LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 11 : 6 June 2011
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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Indian Myth in Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana


S. Krishnamoorthy, M.A., M.Phil.
K. S. Thirunavukkarsu, Ph.D.

On Defining Myth

Generally, a myth is a tale or a narrative with a symbolic meaning. Human, non – human and super-human characters appear in myths. And the presence of these super-natural agencies endows myth with a numinous character. Likewise, as these characters are transcendent, they raise ‘awe and fear’ in us (Barthes 1957).

Myths are considered to be pre-historical, and, therefore, they belong to no specific author. They have a social or collective authorship. The most remarkable characteristic of myth is its normative nature. It sets down rules which specifically
apply to the moral realm (Chakravartee 1991).

Myths and Moral Problems in Karnad’s Plays

Karnad’s plays take up the moral problems that are left unresolved in myths, legends and folktales. In Karnad’s opinion, myths and legends have an enduring significance, for they thematize fundamental human obsessions. Their logical conclusions are often open-ended, leaving immense scope for reworking the whole story and arguing out a moral, philosophical or psychological point.

It has to be underlined that Karnad has probed our rich heritage for his source materials. He believes that there are plots in our mythology and folklore that are in themselves very dramatic and which lend themselves to adaptation on the stage. What he does in his plays is to examine ancient myths in the light of contemporary realities so that they are made meaningful and relevant.

Hayavadana – Reshaping a Myth

In Hayavadana, Karnad re-shapes an ancient Indian myth from the veralapanchavimsati to point to man’s eternal quest for completeness, or self-realization. With its highly stylized action and mimicry, especially the scene at the temple of Kali and the sword fight between Devadatta and Kapila in the second act, Karnad invests the play with a significance, which brings out the emptiness of the “incomplete” human being.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

S. Krishnamoorthy, M.A., M.Phil.
Research Scholar at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University
krish.sabarish@gmail.com

K.S. Thirunavukarasu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Government Arts College
Thiruvannamalai 606603
Tamilnadu
India
ksthiru_37@yahoo.com

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