Part 14 - Conclusion

Bhāsa, the author of the Ūrubhaṅga, is a well established poet and hence it is not necessary to describe his credentials. However, it is a fact that the Ūrubhaṅga, like all other plays of Bhāsa, does not provide any information about the author. The information regarding the author Bhāsa, is from the secondary sources and hence the information is only a guess-work of scholars.

The Ūrubhaṅga is a perfect plot for Utsṛṣṭikāṅka and he has made changes which are necessary and justified cleverly in the plot. His description of war is authentic and natural and it produces strong images of war in the minds of the audience. He describes the events that occurred on the battlefield very accurately. His comparison of the battleground to the sacrificial ground is very appropriate. He has avoided violent scenes on the stage and described them tactfully behind the curtain, because Utsṛṣṭikāṅka involves pathetic sentiment. It is purely a tragic drama, which has a wellknown (prakhyāta) plot, taken from the Mahābhārata and justifies the status of being an Utsṛṣṭikāṅkāṅka.

The Ūrubhaṅga does not follow all the rules of Aṅka prescribed by Bharata and Dhanañjaya. The Ūrubhaṅga looks special. Sometimes Bhāsa seems to follow the rules prescribed by himself.

Except for some stage restrictions, which are imposed by Bharata, most of other rules of Bharata are not followed. For instance, Bharata has ruled that the death of the hero should not be shown on the stage; however, the death has been shown in the Ūrubhaṅga. Duryodhana dies on the stage, in front of all the characters. The war events have been described in the interlude scene (viṣkambhaka), which is appropriate, because it cannot be described either in introductory scene (praveśaka) or in anticipatory scene (aṅka). Again, in the second part of the drama, eight characters continue to remain up to the endand no one exits. However, this event violates Bharata’s rule that in an act only four characters should be present on the stage.

It should be observed here that Bhāsa has used nineteen characters altogether including Sūtradhāra and Pāripārśvika in the Ūrubhaṅga. Out of them, thirteen characters (Sūtradhāra and Pāripārśvika, three Bhaṭas, Duryodhana, Baladeva, Aśvatthāmā, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī, Durjaya, Pauravī and Mālavī) appear on the stage and the other six characters (Kṛṣṇa, Bhīma, Arjuna, Vyāsa, Vidura and Yudhiṣṭhira) remain behind the curtain. Arjuna, Vyāsa, Vidura and Yudhiṣṭhira are mere on-looking characters. They do not have any importance in the drama. Kṛṣṇa is the game changer, without him, Pāṇḍavas would not have won the war. Even for Bhīma, to fight with Duryodhana was difficult. Baladeva, the teacher of Duryodhana, is the first person who saw Kṛṣṇa is cunning. Therefore, he gets angry and decides to teach a lesion to Kṛṣṇa by finishing off the Pāṇḍavas. However, Duryodhana refuses to do so. Therefore, the character of Duryodhana is saint like. Duryodhana gets all the honors and respect for his act. He is a loving and obedient son of his parents, affectionate to his little son and dear to his wives. Thus, the tragedy of the Ūrubhaṅga touches a great high. Dhṛtarāṣṭra loves the act of his son. He addresses him as the champion. He is in grief, because he loses his hundred sons. Gāndhārī could not believe that her son is in such a pathetic situation. Still she is proud of having such a fearless son. She agrees to become the mother to Duryodhana once again in the next birth. Both the queens do not agree to leave Duryodhana, in the field alone, they want to end their lives with their husband in the funeral pyre. Durjaya cannot understand what happened to his father. He is a very small child. Anyhow, he accepts all the advices of his father. Aśvatthāma is angry with the Pāṇḍavas. He decides to kill all the Pāṇḍavas. Duryodhana councils him but he does not listen. In this way, all the characters are employed perfectly.

It should also be noted that Bhāsa has perfectly used the verbal style (bhāratīvṛtti) as the violent scenes are absent on the stage, which are contrary to the characteristics of the verbal style (bhāratīvṛtti). Further, the war descriptions create the odious (bībhatsa) sentiment, which is the part of the Bhāratīvṛtti. Again, the odious (bībhatsa) sentiment produces the pathetic (karuṇa) sentiment. Therefore, Bhāsa can be credited to have perfectly used the Bhāratīvṛtti. Again, Bhāsa has employed pathetic (karuṇa) sentiment as the dominant one; but it comes alive only in the second part of the drama, when the death scene of Duryodhana is described. The pathetic (karuṇa) sentiment is depicted in the conversation between Duryodhana and his son Durjaya. Again, the crying of both the queens and Gāndhārī, is really heart rending. The other sentiments like furious (bībhatsa), odious (raudra) and heroic (vīra) are used as the subordinate sentiments.

The drama has followed the rules of juncture (sandhi). Both opening (mukha) and concluding junctures (nirvahaṇa) are also employed properly. Thus, it has shown the elements like seed (bīja) and denouement (kārya); and actions like beginning (ārambha) and the result (phalāgama). The drama starts with the warand after the war, Bhīma smashes the thigh of Duryodhana, which happens at the end. It must be noted here that the opening juncture (mukhasandhi) occurs with the scenes behind the curtain or off stage and concluding juncture is shown on the stage, as Bhīma smashes the thigh of Duryodhana.

It must be noted that Bhāsa has used very few technical aspects like prologue (sthāpanā), intimation scene (nepathya), interlude scene (viṣkambhaka) and epilogue (bharatavākya). Unlike many other dramas, Bhāsa’s Ūrubhaṅga does not begin with any benedictory verse (nāndī). The drama begins directly with the prologue (sthāpanā), “nāndyante tataḥ praviśati sūtradhāraḥ”. In the prologue, Sūtradhāra recites the benedictory (nāndī) verse. Just after the prologue (sthāpanā), the interlude scene (viṣkambhaka), starts and runs for almost half of the drama. When the main actors enter on the stage, the drama actually starts. The warriors in the interlude scene narrate the actual events that happen in the war. It appears like on the Television screen we are watching the live cricket match and three commentators comment on the ongoing events of the match. The warriors describe the horrific scenes of the war. They do so chronologically and all the incidents appear one after another. In some cases, all the three warriors recite the verses together. However, the epilogue (bharatavākya) states that there is some disturbance, which probably indicates the exiting of characters. Bhāsa also states that the king should protect the people by defeating the enemies; however, he does not specify the particular king.

Bhāsa has commented number of times about the society of that period. The society was disturbed by the fear of war, but had faith in the king. Bhāsa has not commented on the common people; however, the changed behavior of Duryodhana towards his cousin brothers indicates the kind and loving nature of people. His love for son shows the good relation between father and son. His wives are devoted to him, which indicates the relation between husband and wife. Thus, the Ūrubhaṅga describes the high cultured society of that period. Again, in the society, women were respected as equal to men. As wives, they were “sahadharmiṇīs” of the husbands. They were ready to die for their husbands anytime and this fact becomes clear from the words of Pauravī, who wants to immolate herself with her husband (ekakṛta praveśaniścayā na rodimi). These things indicate the fact that women were greatly devoted to their husbands.

In fine, it must be observed here that the Ūrubhaṅga is a fantastic drama of Bhāsa. Since the Ūrubhaṅga is based on pathetic (karuṇa) sentiment, many scenes evoke pity and compassion. Further, the end of the drama is heart rending and touches a great poetic high.

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