Urubhanga
Encyclopedia
Urubhanga or Urubhangam, (Devanagari
: ऊरुभङ्गम्), (the Breaking of the Thighs) is a Sanskrit
play written by Bhasa
in the 2nd or 3rd century AD. Based on the well-known epic, the Mahābhārata
, by Vyasa
, Urubhanga focuses on the story of the character Duryodhana
during and after his fight with Bhima. Although Urubhanga contains the same core storyline as that in the Mahābhārata, Bhasa’s altering of certain aspects results in a different presentation of the story. The most extreme of these altercations is Bhasa’s portrayal of Duryodhana, who, in the Mahābhārata, is viewed as a villain, but in Urubhanga is given more human qualities. While tragedy is rare among Sanskrit dramas, Bhasa’s presentation of Duryodhana’s side of the tale adds certain tragic elements to the play.
is presented in a different light in Urubhanga. He isn't exempted from his original evil deeds, but he is shown as a character with heroic qualities. The play centers around events that happen preceding his death; Duryodhana is shown repenting his past, reconciling with his family, and realizing the futility of war.
In the beginning of the play there are three soldiers that are marveling at the battlefield between the Kauravas and Pandavas. They describe the scene before them in gorey detail, each taking turn to muse and exclaim over the various details that they observe. As they progress through the battlefield, they arrive to the battle between the middle Pandava Bhima
and the Kaurava Duryodhana
The soldiers then proceed to describe the fight between Bhima and Duryodhana. The audience is seeing the battle entirely through the description of the three soldiers; ultimately, Bhima falls from Duryodhana's incessant blows. Duryodhana, refusing to kill Bhima while he is on the ground, instead has his thighs crushed by Bhima from false play and violation of rules.
After Duryodhana has fallen, Bhima is carried away hurriedly by the other Pandavas, and Duryodhana is left on the battleground. This act of false play incites the anger of Baladeva, who wants to seek justice. However, Duryodhana stops him, having become resigned; this begins the part of the play that starts to emphasize the heroic qualities of Duryodhana.
Duryodhana blames Krishna
and forgives Bhima, as the play progresses, he is reconciled with his blind parents, then his queens (Malavi
and Pauravi), and his son. Duryodhana is distressed about his situation, as he can no longer salute his father, nor can he let his son sit on his thigh. He also rejects the futility of war.
At the end of the play, Ashvatthaman, the preceptor's son, appears with the intent to seek revenge for Duryodhana and kill the Pandavas during the night, and Ashvatthaman names Durjaya, Duryodhana's son, as king of the kingdom right before Duryodhana dies. However, it needs to be noted that the play does not end completely in a tragic note, as there are signs of hope for the future, since it is unorthodox for Indian Sanskrit
dramas to end only on a sad note.
, Sweden in 2001. The performance is characterized by elements of Bengali
folk theatre forms, rites, chorus, dance and modern techniques which goes beyond traditional forms of Sanskrit drama. The Centre for Asian Theatre performed at the Huashan Arts District Outdoor Tent Theatre hosted by the Department of Cultural Affairs of Taipei City Government.
The Urubhanga was also adapted by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. This version was remodified in the theyyam
style. Panikkar created two Duryodhanas in the play in which one is the mortal Duryodhana
and the other is Suyodhana. Ratan Thiyam
's production of the play uses Manipuri dance and theatre traditions, as well as traditional martial art, Thang-Ta
.
Adaptations of Sanskrit classics including the Urubhanga was also staged by the Suvarna Karnataka, choreographed by Maya Rao.
Sharma, A. Essays on the Mahabharata. Leiden, 1991
Dharwadker, A.B. Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India since 1947. University of Iowa Press, 2005
Bhat, G.K. Tragedy and Sanskrit Drama. Popular Prakashan(P) Ltd. Mumbai, India 1974
Skilton, A. "How the nāgas were pleased" by Harṣa ; & "The shattered thighs" by Bhāsa. New York University Press: JJC Foundation, 2009.
Bhasa's Urubhanga and Indian Poetics In this article, Gerow examines the differences between the Urubhanga and the Mahabharata ‘original’. In the Urubhanga, the villain is portrayed as the moral hero since it is Duryodhana who acts as the guide and teacher for the reader. The play draws attention to discipline over self, compassion for the enemy, reconciliation within the family. Gerow also indicates the differences between the Urubhanga and Sanskrit dramaturgy as well as the structure.
G.K. Bhat in his book Tragedy and Sanskrit Drama studies the tragic design and intent established in the play. According to Bhat, Bhasa is the single Sanskrit dramatist to experiment with ancient material to produce tragic structure. Introducing tragic motive into the play was limited and attempt at delineating the character or action was considered a denial of the existing legend and the fabrication of a new one. Therefore, Bhat is a solitary case of a daring experiment in Sanskrit dramatic literature as he breaks away from the traditional epic framework.
In Bhasa's Urubhanga the incident and featured characters are taken from the epic but Bhasa re-orients the incident and presents it with a new motivation. In Bhasa's version, the breaking of the thighs is over before the main scene of the play opens. Also, Bhasa portrays Duryodhana as a tragic hero with heroic courage and calm determination with which he accepts his inevitable end. Eventually, Duryodhana dies like a hero. Since the Mahabharata
is deeply rooted in the Indian tradition those with traditionally fixed attitudes find it difficult to accept Bhasa's rendition of the Urubhanga.
Rangachar, S. Ūrubhaṅgam. One act play. With introd., translation, notes. Mysore, Samskrita Sahitya Sadana, 1967
Devadhar, C.R. Urubhangam, Urubhangam, Breaking of Thighs, a Sanskrit One-Act Play Attributed to Bhasa. Poona: Oriental Book Agency, 1940.
Menon, K.P.A. Complete Plays of Bhasa (Text With English Translation and Notes). 2003 ed. Nag Publishers, 2003.
Sarup, Lakshman, and A.C. Woolner. Thirteen Plays of Bhasa. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1985.
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: ऊरुभङ्गम्), (the Breaking of the Thighs) is a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
play written by Bhasa
Bhasa
Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit. However, very little is known about him.Kālidāsa in the introduction to his first play Malavikagnimitram writes -...
in the 2nd or 3rd century AD. Based on the well-known epic, the Mahābhārata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, by Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
, Urubhanga focuses on the story of the character Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
during and after his fight with Bhima. Although Urubhanga contains the same core storyline as that in the Mahābhārata, Bhasa’s altering of certain aspects results in a different presentation of the story. The most extreme of these altercations is Bhasa’s portrayal of Duryodhana, who, in the Mahābhārata, is viewed as a villain, but in Urubhanga is given more human qualities. While tragedy is rare among Sanskrit dramas, Bhasa’s presentation of Duryodhana’s side of the tale adds certain tragic elements to the play.
Synopsis
Urubhanga is a deviation from the famous epic Mahabarata. Although portrayed as a villain in the original play, the protagonist DuryodhanaDuryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
is presented in a different light in Urubhanga. He isn't exempted from his original evil deeds, but he is shown as a character with heroic qualities. The play centers around events that happen preceding his death; Duryodhana is shown repenting his past, reconciling with his family, and realizing the futility of war.
In the beginning of the play there are three soldiers that are marveling at the battlefield between the Kauravas and Pandavas. They describe the scene before them in gorey detail, each taking turn to muse and exclaim over the various details that they observe. As they progress through the battlefield, they arrive to the battle between the middle Pandava Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
and the Kaurava Duryodhana
After Duryodhana has fallen, Bhima is carried away hurriedly by the other Pandavas, and Duryodhana is left on the battleground. This act of false play incites the anger of Baladeva, who wants to seek justice. However, Duryodhana stops him, having become resigned; this begins the part of the play that starts to emphasize the heroic qualities of Duryodhana.
Duryodhana blames Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and forgives Bhima, as the play progresses, he is reconciled with his blind parents, then his queens (Malavi
Malavi
Malavi is a village in Belgaum district in the southwestern state of Karnataka, India.-References:...
and Pauravi), and his son. Duryodhana is distressed about his situation, as he can no longer salute his father, nor can he let his son sit on his thigh. He also rejects the futility of war.
At the end of the play, Ashvatthaman, the preceptor's son, appears with the intent to seek revenge for Duryodhana and kill the Pandavas during the night, and Ashvatthaman names Durjaya, Duryodhana's son, as king of the kingdom right before Duryodhana dies. However, it needs to be noted that the play does not end completely in a tragic note, as there are signs of hope for the future, since it is unorthodox for Indian Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
dramas to end only on a sad note.
Adaptations
Urubhangam was presented by the Bangladesh Centre for Asian Theatre, adapted by Niranjan Adhikari and directed by Kamaluddin Nilu. The premier of the play was held at Theatre Festival VarmlandVärmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
, Sweden in 2001. The performance is characterized by elements of Bengali
Bengali theatre
Bengali theatre primarily refers to theatre performed in the Bengali language. Bengali theatre is produced mainly in West Bengal, and in Bangladesh. The term may also refer to some Hindi theatres which are accepted by the Bengali people....
folk theatre forms, rites, chorus, dance and modern techniques which goes beyond traditional forms of Sanskrit drama. The Centre for Asian Theatre performed at the Huashan Arts District Outdoor Tent Theatre hosted by the Department of Cultural Affairs of Taipei City Government.
The Urubhanga was also adapted by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. This version was remodified in the theyyam
Theyyam
Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...
style. Panikkar created two Duryodhanas in the play in which one is the mortal Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
and the other is Suyodhana. Ratan Thiyam
Ratan Thiyam
Ratan Thiyam is an Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, one of leading figures of the "theatre of roots" movement in Indian theatre, which started in 1970s...
's production of the play uses Manipuri dance and theatre traditions, as well as traditional martial art, Thang-Ta
Thang-Ta
Thang-ta or huyen lallong is a weapon-based Indian martial art created by the Meitei of Manipur. In the Manipuri language, thang means sword and ta means spear. As its name implies, the sword and spear are the primary weapons in thang-ta. The spear can be used in its non-missile form while in close...
.
Adaptations of Sanskrit classics including the Urubhanga was also staged by the Suvarna Karnataka, choreographed by Maya Rao.
Studies
Pusalker, A.D. Bhasa - a study. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India 1968Sharma, A. Essays on the Mahabharata. Leiden, 1991
Dharwadker, A.B. Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India since 1947. University of Iowa Press, 2005
Bhat, G.K. Tragedy and Sanskrit Drama. Popular Prakashan(P) Ltd. Mumbai, India 1974
Skilton, A. "How the nāgas were pleased" by Harṣa ; & "The shattered thighs" by Bhāsa. New York University Press: JJC Foundation, 2009.
Bhasa's Urubhanga and Indian Poetics In this article, Gerow examines the differences between the Urubhanga and the Mahabharata ‘original’. In the Urubhanga, the villain is portrayed as the moral hero since it is Duryodhana who acts as the guide and teacher for the reader. The play draws attention to discipline over self, compassion for the enemy, reconciliation within the family. Gerow also indicates the differences between the Urubhanga and Sanskrit dramaturgy as well as the structure.
G.K. Bhat in his book Tragedy and Sanskrit Drama studies the tragic design and intent established in the play. According to Bhat, Bhasa is the single Sanskrit dramatist to experiment with ancient material to produce tragic structure. Introducing tragic motive into the play was limited and attempt at delineating the character or action was considered a denial of the existing legend and the fabrication of a new one. Therefore, Bhat is a solitary case of a daring experiment in Sanskrit dramatic literature as he breaks away from the traditional epic framework.
In Bhasa's Urubhanga the incident and featured characters are taken from the epic but Bhasa re-orients the incident and presents it with a new motivation. In Bhasa's version, the breaking of the thighs is over before the main scene of the play opens. Also, Bhasa portrays Duryodhana as a tragic hero with heroic courage and calm determination with which he accepts his inevitable end. Eventually, Duryodhana dies like a hero. Since the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
is deeply rooted in the Indian tradition those with traditionally fixed attitudes find it difficult to accept Bhasa's rendition of the Urubhanga.
Translations
Urubhanga has been translated into English.Rangachar, S. Ūrubhaṅgam. One act play. With introd., translation, notes. Mysore, Samskrita Sahitya Sadana, 1967
Devadhar, C.R. Urubhangam, Urubhangam, Breaking of Thighs, a Sanskrit One-Act Play Attributed to Bhasa. Poona: Oriental Book Agency, 1940.
Menon, K.P.A. Complete Plays of Bhasa (Text With English Translation and Notes). 2003 ed. Nag Publishers, 2003.
Sarup, Lakshman, and A.C. Woolner. Thirteen Plays of Bhasa. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1985.
External links
- Center for Asian Theatre - Urubhangam - detailed synopsis
- Center for Asian Theatre - Urubhangam (about,performance etc.)
- Kavalam Narayan Panikkar - Urubhangam adaptation & Other Works
- Urubhangam - Digital Download - read the play online
- Bhasa Plays - Translated into English by A.C. Woolner and Lakshman Sarup
- Urubhangam - Critically edited with introduction , notes and translation by C.R. Devadhar
- Exotic India Arts - Complete Works of Bhasa with Translations,notes,etc.
- Eastern Book Corporation - Complete Plays of Bhasa