CHANDALIKA BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rabindranath

CHANDALIKA BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rabindranath Tagore (1861 -1947) was a renaissance man, a poet , musician and artist. Tagore wrote novels, essays, short stories, travelogues, dramas and songs. His first original drama was Valmiki Pratibha. He used more philosophical and allegorical themes. The dramas – Chitrangada, Chandalika and Shyama are key plays that have dance-drama. adaptations. Collectively, they are known as Rabindra Nritya Natya. He became first Non-European to be conferred Nobel Prize in literature in 1913.

CHANDALIKA § § § § The term is used in Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and the travelogues of Chinese travelers. The term refers to an outcaste person who dwelled in the forests and were not allowed in the civilized vicinities. In scriptures like Mahabharata, they are termed as Rakshasa and inhumane. These people were treated as untouchables. There were no exchanges of commodities with them. They roamed across villages with beating drums so that people could avoid looking at them. They used the merchandise left by the upper castes. They also served as bier bearers for those who had no relatives or kiths. In short, they had a miserable and deprived life.

Myth According to Buddhist legend, Ananda was a famous disciple of Buddha and he felt thirsty once when he was returning from a visit. He approached a Chandalika for some water. The girl fell for the monk and gave him water. The monk was unaware of this enchantment. Chandalika asked her mother to spell on him, she did so and attracts Ananda to her hut. The monk presented himself in their hutlet in the night. When he saw her spreading the couch, he felt disdainful and prayed Buddha to save him from the spell. Buddha broke the spell and Ananda went away as pure as he came. Chandalika felt ashamed and her mother bereaved at the moment.

Tagore’s Trick Tagore transformed it into a psychological drama of intense spiritual conflict. It is the story of a girl who was revered by a Buddhist monk by accepting water from her. She called it “a new birth”. She is washed clean of her self-degradation and rises up a full human being.

ABSTRACT `The story is about a girl Prakriti who has fallen for a Bhikshu Ananda. . In the hot month of Vaisakha , he was passing from a forest when he saw Prakriti washing an orphan calf by a well, He felt thirsty so he asked for some water fom her. When she disclosed her identity, she boosted her up by saying that all humans are same irrespective of their caste and creed, and their touch would neither defile the water nor his piety His words homed in her heart, she called it her “new birth” and she began loving him. Her mother finds her near the well and felt some changes in her daughter, her tune and expressions were altered, she was turned a philosopher. Prakriti was lost in the moments she passed with the bhikshu and pined for him , she presented her desire before her mother who warned and reminded her of her existence that she was an untouchable girl. But she denied her mother and asked to work her spell on him.

They saw the Bhikshus going out of city but she was so mesmerized by his words that she has forgotten everything else him. The mother agreed to Spell on him, knowing that would be risky, She did so on Ananda. She gave Prakriti , a mirror which she would handle in her hand dance and could see the shadow of him in the mirror and check over how nearer he had come. Her strength declined as she spelled, his huff and swears weakened her, but Prakriti persistently provoked her mother to work on him , neglecting her emaciating condition. When he came too close, Prakrti felt abhorred when he came on her door-still with a drooping head, she put forward and broke the paraphernalia into pieces. Ananda sought forgiveness from Buddha and the mother died. She resuscitated from her enchantment but it was too late, she had lost everything.

Character Sketches Prakriti was an untouchable girl whose destiny never conferred her reverence. Somewhere, she herself felt it contemptuous but she confidently rebelled against the religion and orthodoxy after a short rendezvous with Ananda, a Buddhist monk. He told her the actual meaning of life which she was searching. His words highly impressed her that made her intoxicated by his memories, Like a child, she presented her desire before her mother and behaved with callousness. She was so enchanted by the monk that she forgets everything except him. She was called ‘daring’ by her mother. She did not care about her mother’s life and let it go. She felt remorseful with her fate, she did not want to pass a life of an untouchable, she called it ‘poison’ and ‘curse’. Finally, she lost everything, the monk and her mother.

Mother In the drama, the mother is portrayed as a satisfied chandal woman who had no complaints with her life and the norms imposed upon her. Her daughter’s love and philosophies were impalpable to her. She persistently warned her and was scared for her daughter. But on her persuasion and waywardness, she spells on the monk, knowing that would affect her life. Earlier, she had spelled on king’s son who had visited the jungle for deer hunt and fallen in love with her daughter, Prakriti, she had no dread of king or imprisonment, all she brooded was her daughter’s well being. Also, she proved herself an able mother by losing her life in the end. Ananda He was a buddhist monk was above the scourges of religion and casteism. He had no issues in receiving water from a Chandal girl. Like other bhikshus, he was not inclined with worldly affections, he believed in spiritualism which he propagated too. He was a celibate who had devoted his life to Buddha, he followed the principles of him. He sought apology from Buddha on being spellbounded by Chandalika woman.

THEMES Firstly, with the drama, Tagore has exploited a thousand years old norm i. e, untouchability. The demanding of water by a monk from a Chandal girl expresses theme. Buddhist monk’s words that “we all are human beings, and all water is clean and holy which cools our heat and satisfies our thirst. “Self humiliation is a sin, worse than self murder”, is the second theme of Chandalika. The norm of untouchability was so deeply rooted in India , that the untouchable had no access to anything. They did not even fight for themselves, they allowed other humiliate them and they did it on their own, and that is even bigger than committing suicide.

“Love does not claim possessions, but gives freedom”, is the third theme. Prikriti loved the monk and penchanted him, but love is not love which is based on some desires. It is spiritual, the girl realises it in the last when she rises from her slumber of intoxication. Nothinng in the life is permanent, not even castes. In the drama, there are many instances provoking the mother daughter to embrace that even castes could change. If a brahmin marries a chandal , she would become a brahman, even chandals are born in Brahmans and Kshtriyas transformed as Chandals. The fifth and last theme of the drama is devotion. If your devotion is true , no spell can befall upon you.

Submitted by: Submitted to: Mohd. Hassan Ullah Zaidi khan (Roll no. 1312) Maz Arfeen (Roll no. 1326) Dr. Syed Faiz

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