Name : Vishva Gajjar
Roll No. : 45
Stream : M.A.
Main Subject : English
Semester : 1
Paper no. 4 – Indian Writing in English
Assignment
topic : Discuss the Character of
Eklavya (in reference to other Characters) from ‘The Purpose’.
Mentor : Medam Heenaba Zala
Department of English
Bhavnagar University
Batch : 2018-2020
Introduction :
The play
“The Purpose” is written by very famous and well-known playwright T.P.Kailasam.
His full name is Thyagaraja Paramasiva Kailasam. He was playwright and prominent writer of
Kannada Literature comedy earned him the title: the father of humorous plays”
and later he was also called as “One and only Kailasam for Kannada”.
About Author :-
T.P.Kailasam is remembered as the
father of Modern Kannada drama, the man of genius whose plays revolutionized
the kannada stage. Kailasam focused on contemporary social problems, a deeply
compassionate vision of the human struggle, an almost Shakespearian power to
evoke sympathetic laughter and an amazing grasp of the living language of men,
combined with the gift of using it artistically for dramatic purpose.
About Play “The Purpose” :-
‘The
Purpose’ is a Myth; which is taken from “Mahabharata”. It contains a story of
‘Archery’ which took place in forest. Arjuna was a small boy who goes to guru
Drona’s ashram for learning archery with pandvas and their cousin brothers
Kauravas. Guru Dronacharya was best in archery. Bhishma knows that so he sent
his grand children to learn archery from him. Arjuna was the favourite student
of Guru Drona. In ‘Mahabharata’ Arjuna was shown fast learner, whereas in
‘Purpose’ by T.P.Kailasam Arjuna represented slow learning than the Eklavya.
In; Purpose’ Eklavya is the protagonist.
‘Purpose’ – the title suggests its
meaning that the aim of teaching archery but only to the royal children for
Guru Drona, Purpose of learning archery for Arjuna and for Eklavya.
For Arjuna to learn Archery was to
become great Archer in his era; whereas to Eklavya; his purpose after learning
the Archery was symbol of selflessness. He wanted to learn Archery because he
wanted to become saviour of innocent animals. Here, in ‘Purpose’, Kailasam
represents that the Arjuna is completely personal and to Eklavya it was totally
opposite to Arjuna.
The difference in the same incidence between
Mahabharata and Purpose:-
Usually when
we see in Mahabharata, we find that character of Arjuna is highlighted.
Moreover, readers find that unjust is done with Eklavya. After guru Drona’s
Propound for ‘Thumb’ to Eklavya as Guru Dakshina Story moves to Arjuna’s
training of archery and did not capture the pain of an lost Thumb (to an Archer
his most precious weapon is his Thumb).
Whereas in “The Purpose” Kailasam
focus on the Eklavya and his after condition. He represents Eklavya as the
protagonist of the play and depicts him as a “Tragic Hero”. Here, the readers
somehow satisfied with Kailasam’s idea to focus on Eklavya.
After sacrifices thumb Eklavya regret
that it was not his authority to smutch a major weapon from innocents’ saviour.
He was the only who could save those animals with his archery skill without
hurting them, but now he won’t be able to do so.
Character overview of Drona:-
AS we
discussed before that Drona was a great Archer. He had first promised to Bhisma
that he would never teach Archery to any other child except Pandvas and
Kauravas (Royal Children) and the second promise he done to Bhisma and Arjuna
both that he would make Arjuna the greatest archer of the era. So, after
knowing that the Eklavya is more allegeable and desirable guy to be a great
archer than the Arjuna. Although, shake of his two promises he resisted Eklavya
to become his guru (teacher).
Character of Arjuna :-
Arjuna is
the third child among five Pandvas. He was the favourite child to Bhishma, Guru
Drona and Lord Shree Krishna too. In “The Purpose” we find Arjuna is selfish at
some extent (we do not find the same in “Mahabharata”. The character of Arjuna
was highly glorified among all other characters in Mahabharata.). He also feels
jealous fromEklavya after acknowledge that he can be more powerful and greater
archer than him. He also threatened Guru Drona that if he will break his
promise then he will tell this to Bhishma, so better to send Eklavya away.
Here, we find the very ideal character of Mahabharata juxtaposes and depicted
as cheaper character in “Purpose”. My verdict leads me there were we can say
Kailasam’s sympathy to Eklavya pushes him to represent Arjuna cheaper than him
or may be the Ved Vyas had biases towards Pandvas and depicted Eklavya at
inferior state.
Character – Sketch of Eklavya :-
Eklavya is the protagonist of the play
“The Purpose”. He is a Nishada boy. He always speaks whatever is the truth. He
has great esteem. He really likes the technique of Guru Dronacharya but he also
recognized Arjuna as his companion. In Mahabharat he is not powerful character,
but in this play he is powerful character drawn by T.P.Kailasam.
Once he was
talking with his mother about archery that he wants to become best archer in
the world, that time his mother told him that Guru Dronacharya was the best
teacher for Archery if he accepts you as a student then this way you can became
best archer. At that time he decided that he will learn archery from Guru
Dronacharya and try to convince him to teach him archery, but guru Dronacharya
denies him because he a teacher of Pandvas and Kauravas. He tells him that “I
am a teacher of Princes so I can’t teach you”
When Eklavya
enters into the ashram, he expresses his feelings with these words; “(Looking
all around him) this does look like exactly the place mother spoke of :”A wide
vast grassy play ground with bejewelled and beautifully dressed handsome young
princes at bow sword and mace exercises… being taught their lessons by a tall
and noble looking Brahamana” is how She described it! And it all fits in every
bit!”
He was so
interested in the archery that he thought that he must not miss a word of
Drona. This shows his love for him. He loves Gur Dronacharya and he has respect
for him this thing we can see in the dialogues that are spoken by Eklavya in
this play. During this entire situation Eklavya was not noticed by any one ‘he
just shares his feeling with his own self. He tries to prepare himself because
now he was going to present himself to Guru Drona. He already knows that
because of his cast, may be Drona will not teach him but he thinks that because
of his aim to become a great archer who wants to help others he would have to
dare for him.
He has very
good capturing ability which is seemed here when he listened Guru Drona
preaches to Arjuna before giving him training that to become a great archer is
in one’s hand only. One should be strong and stabile at his aim and this way
one can achieve his goal. Here, Eklavya knows very well that his aim is very
noble. At sometimes he also becomes negative like his aim cannot be noble than
Arjuna; he is very hard-working. Although he goes to Guru Drona,
I have tried hard ever do hard, Sir,
to learn by myself… But it Does seem not possible, Sir, to Learn all by one’s
own self!”
With the help of above lines, we can
say that he is really tries hard to convince Drona to teach him. His manner of expressing
is like child explaining something to elders.
When he denies
to teach, Eklavya leaves and decided to create a statue of guru Drona and he
would learn the archery with the inspiration of the statue; than he becomes
successful and being to be a scholar in archery. When guru Drona saw that
Eklavya could shut up the mouth of a barking wild dog with his bow very
skilfully; by aiming them at correct place to knit the mouth of that dog to save
Pandvas. It shows his skill in Archery. Everyone was socked, ‘Who did this?’
Guru Drona asked! Eklavya came and exclaimed positively that he did this. Guru
Drona asked him who taught him this he replied, “From you Gurujee!” Drona asked
with praise “How?” He never taught him. Then Eklavya led them to the statue of
Guru Drona which he made and worshiped. Arjuna was upset with this. Guru Drona
seems self-centred here when he thinks about promise and reputation for shake
of these; he propounds for his ‘Right hand Thumb’ as a Guru-Dakshina. So, that
Eklavya can never do archery. To save his promise and reputation he did not
realize that he has become mean for this. Because to beg for Guru-Dakshina is
only for whom who has actually taught to his student and at last that student
offers the Guru-Dakshina to his guru. Here, Eklavya took Drona’s statue as a
teacher but seemingly Drona was not there to teach him, he rejected him. So, he
had no right to ask for Guru-Dakshina.
Comparison between Eklavya and Arjuna :-
The similarity between both the
characters is that both want to become the world’s best archer. Though, the aim
is same, the purpose is different. Arjuna has the personal purpose and Eklavya
has purpose to save innocent animals. The name or the title of the play “The
Purpose”; which given by playwright appropriately, with the centre of the
story.
Contrast between Arjuna and Eklavya :-
Now, let’s
talk about contrast or difference between these two characters Eklavya and
Arjuna; that these both the characters have their own aspects and different
point of views about the purpose of learning archery. In their childhood,
Eklavya tells Arjuna face to face that Arjuna cannot improve it and will
continue his archery like he is doing at that time. This shows that Eklavya is
self-learner and fast learner, whereas Arjuna comparatively slow learner.
Eklavya never loses his temper in small matters whereas Arjuna has hasty
nature.
After
Eklavya lost his thumb he feels very depressed and expresses his feelings with
these words:
“Will you all please leave me tomy
own self?”
“You know it will never be farewell
between us, Gurujee.”
“Gods! My fawns in distress! And I
too helpless myself to help them.”
Comparison of Eklavya and Karna :-
I took this
character of Karna because he has so many similarities with Eklavya’s
Character. Let’s see.
Karna had a
same question as Eklavya had (Karna was a character from Mahabharata).
Basically, Karna was Kunti-Putra (Son of Kunti by Lord Sun) So he was
Kshatriya, but he was brought up by a sut-couple and so that he known as
Sut-Putra. He also wanted to learn from ‘Shree Parshuram’. But, because of his
cast Parshuram could not teach him. Here, Karna speaks lie to Parshuram and get
knowledge. When Parshuram comes to know that he is kshatriya, he got angry but
instead cursed him that “on suitable time (needy time), you would forget your
all learning skills”.
Here, the
similarity between Eklavya and Arjuna is only that they both are deserving and
could not get justice because of casteism. Eklavya speaks truth and loses his
thumb (most needy weapon for Archery) whereas Karna speaks lie and also loses
his skills at last.
Conclusion: -
So, we can
say that here in this play Kailasam tried to give justice to Eklavya’s
character which is not there is in original myth. Here he tries to destroy or
break the real myth of Mahabharata. This the typical style of T.P.Kaisasam that
he breaks the old rules in his all works either it is a play or any other work.
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