Chapter – 2

Mind ruling the body

The most central plot of Hayavadana is the love triangle between Padmini,

Devadatta, and Kapila. Devadatta and Kapila, who are best friends, both fall in love with

Padmini, who in turn is attracted to attributes in each of them. The dynamics between the

three characters dramatize the conflict between the mind and the body. The play shows

that while the head may be more in control of the body and may follow more logical

instincts, the body and its desires can prove just as strong in swaying the course of human

life.

At the beginning of the play, before Padmini is introduced, Devadatta and Kapila’s

friendship refa8ects the mind having more control over the body. Devadatta, a poet,

represents the mind and intellect. He has a lot of sway over the actions and emotions of

Kapila, a wrestler (who represents the body and its desires). For example, Kapila tells

Devadatta that he would walk into fire for Devadatta, and that he is closer to Devadatta

than he is to his own parents. Kapila agrees to woo Padmini on behalf of Devadatta, even

though he himself has feelings for Padmini and remarks that she needs a “man of steel”

like himself.

When Padmini becomes more integrated into the story, she follows her head and

marries Devadatta. But she quickly realizes that she also has feelings and desire for Kapila.

She is particularly desirous of his body. Karnad does not write any interactions between

Devadatta and Padmini before they are married. Instead, the Bhagavata provides the most

insight on why she decides to marry him, explaining that because her family was wealthy,

and his family was intellectual, nothing could have stood in the way of their marriage. But
when the storyline resumes, after the two are married and Padmini is pregnant, Devadatta

quickly becomes jealous of Padmini’s affection towards Kapila. Padmini watches Kapila

when he does anything physically demanding because Kapila is much more fit,

demonstrating her own transition from desire for the mind to desire for the body. When

the two men switch bodies, the conflict becomes even more explicit, as there is confusion

over who is Padmini’s husband: the man with Devadatta’s head and Kapila’s body, or the

man with Kapila’s head and Devadatta’s body? Padmini, for her own part, shows her

desires quite plainly as she goes immediately with Devadatta’s head/Kapila’s body, a being

that speaks to her two desires.

The dolls that Devadatta buys for his and Padmini’s child eventually become

symbols of Padmini’s bodily desire, expressing her inner thoughts to the audience. They

establish their connection to desire by describing how the other children and mothers look

at them with glowing eyes. As the story progresses, the dolls describe how Devadatta’s

hands have softened, signaling Padmini’s waning desire for the new version of Devadatta

because his body is reverting to its old form. The dolls eventually narrate Padmini’s

dreams, describing how she is dreaming of a man with a “rough” face and a “nice body,”

demonstrating how she continues to feel conflicted between her mind and body as the men

return to their original states.

The story of Devadatta, Kapila, and Padmini thus dramatizes the conflict between

the mind and the body, or between logic and lust. Although initially the head (personified

by Devadatta) wins, eventually the body (personified by Kapila) demonstrates its equal

power over human emotions and actions. Ultimately, because they are unable to reconcile
this contrast, the two men kill each other and Padmini kills herself, proving that when

these two sides of human beings are not in agreement, the consequences can be tragic.

Girish Karnad is a gifted writer, actor and director of films. He is the well-known

author of the Kannada plays entitled Tughlaq and Yayati. Now he has translated into

English his own work Hayavadana. It is mainly based on the famous Katha Sarit Sagara

tale that Thomas Mann made use of, for his short but great novel The Transposed Heads.

In all his three plays-whether the theme is historical or mythical or legendary- Karnad’s

approach is modern. He wonderfully brings into play the conventions and motifs of folk-art

like masks and curtains in order to project a world of intensities, uncertainties and

unpredictable denouements.

Devadatta and Kapila are close friends. The former is an intellectual companion,

while the latter is of a sensual type. Devedatta is already married to a lady named Padmini.

But later Kapila falls in love with her. The two friends, so as to get over the situation,

decide to kill themselves. They perform the act. Padmini transposes the heads, while

rejoining the severed limbs. It naturally results in confusion of identities and several

complications arise from it. It drives them to fight a duel and they kill themselves again.

Then Padmini ascends their funeral pyre and performs Sati (Dying along with the

husband). It is a highly tantalizing story, even without the psychological dimension and

Karnad very ably makes the most of it.

Hayavadana is one of Karnad’s most remarkable works. The plot of Hayavadana

comes from ‘Kantha Sarit Sagara‘ an ancient compilation of stories in Sanskrit. The

central event in the play- the story of Devadatta and Kapila is based on the tale from the
“Betal Panchabinsati.” But he has borrowed it through Thomas Mann’s retelling of the

story in ‘The Transposed Heads.’

The Sanskrit tale told by a ghost to an adventurous king gains a further mock-

heroic dimension in Mann’s version. The original story poses a moral problem, whereas

Mann uses it to ridicule the mechanical notion of life which differentiates between body

and soul. He ridicules the philosophy which holds the head superior to the body.

The human body, Mann argues is a device for the completion of human destiny.

Even the transposition of heads did not literate the protagonists from the physiological

limits imposed by nature. Karnad’s poses a different problem, that of human identity in

world of tangled relationships. When the play opens, Devadatta and Kapila are the closer

of friend’s one mind, one heart as Bhagavata describes them. Devadatta is a man of

intellect, Kapila a man of the body. Their relations get complicated when Devadatta

marries Padmini.

Kapila falls in love with Padmini and she too starts drifting towards him. The

friends kill themselves in a scene, hilariously comic, but at the same time, full of dramatic

connotations Padmini transposes their heads, giving Devadatta Kapila’s body and Kapila

Devadatta’s. As a result Padmini gets the desired ‘Man.’ Kali understood each individuals

moral fibre and was indifferent than the usual stereotypical portrayal of God and

Goddesses.

The result is a confusion of identities which reveals the ambiguous nature of

human personality. Initially Devadattaactually the head of Devadatta on kapila’s body-

behaves differently from what he was before. But slowly he changes to his former self. So
does Kapila, faster than Devadatta. But there is a difference. Devadatta stops reading texts,

does not write poetry, while Kapila is haunted by the memories in Devadatta’s body.

Padmini, after the exchange of heads, had felt that she had the best of both the

man, gets slowly disappointed of the three, only she has the capacity for complete

experience. She understands, but cannot control the circumstances in which she is placed.

Her situation is beautifully summed up by the image of river and the scare-crow in the

choric songs.

The sword fight that leaves both the friends dead brings to baffling story to end.

The death of three protagonists was not portrayed tragically… the death only to emphasise

the logic behind absurdity of the situation.

The sub-plot of Hayavadana— the horse-man, deepens the significance of the

main theme of incompleteness, by looking at it from different perspective. The horseman’s

search for completeness ends comically with his becoming a complete horse. The animal

body triumphs over what is considered the best in man, the ‘Utta Maga’, the human head’s

probably to make a point, Karnad names the play ‘HAYAVADANA’ human’s search for

completeness.

Girish Karnad’s “Hayavadana”, a multi-layered play based on the

“Kathasaritasagar” and Thomas Mann’s story “The Transposed Head”, depicts duality in

life; between the mind and the body, between desire and reason, between friendship and

love. It is a merging of several philosophical threads into a whole. The play opens with a

prayer to Ganesha, the God of completeness, who is himself incomplete with an elephant’s

head and a man’s body. The play then introduces the story of Hayavadana who, due to a
twist in fate, is born with a body that is half-horse, half-man. He prays to Kali to make him

a complete man, but before he could finish stating his wish, he turns into a horse. He makes

peace with this, but regrets having a human’s voice. Thus, depicting that desire has no end.

The central story of the love triangle among Kapila, Devadatta and Padmini takes

the audience through a journey of friendship, love, longing, guilt and regret. Devadatta and

Kapila make for unlikely friends, the former is a poet and lives life through the mind, while

the latter has a powerful physique and courts adventure. They are attractive in their

unique ways but one does not possess the strengths of the other. Devadatta falls in love with

the beautiful and intelligent Padmini and their marriage is arranged by the loyal Kapila.

The passion that had once defined Devadatta’s and Padmini’s love, fades, and is replaced

by minor let downs and complaints. Kapila and Padmini fall in love. Devadatta feels

increasingly isolated and is aware that Padmini’s desire for Kapila far outweighs her love

for him. The events that unfurl are tragic.

Girish Karnad’s ‘Hayavadana’ plays on this aspect and lays bare each shred of the

human psyche. Which is powerful — the head or the body? The question lingers. Setting

myths and ancient tales against a modern backdrop, he takes a dig at different human

traits in a humorous vein. That language is universal for man’s inner conflicts is seen as the

play unfurls in Malayalam under the direction of Vijayakumar Prabhakaran. The myth of

Hayavadana is introduced in a modern vein to the audience belonging to the SMS, email

and Facebook era. Yet Hayavadana is running helter skelter to get rid of his horse-like

head born out of the whims and fancies of his mother.

The play opens with Devadatta and Kapila toning their body. In another corner

women are decking themselves up against the backdrop of music that augments the scene.
Devadatta, the scholar, enriches his mind while Kapila, the warrior, strengthens his

physique. Devadatta is enamoured by Padmini’s beauty and grace and wishes to possess

her. Kapila, disturbed by Devadatta’s distraction, sets out to fulfil his friend’s wishes.

From the dialogue, one garners that Padmini is not exactly suited for the soft-natured

Devadatta. However they marry and lead a blissful life but the union leaves much to be

desired. Padmini takes a strange liking to Kapila who reciprocates her feelings which

instills jealousy in Devadatta.

The trio set out on a journey to the city and on the way, Kapila and Padmini can’t

help expressing their true feelings for each other and they reach a spot where a Rudra and

Kali temples beckon them.

Devadatta, who is sick and tired of the happenings and his own word that he would

sacrifice himself, keeps his word and beheads himself. Kapila, who goes in search of

Devadatta, does the same leaving Padmini in distress.

The experiences and the conflicts that the three go through are unique to themselves

and can be understood by them alone.

No other person can understand another, say the chorus to show that each one has

to suffer the consequence of their thoughts and action. The chorus throws light on life’s

predicaments and truths. Even Kali is depicted in modern light and is more human that

divine as she says that Devadatta beheaded himself for reasons of his own. She intervenes

when the pregnant Padmini tries to end her life. She tells Padmini to place the heads on the

bodies so as to bring them back to life.

 Padmini places the head of Devadatta on Kapila’s body and vice-versa. The conflict

between the head and body has both claiming a right over Padmini. Finally the head wins

for the ‘swamini’ says the head is superior and Padmini leaves with Devadatta.