Reflection Of Hayavadana

" Bodies That Matter: A Psycho- sexual Study of Hayavadana"
Abstract: Girish Karnad 's Hayavadana is primarily understood in the context of existential problems that surround the modern world. Building the story upon ancient texts- Kathasaritsagar and Baitalpachhisi and, on Thomas Mann 's Transposed Heads, Karnad has attempted to showcase the sensibility of his characters, who deal with their own limitations, fears and problems. The main frame of the play deals with the story of the eponymous character Hayavadana, who wanders in the search of completeness; but the sub- frame, which consists of the story of Padmini- Devadatta- Kapila is not only limited to the identity theme, since, it carries many more significations within. Padmini

Another important point that the playwright seems eager to communicate to his audience is the importance of body, flesh, physicality or sexuality, that looms over the consciousness of Padmini.The ideas of completeness, incompleteness, existence or desire- all of them are relevant only to a living human body. In logical explanations head has always been foregrounded as the controller of human personality, but in this play all the tension exists because of the body. In Hayavadana, Padmini 's character is presented in the light of her physical longings, which come to occupy an important place in her life. It is not that Padmini is merely a manifestation of female sexuality, but her life- like desires and thinking make her the most round character in this play than others. In traditional appreciations of the text, the discussion of Padmini 's sexuality has been underscored. The text has largely been defined in the context of existential problems in the modern world. Although this theme is also equally dominant in the play, yet by putting the text in a wider framework, we can verily observe the playwight 's intention to expose the innate physicality of human beings as well as other living beings. Even Hayavadana, who provides the main framework for the existential theme of the text, strives to become either complete man or complete horse, so that he can enjoy his physical life upto the fullest. That 's why, the text does not reach it 's most confusing point (peripetia) when the heads are transposed, rather this transposition serves as a denoument to Padmini 's inner conflicts. Even Devdutta and Kapila fight over their respective bodies, since they were an integral part of their existence. They were not content with the heads only, thus foregrounding the importance of body in human identity. In this regard the character of Padmini becomes higly symbolic in carrying the implications of the author. Since the very beginning of the play, Karnad presented Padmini as a very