YAYATI BY GIRISH KARNAD, A GREAT DRAMATIST

One of the great Indian dramatists not only in English but also in Kannad.

1. Yayati by Girish Karnad Prepared by Rahul Kokni Adhyapak Sahayak (English) Sheth P. T. Arts and Science College, Godhra ( Panchmahal ) Affiliated to Shri Govind Guru University, Godhra, Gujarat, India

2. About the Author Born on May 19, 1938, in Matheran, Bombay Presidency, India, died on June 10, 2019, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright Studied philosophy, politics, and economics at the University of Oxford. Wrote his first play, Yayati (1961), focusing on a mythological king. His next play, Tughlaq (1964), tells the story of 14th-century sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq.

3. Cont.… Continued to produce work as a playwright, including Hayavadana (1971), recognized as one of the most important plays of post-independence India. based on a theme drawn from The Transposed Heads, a 1940 novella by Thomas Mann, originally found in the 11th-century Sanskrit text Kathasaritsagara. Received the Padma Shri in 1974 for his contributions to theatre. Received the Padma Bhushan in 1992 and the Jnanpith Award in 1999 for his contributions to literature and theatre.

4. Plays translated in English Tughlaq Hayavadana Yayati Nagamandala: Play with Cobra Fire and the Rain Bali : The SacrificeTale Danda Wedding Album Boiled Beans on Toast Crossing to Talikota

5. Career in Movies worked in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi films. Started his career in filmmaking with Samskara (1970), adapted from an anti caste novel by U.R. Ananthamurthy. role of Swami's father in the TV series Malgudi Days (1986–1987) Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), 8 x 10 Tasveer (2009) and Aashayein (2010), Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and its sequel Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) Movies as a Director Vamsha Vriksha (1971) (debut movie) Godhuli (1977) and Utsav (1984)

6. Characters in Yayati King Yayati: An ancestor of Pandavas and grandson of Shiva and Parvati. Marries Devayani and Sharmishta. Struggles with his obsession with sensual pleasures and power. Transfers his curse to any sons he chooses. Devayani: Daughter of Shukracharya, preceptor of Asuras. Marries King Yayati due to his rescue from a well. Spends time tormenting Sharmishta, becoming her rival.

7. Cont.… Sharmistha: Second wife of King Yayati and daughter of Asura King, Vrishaparva. Marries king due to Devayani's superiority. Sharmishta bears Devayani's torments and marries the king. Puru: Youngest son of King Yayati and Sharmishta. Takes up his father's curse. Survives sudden old age and his bride, Chitralekha. Chitralekha: Wife of Puru, she dies distraught when she suddenly sees Puru become old.

8. Cont.… Shukracharya: Father of Devayani and Preceptor of Asuras. Devayani's superiority leads to a dispute with Sharmishta. Vrishaparva: King of Asuras and father of Sharmishta. Five sons Yadu, Dryhu, Turvasa, Anu and Puru

9. Themes in the Play Human Relationship Yayati, a play based on a myth, uses family concepts extensively. King Yayati marries many women, and has many sons. Pooru, a son, accepts his father's old age and offers his youth as filial duty. The play emphasizes the father-son relationship, with Yayati failing as a father and Pooru passing as a son.

10. Cont… Sexual Relationship Sexual relations are significant in Yayati, with Shukracharya cursed for his illicit relationship with Sharmishtha. The play also revolves around Swarnalata, a character whose husband indulges in many affairs to seek revenge. The play reflects the curtailed freedom of women in mythology, with only Chitralekha exhibiting rational thought. Pooru, married to Chitralekha, accepts his father's old age and regains his youth, highlighting the societal impact of marriage on sexual relationships.

11. Cont… Power Politics in Karnad's Yayati Yayati, a symbol of power, desires youth and sacrifices his throne for it. Devayani and Sharmishtha's struggle for power is also a power struggle. Devayani is angry with Sharmishtha's influence on Yayati, leading to her encroachment on her relationship. At the end of the play, the father hands over power to his son, Pooru, and goes in solitude with Sharmishtha.

12. Cont… Theme of Violence in Karnad's Yayati The play is based on the responsibility of a person and the sentiments of the man. Class-distinction and caste distinction lead to violence in society. Sharmishtha's behavior and Devayani's words lead to psychological disturbance and the death of Chitralekha. The most violent event in the play is Chitralekha's death, which changes Yayati's mind and character.

13. Mythical Transformation in Yayati by Girish Karnad The play Yayati connects the ancient Mahabharata myth with a contemporary setting. New characters, Swarnalata and Chitralekha, are introduced to the play, providing insights and influencing the play's narrative. Swarnalata's role is to inform Chitralekha about her husband's acceptance to take on his father's agedness. Chitralekha's suicide leads to a shift in Yayati's sexual desires, exemplifying selflessness in the face of societal philosophical disagreements. The play narrates the tale of King Yayati who was hexed by his father-in-law to become old.

14. Cont… The story reveals life's ironies through layers revealed as the story unfolds. The story revolves around the relationship among Devayani, Sharmishtha, and King Yayati. Yayati, unable to perceive the obscurity of material and sensual enjoyments, is forced to accept the curse and regain his youth. Despite his new marriage, Pooru, Yayati's youngest son, bears the king's curse. Chitralekha, Pooru's wife, is introduced as a new character who demonstrates courage by initially disagreeing with her husband's decision. Chitralekha's suicide helps Yayati understand the extent of his cruelty towards his son and he begs his son to regain his youth.

15. Cont… The play also addresses contemporary social conflict, with Yayati and Sharmistha becoming hermits after the death of Chitralekha. Pooru, despite his compliant and honorable son status, is willing to embrace old age due to his lack of courage. Yayati, a king in the Mahabharata, lived happily with Devyani for years. He realized he had spent his life pursuing trivial pursuits and never considered spiritual enlightenment. In "Yayati," he and his wife Sharmistha became hermits after the death of Chitralekha. Pooru, a son of a king, is willing to accept old age for his youth, despite lacking the courage of his father. Pooru's lack of experience and knowledge about old age leads to an existential dilemma.

16. Cont… The 'Yayati Complex' The 'Yayati complex' refers to parents expecting their children to sacrifice their own wishes to satisfy their wishes. Pooru's sacrifice opens Yayati's eyes to his errors in thinking and leads him to rescind the curse on Pooru. Pooru's sacrifice restores the significance of duty and shows progress towards becoming a philosopher king.

17. Yayati by Girish Karnad: A Tale of Feminine Mindset and Marriage The play, inspired by Achari’s Mahabharata, explores the theme of the exchange of ages between father and son. The play introduces the character of Chitralekha, the new bride of Pooru, adding new dimensions to the narrative. The play has been translated into many languages and directed by renowned directors like Om Shivpuri and Ebrahim Alkazi. The play depicts the feminine mindset, with Devyani and her attendant Swarnalata abusing Sharmistha, the daughter of the Asura king.

18. Cont… The play also highlights the king's acceptance of Sharmishtha as his wife, a woman who develops an extra-marital relationship with the king. Sharmishtha taunts Devyani for not having true love in her marriage and reveals her lust for immortality. Devyani, a revengeful woman, breaks the pious relation with the king and flees to her father. The communication between Sharmishtha and Devyani reveals a deep insight into the feminine psyche.

19. Cont… "Devyani's Struggle and the Role of Women in Society" Devyani, a woman who is a product of her husband's secret affairs, is portrayed as an empowered and dominant figure in Karnad's play. She uses her father, Shukracharya, to curse King Yayati, highlighting the importance of old age as a symbol of weakness. Yayati blames Sharmishtha for causing his marriage turmoil, but the root cause is his refusal to leave the palace. Sharmishtha's passive role and forgetfulness of her intelligence and logical skills are exposed. The play argues that educated women do not easily succumb to male-dominated society and gratify the arrogant male. The play also highlights the concept of femininity, a concept that is not born but becomes a human figure in society.

20. Cont.. Swarnalata's Apocalyptic Marriage Story Swarnalata shares her apocalyptic married life story with Chitralekha. She shares the news of Prince Pooru's arrival and his trade of youth with his father's old age. Chitralekha initially refuses to accept her husband's subjugation, but later accepts it as a traditional Indian woman.

21. Cont… Chitralekha's Struggles and Responses Chitralekha expresses her desire to welcome Prince Pooru, but her ideals vanish upon seeing his decrepit face. Yayati and Sharmishtha try to pacify her, suggesting she should act like an educated woman. Chitralekha's sarcastic response to Yayati's advice is criticized for not considering her duty to her son.

22. Cont… The Role of Education in Women's Rights Chitralekha criticizes Yayati for snatching away her legal right to live in Antapur and imprisoning her in her own sex. She questions the societal expectations of a daughter-in-law, who is skilled in household chores and martial arts.

23. Cont… The Role of Education in Modern Women The play demonstrates that an educated modern woman is capable of making her own decisions. It emphasizes the importance of education in modern women's lives and the need for equal value for women's needs and decisions.

24. Existential Crisis and Dilemma in Yayati's Story Yayati's Existential Crisis: Yayati's pursuit of meaningless pleasures leads to a cycle of boredom and guilt. Despite obtaining his desires, Yayati finds himself in a never-ending cycle of pleasure. His strength of character is evident when he admits his desire to enjoy sensual pleasure for a longer time.

25. Cont… Yayati's Dilemma: Yayati's dilemma is reflected in his pursuit of eternal life, which destroys his life in the present. He finds meaning in defiance of despair and finds meaning in the pleasures of the flesh. His quest for eternal life destroys his life, and he should leave the kingdom to Puru. The ending to Yayati is profoundly pessimistic, demonstrating that the journey is more important than the destination. He eventually becomes human, maturing through a series of emotions he had never experienced before. Accepting the meaninglessness requires reaching into the loving arms of religion, science, or finding a meaning for oneself.

26. Thank You