Part 9 - Sentiments (rasa) used in a Utsṛṣṭikāṅka

Though the Ūrubhaṅga contains the pathetic (karuṇa) as its principal sentiment and heroic (vīra) as the subordinate sentiment, the other sentiments like furious (raudra), tranquility (śānta) and odious (bībhatsa) are also applied in the drama.

Pathetic (Karuṇa) –

The Ūrubhaṅga is totally different type of drama. Only the last part of the drama contains the pathetic (karuṇa) sentiment and the same is manifested only after Duryodhana’s thighs are broken by Bhīma and Durjaya, the son of Duryodhana, meets his father. The scene involving conversation of Duryodhana and Durjaya is really pathetic and heart rending.

Durjaya wants to sit on the lap of Duryodhana, but Duryodhana is unable to offer his lap to him and tells him to sit anywhere else he wants to sit except his lap:

“tyaktvā paricitam putra! yatra tatra tvayāsyatām, adyaprabhṛti nāstīdam purvabhūktam tavāsanam”
  –(verse.44).

Duryodhana’s love for his son touches great high:

“duḥkhānāmanabhijñeyo mamāṅkaśayanocitaḥ, nirjitam durjayo dṛṣṭvā kinnu māmabhidhāsyati”
  –(verse.42).

Heroic (Vīra) –

The drama is full of heroic sentiment and it plays an important role in the drama. The war between the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas is really a heroic deed. The best example of heroic (vīra) sentiment is the fighting between Bhīma and Duryodhana.

Bhīma fights with great power but Duryodhana fights cleverly, because he is well trained in the art of fighting:

“saṃśikṣito narapatirbalavānstu bhīmaḥ”
  –(verse.9).

Odious (Bībhatsa) –

The other sentiment, which is employed in the play, is odious sentiment. The odious sentiment is very natural to the drama, involving descriptions of horrific scenes, when the war comes to an end. The dead bodies of kings, soldiers, charioteers are spread everywhere. Elephants, horses fall down like huge boulders. Warriors fall down as the victimsand their roaring is heart rending. The birds, with bloodstained beaks, loosen the ornaments from the bodies of the kings. Everywhere bows, arrows, skins, umbrellas, chowries, javelins, spears, maces, hammersand swords are scattered. Jackals and vultures drag the dead bodies of the warriors. Their huge long wings out-spread in the sky like fans, with bits of flesh. It has been described, as if someone had witnessed the spectacle of the war. Bhāsa describes the war as if he was present near the battleground. The scene is described in seven verses (fifth to eleventh).

Furious (Raudra) –

Since the drama contains heroic sentiment, the furious sentiment comes naturally. Anger, altercation, fight are the results of furious sentiment. The furious sentiment is employed, when Bhīma strikes on the thighs of Duryodhana by mace, getting secret sign from Kṛṣṇa. Balarāma gets angry because Bhīma trounced

Duryodhana. Thus, Balarāma wants to kill Pāṇḍavas by his plough:

“ākṣiptalāṅgūlamukhollikhitaiḥ ………pāṇḍuputrān”
  –(verse.32).

Balarāma loses his control watching the favouritism of Kṛṣṇa. The violation of the law of the battle worries him:

“raṇagatamatisandhim mām ca nāvekṣya darpāt”
  –(verse.27).

Tranquility (Śānta) –

Duryodhana is a powerful, rude and proud king. He does not want to bow his head in front of anyone. However, after the break of his thighs by Bhīma, he becomes a changed man. He tells Balarāma that he should not get angry. He consoles Balarāma saying that he has fulfilled his vow.

His brothers have gone to the heavenand therefore he should follow now their path:

“mā mā bhavānevam, pratijñāvasite bhīme gate bhrātṛśate divam, mayi caivam gate rāma vigrahaḥ kim kariṣyati”
  –(verse.33).

The last part of the play, up to the death of Duryodhana, contains tranquility sentiment. Duryodhana’s conversations with his son Durjaya, father Dhṛtarāṣṭra, mother Gāndhārī and queens Mālavī and Pauravī are calm and quite.

He advises his son to behave properly with Pāṇḍavas:

“ahamiva pāṇḍavāḥ ………draupadī cobhe mātṛvat pūjayitavye”
  –(Ūrubhaṅga, T. Ganapati Shastri, p.109).