( <-ouv .

Trr r

Karn
aban,
mati.
The Death of Karna: two I
resuli
Two Sides of a Story from
Llanne ,14. de BrLLin and ships
C lara Brakel- Pafi enltzen tural

ship r
nuru\
Arj ur
two tl
tions '

This article comparcs two diffcrent Asian thcatre traditions: ,ka-ltr.r

frcrm the rrorthern parts of Tamil Nadu and @alang uons from Central
Java. Both kinds of theatre represent independent performance tradi-
tions. They use th(: stories from the Mahabharata as a basis for their plots
Tamil
but include a number of local elements. We will compare the exposition of
kittu ,
a famous theme from the Mahabharata epic, the death of thc hero Karna,
opera
in the tzllu and .ralcng irong traditions.r
The r,
Our aim here is not to establish whether one tradition influenced
are n:
the other nor whether the classical written versions ol the story (such as
There
the Karnaparuan of the Sanskrit Llahabharata, the literary Tamil vcrsions,
or the OldJavanese Bharatayiddha poem) influenced the basically oral per-
forn r

forn.rance traditions. Rather, this is merely a pilot study in which we try to

knowr
establish the variations in the exposition of a theme and relate these varia-
kali. 11
tions to their respective performance contexts. Our study is based on
indeocncient rcsearch in traditional theatre lorms conductcd in South the pe
tnemsJ
Inclia by IJanne dc Bluirr betwccn 1985 ar:rcl 1989 and by Clara Brakel-
Dance.
Papenyzen in Java betrveen 1975 and t 988.
pensal
Because the theme ol I(arna's dcath is a long:rnd complex story
involving one of the cqntral therncs oI the final war between the one hun- codifie
(mudra
dred K;rurava arrd the five Pandava brothcrs, we have decided to locus on
used.5
one aspect of the theme: the characterization of Karna in the two thcatri-
cal traditions. Unlike Arjuna, who clearly belongs to the Pandavas,
differe
Karna has conflicting loyalties. Ariuna and Karna are both sons of Kunti.
South
lrrincd as an Indologisr, Ilann. ]v . dc ll.uh's a.adcmic i.rcrcsr is ir) hlr, (1,./,{tr,ll,), an oral tblk straigl
traclition ol 'lrrnil Nadu. Shc pr(rlLrccs progran:s in rlhich,iiu! is uscd ro rraDynir an cducatioDat
an intr
Cl^ra Brakcl l'apcnyzcn conducrs rcscarch in Asian dancc, nNsic, (h.arrc, uDd lansuagcs, spccirliz- compL
iDs in IDdoocsian and Indian classical arts. chorus
Alion Thatu Janntl vol. !, n.. I (spring 1992) o I 99! Lt Unilu rir y oI HNrii Prcs. All righG rcscrvcJ.
(oacana
 Tnr: Dr,rrn or I(,r r iv r
39

Karna, horve ,,,er, was

born be lorc Ku,ti,s marriagc to pandu. llis mother
abandoned him and he laterjoined the Kaurava"parLl:
Much of thc dra_
matic.action is determined by Karna,s psychologicj
conflict which the
two.plays develop in very different ways. Such "diff..".r..,
may be the
result of differences in thcarrical convcntions, but
they may also result
from wideiy di{lcrent intcrpretarions of Karna's .r.,r.n.t".
Jrrcr reration-
siril;s. Moreovcr, variatiors.ay ofte'i)e attr )utcd
Lo the diIcrcrrt cul-
tut ,rl scrrings it whiilr rualattg t.tut,g tttrLl A i u irrr.
nl(.(1.
l)(.l.lur

ship with Duryodhana, king ol thc Kauravas, rvith

his wife (named pon_
nuruvi irr kittu arrd Surtikanthi in wayatry wortg), ancl with his
half-_brother
Arjuna. 'I'hc cornpzrrison rvill bc prcccclcd by a short introduction
to the
two theatr.e for.ms, highiiglrLins rlrosc as1t".ts of the perlbrmance
tradi_
llons rr'lllr.lt lrrr.r.t lr.vant ro tht.disr.rrssion.

T]r,e Kittu Tradition

is an important genre of folk theatre3 performed in the
Tamil-speaking rural areas of South lndia.a We refe. he.e
to the styles of
kittu which. are perlormcd by traditional groups of professional
actors
operating in thc North Arcor and Chingleput airtri.is
of Tamil Nadu.
The repertoires of these itinerant groups, called ,ta1t u
or ndtaka companies,
are more or less exclusively bascd on episodes lrom the
Mahabharata.
Therefore, people also refer to this theatre tradition as paratam(thc
Tamil
forn ol Mahdbhdrata) kiuu.
The kittu tradition has many learures in common with better_
known forms ofsouth Indian theatrc, forms such as
Takshagana and katha-
kal;. Kn u, howcver, places much more en:phasis orr
lh" ,.ibut content of
the performancc (which is parrly sung ani partly spokcn by
the actors
themsclvcs) and co'sequently on thc actorsi ,".t.L
u.,d musical skilrs.
Dance steps, choreographli and lacial cxpression (paaanai),
though indis_
pcn.sablc to cvcry kittu pcrlbrrnan<:c, ar.c icss cl;rbol-atc
and not so rigidly
codified as in othcr art forms such as b/tnrala nab)am or kathakali.
Gestures
(tnudra)-asirle from thosc glcanccl liorrr daily Jifc_are nor fr.equcntly
usccl.:'
Kittu cmploys a number of raga (musical modcs associated with
difierent moods, such as heroic and rnelancholic) of the classical
system of
South Irrdian mrrsic. These raga, howevcr, o.e ,rs".l in a
simplified,
straightlorward manner. Thc musicians and actors render
the raga with
an intuitive ease and fluency. The solo singing of the
actors alternates with
complex_ an riphonal singing by one or by .rll membcrs
of.the background
c.horus (pinpa!!u) and with the arriculate rendering
of prose passages
(uacanant).6 The typical ,. kittu sound', is produced
iy th. frigt,_pi,.Ir.a
 40 de Bruin and Brake l- Papen2zen

mukauinai (a kind of small oboe), a harmonium (called pelJi or po!li), a

mrdangam, and a dltolak drum and two pairs of small cymbals (alam). The
musical styles of kittu companies may diller slightly. This seems to be one a
of the main reasons-aside from variations in tcxtual traditions-why e
actors who have been trained in a particular (musical) style (pani) hardly
ever perlorm with a company from a different musical tradition. I]
The killu radition requires that the actors combine the skills of d
acting, singing, dancing, and facial expression. As it is quite diffrcult for b
one and the same person to perform all these simultaneously, the empha- n
sis on thc vcrbal-musical aspects oi thc performance necessarily reduces a
the elaboration and stylization of dance movement and facial expression, b
The lact that this tradition is less rigidly codified than other forms ol e
Indian theatre and dance might create the impression that a ki u perfor- c
mance is to a large extent improvised-in the sense of being composed on sl
the spot using any (arbitrary) material and without performance conven- t1
tions. This impression seems unjustified. Our field data indicate that
every kittu performance has a more or iess hxed framework within which fi
the dramatic development takes piace. In ordcr to reassemble the story ir
the actors seem to rely upon a variety of tcxtual, musical, and choreo- a
graphical elements ("buiiding blocks") that belong to the oral rcservoir of f
the ,taf,lu tradition.T Although the usc ol these elements is relatively flexi- ri
ble, it is delineated by the conventions of the kittu tradition, as well as by rI
the individual requirements of every play.
The framework of a kittu perfolmance includes at least the follow-
ing elements: a simple pnja for Yiiayakar (Ganesha) in the greenroom
bcforc the actor-s start to apply tltc makeup, a musical introduction
(nLelakkallu), and a scries of songs in praise ol'Krishna, Vi ayakal, Saras- tt
..,ati, and Murukai. These arc followed by a (standard) introduction of ir
thc play perlorrned by the kattiyakkaran, one of the ccntral figures in ia1ta, b,
enacting the role of the Herald, guardian o1'thc King and Clown. After a)
these introductory stages the story (katai) constituting the cenral part of a
the play is slowly developed. Usually a curtain (tirai) is held, up each time b.
a powerful (royal and usually male) character comes on the stage for the ki
frrst time. The characters introduce themselves with the hetp of the katti- th
lakkaran ',,rho provides (standard) questions, cues, and the like. They tell m
their name, lineage, qualities, and porver and sometimes explain their _
hi
present state of mind. Every piay is concluded by an auspicious song re
(maikalam) which is sung by ali actors. fo
Most plays feature a leading male role (either a hero or a villain, 2(
depending on the plot) and a leading female role.9 Ifthe heroine is a royal
character she is often accompanied by two or more ladies-in-wai ting ls
(tdl;markal). These are portrayed as stereotype "folk characters" and m
function as intermediaries between the hero (or villain) and the heroine. th
 Tue Dearrr or K,q.nra

Althr.lugh a scqLrr)ncc ol diltcr.cnt episoclcs may be clistinguished

within a perlormance, wc hesirate to denote these as scenes because the
actors do not seem to be lzrmiliar rvitlt this conccpt. Indced, they prefer to
emphasize the continuity of a,tzllz performance.e
Adapting pcr{brrnanccs to varying cor.ttcxts rcquircs an inherent
ilexibility ol thc per'lbrrnancc tr-aclition which in our view is embedded in
tltc structulc ol'*illtt.' L u'cll-tltrilttrcl ltcr[orrncr. lnay use an abundance of
l.lrrilrlinu blrrcks n,irh gr-t:ar clcxtcr-i11,, cnabling hirn to aclapt thc
1rr:rlor_
m.!ncc to thc spccilic.cquirenlcnLs ol r,;rrious at:clicnccs at dillcrent times
and places. Thcrcfore, rigid coclification of the theatre lorm also seems to
be irnpeded by the necessit), to ziclapt constantiy to the changing tastes and
Ii' expectations of village audienccs financing the performances. This is
clearly rcflected in thc (unrvritter.l) convention that every performance
slrould be rrodeled after rhe wishes of the viilagc (kirarnauin iitam) inviting
thc conrp;rny.
t Many urban, elitt: mcnrbcrs of Indian society wrongly conclude
I I'rom tlre absence of cociilication t:l1 kt\ttu performances are largely
improvised. 'l-hey tcnd to recard ki u as at\ unsophisticated and degener-
ate theatre lorm that can only please,,the uneducated and illiterate.,,
I This prejudice seems to be caused by the low caste of the performers
rather than by the lack of arListic value of professional kifiu perfor-
mance s.10

Currnecrrnrsrrcs oF Kt"TU
I According to the Tarnil Luicon, the word kiltu means ,,dance,,,
I "dancing," or "dramatic perfor.mancc." The word not only refers to the
theatre tradition, however, but also to individuat plays or kuttu. Most
t informants consider the actors' wearing ofwooden ornaments (kattai) to
be the main characteristic of kittu. The most visible wooden ornaments
arc two kinds ol crowns (kirttam and cikarek), the arm ornaments
I (pujaktuti), and a breast ornamcnt (marltatakatn). Kattai are usually worn
: by royal figures and powqr.ful (malc) characters. The kattai distinguish
l kiltu. frctn anorher popular theatre genre in Tamil Nadu, the talaTra
the English "drama") or natakan. According to Frasca the ka11ai i,mply
from
I morc than.just royaity, power, and strength. Frasca's informants assured
r him that "not only was fallai-costuming rhe only type that was ritually
rclevant or suttable (poruttam), bur that it rvas the only style tl.rat gave this
lblk thcatrc thc sacrc.l powcr. to induce posscssion,, (Frasca I984,
262-26s).
I In the opinion of some perlormers a second characteristic of ,ta7ra
is thirt it contains karut.Lu, which coulcl be frecly translated as ,,(sacred)
I meaning," "essence," or " significance,,, The creation of karu u requires
that the actors be physically prescnt. This r.rot only implies the necessity of.
+2 cle Bruin and Brakel-PaPenlzen
Tst
:

are a
a direct and mutual relationship between performers and audience but
Thel
also indicates that the proper performing context is an important condi-
a ger
tion in evoking and conveying the kqruttu, Aside from the context it also
their
depends on the talent and intensity of the actor as to whether he will suc-
depe
ceed in capturiug the audience and conveying the karutlu to thern.
exch
PsnrorN,rrNc CoNrrxr whic
Knttu is hadly ever performed simply for the sake of entertain-
m€nt. N{ost oI the nightlong performances are staged as part of the
annual villagc festivals which are organizcd for one of the village god'
desses, usually Tiraupatiyammari (Draupadi) or Ivldriyammari (depend-
danc
ing on the season), or for other gods such as Tirupati Perumal (Vishnu in
ancie
Tirupati). Paratam kittu has a special conncction with the elaborate festi-
singi
vals for Tiraupatiyaramai, the her-oine ol' the Mahabharala who is wor-
speci
shiped as a village goddess in Tamil Nadu (Hiltebcitel 1988).
kulit)
During most Tiraupatiyammari festivals a series of eight to twelve
classi
,tzlla is performed featuring the events which lead to the war between the
enacl
Pandavas and the Kauravas, as well as the main events of the great war
writir
itself. One of the plays performed in this series is Karpa Mok;am Ndlakam
(Karna\ Death), which is the subject ofthis comparative study.rr
deriv
Another important occasion for staging this play is the karurnan'
epics
laram ceremony. This funerary'rite is practiced among non-Brahmin com-
lakon
munities on the sixteenth day after the demise of a family member, mark-
epic .
ing the end ofthe obsequies. On the night preceding the sixteenth day the
lakon
relatives of the deceased sometimes arrangc for the performance of Karpa
as lor
Moksam NaLakan. They hope that the staging of this kittu will facilitate the
the Ii
release of the deceased's soul, so that he or she will attain liberation
opini
(moksarn), .iustlike Karna in the play. point
Performanccs cnacted during a villagc fcstival are norrnally spon-
perlo
sored by the village collectively or by the inhabitants of the streets that
Keelt
maintain the temple for which the lestival is organized. The expenses for
staging a play on the occasion of a karumdnlaram ceremony are borne by
fessio
the relatives of the deceased.
constl
Tua PonuNx.r.pup PoNNucAut Ta,puxr0rru NAlaxa manc
MeN4..lrt merei
ship t
TIre textrral d,ata on the kittu tradition in this article are taken from
sion l
performance transcriptions of the killu known as Kar1a Moks,am Nalakam
manc
as performed by the Perunkat-tur Por.rnucami Terukkuttu Nalaka Ma4-
social
1am on the occasion of a karumdntaram ceremony.12 Based in the village of
lar fo:
Perunka{lrlr about 25 kilometers from Kanchipuram, the Peruikallur
Bhara
Por.rr.rucami Terukkuttu Ndtaka Maiiam is a traditional theatre grouP
ancie
which presently numbers eleven actors and three musicians. The actors
 Tuu Dc.rlH or l(,rtra +3

arc all rrcn, thoush sornc of thcrrr spccialize in pcr.forrning lemale rolcs.
'l-licy ltclong to Iorv-c:rstc larlilics o1-rvhich usually onc or two mcmbe rs in
a generation becomc a kittu artist, most of thcm studying directly with
their father or-anothcr close relative. The actors are all professionals who
depend on kittu performances for their daily living. The group often
exchanges actors and musicians rvith at ieast three other kittu companies,
which practice the saine style.

Performance Tradition and Context oI Waltang l{ong

Along with the masked dances and the puppet theare, the classical
dance-drama performed by human aclors-wa)ang Irlong-belongs to an
ancient Javanesc performancc tradition which involves dancing, acting,
singing, and music making, The diffcrent forms of theatre in.|ava tend to
specialize in palticular topics: r.r.,lr ile ttrc shadow-pupp et thiatre (wa2ang
kulit) ancl ualang uong pcrfor.m plays connectcd with the contents ofthe
classical Indian epics Ramal,ana and Mahabharata, other theatre forms may
enact plays clcriving frora .]avancse story cycles or Javanese historical
writings (babad).
So far thc classical wayang lradition of the Javanese courts, which
derives most of its characters ancl many ol its themcs from the Indian
cpics, has becn described best. It is custonary to differerltiate between
lakon balcu (or pzkok), plays rhat closcly lollow the srory as narrated in the
epic litcrature either in their Indian or in theirJavanese vcr-sions, and
lakan carangan, plays wl.rich may use characters fronr the epic stori(:s as well
as locally created figures and usually develop a new plot independent of
tire literary tradition as fixed in written form. While there is no uniform
opinion on thc exact definition of these terms, several writers have
pointed out that lakon carangan are at the nloment much more frequently
performed than lakon baku (Branclon 1970, 12; Feinstein 1986, xvii ff;
Keeler 1987,213 ff.). '3
This is also the case for- wald ( uan!! per.formances staged by pro-
fessional artists for the entcrtainment of the crowd, cither in temporary
constructions at annual fairs or in thcatrc buildings. In thcir perfor-
manccs the link with thq Indian epics is oftcn vcr.y loosc, consisting
merely ol a lerv charactcrs or a vitguc sinrilarity in plot. As thc rclation-
ship betwecn written and oral pcrfirrmance traditions is not under discus-
sion herc, rvc wish onlv to indicat.c that most Javanesc rcgard thc perfor-
mance of lakon baku as a scrious rnattcr rcquirir.rg a special sctting and
social circumstances in accord with its therne. This holds true in particu-
lar for the plays dealing with the death of the main hcroes described in the
Bharatayiddha, of which there are many Javancse poetic versions, both
ancien t and modcln.
++ de Bntin and Brakel-PaPenlzen Tnt

The classical waJang @ong theatre develoPed its present perfor- time
mance structure during the ninetcenth and early twcntieth centurics in of ir
the two court cities of Ccntral Java: Yogyal(arta and Surakarta. The vari- tioni
ous aspects of its Pcrformance tend to be a morc oI less faithful imitation mov
of the classical wayang kulit, including subjcct mattcr, typology, perfor- stru(
mance structurc, and musical accompaniment r{ The actors'costume and hum
makeup correspond to the dress, jewelry, crowns, hairdo, and facial fea- the r.
tures painted on the leather pupPets, which in turn reflect the costumes strin
and insignia worn by the various ranks of priests, kings, noblemen, and
their servants at theJavanese court in former times. desc;
Although the classical walang oong as we know it today was devel- )ang
oped mainty at the Central Javanese courts, this theatre form was not contr
exclusively performed by noblemen or court servants Since the end ofthe actel
nineteenth century (and probably even before that time), it has also been belor
staged by commercial groups playing in temPorary constructions or in Java
theatre buildings.
There are several differences in staging. Court performalces follo'
before World War II took place in the large pillared dance pavihon (pen- mari
dhapa) inside the palace. They Iasted for one or even several days and used stag(
large groups of actors dressed in splendid costumes. During the reign of mod
Sultan Hamengkubuwana VIII at the court of Yogyakarta in particular, stan(
performances were prepared with meticulous care. The ruler participated the r
personally in the composition of the script and its staging, the various brea
parts had to be memorized, and the acting was rehearsed under supervi- expe
sion of dance and music masters. While actor-dancers were identified rePrr
evcn in daily lil'e with thc rolc tl.rey performed in court drarna, they uscd less
to seck inspiration for the impersonation of their roles from the puppet num
theatre, studying the features as well as the performapces of their charac- acter
ter's role liom puppet shows (Soedarsono 1984, 221).
Commercial wa2ang utong is performed on a stage (panggung) inside
a theatre and usually in front of (not surrounded by) the audience. This
setting, and the fact that performances may take place on any day of the atior
week, unrestricted by ritual requirements, influences the performance betw
practice. Although commercial uo)ang @ong copies the performances of high.
the courtly u.ulang traditron (Brakel-Papenyzen 199i, chap. 4), the per- the c
formance time is much shorter-often just a few hours. Complex stories men'
tend to be staged as a series taking several consecutive nights. battl
As there are no links with a particular occasion, the choice of largt
theme is rather free and the majority of plays feature novel stories nor featu
found in epic literature. The organization of commercial companies usu- (tem
ally implies that plays are not enacted on the basis of written scripts. As
the topic of the play may be announced to the actors only a short time danc
before the performance takes place, plays are not really rehearsed a long durir
THr Ds/,rH or KarNa. 45

timc in lich,ancc. Therefblc such pcrforrnances a)lvays contain an clement

of improvisation, especially in thc dialogues and Clown's acts. Tradi-
tional Javanese theatre is not realistic but highly stylized in its use of
movement, language, different types ofvoices, music, and performance
structure. This is apparent-both in puppet plays ar.rd in drama with
human actors-from rvcll-linown theatrical structuring devices such as
the usc of Lltarattct tlpcs:,r'd IIrc s|quencirlg oIrlrametic actions into a
string of (morc or less standaldizecl) sccncs.
So f:rr, thc typology used in thc classic puppct the;rtre has bccn
described the best and is therefore well known even outside.Java. As wa-
yng kulit specializes in the performance ofplays which are linked with the
contcnts of the Indian epics, the typology is oltcn associated with the char-
acters depicted in these epics. However, it also applies to characters
belonging to different story cycles and enacted through other forms of
Javanese theatrc.rs
In classical wayang y>lays the string of major acts and minor scenes
follorvs a particular patLcrn rvhich is nol dcpendent on the content. Pri-
marily it is relatcd to the division of thc night into three progressive
stages. The three resulting scctions are marked by three differcnt musical
modes (palhet nem, sanga, and narryura).16 Although battle scenes are a
standarcl feature occurring at various stages in the play, the clash between
the main opponents is usually saved for-the end-that is, just before day-
break. In @alang u)o7tg coiJtt pcrformanccs the actors were-and still are-
cxperienced danccrs who n,ould portray thc qualities of the hero they
reprcscnted through clzLssical dance poses and movements. And even in
less sophisticated commercial ua)ang uong the actors have to master a
number of basic dance poses and nlovements corresponding to the char-
acter tyPe they represent.

TuB DlNcr FnacveNr (PrrllrLsN)

The occurrence of climactic battles inJavanese plays led to the cre-
ation ol a specific category of dramatic battle dances featuring the combat
between major heroes and heroines or betwcen herocs and demons. Such
highly stylized and beautifully cholr:ographcd battles may be fitted into
[hc contcxt of a pliry, but thcy arc ollcn pcrfornrctl out of context its frag-
ments (pethilan) or a battlc dance (b*sat tuiring). \Nlile the outcorne of tlle
battle depends on the content of the story depictcd, the choreography is
largely deterrnined by tl.re ruies of classical (battle) dances. These may
feature a number of dillerent man-to-m21n combats, e ach time ending in a
(temporary) defeat and using differcnt weapons.
As in all we)ang &ong plays, tl.rc action in thcse dramatic battle
danccs is highly conventional. Thc liglrt is precedccl by an introduction
during which the two heroes measurc the opponent's strength and chal-
 +6 de Bruin and B rakel- Papeqrzen T

lenge each other in song or dialogue. When in the course of the combat pl
one of the heroes suffers a temporary defeat he kneels down; death is indi
cated by sitting on the floor with the head lowered (Color Plate 5). p(
pl
Tu c .J.rvaN asu Dnnu,r I(.rnLva TeNoxltc
T,
The story ol the death of Karna on the battlefield is known as a ar
classical ua2aig play with the title Kama I(in)andhing (Karna in Duel). cU
Forming part ol'a scrics ol plays concerned with the great war between
the Pandawa and Korawa brothers, this play belongs to the essential ca
group that follows the stories told in the Mahdbharata (lakon baku). lt is be
known in all utayang traditrons, in the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta
as well as in the villages. Arl
The story of the great war has been part of the Javanese cultural ka
heritage for many c€nturies. Indeed, it was utilized by the poets Empu th
Sedhah and Panulu in a twelfth-century Javanese poern, the Bharatayiddha
'Kakawin (Metrical Poem of the Great War). Parallel to the written literary
otl
tradition, the story has been handed down through the performance of (11
drama-not only in nightlong enactments of the complete chain of events, elz
but also in a fragmentary form through song texts interspersed with the in
action taking place in the different scenes (suluk). tio
In thc course ofthe nineteenth century the theme of Karna's death 19
was used for a dramatic battle dance with the title "The Warrior's Dance dht
of Karna Fighting a Man-to-Man Combat with Janaka" (Beksan u,iring ru
Karna prang tandhing kall,an Janaka) at the Mangkunagaran court in Sura- thr
karta.l7
At present the plays about the famous Bharata2iddha war are only
rarely performed. However, this does not imply that they are regarded as
insignifrcant or boring; mostJavanese are well acquainted with their sub.
ject matter if one is to judge from the many articles in local newspapcrs
and (comic) books published on the topic. The usual explanation given by ber
the Javanese for the apparent decline in popularity is that the theme of m2
fratricide (perang saudara) is inauspicious and too "dangerous" (gawat) to his
be performed for the sake of mere entertainment. This feeling applies not
anr
only to the entire play but also to the "dance fragment," pethilan. qu,
In fact, the plays of the Bharatayiddha are regarded as a complex am
series, the performance ofwhich should be organized by a group ofpeople ev(
for a specific, important occasion. Examples of these are the annual puri- SPi
fication ofthe vill age rituaJs (bersih dtsa) celebratedbefore World War II in wh
the village of Karang Asem and around Klaten (Resink-Wilkens 1932 me
and 1939), as well as the famous one-year cycle of monthly performances inl
organized at the Sasana Inggil in Yogyakarta in 1958 (Resink 1975,
215).I8 On that occasion the complete series consisted of twelve plays: hin
eight plays dealing with the great war itself, preceded by two introductory Ka
 Tut Dn.qrs or KrnN,r +7

plays and concluding rvirh two plays dealing with events following the
war. It has becn reported that these pcrformances wcre all immensely
popular and drew enormous crowds; even the book summarizing the
plots had to bc reprinted several times (Radyomardowo and others 1978).
Tlrerefore, a lack ofirrterest cannot be the rcason why Bharatayiddha plays
arc sclclom pcrlbrrncd in.l;rva now:rcllys. It sccrns morc likcly that the cir-
cumstanccs rrrquiring the enactment of tlrc theme are rarely felt to exist.
:l 'Ihrrs oirr discussion of thc tltcmc of l(arna's death in wayang wong
!l ciinnot be based on matcrial rc(:orded durirrg a livc pcrformancc but must
S
be derived from other sources. 'fhe most recent and complete information
a was Ibund on a casscttc tape made in 1979 on the label "Melody Sound"
and perforrned by a group of plofessional waTang uong players from Sura-
karta namcd Wayang Orang Gabungan. Their interpretation of the
u
theme lorms the basis for our cliscussir:n of the plot.
a Thc comparison rvith tlrc'l'anril tladition is also based on several
Y othcr sourccs: a written English version ol thc play publishcd by Brandon
)f (1970,269-360), a synopsis ol the play in Dutch (Philips 1858,33-45),
elaborate outlines of thc play in Dutch (Kats [1923] 1984, 433-435) and
e in.lavanese (Radyomardowo and others 1978, 109-127), and a descrip-
tion of Karna's life and character in Indonesian (Hardjowirogo 1968,
h 190-191). The photographs of two dancers performing the Karna Tinan'
e
dhing fragmeot were taken at Sekolah Tinggi Karawitan Indonesia in Feb-
c ruary 1989. For reasons pointcd ortt rbove, the actions and costumes of
tlr L: dancers conform to the samc rulcs as in a complete wa2ang wong play.

v
,S
Karna's Character and Rclationshlps in Kittu
KenNe's C n,qnlcrp,n
's
The dcscription of Karna's . charactcr dcrivcs from a dialogue
v between Karna and the kattiyakkaraz in the beginning of the play. Karna's
rf main character tait is his liberality. When the katlilakkaran inquires about
o his good qualities, Karna give s the following answer: "Whoever comes
)t and whatever he asks for, I ncver give no for an answer. I possess the
quality of giving lavishly, that's me-your humble Karna. All admit that I
x am.l gcnerous man." Indeed, Karna's rnagnanirnity is so great that he
ie
even agrccs [o donate his armor]ikc skin arrd his carrings to Lord Indra in
i- spite of thc Sun God's warning not to oblige Indra in his rcquest. And
n whcn he finally lics rnortally rvounded ou the battlelield, hc offers the
2 mcrit earncd by his chalitable deeds to Krishna, rvho has approached him
:S
in the guise ofa poor Brahmin asking for this gift.
When Karna has granted this ultimate request, Krishna reveals
himself in his true form and promises to fulfill whatever boons he asks.
Y Karna then expresses the wish to ret;rin the quality ofliberality in his nexi
 +B de Bruin und BrakeL-Papenyzen Tnr

asl<s
addre
stand
and a
only r
kinsn
"legit
secrel
storY

less, ;
The f
Kunt
wishi
serve,
he to
well.

riage
that s
incan
the A
to ba
wouL
rcach
the p
and
Frcuns B. An actor gettiDg into costume for the role of Karna rn
'[anil kittu. (Photo: Hanne M. de Bruin) born.

lives and to complete the (prescribed) thirty-two charitable acts by feeding Kunt
others (annatanam). Krishna promises Karna that he wiil be reborn as gold(
Ciiottontanayaiar, a'Iamil Saivite saint famous fol having sacriticed his dowr
own son at Lord Shiva's command and offering him as food to the god.rs Rata
armc
TrIs Srory oF KARNA's BrrrrH the c
Drarnatic settingi It is the e arly rnorning of the sever.rtee nth day ol box t
the great Paratam war. In the opcning ofthe plav Duryodhana has made
Karna chief oI the Kaurava army. Belore going to the battlefield Karna up a

rvants to take leave ol his wife Ponnuruvi and ask for the auspicious gift of Kaur
betel leaves and areca nut (lampilan) from hcr that should help him gain to hz
victory. Ponpuruvi, hou,ever, who believes that Kalna is oniy the adopted hom,
son ofa charioteer, refuses to reccive her husband.
 l
l
Tuu De,\'f n or K,.rnna +9 a

j
!
Standing in the strcet in front of Ponnuruvi's apartments, Karna
I
:
asks his wife to unlatch the door. When she hears the request, she
l
addresses one of her ladies-in-waiting as follows: "There is somebody l
standing outside on my doorstep calling me 'my darling' and'my dear' j
and asking to be let in." She orders her friend to tell this man that she will ,
only rcceive him if he clearly announces who he is and names his parents,
kinsmen, and fliends. Dcspite this hrrmiliation Karna decides to fulhll the
"legitimate" r'equest of his wile even though he feels that his family .:

secrets will now be brought rnto the open.20 He then tells the following
:
story ofhis birth (synopsis).
King Kuntapoja (Kuntabhoja) of Kuntamapuri, who was child- ,l

less, adopted the elclest daughter ofhis cousin King Crtrac€ia (Surasena).
l
The five-year-old girl was called I(unti and brought up at his court. When
Kunti was six years old the sage Turvaca (Durvasa) came to the court :

wishirrg to plrlctice yogrl lbr a wbile . Krrnti wzrs appointcd his disciple and
scrvcrl him laithfully lor zr lull yc:rr. As thc sage's penance came to an end,
he told Kunti that she deserved a boon for having looked aftcr him so
well. I(unti was ready to accept whatever he wished to give her.
Foreseeing that she would not have any children after her mar-
riage, the sage taught Kunti five magic incantations*under the condition
that she would only use them with the permission ofher husband. These
incantations invoked the five gods: Surya, Yama, Vayu, Devendra, and
the A(vins, who would bc the fathers of her children. One day Kunti went
to bathe in thc River Ganga. Shc \\'antecl to test whether the incantations
rvould really wc,rk and invoked the Sun God. Although Kunti harl not yet
reached maturity, the Sun God rvas bound to obey Tfirvaca's \\'r)rds. By
the power ol illusion (ma1ta), he transfort'ncd Kunti into a matur(r \\,oman
and they had intercourse. Immediately after their union, Karna was
born.
Dreading what people would say if she returncd with a baby,
Kunti chose to have her virgin state restored: the child was placed inside a
golden casket produced by the Sr.rn God, and they lct thr: sealcd box Iloat
down the river. The box was found by Kine Dhritarashtra's charioteer
Ratair and his rvife, who were childless. When they saw the baby wearing
armor and earrings, the Sun God appeared and instructed them to call
the child Karna ("Ear"). (See Color Plate 6.) Ritar5 handed the golden
box to the government but kept the child.
After a while King Dhritarashtra lleard that Rata was bringing
up a child. As the king at thc timc was still childless-neither the
Kauravas nor the Pandavas had beel born yet-he asked the charioteer
to hand the child over to him. "Therefore," Karna says, "my second
home was King DhriLarashtra s palacc."
 50 de Bruin and Brakel- Papenyzen Trrr

KenNl.'s RnlarroNsrrtp wITH PoNNURUVT AND

DunyooneNa,
The central part of the play consists of the confrontation between
Karna and his wife Po4r.ruruvi before he leaves for the battlefield. It high-
lights Karna's problematic relationship with his wife and his loyalty
toward Duryodhana, as well as Poq4uruvi,s attitude toward Duryo- Whr
dhana. In addition to the story of Karna,s birth it includes an episode in argu
which Pon4uruvi has an ominous dream portending her husband,s death side:
on the battlefield.
Whilc growing up together at King Dhritarashtra,s court, a special
bond was forged between Karna and Duryodhana. They address each
other as "younger" and "elder" brother. It was Duryodhana who made
Karna king of the Angas when the Pandavas, claiming that Karna was
the adopted child of a charioteer and not ofroyal blood, iefused to let him
participate in the archery contest.
When Karna reveals the story of his birth to po4r.ruruvi, she
objects to his further association with Duryodhana. She asks him what he ston!
will gain by slaying the Pandavas, his own (half) brorhers. In por.r the l
r-ruruvi's opinion Duryodhana "bought" I(arna's love (iraoal piriryam, lit- (incl
erally "paid love") by making him king of Angadesa and granting him wido
various o(her sources of income. coml
The resulting domestic quarrel between Karna and ponpuruvi had
turns into a public discussion (uioatam) in which the audience is requested Karr
to function as judge. Por.rr.ruruvi states that Duryodhana is a man of bad Dur;
character, whereas the Pandavas represent the ..right party,,, Karna, leavt
however, claims that Duryodhana is a good man to ryhom one should killer
remain loyal and grateful: This

(Ponpuruvi's song) that ,

That Duryodhana ofcruel acts, inser

A great sinner and hot-tempered is he: is bar
The Lady Draupadi he abused Kirn
And he tortured the Five Pandavas
InAII
By grossly cheating rhem.
not a
roya)
(Ponnuruvi's speech)
O Lord, pity the Pandavas! They were living hippily in Indraprastha and
when jealousy arose in the heart of Duryodhana, king of Hastinapurra. react
He invited the Pandavas and easily got them over to his court. He set into i
Sakuni upon them to gamble, and thus he seized their country and their wife
cities. In this very assembly, he told his younger brother Turccecaiafi warn
(Duh6asana) to disrobe their wife Draupadi. Such a man, who orders Thus
that a lady's sari must be removed, can he be called a good man? casts
 Tup Daeru oF KARNA 51

(I(arna's rcply)
\{hat kircl of pcople are playing at clice? What sort of peoplc are gam-
bling? Idler-s and loafersl And who was there, playing and betting?
Dharma [Yudhisthira] and Sakunil Therefore, Dharma is a loafer,
Dharma is a thiefl Duryodhana is not to blame.

When Ponnuruvi insists that Karna slroulcl join his half-brothcrs, Karna
argrrcs that hc cannot dcscrt the l(auravas while thcy are on the losing
s ide:

You tell me to change sides. Do you think I am that sort of man? What
times are these? Times of war-the seventeenth day of the battle.
I)uryodhana is relying on me as on a rock. Not only is Duryodhana,s
. party losing, the Pandavas are winning. And precisely at this moment
you u'ant me to leavc Duryodhana and join the rvinning side? What
woLrld people say?

Although Karna defends Duryodhana here, he has on other occa-

sions bcen critical of Duryodhana's behavior, When, at the beginning of
the play, Duryodhana complains that many of his soldiers have died
(including Bhisma and Drona) and innumerable women have become
widows rvhilc so far nothing has been gained, Karna tells him ro stop
complaining. II'he had listened to the advice of the elders, he would have
had many opportunities to m.rk(: pcncc rvith the Pandavas. Although
Karna hghts on the side of the Kauravas and even tries to justify
Duryodhana's behavior toward his wife, he advises Po44uruvi as he
leaves for the battleheld: "My darling, don't go to Hastinapura lif I am
killed], but spend your time with my younger brothers, the Pand;.rvasl"
This advice reflects Karna's ambivalent attitude toward the Pand:r.,;is.
Ponnuruvi's character in Karpa Mok.tam Natakam develol,i lrom
that of a naive and somewbat vain girl into that of a disappointed, rather
insensitive, and shortsighted woman. Por.r4uruvi's grudge against Karna
is based on her assumption that he is oflow-caste origin. As a daughter of
Kirttivarman, king of Kalinga, Por.rr.ruruvi feels trappcd in her "declass6"
marriage with Karna. This is why she treats him with contempt and does
not allow him to approach her, As soon as she hears about her husband's
royal Iineage, however, hcl behavior changes. She prctends innocence
and tries to win his favor by showering him with affection. Karna first
reacts rather cynically to this sudden changc; then l.ris cynicism develops
into anger. But as the moment ofhis departure draws near, husband and
wife stop quareling and show mutual love and affection. Having been
warncd by bad omens, they both sensc that Karna will not return alive.
Thus the central part ofthc play ends in an cmotional farcwell which fore-
casts tlle tragic events on the battlefield.
52 de Bruin and Brakel-Papenyzen Tu

Tne RsLerroNSHrp BETwEEN KenN.a. eNo An;uN,r

Although Karna and Arjuna are both sons of Kunti, their relation-
ship seems to be dominated by a mutual jealousy which dates back to the
archery contest and Karna's humiliation by the Pandavas. In the play
they both express the desire to kill each other, yet Karna in one ofhis mel-
ancholic moments seems to harbbr milder feelings toward his half-
god
brother. Arjuna, unaware that Karna is his half-brother, wants to kill him
APP
not only because of their long-standing enmity but also to fulfill the vow
Api
he made when Turccicaiari (Dul1fasana), following the order of his elder
Arj,
brother Duryodhana, tried to disrobe Draupadi in public.
his
When the confrontation between Karna ar.rd Arjuna finally takes
Dhr
place (Color Plate 7) they challenge each other by exchanging abuses:
caII
Krir
(Karna's challenge)
Hey you, fellow, Arjunal
and
(Arjuna's reply) A.j,
Speak up, son of a chariotcer. Our enrnity dates back to the archery Krir
contest in the arena. Today this enmity will be settied. Forever! accr
Come on chap, let us seel tortr
skill
(Arjuna's song) stor
What is there to see, man? Karna! the
You show me a snake2l the r

Trying to intimidate me, oh, you are an expcrtl brot

But the whole world knows brot
That you arcjust a chariotcer's son.
the r
Come on, let us sce
emp
Your ereat bravery and valorl

(Arjuna's abuse)
Hey you, Karnal Wow*you speak like a very great hero! But this world
is spitting at you, son ofa charioteer, a cartman's brat who does not know
the name ofhis father and mother. Even your own wife does not respect actu
youlGet our ofhere! gen(
life i

While Arjuna is abusing Karna, the audience pities Karna. Puru

and
(Karna's reply)
Hey you, Arjuna! Have you come to frght? If you really mean business,
you give me a good blow or I give you one. That's what I catl lighting.
Instead, you tell me that my wife does not respect me-is that any con-
cern ofyours? Hey you, fellow, Arjuna! Al1 these stories, that I am a cart-
man's son, today . . . fcontinued in song].
 THa D e.rru oF KARN^ 53

(Kar-na's song)
You'll see, everything rvill comc to light.
'lbclay I shall straightaway
Finish drese lies, do you hear mcl

Then Karna turns to Arjuna's chario{ccr, Krishna, abusing the

god. In ordcr to enrigc Arjun:r, hc calls [rinr a rran ofblack and coarse
appearance, a dcceiver who caused thc cleath ofA{una's sons Aravai and
Apimafifiafl (Abhimanyu).r, Afrcr thc first confrontation with Karna,
Arjuna becomes afraid, just as Krishna predicted. Arjuna discovers that
his advcrsary shows a remzrrkablc rescmblance to his clder brother,
Dhzrrma. He asks Krishna to turn thc chariot around and return to the
camp in order to check whether Dharma is still there. Reluctantly
Krishna obeys.
When they mee r Dharma, he flies into a tempcr and scolds Arjuna
and his bow for not having killed Karna. The insult to his bow enrages
Arjuna, who has sworn to kill anyonc who speaks in contempt of ir.
Krishna has to prevent Arjuna lrom killing his elder brother. Arjurl
accuses Dharma of being a gambler, addressing him rudely. Dharma i.
tortured by Arjuna's words and wants to return to the forest, but Krishn;,
skillfully manages to obLain forgiveness for Arjuna by making him tell a
story in which he unknowingly blesses his younger brother. Then, with
the following words, Dharma orders Arjuna to go and kill Karna: ,,Let
the arrow which you pointed at me hit Karna-regard him as your elder
brother, kill him and return." Thus Arjuna's act of killing his elder
brother Karna is apparently legitimized by Dharma's command, and at
the same time the irony of the fact that Karna is Arjuna's elder brother is
emphasized.

Karna's Character and Relationsh lps in Waltang Wong

Belbrc r,ve bcgin to analyzc Karna's ciraracter as expressed in an
actual walang wong play (Color Platc 8) it is usetul to rake note of some
general idcas aborrt Karna in prescnt-day Java. A strmmary of Karna,s
life and clraracteristics is found in Hardjowirogo's History of the Wayang
'I
Puru.n, a recent publication
in Indonesian aimed to spread the knowledge
and appreciation of(Javanese) uayang arr.ong lhe general population:

Radcn Suryaputra is the son of Dewi Kunti and Batara Surya, but in a
mysteriolrs manner. When Dewi Kunti was still a virgin, she possessed
esoteric knowledge which she received from a certain priest named Bega-
wan Druwasa. The restriction to this esoteric knowledge was that it
should not be uttered while the person who possessed it was exposed to
54 de Bruin and Brakel-Papen2zen TnE I

rhe rays ol the sun. Howcvcr Dewi Kunti care)cssiy violated this rule zrnd
thus bccarnc pregnant- ilhlough the heip alcl supernatural power of
l3cgawan Druwasa thc baby in hcr womb could be borne from hcr ear
Ithe ,taroi (poetic) word for ear is *araa], and when this child grew up he
was also called Karna. Some stories explain the name Karna [in a differ-
ent manner], bccause he had e;rrrings when he was born.
tion th
Becausc most people considered him a child whose father was
While r

unknown his mother abandoned him at the ocean's shore. The baby was
carried away, and was later found by a king of the country ofPetaperlaya
of Islar
named Prabu Radea. He adopted him as his son and Karna was then unmar
named Radeaputra. Since Batara Surya also acknowledged Karna as his are K€
son, he is also called Suryaputra. brother
In the course of time Karna learned all these things about him- status,
self. Although he was in fact the eldest of the Pandawas, he did not wish rior to l
to follow his half-brothers, but chose the side of the Astina kingdom,
whose king was considered his cousin. Karna acted in this manner descrip
because he felt that his parents rejected him as a baby. Until the Bhara- when h
tayuddha (Great War) Karna always regarded the Pandawas as absolute get mar
enemies. During the Bharatayuddha Karna is defeated in a man-to-man
fight with Arjuna, lulfilling his duty as a satriya (knight) in loyalty to the
kingdom of Astina. Scholars regard Karna as a satrila who keeps the
promise he has made.
Some stories tell how Dewi Kunti (Karna's mother) goes to
perforr
Karna as the Bharaiayuddha war is approaching, remembering that a scene
Karna is also her son and a brother to the Pandawas. Kunti says: "My cussion
son, you had better join the Pandawas; remcmber that they are your during
brothers." Karna answers: "N{other, I shall not obey [your words]. and kin
Remember how you neglected me when I was small and abandoncd rnc dejecte<
so that the lamily ties with my own kin were broken. Now that I have ing app
found glory through my own efforts, do not coax me to join the Panda- boastinl
was and to leave Astina, mother. Thc Parciawas are definitcly my abso- match f
lute enemies." IHardjowirogo 1968, 190-]91]
can ass'
Arjuna,
The book also gives a description of Karna's wi[e Surtikanthi: admonir
Karna t
Dewi Surtikanthi is the second daughrer of Prabu Salya, king of the more K
country of Mandraka. The young maiden was first betrothcd to Prabu readiner
Suyudana (Duryodana) of Astina. But in fact at that time Dewi Surtikan- own har
thi had already become acquainted with a. ntria, Raden Suryapurra
Salya, a
(Karna), the adopted son ofthe king ofPetaperlaya.
The two young people met secretly; no one knew about their
!
much so
meeting except for Raden Pamade (Arjuna). Then these two tatria
engaged in a lively battle, until Suryaputra was gripped fast by Pamade,
scene of
who was going to cut his throat and hit him on the temple. Telakanr
At that moment Resi Narada, a god from heaven, arrived and trees wh
separated the two sahia. He told Pamade that Suryaputra was his elder arrived.
 Tnr Deern or KarNa
55

brother and that pamade should help him to get marric(l

rer
Narada presented a crown to cover the wound. From
that tir, . . rds
Suryaputra wears a crown. [Hardjowirogo 1968, 196_197]

It is remarkable that in rogo,s history of Iir,rr,,r.s concep_

tion thc Sur.r God docs not play_Harcljorvi
an actiuc .o1", in thc Indian story
",
While rhis dcpersorralization of Sur.ya rrra1. be arrributalrle
to the infiuenct,
of Jsl;rnric rcligious ideas, it results irr rn r,rulthasis of Kunti,s
role ol.
unmarricd mother. 1-hus, Kunti,s mista]:e ancl guilt are emphasized,
as
arc f{arna's feelings of rejection and frustration toward his pandava
brothers. On thc other hand, having becn adopted by a person
ol.royal
status, Karna is brought up as a noblema, and does not
harre to fecl infe-
rior to his brothers-or to his wife-in this respect.
Karna's anbiv:rlenr rclationship rvith Ar;.una is exltlainecl in
the
description o1 SurtikanLhi. Although a4r,na dr.st clashes
wjth Karna
when he tries to prevent their secret meetings, he
clutifully helps them to
get marricd when he learns that Karna is in lact his
elder brother.
KenNe.'s Cuanacrrn rN THE pr-Alr K,rnNa ?a,vorrt.vc
In accordance rvith rhe rules for thc structure of a classrcal
walang
perfo|mance, the opening scene of th,e walan,g zaong play
Karna.Ihnd.hing is
a scene at the camp of the Korawa (named Bu
mi Kosapia) featuring a Jis-
cussion between King Duryodana and his zrdvisers on
the rosses surlered
during the great war. Karna, addrerising Durvodana as ,,younger
brother
and king" QaTi prabu), immediately repries trat rhere
is no need to feer
dejected; nor should there be fear of Arjuna (,.n allusion
to his forthcom_
ing appointment as commander of the pandawa army).
He then starts
boasting about himself, asserting to the assembly that
he is more than a
match lor Arjuna and will easily kill him in a cluel: ,,younger
brother, I
can ass(rre you that, whenever I can fight a man_to_man
battle with
Arjuna, he will be turned into a corpse in a twinkling.,,
Resi Krepa
;Ldmonishes hin.r by saying that hc should not ovcrcstimat;his
own powcr.
Karna then furiously scolds the old adviser and a quarrel
flares up. Once
more Karna, in his eagerness to remain commanie r_in_chicf
readiness-not only to fight Arjuna but also to bring
, states his
back his hcad in his
own hands. He then asks for the appointment ol iris
father-inJaw, King
Salya, as his charioteer, and both Duryodana and Salya
agree.
While Karna does not play a part in the a",,ord ,"'.rr", he
.
much softer side ofhis character to his wife Surtikanthi
shows a
in the third major
scene of the play. 1'his scene is.located in a beautiful
garden (Kayangan
Telakandha), where Surtikanthi is sitting sad and
aloie u rd"t th, .oru
trees rvhen she hears from tht. r.racking of the
door that her husband has
arrived. Having been welcorrrr:d by his wife in the polite
and demure
 56 rle l)ruir and Braktl- Papenyzen Tno I

manncr appropriate to a lcmale membcr ril-thc nobility, I(arna asks her embra
why she is lookin{: so grave. 'Iearlully Surtik:rnthi conicsscs that she is momc
li-igirtcncd about his appointnent as cornmandcr ol the troops; the more
so becausc she has had an oninous dream about her husband entering a
sailing boat zrncl qr:tting shipwrccked on a rccl in rhe middle ol thc ocean.
Karna tries to reassure her by telling her to rrust his bravery and
not to be afraid. Asking her to sit closc to him, hc starts singing a Iove
song which is completed by her. This poem (in Sinom meter) forms the
expression oftheir hnal fa rcweil.

(Karna)
Dear lady, you must know Follow
affectir
:::H:l :.1:.:i "j l1l *,. *
" and ex
To be in the presence olyour beauty.
by the
(Surtikanthi) battle'
I feel courageous there s

Even to enter a ravine intendr

And also to bear the pangs ollove
Following the wishes of tlte sweet man. indiffer
have br
(Karna) ance w
RealJy young lady, you are as excellenr as gold. cludes:
(iklas) t
'l-hereupon they rerirc to the bcdchamber to make
love, which is only in-chiet
indicated in the narration. In order not to upset his wife, Karna leaves ever wz
quictly in thc micldlc ol rh<: nighr to go to lhc l)altlclicld. bat tlc,
'Ihe two following sccnes arc set at thc camp of Karna,s opponcnls they sel
the Pandawas (Darma Kas6tra). Thcir meering is inrcrrupted by clowns battle.
carrying thl: mcssage that the troops ol'Astina are entering the battlelield
under the banner of Karna: Although Bima immediately wants to avenge Karna
the death of his son Gatotkaca, Krishna advises that Arjuna is the best shoot t
counterbalance to Karna's power and should, therefore, be appointed releases
commander of the troops. Arjuna, addressing Krishna as ,,elder brother Salya. :
and king" (kaka prabu), answers that this is what he himself desires. Con- out thal
sequently he asks for Krishna's war chariot, to be driven by Krishna him- that he
self, and his request is granted. manner
As the trial of strength between the two heroes forms the main has bee
theme ofthe play, it is remarkable that their first confrontation on the bar- ever, K
tlefield is a kind of anticlimax to the buildup ofaggressive emotions in the that the
previous scenes. Instead of the usual exchange of verbal challenges, the misses i
two heroes are not eager to fight but step down from their chariots to
 THe DearH op KanN,r 57

:r cmbllce ear:lr othcr'. Thi:ir fcclings of sadncss ancl brother)y lovc at this
s mofirent are expressed by Arjuna in a song using the Pangkur tt.reter:
c
a Alas, my eldcst firstborn brother,
I experience a leeiing ofsadness
d When I realize horv I feel
'e Happ,v to bc unitcd with You.
Hollcvcr, rve lravc to fight.
Yoru youngcr br-olher cannol rcnraitt ir)(lilTclcnt
Pitting his strength in battle witlr ' ,u.

Following this song Karna invites Arjuna to sit down, addressing him
affcctionately as "my own younger brother" (adhiku dhi kadang seduluri)
ancl explaining how inescapable their battle is, having been preordained
by the gods, Rather surprisingly he adds that whatever the outcome, the
battle will be beneficial to the Pancliiwas: cven if he, Arjuna, is killed,
thcre still will be five Pandawas lclt. Apparently I(arna in tlrat case
in tends to replace Arjuna.
Arjuna rcsponds in a similar mood. Although it does not leave him
indifferent, rhey will indeed have to get on with the battle. Now that they
have bccn appointed commandcrs of the arnies, they must act in accord-
ancc wirh thcir status of salri2a (nobility or warrior class). Arjuna con-
ciudes: "Therefore elder brother, ifYour Excellency also feels resignation
(iklas) toward me , your brothcr, I too shall fulfill my duty of commander-
Iy in-chief. Thus I shall leave it to vou, elder brother and Adipati, in what-
es ever way you wish to fight." Having agleed upon the inevitability of their
battle, Karna blesses the Pandawas and wishes them victory. Thereupon
Lts they separate, each mounting his war chariot once more and driving into
ns bartlc,
.td Naturally the play now proceeds vn'ith the first battle between
ge Karna and Arjuna. Standing in his chariot Karna preparcs the bow to
lst shoot his lethal arrow namerJ Kyai KunLa Jayantaka. But before he
ed rclcases the bow, there is a renrarkablc convcrsation with his driver King
rer Salya. Addressing his father-in-law in a most polite manner, Karna points
out that as charioteer Salya must follow his orders and should not feel sad
'n-
m- that he is going to kill Arjuna. Addressing his son-inJaw in an informal
manner, King Salya agrees that Karna now is more powerful, since he
!ln has bee n appointed commander, and Salya will follow his orders. How-
at- cvcr, Karna's feelings of doubt are confirnred by the dnlang's comment
he that the charioteer swings the chariot as Karna shoots his arrow, so that it
he misses itslirget--Arjuna's throat-and only loosens his hairstring.
to The conversation between I(arna and his charioteer is mirrored by
5B de Bruin and Brakel-PaPenyzcn Tne D

the follorving conversation between Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna. Karna
Aclclrcssing him in an inlbrrrral manncr, Krishna crics out to Ariuna, ask- his moi
ing why hc Itas suddcnly lczrpt down li onr thc chaliot. AIjuna cxplains loorr, (tr
that becausc he has been Put to shame by having his hairstrinq pulled out kills Ka
by Karna's arrow, he \,\,ants to pclform ascetisnl (tapal)rdla) high in the
mountains. I(rishna scolds I.rim for being a co-warcl, comparing his behav-
ior with rhat of a wonran pcrcciving a tigcr' Arjuna irnswcrs Politcly that
he wants to retire from his appointment as commander-in-chief and offe rs
it to Krishna. Again Krishna encourages Arjuna to fight and defend his work o
family. Does he want them all to be killed on the battlefreld? Krishna then charact
proposes to rearrange Ariuna's dress ancl hairdo so that he will look
exactly like Karna. Pushing him forward into battle, Krishna says, refer- as that
ring to the title of the play: "When you oPPose King Basukarna in battle type d(
now, this is what I call Karna Tinandhing." tume a
The scene changes back to Karna, who has an argument with use of r
Salya following the shooting of his arrow. FIe accuses Salya of secretly sid- moverr
ing with the Pandawas by shaking the horses and chariot so that his arrow respect
missed Arjuna's neck. When Salya denies this allcgation, he is dismissed tical atr
by Karna. The fight is continued on foot. In a song, Karna warns Arjuna twins."
about his lethal weapon. Then l(rishna reprozrches Arjuna for refusing to during
opposc Karna because he is his clder brother. As Krishna points out,
the cha
the Ka
exPlesi
the we.
kunagz
tives a
three e
sacrific
of the t
with d
behavi,
followi
hero; I
oPPon(

charac
to allor
the pla
osity, i
indicat
Frcuno 9. Karna and Arjuna fighting with a dagger (keris) ind shield (dhadhap) in Karna
.javatese walang ac,zg. (Photo: Clara Brakel-Papenyzen) which
't)zen Tnn Drars or KanNa 59

hna. Karna himself is certairtly rcady to l<ill his yountcr brother, sincc he uses
ask- his most pou,erful weapon against hirn. Now Arjuna takcs his own heir-
Lains loom (pusaka) weapon named Pasopati, which can be used from afar, and
I out kills Karna.
r the
hav-
that Con.rparison
,ffers
Although borh pl;rys are rcrrlrrkably consrucnt as far as the frame-
I his work of evenLs is concerned, therc :]re still maior- discrepancies in the
then characterization of the hero Karna
look ln uayang u)ang, the character of Karna ltts into the same category
cfcr- as that of his brother Arjuna-tlrat is, the rcfined (a/as) nobleman. The
attle type defines his outward shape (slender, medium height, princely cos-
tume and makeup), as well as vari,)us aspects of his behavior such as the
with use of refined languagc when addrt ssing superiors and an elegant style of
'sid- movement. In the view of ma[y Javanese, Karna is similar in most
rrow respects to his brother Arjuna, which is expressedin Loayang by their iden-
issed tical appearance: in most versions cf the play, thcy are called "identical
juna twins." Even minor differences in costume are said to have been adapted
rg to du ring their final batt)e.
out,
Just like Arjuna, Karna .rePresents the ideal satri2a. Accordingly
thc character trait which is most emphasized in the play is his loyalty to
ffi the Kaurava ruler Duryodhana. This view of Karna's character was also
expressed io the Tripanw ("'Ihc 'fhlee Examples"), a poem composed by
ffi the well-known ninetcenth-century Surakarta ruler K.G.P.A.A. Mang-
kunagara IV (1853-1881). '1'he pocm, meant to instruct the ruler's rela-
ffi
[i? :1
tives and soldiers but also known to the Javanese in general, features
three exemplary noblemen from the wa)ang rePettoire who were ready to
sacrifice themselves in the service ol their king. The third and best known
ol the three is Karna.23 Even though in the first sccne, when he is dealing
with the Kauravas, Karna shows the quarrelsome and bloodthirsty
bchavior which is associated with opponents of the Pandava party, in the
lollowing scenes he lits pelfcctly into thc catcgory of thc refined (a/z.r)

u hero; he is a tender husband to his wife arrd to Arjuna a fair and worthy
opponent.
The kittu tradition does nol have the highly formerlized typology of
::
characters found io wayang wong. InCeed, the flexible nature of kittu seems
=*
-qi& to allow the actor a relatively free a,:rd personal interpretation of a role. In
ki;
ffi the play Karry Mok;am Natakam, Karna's main character trait, his gener-

ffi osity, is mentioned explicitly. The dark-pink color of his facial makeup
indicates that he does not have a very aggressive nature, Furthermore
p) i" Karna's character should bc seen in light of the dramatic background,
which provides clues for thc frustrations in his Iife. His mother Kunti
60 de Bruin and Rrakzl- Paperytzen

abandonccl hirn immediatcly after hc n'as born, and during his adult life
he rcmained in thc shadow of Duryodhana most ol thc time . Morcover,
the play gives the impression that the relationship with his wife Po44uruvi
was not a very happy onc.
The circumstances surrounding Karna's birth are not known to
anyone but Krishna, the Sun God, Kunti, and Karna himself. It is possi-
bly shame or lciyalty toward his friend Duryodhana which prevents Karna
from cliscussing this topic. Although he linally reveals the story of his
birth to his wile Pol4uruvi, his true descent becomes public only after he
dies at the hands of Arjuna, who does not know he has killed his half-
brother. The secrecy surrounding Karna's birth makes it all the more dif-
ficult for him to defend himself when confrontcd with his assumed low
descent. Except for the general information on Karna's character pro-
vided by the story, his portrayal in the play itself is strongly influenced by
the subtle interpretation of this role by Tiru P. Rajakopal-the main actor
of the group which enacted the l,uJfu-who depicted Karna's changing Pl,l.rs 1 . Three
states of mind in an unparalleled manner. an drama. The
Tibetan drama.
Dn.luarrc Evpsnsls AND CoNTExr
all items. (Photr
A comparison of lhe exposition of the theme of Karna's death in
kitlu and wq)ang Laong shows that both plays share a number cf dramatic
eleme nts, including some minor themes. Thc traditions diffe r, however,
with respect to the dramatic emphasis given to these elements.
The kittu tradition stresses thc relationship bctwecn Karna and his
wife Pon4uruvi and his impending death on the battlefield. Its dramatic
climax lies in thc emotional firrcwell of Kilrnar and Pol.rnuruvi as he le aves
for the battle, Although in the written versions of the story Karnzr's rela-
tionship to his wife plays no role (so far as we know), it lorms a major dra'
matic element iD kittu. Thc presence o1'Ponnuruvi may be explained by
the conventions of the kittu performance tradition, in which almost all
plays feature a major (sometimes even a leading) female character.
Killu portrays Por.rr.turuvi as a tlaughter of King Kirrtivarman
(possibly the equivalent of the Sanskrit Kl'tavarman). The peculiar way in
which she was married to Karna is described in an episode named the
"Family Story" (Kulumpa katai), which may be included in other versions
ofthe play, replacing the pubiic discussion about Duryodhana's character.
During her public assembly of suitors from which a princess chooses her
husband (su altaqnu ara), Po4guruvi see ms uni mpressed with Duryodhana's
might and ignores him. When Duryodhana, feeling insulted, starts a hght
with the other candidates, Karna kidnaps Ponnuruvi and rescues his
friend. Duryodhana, however, refuses to marry the girl because, Karna
believes, she has been touched by him, a low-caste man. Thus Karna is Prare 3. Thr
left with no other choice but to marry Pon4uruvi himself.2a Langde villagr
Southeast Miar
ture, Guizhou
and drama per
Colin Mackerr
 oz dt Llruin aid llrak;l-Paperytzen Tue l

The kittu version focuses not only on K:rrna's psychological dilcm-

na as illcgilinratc sorr ol'I(unti aDd bcst ll.icnd ol tlrc I(zrururv:r Duryo- the ni
dh;rna, but also pays atrention to rhc dilljculr position ol his rvifc, who is of the
married against hcr will to the (aclopted) son of ;r chariotccr. 'l-he idea that to hir
her husband is of iow-caste origin seems to dominate ponnuruvi,s bangl,
thoughts until Karna informs her of his true lineage. The emphasis on monic
Karna's (assumed) low-caste status seems to reflect the greater impor- famol
tance given to caste in the Indian social structure. At the same time it may Karnz
reflect the personal reality of the ki u artists who themsslves belong to the ately I
Iower social strata. one ol
ln the u,ta2ang wlng play Karna Tandhing, Karna,s wifc Surtikanthi
does not play a signi{icant role. 'I-heir sad and tcnclcr farewell rcprcsents a linked
standard scene lor a hcro departing into bartle, rvhich is also found in recent
written works. ivloreover, their behavior is in conformity with the rules of forme
conduct for a hero and heroine of noble birth. Therefore the scene does festivz
not significantly influence the course ofevents. lages.
According to the wa2ang tradition, Karna's wifc Surtikanrl.ri, being ciated
the daughter of King Salya, is also a lady of noble birth. However, she ual ac
fully consents to marriage with Karna, who has bcen adopted by King for thr
Radea, not by a chariotccr. Their courtship and wedding form the plot ol of the
a special play entitled Surtikanthi\ ConquuL (Alap-alapan Surtikantlti), which, ("Mer
belonging to rhe category of /a kon carangan, is not based on the contents of dana.
written epic Iiterature. It is a typical "weclding play" in which the young
hero and heroine court each orher in secret (and by their own free will), the an
are discovered, meet oppositionr but are finally accepted as a couple and preser
married. This procedure and the fact that Arjuna helps them when he Althor
learns that Karna is his elder brother reflect courtship and wedding cus- seasor
toms inJava. Since the Javanese regard Karna as an ideal nobleman, he montl
may bear a grudge against his morhcr for having deserted him, but his beliefs
lineage cannot be a source of friction between his wife and himself. some
While the fact that in both plays Karna has a wife forms a remark- figurer
able deviation lrom the written versions of the story-both in the San- (Resir
skrit, Tamil, and Old Javanese languages-the relationship between frcatio
Karna and his wife forms one of the most crucial differences between the to hnc
Tamil and the Javanese versions of the play. As Karna Molqam Narakam is Mahab
often performed at the occasion of a funerary ceremony, ku u actors tend Hilteb
to stress Karna's impending death and its consequences for his wife (a
widow-to-be) rathcr than the final bartic hetween Karna and Arjuna. versio:
During the perlbrmancc the actors sorni :r;rke direct allusions to the COnne,
occasion for which the play is pcrform, rnay be done by mention- Point i
ing (within the context ofthe plot) that r , \' is staged only because the menti(
deceased has left a dutiful son, r,vho I rNc! care to arrangc the perfor- max o
mance ofthis play in order to obr. r . beration ofhis father's or moth- battle
er's soul. words
 THu DsarH or KanNa

When Karna lies mortally wounded on the battlefield at the end of

the nightlong performance, a pija ts perforrned at his feet by the relatives
of tlre deceased. Thereafter Karna asks Krishna to gra\t moksan, not only
to himself but also to the person who has died. In some villages the
bangles of the actual widow (if the deceased was a married man) are cere-
rnoniously brokcn and the llowcrs arc rcrnovcd li.orn her hair. Within the
thmous series ol Bharataliddha perforrnances in Yogyakarta in 1958,
Karna's death was not.iust singlcd out as the thcme of a play, it immedi-
atcly prcccdcd the clirnactic death of King Duryodana. As such it formed
one of the gravest themes of this awe-inspiring series.
I 'I'here are no indications that the death of Karna has ever been
I linked with funerary rituals in Java. But there are testimonies that in the
I recent past thc series of Bluratayiddha plays, of which Karna's death
i formed one of the climactic features, was performed during the annual
festival of bersih desa (purification of the village) in certain Javanese vil-
lages. The titles of several plays in this series indicate that they are asso-
ciated-if not in actual pracrice, at least in a spiritual sense-with the rit-
- ual action ofbloody sacrifices: Tawur (" Humart Sacrifice") is another title
for thc play describing the death of Bisma; Raajapan ("Cutting the Flesh
f of the Sacrificial Victim") refers to the death of Abimanyu; Rubuhan
("Meat of a Slaughtered Anim:rl") alludes to the death of King Duryo-
f dana.
In the view of Resink-Wilkens, the association of these plays with
thc annual purification ritual of a villagc is based on their contents: they
l present a series of deaths on the battlefield preceded by a sacrifice.
Although the bersih desa festival is often linkcd with the beginning of the
season for rice cultivation, it may also be celebrated during the second
month of the Muslim-Javanese calendar (Sapar). According to Javanese
S beliefs this is the occasion to avert impending plagues and mishap. In
some villages this ritual still involves a surrogate sacrifice of two human
Itgures (male and female) made of rice flour and filled with red syrup
tl
(Resink-Wilkens 1932, 167). Although the link be tween (an annual) puri-
n fication ritual and thc perforrnance of Bharatayiddlta plays may be difficult
e to lind in Java at present, it has a striking parallel in the performance of
.S Mahabharata plays during Tiraupatiyammari festivals in Tamil Nadu (see
d Hiltebeitel 1988).
a A second major difference between the Tamil and the Javanese
L. versions of the play is the relatiorrship between I(arna and Arjuna. This is
e connccted to their awareness that they are brothers, a typical Javanese
point ofview developed in Karna's wedding story, Alap-alapan Surtikanthi,
e mentioned before. This knowledge strongly inlluences the dramatic cli-
max of the wayang wong play Karna Tandhing, situated in rhe elaborate fina.l
battle between the two brothers. In spite of Karna's rash and bloodthirsty
words in the first act, the walang wong play does not emphasize their
 dt 11,,, i,, anr! Brakcl- PaPcnyzcn 'I's n
6+

mutual feelings ofhatred. On the contrary, once the two brothcrs lneet on ship r
the battlefield, they show a disinclination to light and instead express feel- of Ka
ings of brotherly love. When they nevertheless decide to go into battle-as conse
th! story dictates they must do-they do so reluctantly, justifying this vio- play i

lation of brotherly duty by saying that the batde has been forced upon one's
them by fate.
The depiction of the battle is somewhat unusual The opponents versic
do not shout abuse at each other, and the bchavior of their charioteers is the f
actually more decisive for the outcome of the battle than the actions of the found
heroes themselves. Arjuna's superiority is nevertheless indicated by his lows t
repeated refusal to aiin a lethal weapon at his brother' This interPretation their
of'the battlc may well bc attributed to thc*officially cncourzrged-disin- and J
clination to present the theme of war between relatives, perang saudnra, on
subjer
the stage.
ln its elaborate battle scene lhe @alang u'tong play Kann Titndhing Tirau
emphasizes Karna's conflicting duties as the main dramatic theme' is loc:
Alt-hough Karna is aware that Arjuna is his brother, the duty to defend his the ru
friend King Duryodhana and his country outweighs his obligarion to pro- the P
tect his own brothers This is precisely why Karna appears as an ideal perfor
satri4a in the nineteenth-ce nruty TripaTna 'I'here is a striking similarity
between the theme of the play and the situation o{ the founder of the tions
Mangkunagaran dynasty, who fought his own close relatives for the suc- kanth
cession to the throne (Ricklels 1974).
rebirt
In ,tullu Karna is alsrl aware that if he wants to remain loyal to color
Duryodhana and fulhll his warr-ior's vow, he will have to confront Arjuna effortl
in battle. During the clash bctween the two half-brothers, Karna seems saints
outwardly to fulfill the requirements of battle, such as challenging and
abusing the opponent. Inwardly, however, he is convinced that he is hght- heroe
ing a losing battle against Arjuna and his divine charioteer, Lord tifyu
K.ishna. In Karna Mok;am Ndlakam, Arjuna is introduced only in the Iast frame
episode. Compared to the characterization of Karna, Arjuna is rather tion. .

superficially sketched. But the audicnce is familiar with the kiLtu reper- is not
toir" knows Arjuna from other plays such as "Arjuna's Penance" jected
"r,d
(Arjunan Tapacu). Although the relationship between Karna and Por-r- Karni
nuiuvi fo.-s the major dramatic theme of the play discussed here, the arrow
battle between Karna and Arjuna rnay get more emphasis vthen Karva which
M0ksam Natakam is performed at Tiraupatiyarnmap festivals'25 likene
consic
CoNcr-usrorv play (

Not only have Karna's character and his relations with his friends Battle
and relatives been presented in a very different manner, but the Tamil oppos
and the Javanese play also show major differences in dramatic devclop'
ment. Whereas the Tamil players empl.rasize Karna's troubled relation- to refl
'nlzen
Tue Dearx or Kenru,r
65

3t Otl
ship with-his wife, giving them ampre opportunities
feel- to dwer on the issues
of Karna's low-caste starus, loyalty to his iriend,
impenJing death, and its
-as
vio-
consequences for the position.of his wife, the
main point in the Javanese
play is the conflict between the duty of brotherly
rPon 1o.,. u".rr. loyalty to
one's country.
Thus, in accordance with the nature ol. a lakon baku, the
en ts
version emphasizes an aspect inherent in the epic Javanese
rs is story itself. In contrast,
the Tamil version places much we ight on a' relationship
' the which is not
found in written versions of the story. (The kittu version,Jery
his closely fol-
lows the Sanskrit story in othcr aspects.) It is clear
tion that these issues derive
their importance from the respective social ci.rcumstances
sin - in South India
andJava.
on Both the Tamil and the Javanese people have incorporated
the
subject matter of the MahabharaLa into their crlt,l..s.
'txng There is a lively
Tiraupatiyamma4 curr in Tam Nadu wrrere the story
Ie. oiiie Mohabharou
is localized in a Tamil environment (Hiltebeitel
his lSAAj. iimifa.ty in
the mlers as well as the general popuiation hul," "1ava,
ro- fo. nio.rg time identilred
the Pandava heroes with their ancestors through
the of
eal performances and literature. ^J.diu^ .oyong
'ity
The influence of the cultural context is apparent lrom local
rhe addi_
tions,to the Mahabharala story-_such uo th. rnu..iug.
.lc- of Ku.rr. and Surti_
kanthi or the short digression in Karna Mdkfi; N.J;i;;
on Karna,s
rebirth as the Tamil Saivite saint Cifutontanayaia.. g."iJ",
to adding local
color to the play, it shows how the pan-Ind iin Mahabharata
na tradition is
effortlessly connected with the typical Tamil storyrepert;ir;;I.the
ns Saivite
saints.
rd
. To the Javanese the pandavas and Kaurayas are more
rt- than just
an ancient story, for noblemen n"a ulike may iden_
rd !1oes. froln
tify with their actions. Their representation in"itfug..,
the-theatre provides a
,st
f1am1wo1k lor rhe perceprion of rhe people.s own pasl
er unj pl.r.r,t ,ir,-,u_
tion. [n the conrext of a *oyong prrfir^un.". rh. ,i,"*. oi[u.nr,,
r- a.uth
rs not only iirted inro a particular performance
structurc, it is also sub_
jected to the philosophies of this theatre form.
t- In th. *)7org wong play
Karna.is just opposing his own half-broth., a.i,_.,.ri it
te _not e decisive
arrow is fired by Arjuna after he has been dressed Jxactly like Karna,
ta
which makes them.look completely identical.
TheJavanese emphasize the
ltreness of the two her.oes to slrch an extent that
Karna, in a sense, may be
considered to have shor rhe arrow at himsclf.
This is why the title of the
play does not mention the name of Arjuna u, o.r.
\,,,orld expect (,,The
Battle Between. Karna and Arjuna,,); ii sirnply
,.y, ,t ui f<.r.,u i, U";rrg
opposed in battle-in other words, that he has iound
his match.
In an esoteric sense, the l)attles in uayng plays may be
_
to reflect a human being,s psychologjcal stare.
considered
it" orr.o-. of o play_or
66 tlc Bruin and Brakel'PaPenTzen Tr

a series ofplays-accordingly should be seen as il Person conquering lrim-

sclf. Consequently, fol many Javanese the cssential themc of the 1'lrLy is
not the question of brotl.rerly love or loyalty to the ruler but, rathcr, lrow the
I(arna in thc confrontzrIion with Arjuna overcomcs his frustrations'
rles
NOTES mol

1. Tamil words are citecl in their Tamil form and speiling, following the hov
(standar.l) transliteration ot the Thrnil Lezicon (1982)' Sometimes thc Sanskrit
ibr*. u." added Parentheses, as in Tr'rrvica (Durvasa)
in and Turccicarian ind
(Dul.r6asana). Well-knlwn words and names are cited in their generally accepted dra
iorm: Krishna, Duryodhana, Kaurava, Pandava, rdga, mudra, and so forth lndo- bel
nesian names and words are cited in their Indonesian form and spelling: Korava' cha
Pandawa, Duryodana. In the introduction and conclusion, which were written
in mu
cooperation by both authors, we have tried as lar as possible to cite words and ber
,ru-". in their most accepted form and spelling-for example, Duryodhana ther
(instead of Tamil Turiy6taiai and IndoIt'sian Duryodana) den
-I'amil Nadu the word *ftlu refers to a tos
2. While in the northern parts of
genre of ritual folk theatre in which wooden ornamelrts are worn, in other parts dar
if Tamil Nadu it may reler to other forms of theatre as well In cveryday speech kn
the word killu fiay be used in a wirler sense and rcfer to any strange or'ludicrous
event. In this article we are using thc word 'ta1lu as in northern'I'amil Nadu The lavi
Indian government, the media, and many scholars refer to this theatre form as
terukkiLi.t or " street" (tcru) "theatre" ftndu).'fhe term has also been
adopted by con
some actors to refer to their artistic profession, as becomes clear from the fact that oth,
several theatre groups have included the word terukkittui\ their names (for exam- rec(
ple, the Perunkaqlni Poifiucami Terukkuttu Na!aka Maiiam) According to our 198
irrfo.-urrt Tiru P. llajakopal, howcver, tlrc term lerukkittu denotes a different hav
practice: on the second day of a Mariyammari festival two actors, one in male
and orre in female atlire, somctimes walk in fi'ont of the procession of the idol of ar€
the goddess. While the procession proceeds through the streets the actors sing
in
lront of e.re.y house and collect money from each household, hence the name con
" street" (teri) kiuu. nrukkittu is still performed in some villages Rajakopal was exp
very explicit in his statement that he and his group had almost given up this prac-
tice, which he considers denigratory. alsc
3. The term ' &rlk theatre" is used here rathe! Ireely to denote a flexible Ja,
Iorm oftheatre which acl,lresses itselfto common (village) folk'
4. Kiuu is sometimes also performed in urban areas (in Kanchipuram' put
Cheyyar, and Arkkonam, for exanple, as well as in some quarters of Madras)' don
The performance context, however, is very similar to the traditional setting in
most villages. t10r
5. Most members o i r ' ulitlortai kittu audiences do not have any opportu- trar
nity to become lamiliar rvir complex system ofcodified gestures They would
difliculti, ' rpreting the mudra used in, for i\stance,
therefore have blnrala dee
natlam or kathdkali. Parl
 67
THt DEA.TH or KARNA

o- 6. 4,187-207) for a detailed description ofthe use ofraga

See Frasca (198
is and lala (musical meter) in,tultr.
on
7. '1b be discussed in Hanna M' de Bruin's lbrthcoming disscrtation
the trrll& tradition.
lour catego-
B. With rcgard to the plot of the plays, Frasca distinguishes
ries: Amman (goddess) kiltu, canla; (battle) knuu' kalldnan (ma-riage) killu' and
mo-*ra(liberation o{ the soul) t'llu (Frasca 19t}4' 150)'
by certain 't'llL artists'
9. Thc English word "scenc" is sometirnes usecl
:he however, probably in imitation olTamil films'
in a Government of
:rit 10. The low social status of Tamil theatle is reflectcd
(l9}l)' which features a. chapter on Tamil
,an tnaio pJU.otion titlcd Indian Drurna
red a."-".o*.^irrTarnilNaduinthelaslcenturyisdescribedas..somethingto]
but for the lack of
:1o- i"-f"of..a au*n uPon not only lor its Iack of any intrinsic value
respcctabilicy and purity ir, thosc who rvere connectcd
with it' For a
;;;;;,";,
irr arry dcce nt l.zrmily wor.rld willingly.allow a mem-
rin -.,t.;..,a" ot.."o.u,]s no Parent 119_120), Yet ever since
rnd ber of lris lamily oI arry agc or s€x to sce a play,, (pp.
killtr, bas survived and eerfor1l1c1s are still in
IDA then Tamil drama, i,tctuJittg
Nadu about hfty
J"-u.,d. Ir i. ".ti-ated that in the North Arcot districr olTamil
irr.",." gr-oups-professio,al arrd nonprofcssiona] ones ol varying
stan-
oa ,-..i-i, the viabilitv of the
1rts ;;;.-"r" still a"ctively performing (de Bruin 1987) To assess
groups is badly needed
ech i:a1ta tradition mor" u.c,-,rut"ly, a strrvey of the different
11. This play is attributed to the (mythical) Tamil author Puka|€ntippu-
ous
fhe 1avar.
12. Although thc data rel'er cxclusively to Lhe textual tradition of this
las of
Lbv ..-0.";, ;; ,to.y"otrtti'," will be mole or less the same as in perlormances
upon tape
lhat ;;;;; ;;"p.. The transcription of Karya Mdksam Nalakam is based
7'
am_ r"...ai"t, iri,f-r" play at rhree difl'erent villages: Paf,iutti Kar'rlikai.(February
(i4arch 14, 19t17), and Perunakar (April 5' The
1987) tapes
our ;il;'A";"!#r
rent "- - been
have -- transcribed by Tiru P' I{ajakopal'
nale ii. ifrl. ..tegorization of plays may be related to ritual practice ' as it has
a remarkable parallel in * u (Hihebeitel
19BB' 154-155)'
ol of
14. The correspondence between wayang kulit
and uayang uong is not
rg in
different means of
ame .o-pl"t., hott".'.., u. ,ht u'" oI puppets ot uttott "ept"s""t
was expression.
15. Thc use of charactcr typcs in different forms
ofJavancse theatre is
)rac-
publication on classical
also discussed in the second chaptcr of a forthconring
1991)'
xible .Javanese dance (Brakel-Papenyzcn
" t6. The structure of classical u'tayang plays has bcen discussed in many
([1923] 1984)' Bran-
fam, publicaiions on lraditionalJavancse theatre' such as Kats
lras). don i I9701. arrd Soedarsono(1984)'
court ls men_
rg in 17. A p.rfo,munce of this dance at lhe Mangkunagaran
and lB75 and
tioned in the travels olR.M A Purwa Lelana made
between 1860

ortu- translated by Bonnelf (1986)'

ta.'G..J. n..int,, who personally witnessed both perlormances'
was
rould
that ritual has rendered me
deeply -ored lry tlr. nt*otph"t": "Thc rnemory of
atmosphere to bersih masyarakat scenes
pr.ili"i".ry susceptible by iis apocalyptical
6B fu llntin antl llruktl- PapergzoL Trrn Dt

enacted on a largcl scale in tl-rc darkest light of lndoncsia's most recent history" Frasca, R
(Resink 1975,215).
19. Moreover, Krishna predicts that Karna's wife Ponnuluvi will llc L
reborn as Venkattunankai (Ciiuttoltanayariar's wife) and their son VipvakEttr ;rs Hardjowi
Ciralai, the boy that was sacriliced- .s,

20. As remarked clscwhcre in thc plzry, a wife hzrs thc right to ask her hu,,- Hiltebeit(
band w} atever she warlts. Thcrclore Karna speaks of a "legitiroate" request. 7
2 1 . Karna's powcr[ul snakc-rve apot (naLaltiran) is in the play pcrsonified

as the snake Agvaccia (r\(vasena). Kar-na obtained the snake when Arjuna and Hooykaar
Krishna burned the l(hapdava Forest. Since Aqvaceia lost hjs parents in the for-
est Iire, he is especialiy vengeful toward Arjuna Indian Drt
22. The sacrifice ol Arjuna's son Aravii before the great \\rar forms the (2
theme of the ,tullu known as Aruuan Kakppali (Arattai't SacriJice) The story does not G
occul in lhe ur;lten rersions of thc lv[ahabharala. Kam, G-
23. The complete poem consists of seven vcrses. Karna's task is
dcscribed in thc fifth versc: "LIaving been or<lcrecl to oppose his own relatives, Jz
and to light Arjuna in a man-to-man combat, Sri Karna was happy, t".rr.. Kats, J. [.
result he could repay Duryodana's kindness. Therefore Karna exerted himself by
".. D
courageously fighting, and he died being hit by ar arrow, as a famous hero." til
24. In the Sintiparvan oI Vyasa's Mahabharala an incident is described Keeler, rA
which tells how Duryodhana and I(arna abducted the daughter of Citranga, king Ja
ofthe Kalingas, during her lra)at.naara (Sintiparvan XII, 4:1=21). Possibly this Pr
incident and the kidnapping of PofDuruvi by Karna and Duryodhana as Mellema,
described in the " Family Story" of the play Kama Moksarn Ndlakam are based on a w
common theme. ca
25. Inforrration on this point was providcd by the actor Tiru P. Raja- Monier-V
kdpal. A
Philips, C
,'1

REFERENCES In
Radyomar
Bonneff, M. 1986. Sa
Pirlgrinations Jatanaists: Les rtryages de R.M.,4. Purwa Lelana: une tision de Resink, G
,.I
.Jaua au XIX siicle k. 1860-1875). Paris: Editions de Ia. Maison des sci-
ences dc l'homme - lol
Brakel- I)apenyzen, C. I991. Resink-W
Classical Jaaancx Dance: The Surakalta Tradition atd lts Tirminologt. Jakarta:
II,DEP, l!
Brandon, James R. 1970. "r
On Thrones oJ Gold: 'l-hrce.f,,, anese Shadoo l'lays. Cambridge: I{alvard Uni- 38
-.
versity Press. Ricklefs, tr
Bruin, Hanne M. de. I987. Jot
"The Art ofTerukkuttu iiaa, July 25-August 7, pp. 56-73. Jo,
Feinstein, A., ed. 1986. Soedarson
Lakon Carangan. (J\li,l I Surakarta: Akadcmi Seni Karawitan lndo- Wt
nesia. ya)
 1)Zen Tnr Doars or Kanv,l 69

ory " Irrasca, Richald Ar.rnand. 1984.

"Thc "Icrukkrittu l{itual 'fhcarr.e of Tamil N:.rdu.,, ph.D. dissertation,
Ube University of CaJ ilornia- IlerkeJey.
:u zrs Hard jowirogo. 1968.
Sedjarah Wajang Purua. jak,trta Balai pusraka.
hus- Hiltebeitel, AlI. 1988.
The Cult oJ Dtuupadt; Mllhologies: From Gingee to Kutukretia. Chicago:
ified Uni_
versity of Chicago press.
and Hooykaas, C., and Poerbatjaraka, R. Ng, trans. 1934.
for- " Bharata-Yuddha." Djaua I4: I-BB.
Indian Drama. 1981
the (2nd rev. ed. 1) New Delhi: Ministry of Informarion and Broadcasting,
Government of India.
Karn, G. 1987.
iis " in the Court of yogyakarta: The Enduring Significance of
l4/a1ang Wong
Javanese Dance Drama." Asian Tlieatre.,lournal 4 (l):29_51..
asa Kats, J. [1923] 1984.
ibv De Wajang Poenaa. Ecn aorn aan Jaaaans toneel_ Dordrecht: Foris publica_
tions.
bed Kceler, W. 1987.
i^g Play, princeton: princeton University
Jauanese Shadow Jaaanesc ,Sa/zas.
:his Press.
as Mellema, R. L. 1954.
na Wqang Puppels. Caroing, Colouring, Slrnbolisln. Amsterdam: Royal Tropi-
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ua- Monier-Wiiliams, Sir. [1899] 1976.
A SaaskritEnglish Dictionaryt. Ox[otd: C]arendor press.
Philips, C. F. 1858.
"Het broedergevechr uit de rvajang Kerno Tandingan.,' TijdschiJt ooor
Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkertkwtfu 7:33-45.
Radyomardowo, R. L., andothers. 1978.
Sett{. Barata)tuda. Yogyakarta: Kedaulatan Rakyat.
de Resink, G. J. 1975.
,ci-
"From the Old Mahabharara- to rhe New Ramayana_Order.,, Bijdragen
tot de Tbal-, Land- en Volkenkundc 131:214-236.
R esin k-Wilkcns. A. J. I9il.
"Over denJogja'schen Feestkalen clcr. " Djauta 12:166-172.
_. r 939.
"Eenisc oplr(:rl(ingcrr ovcr.clc wajan g-koclit_votlr.s tcllingcn.,, Djauta 19:
tl- 3B_42.
Ricklefs, M. C. I974.
Joglakarta Under Sultan Mangkubuni (1249_1292): A History o-f the Diaision oJ
Jaoa. Londor,: Oxford Universitv press.
Soedarsono. 1984.
llayang Wong.- 'fhe State Ritual Danu Dtama in the Courr oJ yog.yakarta. yog-
yakarta: Gadjah Mada University press.
70 b Bruin atul l)rakel- l'apcnyzen

Sukthankar, Visl,nu S., and IIL:Ivalkar., S. K., cds. ll),19.

ltintipantan o! ffu l.,lahabhamkt. Critical cclirion. poona: llhancl:rrliar Oricn-
tai I{cscar.ch lrrstitutc.
Sup.l-di, I. I961 .

Tripama. Strabaia: Pzrnjcbar Scnrangat. Ka

Susilo, Hardja. 1986.
"Wayang \{rong Panggung: Its Social Contcxt, .lcchnique and Music.,, of
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BarL
vcrsity of Wisconsin press.
University of Madras. 1982.
Thmil Lexicon. (6 vols. and supp)ement.) Madras: University of Madras.
Zoetmulder, P. J. 197 +.
Kalangwan: A Surz,e1, o/ OldJaaanese Literatzre. 1'he Hague: M. Nijhoff.

The
ditional arti
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United Stat
the United
school with
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Kan
six. At the 1

been largell

Barbara Sellers-