Course: M.A. English (Sem-1)
Paper
no.: 4- Indian Writing in English
Topic :
Comparison between Arjuna and
Eklavya in the Purpose
(Unit-4, The Purpose)
Roll no.
: 27
Year :
2015-2017
Enrollment
no. : PG15101027
Submitted to
: Smt. S.B. Gardi Department of
English
M. K. Bhavnagar University
v Introduction of the play and playwright:
-Play:
“The Purpose”
-Playwright: T.P. Kailasam
v About Playwright- T.P. Kailasam:
T.P.
Kailasam is remembered as the ‘father of
modern Kannada drama’, the man of genius whose plays revolutionize the
Kannada stage.
T.P.
Kailasam’s full name is ‘Thyangaraja
Paramashiva Kailasam’. Kailasam focused tradition on contemporary social
problems, a deeply compassionate vision of the human struggle.
He
sought to educate the sympathies and challenge the prejudices of his audience,
and humor was his main forte. While his Kannada are realistic and deal with
contemporary life, his five English plays are based on the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata.
v About the Play: The Purpose
The
play ‘The Purpose’ is written by
Kailasam. But the concept of the play is taken from the great epic “The Mahabharata”, which is written by ‘Maharishi Veda Vyas’.
“The Purpose”, written over a period of six years,
is a tragedy in two acts. The main characters are Eklavya, Arjuna and Drona.
The central idea of that the aim of the learner finally determines his
proficiency behind the mighty character of the play, with its own purpose
hidden even from the great Bheeshma.
But here, Kailasam tries to break this myth of real
Mahabharata. Here in the play, Kailasam tries to highlight something which in
the original myth was neglected.
In
this play, we are discussed the comparison between the two characters, Arjuna
and Eklavya.
v Comparison Between ‘Arjuna’ and ‘Eklavya’ in the play:
In
the play “The Purpose”, Kailasam puts two characters which are very powerful
and effective characters in the play named- Arjuna and Eklavya. But, here
Kailasam shows the Eklavya’s character very powerful in the play than the
Arjuna’s character. Kailasam, in his play shows the strong comparison between
the two great persons whose aim is to become best Archer in the world.
When
we compare the character, we have to know about the character’s background
like- who are they, what is their aim, why they want to become a great archer?
So, let’s have look on the characters introduction:
Arjuna: When the play start, first
image in our mind is about Arjuna is that- he is a very powerful man and humble
person. Arjuna is a prince of ‘Hastinapur’.
He is the third brother from the five Pandvas in the “Mahabharata”. He is
known for his steadfastness and single mindedness in pursuing his goals.
Eklavya: Eklavya is a Nishaada
(non-Aryan) boy. In Mahabharata, there is no much important give the Eklavya’s
character and therefore in the epic, we cannot get more information about the
Eklavya. But somewhere, his character gives the long lasting effect in readers
mind therefore reader knows him. Eklavya always speaks whatever he thinks to be
sure.
When we compare with two characters that time we have to
compare the “The Purpose” with “The Mahabharata”. Because these
characters are taken from the Mahabharata.
While
comparing between Arjuna and Eklavya, Arjuna is the Prince and Eklavya is a
Nishaada boy or we can see that a simple boy. So, we think that prince is
Arjuna so he is the protagonist of the play but, here Kailasam draws the
Eklavya’s character as a protagonist or main character.
Arjuna
and Eklavya, both are wanted to become a great archer of the world, so here we
can see the similarity of their dream though the aim is same but their purpose
is different because Arjuna has the personal purpose and Eklavya’s purpose is
to save the animals. Therefore we can say that the purpose is differs from each
other.
In
the play, Dronacharya gives the instruction about the archery that what is most
important in archery by his dialogue:
Drona: “It is a no less
thing than CONCENTRATION; an
absolutely necessary element to one’s progress in any study. And the perfect
archer, if he really CONCENTRATING can see nothing but his target; and this is
CONCENTRATION.”
When
Drona gives the instruction, that time Arjuna and Eklavya both are listening
carefully. Eklavya is listened carefully behind the tree the words of Drona:
CON…CEN…TRA…TION…, because he want to learn the archery from the Great
Dronaachaarya. In this play, Kailasam shows us that Arjuna is over confidence
that he knows much more but in Mahabharata, Arjuna is humble. Here, Eklavya’s
character portrays as he nothing knows about the archery and therefore he
follows all the instruction of the Drona.
In
the play and in the Mahabharata, the one thing is common that in the epic and
in the play, Arjuna have the great Guru and Taataajee- Bhishma who gives the
information about the archery, but Eklavya have not that. And therefore he
cannot get the right information about the archery.
There
is also one thing is common in the play and the epic is that, Eklavya have to
go to the Aacharya for learning the archery and Arjuna have already
Drona-Acharya. We can see in the dialogue by saying Eklavya:
Eklavya: “Will you
kindly help me become the greatest archer in the world, sir?”
In this dialogue, Eklavya have to request for the learning archery,
but Arjuna is nothing do like this. Because he is the prince of the Hastinapur.
Eklavya face the many difficulties in his life but Arjuna have not, because he
never faces the problem in the play as Kailasam shows us.
When
Eklavya request for the archery, Drona ask him about his cast and that entire
thing;
Drona: “What is your
name? Who is your Father? Of what caste are you?”
When we compare by caste, Arjuna is a Kshatriya and Eklavya
is a Nishaada. Here Kailasam shows the cast system in the play that we see also
in the Mahabharata. And therefore Eklavya have to faces the difficulties.
When
Eklavya expresses his view on nature, his purpose that why he wants learn
archery? And about his caste that his caste’s peoples are not killed the innocent
creature for their food. During this situation Arjuna practices of his archery
but he makes mistake in it so, Eklavya point it out so Arjuna comes to talk
with him about it.
Eklavya: “Paartha will
never improve!”
Arjuna: “How do
you know that I will never improve?”
Eklavya: “Your Gurujee
said that CON-CEN-
TRA-TION is necessary to improve
In archery! And you were not concentrating!”
Arjuna: “How do you
know I was not
Concentrating?”
Eklavya: “(smiling) if
you had been
Concentrating, you could not have
Heard my words!
In this conversation, Arjuna is angry on Eklavya and
therefore this conversation converted into fight between Eklavya and Arjuna.
Here, we can notice that, Kailasam shows us the Eklavya’s intelligence and
keen-hearing when Arjuna is poor in that intelligence.
After
arguing, Arjuna insults Eklavya by this dialogue:
Arjuna: “(curtly to
Eklavya) who are you?
And what do you want here?”
Eklavya: “I am
Nishaada. I came here to beg
Of your Guru to help me become
the greatest archer in the world.”
Arjuna: “(laughs
outright; derisively) how
Can you even for a moment think it possible for a
NISHAADA to become what is almost impossible even for an ARYA?”
In
this dialogue, we can see that Arjuna has ego for his cast and he thinks that
he has rights to learn archery, and only Kshatriya can learn archery so he
badly insults Eklavya.
But
in Mahabharata, Arjuna is not insulted Eklavya, but here in Kailasam’s play-
the main protagonist is Eklavya and therefore he describe the character of
Eklavya superior than the Arjuna. Here, Arjuna’s character describe as an
egoistic and self-centered in the play.
So,
we can say after comparing this two characters’ that in Mahabharata, Arjuna was
more powerful than Eklavya. He was the fast learner in the Mahabharata, because
of it Eklavya’s character is not get high light in the Mahabharata.
In
the Mahabharata, Arjuna was not insult Eklavya but T.P. Kialasam wants to high
lights Eklavya’s character so he expresses like Arjuna insults Eklavya. In the
Mahabharata, Guru Dronacharya takes the Guru Dakshina from Eklavya with
intrigue but in the play Kailasam try to present antagonist as Arjuna. When
Eklavya saw that Arjuna complaint to Dronacharya about his better archery so he
wants to shut his mouth and because of it he compromise his intention of life
and he gives his right ‘Thumb’ to Guru Dronacharya as a Guru Dakshina. So, we
can say that Eklavya was better than Arjuna.
Arjuna
never understands the situation of Eklavya because what he sees, it is
posturized by Bheeshma and Guru Dronacharya. He just knows about his cast and
his cast’s power and his responsibility for it, that’s why he don’t know the
reality of life.
Arjuna
is not wrong in his position but he is not trying to saw reality of life. The
play “The Purpose” this title says about its story that purpose means
intention. In the play, Eklavya wants learn archery, behind it his purpose is
that he wants to save innocent creature, and Arjuna’s purpose was war because
he was a prince and after some years, he became king so he has to do it. So,
this is the purpose of Eklavya and Arjuna.
Their
intention and their purpose are different so that’s why we can say that as a
Nishaada boy Eklavya was not because he thinks about creatures and animals not
about his personal intentions, and on the another side Arjuna was prince and he
thinks about his personal intentions.
v Conclusion:
At
the end, we can say that in the comparison between Arjuna and Eklavya, Eklavya
is the best archer in the world and he is the better than Arjuna. Because he
was a Nishaada boy, so Guru Dronacharya denies him to teach him archery and
therefore he learns archery by his own self. And when he saw that Arjuna complains
his Gurujee about his better archery that time he compromise with his life and
he gives his right “Thumb”. So, we
can say that Eklavya is better than Arjuna.
…..Thank You…..
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