365bet娱乐

Title. The title Madhyama-Vyayoga interpreted in three ways, vis., madhyamamadhikrtya krto vyayogasamjno natya- prakarah ; madhyama (bhima ) sya ( hidimbaya saha ) vyayogah (vi + a + yogah = visesena samyogah ); madhyamau ( bhimo brahmanakumarasca ) vyayujyete asmin iti natakam | The last interpretation meaning "the work where two Madhyamas are brought together" appears to be better. Plot. The stage-manager after reciting the benedictory stanza in praise of Visnu hears some noise, which on second hearing proves to be the speech of an old Brahmana with his wife and sons, who all are being harassed by the demon Ghatotkaca. The stage-manager then leaves the stage after thus introducing the main characters. The old Brahmana and his three sons surprised and alarmed at their pursuit describe the half-human, halfdemonic Ghatotkaca. Ghatotkaca speaks of his peculiarly awkward position-his respect for the Brahmanas and the command of his mother to bring a person for her dinner; but he decides to carry out the command of his mother. The Brahmana family after a talk among themselves come to learn of the absence of four of the Pandavas from their hermitage which was nearby and also of Bhima's being in the forest to take physical exercise. Thus seeing no way out of the difficulty, they approach the demon and ask him if there was any means of escape. He agrees to take only one of them and let go the rest. Then follows a discussion among the members of the family as to who should sacrifice himself for the sake of the family. The old man and his wife who offer themselves are ruled out by Ghatotkaca on the ground of old age and female sex respectively. Among

202 the three sons the father wants the eldest, the mother wants the youngest ; so the choice falls on the middle one, who is very glad to be able to serve the whole family. I With the permission of the demon, the middle one goes But he does to quench his thirst to a lake in the vicinity. not return soon, and Ghatotkaca becomes impatient as it was growing late for his mother's dinner. On learning of the name of the middle one from the eldest son, Ghatotkaca shouts by his name "Madhyma! Madhyama! Come quickly!". Bhima (who was also a Madhyama) is nearby, engaged in exercise, and he hears his name being called and wonders who it might be that disturbed him in his exercise. On getting no response, Ghatotkaca shouts louder and louder and Bhima stands Defore him in answer to his call, telling him that he (i. e. Bhima) was Madhyama by name. The Brahmana youth, Madhyama, also makes his appearance shortly afterwards. The old Brahmana requests Bhima to protect his son, and Bhima salutes him and promises his help. After his talk with the old Brahmana and the demon, Bhima recognizes the demon as his own son. Bhima orders Ghatotkaca to release the Brahmana youth, but meets with a a blank refusal, and then he offers himself to accompany Ghatotkaca instead of the Brahmana's son. Bhima agrees to be taken by force if Ghatotkaca had the power; otherwise he expresses his willingness to follow the latter peacefully. Ghatotkaca prepares to fight and throws a big tree and a mountain top at Bhima but these have no effect. Then they engage in a hand to hand fight in which Ghatotkaca has to own defeat. Ghatotkaca further tries as a last resource to bind Bhima by the magic noose given by his mother, but this also proves futile. Finding force of no avail, Ghatotkaca falls back on Bhima's offer to accompany him of his own accord. All go to Hidimba's residence and she appears on the stage on being called by her son. Hidimba at once recognizes her husband and asks her son to fall at the feet of his father, Bhima. She explains to Bhima her motive in asking Ghatotkaca to bring a man for her dinner, which was to bring back Bhima him her Ghatotkaca salutes the Brahmanas, who then leave for their further journey escorted to the door by Bhima, his wife and son. The Bharatavakya brings the play to its close.

203 Deviations. The whole story is practically the poet's invention. The epic does not speak of Bhima's meeting with Hidimba. All the Pandavas are sent by the poet to attend a sacrifice. To the main story of Bhima-Hidimba is tagged the subsidiary episode (pataka) of the Brahmana family with three sons vying with each other for getting the chance to make a sacrifice for the whole family. The latter episode was, as already stated, suggested by the Sunahsepakhyana in the Aitareya Brahmana (cf. also Manusmrti, IX. 105-109). Type of drama. Southern scribes of the MSS of Bhasa's plays describe the Mv as a Vyayoga. Prof. Mankad, however, states that it is not a Vyayoga since reunion is effected in the play; and he suggests the play to be an Thamrga. But it does not conform to the definition of an Ihamrga, which is thus defined in the Dasarupa (III. 72-75): 1 misramihamrge vrttam caturankam trisandhimat || naradivya niyamannayakapratinayakau khyatau dhiroddhatavantyo viparyasadayuktakrt || divya striyamanicchantima paharadine cchatah srngarabhasamadhyasya kincitkincitpradarsayet || samrambham paramaniya yuddham vyajannivarayet | vadhapraptasya kurvita vadham naiva mahatmanah || 1 The fighting in an Ihamrga seems to have been caused by a a Vyayoga it is Tham hile, ; further, an is said to contain also four acts (Sahityadarpana, VI. 245; Dasarupa, III. 72; Natyadarpana, p. 131); so it seems better to style the play as a Vyayoga. Sentiment etc. The main sentiment is Vira; and various other sentiments go to enhance its effect. Thus we find Bhayanaka (in the meeting of the Brahmanas with Ghatotkaca); Karuna (when each member offers his life for the sake of the whole family); Raudra and Adbhuta (Bhima's encounter with Ghatotkaca, the magic noose, etc.), Vatsala (the scene between Bhima and Ghatotkaca), and Mugdha-srngara (the meeting of Bhima and Hidimba) are used in succession. The fight between the father and the son would create an atmosphere of 1 Types of Sanskrit Drama, pp. 59-61.

204 Hasya and Virabhasa on the minds of Bhima and the spectators as they know the true relationship between the combatants; for Ghatotkaca, however, the whole scene produces Vira. A number of similes and metaphors are employed while describing the Brahmana family, the demon Ghatotkaca, etc. Rupaka and Atisayokti are found in v. 23: trisrmgo mama tvasinmanojno vamsaparvatah | sa madhyasrmgabhamgena manastapati me bhrsam || Critical remarks. The poet has handled his material very skilfully so that the play contains many moments of great stage effect. The scene between Bhima and Ghatotkaca reminds one of the similar situation between Arjuna and Abhimanyu in the Panc. The play lays down many rules of conduct according to Bhasa. That the mother's order is to be implicitly obeyed irrespective of the consequences is illustrated by Ghatotkaca, who feels no compunction in harassing the Brahmanas though sacred. It is also suggested that in a conflict between the orders of one's parents, the order proceeding from one's mother outweighs that of the father. The ideal of self-sacrifice is beautifully expressed in the speeches of the Brahmana and his sons. The play is bound to impress on the spectators the importance of Matrbhakti, Brahmanabhakti and of the principles of self-sacrifice and self-effacement. We also find in this play the recourse to magic to bind and unbind Bhima. Is it significant that the last verse in praise of Upendra is composed in the Upendra-Vajra metre? With regard to the five one-act plays considered so far, we may say in general that they were written by the poet with a view to place certain ideals in life before all the public in general and the princes of his royal patron. in particular. There is always an undercurrent of Visnu worship and Brahmana superiority in all the plays. The Dv. shows the futility of "the dispossessed's desire to recover his heritage by flattery and froth"; and its motif is stated as Efforts win where Prayers fail." The Karna idealizes magnanimity, incidentally laying stress on the fact that the general satisfaction of the populace is the key-note of the life of a successful sovereign. The 1 Dharmasila Jayaswal. Modern Review, December 1925, p. 665.

205 Dgh more or less emphasizes the righteous warfare and the observance of the ethics of the battle-field, and the proper respect to be paid to the elders. The Uru is principally a drama depicting the self-respect of a dignified sovereign incidentally referring to the covetability of death on the battle-field and the devotion to one's parents.