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Symbolism in the Three Plays of Tagore 鈥撀�
Muktadhara, Natirpuja and Chandalika

K. V. RAMA RAO
Veeresalingam Theistic College, Rajahmundry

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was one of the finest flowers of Indian Renaissance. The span of his life witnessed hectic activity in all fields of national life. Especially, the emergence of an independent national spirit, rediscovering itself was a spectacular phenomenon. And Tagore made rich contribution in the matter of redefining the Indian spirit in the modern context. In Stray Birds, that book of sweet musings, Tagore said, 鈥淣o, I will never be the leader, brothers, of this new age of new Bengal. I shall not trouble to light the lamp of culture for the benighted...鈥� That is what exactly he has done 鈥� he has lit the lamp of the Spirit, and has shown the way for the consequent of the world.

Tagore was essentially a poet. His characteristic utterance was naturally a symbol or an image. His imagination gave him eyes, ears, wings and a melodius voice. Whether he wrote a play or a novel or a short story, Tagore the poet was there with his harp, and the result was a musical thought.

鈥淨uiver, O heart, in the pain that rends,
Fetters fall, and bondage ends鈥�

鈥搒o sings Vairagi Dhananjaya when Muktadhara is freed finally. These two lines may be taken as the leitmotif of all the three plays 鈥淢uktadhara鈥�, 鈥淣atirpuja,鈥� and 鈥淐handalika.鈥� With quivering hearts and bated breath we witness the pain that rends the central characters 鈥� Abhijit, Srimad and Chandalika and their final victory. It is a victory over tyranny, meanness and selfish颅ness. It is a victory of love, of infinite love. It is a victory of the spirit, of the supreme expression of spirit that this frail vessel is capable of Abhijit and Srimati not only find their deliverance through sacrifice, but they redeem others too through their self- sacrifice.

鈥淲hen Tagore applied his mind to a current problem鈥搒ocial, political, economic 鈥� the heart ruled the head; and the heart in its turn, beat in response to abiding intuitions, not the restrictive formulas of creed, caste or custom. The light of the soul鈥檚 illumination led him, not the will-o-the-wisp or agonizing dialectics. Whatever the problem, Tagore leapt from the circum颅ference to the centre and seized it in terms of universality. The poet sees clear than others, further than others.鈥� This well-considered opinion of Prof. K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar clearly defines the nature of Tagore鈥檚 drama.

The three plays Muktadhara, Natirpuja and Chandalikaare highly symbolic. Each page is a blue sky bespangled with image颅-stars. The images employed by Tagore do not only appeal to our eye, ear, and heart, but they touch the soul. An image is a graphic representation of an object, an idea, a feeling or a theme. As Caroline Spurgeon puts it, 鈥淚t is a little word-picture used to illustrate, illuminate and embellish the thought.鈥� Almost all the figures of speech come under Imagery. (E. g. 鈥淔ear fastens its fangs only in those who hate鈥�, says Vairagi Dhananjaya. Here 鈥渇ear鈥� compared to a snake.) 鈥淚n the sound of this water I hear my mother鈥檚 voice鈥� is a fine image appealing to the ear and the heart.

On the other hand, a symbol expresses two levels of mean颅ing. That is, symbolic words refer to something which suggests a range of reference beyond itself. A symbol works through association or suggestion. 鈥淐ross鈥� is associated with Jesus and his suffering; 鈥渨hite鈥� is associated with 鈥減urity鈥�; 鈥渄ove鈥� with peace and 鈥渉awk鈥� with cruelty and war. Hence they suggest these different things in the proper context. Symbols are of two types鈥揅onventional or Public (the cross, the shepherd, the earth, the tiger, the eagle, etc. ) and Private or Personal (鈥渄am鈥�, 鈥渃all鈥� and 鈥渓ight鈥� In Tagore are symbols). A symbol is an integral part of a context, whereas an image can exist without a context. An image has only one meaning, whereas a symbol can have layer after layer of meanings. It is rich in suggestion. Thus, a symbol is an irreplaceable literary device.

The Tagorean drama is more a play of symbols than of characters and incident. Most of the characters are shadowy and featureless. They are important only in so far as they stand for an idea or a feeling. They symbolistically express a philosophy 鈥淣ot the logic of careful plotting, but the music of ideas and symbols is the soul of this drama.鈥� (K. R. S. Iyengar) Even the titles of plays and names of characters are symbolic. Thus 鈥淢uktadhara鈥� is not only the freed flow of a river by the name but the torrential flood of 鈥渓ove鈥� ofthe prince which has been held by the 鈥渄am鈥� called throne, and now released self-lost in the vasts of God. 鈥淣atirpuja鈥� Is not just the worship of a Nati called Srimati, but it suggests that God loves to accept the worship not of the princesses but of the 鈥渓owly鈥� and the 鈥渓ost鈥�. 鈥淐handalini鈥� is an ironic commentary on the meaninglessness of caste-labels. All these plays are replete with imagery and symbols. It is a thrill and a revela颅tion watching the play behind the play suggested by these symbols. Tagore鈥檚 symbols and images are charged with profound intimations.

In Muktadharaand Natirpujathe unfoldment of character and action is carried out through many symbols. Almost all the names are symbolic. 鈥淏ibhuti鈥� stands for wealth and power (through machine). 鈥淩anjit鈥� is a victor in wars. 鈥淎bbijit鈥� is a name of Lord Vishnu 鈥� the Protector and Life-giver of the Hindu Trinity. 鈥淪rimati鈥� is one who is rich and good in sense. 鈥淟okeswari鈥� is a negative symbol. It means one who is the empress of the whole world 鈥� actually she is a beggar at her own doorstep, spiritually speaking. 鈥淪uman鈥� is the flower crushed under the wheel of conscription, in building the dam. The 鈥渄am鈥� itself is a mighty symbol of a wall or barrier which stops the free flow of water as well as of love. The prince considers tbe throne his dam. The flower girl from 鈥淒eotali鈥� represents the angels from Devasthali, i. e., heaven, who shower flowers on heroes!

Moral insensitiveness, indifference to others鈥� pain, assertion of one鈥檚 ego, thirst for power and greed for wealth 鈥� these are the dark clouds that surround Prince Abhijit and call forth his Inner self. Critics like Krishna Kripalani. Edward Thompson and K. R. S. Iyengar have found 鈥淢uktadhara鈥� a magnificent play rich in symbolism and Dhwani (suggestion). Ranjit, the king of Uttarakut has got built a great dam to hold the waters of Muktadhara from reaching the plains of Shivatarai, so that he might keep the Shivatarayans under permanent subjugation. Prince Abhijit the lover of freedom, and champion of the oppressed, breaks the dam at the weakest spot thereby freeing the waters. In the process, he dies.

The prince sees 鈥渞oads.鈥� He opens the Nandi Pass Road. Thus Road becomes a symbol of friendship and contact. The prince is spoken of as 鈥渓ight鈥�; and her light stands for knowledge 鈥� knowledge of the spirit or soul. Old Batuk says, 鈥淭hey are setting up the Thirst-demon today on the altar 鈥� the altar of the Machine.鈥� This metaphor brings out the ghastly significance of the dam and machine. Old Batuk is like John the Baptist, heralding the advent of Abhijit, the Jesus Christ. Vairagi Dhananjaya speaks of the flock and 鈥淭he Shepherd鈥�, the latter meaning God in general. 鈥淲estward鈥� and 鈥淪unset鈥� are used to indicate death. In their talk about the Uttarakut people the Shivatarayans refer to them as 鈥渨hite ants鈥� gnawing everything to pieces with their 鈥淐ulture鈥� and burying it under their mounds. One wonders whether Tagore was having a dig at the efforts at 鈥淎nglicization鈥� of Indians. In the final scene, listening to the sound of running water Bibhuti asks, 鈥淗ark, what is that?鈥� Dhananjaya鈥檚 reply is an exquisite image, 鈥淚t is the heart of darkness, bubbling with laughter.鈥� The word 鈥渂ubbling鈥� connected with water suggests that Muktadhara is freed from dark confinement and there is joy everywhere.

As Prof. Iyengar points out the issue in 鈥淣atirpuja鈥� is between the temporal power, the king and the spiritual power, the Buddha. Srimati is chosen the instrument of the great Affirmation. Love conquers and the power of spirit is irresistible. Like air or water or fire, it freshens, it cleanses, it purifies and it transmutes dross into gold. Inspired by the teaching of the Buddha, King Bimbisara and his son Chitra embrace the Dharma, and retire voluntarily handing over the throne to the ambitious Crown Prince Ajatasatru. This causes a great distress to the Queen-mother Lokeswari and she turns bitterly against Buddha and his creed. She once welcomed it and loved it. Under the influence of Devadatta, a rival of the Buddha, King Ajatasatru persecutes the followers of Buddhism and forbids worship at the holy shrine in the Asoka garden.

Meanwhile Bhikshu Upali brings the message from the Sangha to Srimati the palace-dancer, that she should offer worship at the Lord鈥檚 shrine, in preference to the princesses whose pri颅vilege it has been to worship the Lord on Vasanta Purnima, his birthday. Incensed, one of the princesses Ratnavali obtains an order from the king that Srimati should dance before the Stupa. This is to humiliate her. Knowing that she is the chosen one, Srimati combines her worship and her dance, and her per颅formance is an amazing spectacle of devotional ecstasy. She casts of all her outer garments and stands in the ochre robe of a Bhikshuni. The guard strikes her dead, thinking that he is obeying a king鈥檚 order. But the king has already revoked his former order, following the killing of his father Bimbisara. Fearing a popular upheaval he has started appeasing the Buddhists now and comes himself to offer worship, But the greatest transformation is that of the obdurate Ratnavali who is shaken to the roots by the humility, sincerity and pure devotion of Srimati.

In Natirpujathe Sadhana and worship or the Nati Srimati is developed artistically and its climax is shown in her self-sacrifice, for the sake of Dharma. When the Bhikshu Upial says, 鈥淪pring, the king of the seasons, touches the flowering woods 鈥� he him颅self awakens them to sacrifice,鈥� he is hinting at a spiritual principle that God in His own time, prepares people to speak for him and to die for him, if necessary. 鈥淎re you the only one awake today in all this city?鈥� Here 鈥渁wake.鈥� also means having the knowledge of God and waiting for him. The words of Malati, 鈥淭here鈥檚 a voice like fire in every wind today鈥� refers to the spiritually-charged atmosphere and the voice or call of God or Dharma. In Natirpuja鈥渃all鈥�, 鈥渨aiting,鈥� 鈥渞eadiness鈥� are used symbolically and represent things spiritual. In the mockery of the princesses the word 鈥淗anga鈥� is repeated a number of times; thus it has acquired the quality of a noisy symbol expressing their shallowness. One of the humble princes颅ses Nanda says, 鈥淣o, child. The petals of the lotus open to the morning light, but not the walls of the palace. 鈥淗ere lotus stands for the simple village folk who are pure and innocent; the palace walls represent the proud kings or their family members, with hard hearts; and the 鈥渕orning light鈥� is the light of spiritual knowledge. Srlmati sings, 鈥淎t your call the new dawn comes with a pitcher of light in her hand: and the deep darkness answers.鈥� What a fine image and what a power颅ful symbol! At the call of God, darkness (in Srimati鈥檚 soul) answers, disappears and merges itself in the blazing light ofthe Lord.

Unlike in the other two dramas Muktadharaand Natirpujathe deliverance of the heroine Prakriti in Chandalikadoes not come through self-sacrifice, but it comes through the grace of the Lord. The three plays are built in an hour-glass pattern. In the first two aspiration and prayer reach upwards. But in the third 鈥淐handalika鈥� forgiveness flows down to the lowest of the low.

In the popular Buddhist legend, the girl gave him water and fell in love with the beautiful monk. She drew him to her through magic. But the monk, at the last moment, saved himself through prayer and went away. This crude plot of the popular tale has been transformed by Tagore into a psychological drama of intense spiritual conflict. 鈥淐handalika鈥� is not the story of a wicked girl roused to lust by the physical body of the monk, but or a very sensitive girl, condemned by her birth to a despised caste, who is suddenly awakened to a consciousness of her full rights as a woman and a human being.

Of the three plays Chandalikais the shortest (only 20 pages), but most powerful. It is a poetic drama. Imagery and symbols playa vital part and all the conflict takes place in the theatre of the soul. The Buddhist monk Ananda awakened self-awareness and self-respect in Prakriti by saying, 鈥淕ive me water鈥� and accepting it in his cupped hands. Prakriti is transformed. The simple words 鈥淕ive me water鈥� acquire an incantatory effect and run through the fabric of the play as a sliver thread. They symbolise her 鈥渁wakening鈥� and freedom from bondage. 鈥淢y birth is washed clean鈥� says Prakriti. The new 鈥渂irth鈥� she refers to is her 鈥渟elf-knowledge.鈥�

Prakriti, now awakened, does not want to sink into darkness and dirt. She wants to dedicate herself to the great one. 鈥淢ake me forget that I am born of dust鈥� says the 鈥渇lower.鈥� She also says, 鈥淭he earth must offer its worship through me.鈥� Thus the individual desire of the low-caste girl Prakriti, becomes the universal urge of Nature to regain its original status of the Divine, in this cosmic Drama of Descent and Ascent.

Ananda, with some other Bhikshus passes by the well, unmindful of Prakriti. Her heart is broken. She becomes as one possessed and makes her mother use the primeval spell of magic to drag the proud monk down to her door. Mother argues and cautions her. But Prakriti is impetuous. The spell is cast. There is a great spiritual fight and intense suffering in all the three for fifteen days. At last Ananda comes with a distorted and agonized face. All the glow and fire of purity is missing. Prakriti stops the spell and begs his pardon. The great lord forgives all. Mother dies.

There are innumerable small and great symbols throughout the drama. The king鈥檚 son, 鈥渉unting鈥� for the 鈥渂east鈥� sym颅bolises all those who see only the flesh of the woman but not her soul. 鈥淭he house of darkness鈥�, is the state of ignorance of the self. 鈥淲ater鈥� is the symbol of love. 鈥淏lack stone鈥� (on my heart) is the weight of caste label. 鈥淔ire鈥� is a great purifier and a symbol of purity; dust = lowliness, flower = woman; bloom = full development ofsoul; light = self-knowledge or love. Autumnal clouds symbolise free floating things, detached persons like the monks.

鈥淲hy hurt will I bathe

In the deep waters of my pain鈥檚 immensity鈥澛�

This 鈥減ain鈥檚 immensity鈥� refers to the suffering heart of Prakriti and her unbounded oceanic love. 鈥淗is suffering and mine are one today. What holy fire of creation could have wrought such a union? says Prakriti. This is a complex symbol. It is a union of souls. Souls unite through the fires of suffering. She also speaks of the fusion, of 鈥済old鈥� and 鈥渃opper鈥� in the great fire. Gold stands for Ananda and copper for Prakriti, for spirit and earth, for heavenhood and earthhood. That is why she tells him boldly in the end, 鈥� I have dragged you down to earth, how else could you raise me to your heaven?鈥�

Thus 鈥淐handalika鈥� is a cosmic drama. Prakriti stands for Nature. Mother for the earth, a symbol of patience, suffering and understanding. The primal spell may be taken as the 鈥渇orce of attraction鈥� in Nature, particularly of sex, Ananda stands for spirit, the awakening and bliss. Even the word 鈥淐handals鈥� is made to represent people with 鈥渕ean spirits.鈥� The union of Ganga and Jamuna is the union of the white and the dark, of Spirit and Nature, of Ananda and Prakriti.

鈥淭he King of the Dark Chamber鈥� and 鈥淭he Post Office鈥� are considered the most symbolic of Tagore鈥檚 plays. But they are mystical in nature and deal with personal quest. But Muktadhara, Natirpuja and Chandalikastudy contemporary social problems, at the same time presenting a spiritual drama of great interest, in symbolic terms. Thus Tagore鈥檚 vision of the universals behind the particulars is effectively conveyed through these highly symbolic dramas.