''Urubhanga'' or ''Urubhangam'', (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental syste ...

: ऊरुभङ्गम्), ( en, The Breaking of the Thighs, italic=yes) is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

play written by Bhasa in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. Based on the well-known epic, the ''

Mahābhārata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

'', by

Vyasa Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...

, ''Urubhanga'' focuses on the story of the character

Duryodhana Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...

during and after his fight with

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...

. Although ''Urubhanga'' contains the same core storyline as that in the ''Mahābhārata'', Bhasa's altering of certain aspects results in a different presentation of the story. The most extreme of these alterations is Bhasa's portrayal of Duryodhana, who, in the ''Mahābhārata'', is viewed as a villain, but in ''Urubhanga'' is given more human qualities. Bhasa's presentation of Duryodhana's side of the tale adds certain tragic elements to the play.

Synopsis

''Urubhanga'' is derived from the famous epic ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

''. Although portrayed as a villain in the original play, the protagonist

is presented in a different light in ''Urubhanga''. He isn't exempted from his original evil deeds, but he is shown as a character with heroic qualities. The play centers around events that happen preceding his death; Duryodhana is shown repenting his past, reconciling with his family, and realizing the futility of war. In the beginning of the play there are three soldiers that are marveling at the battlefield between the

Kauravas ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his wi ...

and

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...

. They describe the scene before them in gory detail, each taking turn to muse and exclaim over the various details that they observe. As they progress through the battlefield, they arrive to the battle between the middle Pandava

and the Kaurava Duryodhana The soldiers then proceed to describe the fight between Bhima and Duryodhana. The audience is seeing the battle entirely through the description of the three soldiers; ultimately, Bhima falls from Duryodhana's incessant blows. Duryodhana, refusing to kill Bhima while he is on the ground, instead has his thighs crushed by Bhima from false play and violation of rules. After Duryodhana has fallen, Bhima is carried away hurriedly by the other Pandavas, and Duryodhana is left on the battleground. This act of false play incites the anger of Baladeva, who wants to seek justice. However, Duryodhana stops him, having become resigned; this begins the part of the play that starts to emphasize the heroic qualities of Duryodhana. Duryodhana blames

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

and forgives Bhima, as the play progresses, he is reconciled with his blind parents, then his queens (Malavi and Pauravi), and his son. Duryodhana is distressed about his situation, as he can no longer salute his father, nor can he let his son sit on his thigh. He also rejects the futility of war. At the end of the play, Ashvatthaman, the preceptor's son, appears with the intent to seek revenge for Duryodhana and kill the Pandavas during the night, and Ashvatthaman names Durjaya, Duryodhana's son, as king of the kingdom right before Duryodhana dies. However, it needs to be noted that the play does not end completely in a tragic note, as there are signs of hope for the future, since it is unorthodox for Indian

dramas to end only on a sad note.

Adaptations

''Urubhangam'' was presented by the Bangladesh Centre for Asian Theatre, adapted by Niranjan Adhikari and directed by Kamaluddin Nilu. The premier of the play was held at Theatre Festival Varmland, Sweden in 2001. The performance is characterized by elements of

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

folk theatre forms, rites, chorus, dance and modern techniques which goes beyond traditional forms of Sanskrit drama. The Centre for Asian Theatre performed at the Huashan Arts District Outdoor Tent Theatre hosted by the Department of Cultural Affairs of Taipei City Government. The ''Urubhanga'' was also adapted by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. This version was remodified in the

theyyam Theyyam (/ t̪eːjjəm/; romanised: ''teyyam'') are Hindu ritualistic dance forms practiced in northern Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. Theyyam is also known as Kaḷiyāṭṭaṁ or Tiṟa. Theyyam consists of traditions, rituals and c ...

style. Panikkar created two Duryodhanas in the play in which one is the mortal

and the other is Suyodhana.

Ratan Thiyam Ratan Thiyam (born 20 January 1948) is an Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, one of leading figures of the "''theatre of roots''" movement in Indian theatre, which started in the 1970s ...

's production of the play uses Manipuri dance and theatre traditions, as well as traditional martial art,

Thang-Ta Huyen langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur. In the Meitei language, means war while or can mean net, knowledge or art. consists of two main components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit sarak (unarmed fighting). The primary weapons ...

. Play is also adapted in Dogri by Kumar. A. 'Bharti', Designed by Abhishek Bharti and Directed by Aaditya Bharti which was declared as Best Production of 2017 by J&K State Cultural Academy. Its a highly experimental Production blends with Folk forms of Dogra region of J&K. Production got 10 State Cultural Academy Awards which includes Best Director Aaditya Bharti, Best Music Abhishek Bharti, Best Make up Shammi Dhamir, Best Costumes kamal Mohini and Acting Awards To Kanav Sharma, Sushmita Banerjee, Niharika Sakshi, Nitin Babu. Adaptations of Sanskrit classics including the ''Urubhanga'' was also staged by the Suvarna Karnataka, choreographed by

Maya Rao Maya Rao (2 May 1928 – 1 September 2014) was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and educator, in Kathak dance. She is known for her pioneering work in Kathak choreography, especially in dance ballets, and is credited for bringing Kath ...

Studies

Pusalker, A.D. Bhasa - a study. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India 1968 Sharma, A. ''Essays on the Mahabharata''. Leiden, 1991 Dharwadker, A.B. ''Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India since 1947''. University of Iowa Press, 2005 Bhat, G.K. ''Tragedy and Sanskrit Drama''. Popular Prakashan(P) Ltd. Mumbai, India 1974 Skilton, A. ''How the nāgas were pleased'' by Harṣa ; & ''The shattered thighs'' by Bhāsa. New York University Press: JJC Foundation, 2009. ''Bhasa's Urubhanga and Indian Poetics'' In this article, Gerow examines the differences between the Urubhanga and the Mahabharata ‘original’. In the Urubhanga, the villain is portrayed as the moral hero since it is Duryodhana who acts as the guide and teacher for the reader. The play draws attention to discipline over self, compassion for the enemy, reconciliation within the family. Gerow also indicates the differences between the Urubhanga and Sanskrit dramaturgy as well as the structure. G.K. Bhat in his book ''Tragedy and Sanskrit Drama''From G.K. Bhat's ''"Two Plays of Tragic Design and Tragic Intent."'' Bombay, India. Popular Prakasha Pvt Ltd. 1974. pg 68-79 studies the tragic design and intent established in the play. According to Bhat, Bhasa is the single Sanskrit dramatist to experiment with ancient material to produce tragic structure. Introducing tragic motive into the play was limited and attempt at delineating the character or action was considered a denial of the existing legend and the fabrication of a new one. Therefore, Bhat is a solitary case of a daring experiment in Sanskrit dramatic literature as he breaks away from the traditional epic framework. In Bhasa's ''Urubhanga'' the incident and featured characters are taken from the epic but Bhasa re-orients the incident and presents it with a new motivation. In Bhasa's version, the breaking of the thighs is over before the main scene of the play opens. Also, Bhasa portrays Duryodhana as a tragic hero with heroic courage and calm determination with which he accepts his inevitable end. Eventually, Duryodhana dies like a hero. Since the

is deeply rooted in the Indian tradition those with traditionally fixed attitudes find it difficult to accept Bhasa's rendition of the ''Urubhanga''.

Translations

''Urubhanga'' has been translated into English. * Rangachar, S. ''Ūrubhaṅgam''. One act play. With introd., translation, notes. Mysore, Samskrita Sahitya Sadana, 1967 * Devadhar, C.R. ''Urubhangam, Urubhangam, Breaking of Thighs'', a Sanskrit One-Act Play Attributed to Bhasa. Poona: Oriental Book Agency, 1940. * Menon, K.P.A. ''Complete Plays of Bhasa'' (Text With English Translation and Notes). 2003 ed. Nag Publishers, 2003. * Sarup, Lakshman, and A.C. Woolner. ''Thirteen Plays of Bhasa''. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1985. * Haksa A.N. ''The Shattered Thigh and Other Plays''. England: Penguin Publishers, 2008.

References

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External links