Hanuman Nataka (critical study)

by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words

This page relates ‘Part 2.1: The Contents of the Hanumannataka (Introduction)’ of the English study on the Hanuman-nataka written by Shri Damodara Mishra in the 11th century. The Hanumannataka is a Mahanataka—a fourteen-act Sanskrit drama dealing with the story of Rama and Hanumat (Hanuman) and presents the events in the lifes of Rama, Sita, Ravana and Hanuman (the son of Anjana and Vayu—the God of the Winds) based on the Ramayana story.

Part 2.1: The Contents of the Hanumannāṭaka (Introduction)

Śrī Dāmodara Misra’s Hanumannāṭaka is a play based on the Rāmāyaṇa. Here is found the description of the events starting from Rāma’s birth up to the death of Rāvaṇa and Rāma’s coronation and Sītā’s exile.

In this drama Rāvaṇa has been depicted as the contesting bridegroom, in the svayamvara (marriage ceremony) of Sītā, the daughter of king Janaka. Love and longing for Sītā are there as the basic theme of the drama.

The Hanumannāṭaka is complete in fourteen Acts. The contents of these fourteen Acts are placed in the succeeding lines in brief.

Act Title of the Act Number of Verses
First Jānakīsvayaṃvara 58
Second Rāmajānakīvilāsa 30
Third Mārīcāgamana 27
Fourth Sītāharaṇa 16
Fifth Vālivadha 64
Sixth Hanumadvijaya 46
Seventh Setubandhana 20
Eight Aṅgadādhikṣepaṇa 58
Ninth Mantrivākyam 41
Tenth Rāvaṇaprapañca 24
Eleventh Kumbhakarṇabadha 41
Twelfth Meghanādavadha 19
Thirteenth Lakṣmaṇaśaktibheda 38
Fourteenth ŚrīRāmavijaya 96
Total   578
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