Source of the Plot

The Hanumanāṭaka of Śrī Dāmodara Miśra is a fourteen Act play dealing with the story of Rāma. A larger portion of the story of first five Kāṇḍa (division) of Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa i.e. up to the coronation of Rāma after returning from Laṅkā, is the subject matter of this play. So regarding the contents or subject matter of the Hanumannāṭaka, it may be said that Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa (Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki) is the basic source of the drama.

The Rāmāyaṇa is the ‘Ādikāvya’ (first ornate poetry) of Vālmīki the ‘ādikavi’ (first ornate poet). The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki is said to have five Kāṇḍas or chapters, in the earlier time.

But the present form of the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki consists of seven Kāṇḍas viz.,

1. Bālakāṇḍa,
2. Ayodhyākāṇḍa,
3. Araṇyakāṇḍa,
4. Kiṣkindhākāṇḍa,
5. Sundarakāṇḍa,
6. Yuddhakāṇḍa and
7. Uttarakāṇḍa.

In the Bālakāṇḍa, of the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki there is found the description of the childhood days of Rāma and other princes, svayamvara of Sītā. In the Ayodhyākāṇḍa there is the description of the events of the royal court of Ayodhyā. The Araṇyakāṇḍa contains the description of Rāma’s life in the forest after his departure from the royal court and Rāvaṇa’s abduction of Sītā. The Kiṣkindhākāṇḍa bears the description of the royal palace of Kiṣkindhā of king Vāli and his brother Sugrīva, Rāma’s friendship with Sugrīva and killing of Vāli. In the Sundarakāṇḍa there is the description of visit of Hanumat in the Aśokavana and meeting with Sītā and destruction of Laṅkā with fire. The description of the terrible fight between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, killing of Rāvaṇa and returning of Rāma to Ayodhyā after rescuing Sītā are found in the Yuddhakāṇḍa. Here it is narrated that Sītā had to undergo fire ordeal for testifying her purity and chastity. Rāma and Sītā got seated on the throne of Ayodhyā.The Uttarakāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki is the concluding chapter where all the loose aspects of the story are taken together and the additional information about the various characters are described.

But this Rāmāyanic story has received some deviations and innovation with Śrī Dāmodara Miśra in the dramatic representation of his Hanumannāṭaka.