Arts

The ekārtha presentation Rāmāya Tubhyaṃ Namaḥ by Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam has captured the imagination of three generations of audience and has touched the hearts of the lay and the learned alike. As typical to an ekārtha presentation, Padma presents several episodes and characters, and thereby, sketches the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey – ayana – of Rāma. In the Indian tradition, Rāma is held as one of the highest ideals of a son, brother, husband, friend, king, and lord.

Ḍima

Padma is widely recognized for her path-breaking reconstruction of the mārga-karaṇas. Her achievements as a researcher and performer of this universal language are comparable only to the combined efforts of Bhagavān Pāṇini (as well as Maharṣi Patañjali) and Amarasiṃha, the masters of Sanskrit grammar and thesaurus respectively. At an early stage in life, she realized that the sublime scheme of Bharata accommodates all beautiful movements, regardless of the barriers of space and time.

In the second act, the king of Nissantānagrāma by name Saṅgrāmavisara arrives there with his friend named Viśvāsaghātuka. Madanamañjarī, who realises that he was a rich man, speaks to him in a welcoming and pleasant manner; he, however, was a namesake king only. He had to borrow money to buy a dog; he had no means to even earn to repay the debt.

A brāhmaṇa named Mithyāśukla arrives there. The following verse describes his name –

brāhmaṇya-darpa-paripṛṣṭa-viriñci-śīlaḥ

śambhorapi vratavidhāvupahāsa-śīlaḥ|

We are never witnesses to the events of the past; it is therefore hard to write authentic history. Written history, regardless of its authenticity, is but a coarse inference based on the relics of yore. This problem is further aggravated in the case of Indian history, where tangible evidence that the modern mind expects is meagre, and the oral tradition, i.e., the unwritten history, rather reigns supreme. This is most evident in the historical documentation of art. Even here, sculpture, painting, and poetry enjoy greater benefits than music and dance.

Bhāṇa (Continued...)

Chāyā-nāṭakas

Prasanna-rāghava

Prasanna-rāghava

Āścarya-cūḍāmaṇi

Śakti-bhadra, who belongs to the Malabar region, is the author of Āścarya-cūḍāmaṇi. The play in seven acts contains the story of the Rāmāyaṇa, starting from Śūrpaṇakhā’s entry up until Rāma leaving Laṅkā to return home.