Two Oral Tales from Karnataka
Nagamandala is a play by Girish Karnad that combines two fascinating folk tales: “The Tale of a Story and a Song” and “The Tale of the Serpent Lover.” Let’s understand these two stories in simple language:
Story One: The Tale of a Story and a Song
Once there was a housewife who knew a story and a song, but she never shared them with anyone. She kept them to herself, which made the story and the song feel trapped and suffocated. One day, while the woman was sleeping with her mouth open, the story escaped as a shoe and sat outside the house, while the song turned into a coat and hung on a peg.
When the husband returned home, he was confused to see the shoe and coat. He asked his wife about them, but she had no idea. This made the husband suspicious, and the couple began arguing. Angry and upset, the husband left the house with his blanket and went to sleep in the Monkey Temple.
Meanwhile, the wife, sad and confused, put out the lamp and went to sleep. That night, as usual, the flames from all the lamps in the town gathered at the Monkey Temple to gossip. The flame from this woman’s house was late and told the others about the quarrel between the couple and how the story and the song took revenge on the woman for never sharing them.
Eventually, the husband understood that his wife was innocent and returned home. This story is used as the prologue (introduction) to the play Nagamandala and sets the stage for the second tale.
Story Two: The Tale of the Serpent Lover
This is the main story of the play. It’s about a woman named Kamakshi, her cruel husband, and a snake who falls in love with her.
Kamakshi was married to a heartless man who ignored her and was in love with another woman (a harlot). Kamakshi felt sad but accepted her fate. One day, an old woman from her neighborhood gave her a magical potion and told her it would make her husband love her.
Kamakshi mixed the potion into sweet porridge, but to her horror, it turned red. Doubting its effects, she thought, “This might harm my husband instead of making him love me.” She poured the mixture into a snake hole nearby, where a King Cobra lived. The potion had a magical effect on the snake, and it fell deeply in love with Kamakshi.
That night, when her husband was away, Kamakshi heard a knock at her door. She was surprised to see what appeared to be her husband at the door. Thinking it was really him, she spent a loving night with him. But it wasn’t her husband – it was the cobra in the form of her husband! This continued for many nights, and soon Kamakshi became pregnant.
When the real husband discovered this, he became furious and accused Kamakshi of being unfaithful. He complained to her father, who interrogated her but wasn’t satisfied with her answers. Kamakshi shared everything with her snake lover, who assured her he would protect her. He suggested she prove her innocence by taking the chastity test at the Shiva temple.
The next day, Kamakshi appeared in the court of the king and declared that the child in her womb belonged to her husband. She then offered to prove her truthfulness by handling a cobra at the Shiva temple. Everyone gathered at the temple to witness the test.
At the temple, there was a five-headed cobra coiled around the Shivalinga. Kamakshi fearlessly picked it up, and the cobra gently wrapped itself around her neck like a garland. The villagers were amazed and declared her a goddess (Devi). Her husband was no longer suspicious, and they began living happily. Kamakshi gave birth to a beautiful son, and her husband transformed into a loving partner.
Though Kamakshi was happy with her husband and son, she forgot about the King Cobra who had loved her deeply. One night, the cobra visited her house and found her sleeping peacefully with her husband and child. Feeling heartbroken and jealous, the snake coiled around her hair and tied himself into a knot.
The next morning, when Kamakshi combed her hair, she felt it was unusually heavy. When she shook it, the dead snake fell to the ground. Overcome with grief, she performed the snake’s funeral rites and honored his memory. Kamakshi then continued to live a happy life with her husband and son.
Significance of the Title: Naga-Mandala
The title Naga-Mandala is rich in symbolism and perfectly encapsulates the play’s themes and narrative structure. It is deeply rooted in Indian mythology and culture, reflecting the story’s dual focus on the Naga (cobra) and the Mandala (a sacred, symbolic space).
Naga (Cobra):
The Naga in the title symbolizes multiple layers of meaning:
Love and Devotion: The cobra represents Naga, a shape-shifting creature who embodies pure, selfless, and sacrificial love for Rani. Despite knowing his love is impossible, Naga devotes himself entirely to her happiness.
Protection and Fertility: In Indian mythology, cobras are seen as divine beings associated with fertility, protection, and the cycle of life and death. Naga’s role as Rani’s lover, protector, and the symbolic father of her child aligns with these ideas.
Duality: The cobra also signifies duality—both danger and devotion. While it can harm, it chooses to love, reflecting the tension between myth and reality in the play.
Mandala (Sacred Circle):
The Mandala refers to a sacred space or cosmic diagram, symbolizing wholeness, unity, and interconnectedness.
Structure of the Play: The play itself is like a mandala, where the prologue and main acts weave together a cyclical narrative that combines human life, mythology, and oral tradition.
Union and Conflict: The mandala symbolizes the intertwined lives of Rani, Naga, and Appanna, where their relationships and conflicts form a complete, self-contained world.
Integration of Myth and Reality:
The title highlights the fusion of folklore with human drama. Naga represents the mythical element, while the mandala represents the real, societal world of marriage, gender roles, and justice. The play operates at the intersection of these two realms, creating a story that resonates with universal themes.
Cycle of Life and Death:
The mandala’s circular shape symbolizes the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, echoed in Naga’s ultimate sacrifice and the continuation of life through Rani’s child.
Themes
Gender and Patriarchy
The play explores the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. Rani represents the plight of women who are oppressed, controlled, and silenced by men like Appanna. She is locked in the house, isolated, and treated as a possession rather than a partner.
The contrasting behaviors of Appanna (domineering and cold) and Naga (loving and caring) highlight the disparity between how men can treat women in such societies.
Key Message: The play challenges societal norms and questions the treatment of women, encouraging empowerment and respect for their individuality.
Love and Betrayal
The play delves into different aspects of love: unrequited, selfless, and possessive. Naga’s love for Rani is pure and sacrificial, while Appanna’s behavior shows betrayal through his affair with a concubine.
Rani, despite being betrayed by her husband, remains faithful. This theme reveals the emotional complexity of relationships and the healing power of true love.
Key Message: Love should be built on trust and emotional connection, not power and control.
Fantasy and Reality
The blending of magical elements (the King Cobra taking human form) with realistic struggles (Rani’s loneliness and mistreatment) creates a unique interplay between fantasy and reality.
The play uses fantastical elements, like Naga’s transformation and the snake ordeal, to symbolize deeper truths about human emotions and societal constraints.
Key Message: The boundary between fantasy and reality is blurred to emphasize that truth and justice can sometimes emerge through extraordinary means.
Power of Storytelling
The prologue emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a cultural and personal survival tool. The flames and the Story personify the act of sharing tales to keep them alive.
The Man’s survival depends on his ability to listen to and retell the Story, showing how stories shape and preserve human experiences.
Key Message: Stories are timeless and vital in understanding human nature and societal values.
Truth and Justice
The snake ordeal serves as a symbolic representation of truth and justice. Despite being falsely accused by Appanna, Rani’s purity is proven through her interaction with the King Cobra.
The villagers’ transformation of Rani into a goddess highlights the triumph of truth over false accusations and societal prejudice.
Key Message: Truth has a way of revealing itself, even in the most challenging circumstances, and justice ultimately prevails.
