarchal order. He resembles the image of an autocrat, who wants to dictate the family and the society according to his own canons. He does not maintain his dignity, when he abuses and molests his daughter-in-law. He had to provide patronage to her as she was his responsibility in the absence of her husband Paravasu. The characteristic nature of Raibhya can be interpreted on the parameters of Guna theory of the Geeta. In the 13 th chapter of Bhagwat Geeta, it has been said that nature

33 Pandey 237 consists of three Gunas- Satva, Rajas and Tamas. Thesee three modes can be called as goodness, passion and ignorance, respectively. His threee sons are the symbols of these three gunas. Satva helps a person to meditatee and inspires him for benevolent deeds. When satva is high, efforts bear fruits very quickly. Also it leads luck. to success and extreme good Rajas help a person to act. But when it goes out of control, it brings restlessness in the body and unnecessary thoughts in mind. If not checked at this stage, it leads to impatience and indecisiveness and over ambition at the same time. Still if not checked, it leads to anger and aggression which may lead to violence. Tamas helps a person to sleep. But when it goes out of control, it brings laziness and lethargy. If not checked at this stage, it leads to procrastination and loss of interest. Still if it is not checked, it leads to depression and suicidal tendencies. The character of Raibhya can be analyzed through his sons. He has two biological sons and the third one is Brahmaa Rakshasa who is his created son. Thus, Raibhya s three sons are the embodiments of the threee gunas, as it can be understood through this diagram: Fig. 21