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Eklavya as a Subaltern
Prepared by: Minkal Italiya
M.A English semester: 1
Batch: 2018-20
Enrollment No: 2069108420190020
Roll no: 26
Submitted to: Smt. S. B Gardi, Department of English, MKBU
Paper no-4: Indian Writing in English
Topic: Eklavya as a Subaltern
Eklavya as a Subaltern
Introduction:
T.P.Kailasam was a playwright and prominent writer of Kannada literature. He is also remembered as a father of modern kannda. He has a good command over English language. His English plays are different from common play and the plays are mostly inspired by Puranic themes. He delivered this theme with intellectual idioms of those days. His popular plays are;
- Fulfilment
- The Purpose
-Keechak
- Karna
The Purpose (1944)
The Purpose is a play which is divided into two parts. In this short play Kailasam dramatized the events which was occurred in the Mahabharata. This play is mainly revolved around three characters: Drona, Arjuna, and Eklavya. The entire play shows Eklavya’s idealism during his discipleship in archery. This play throw a light on Eklavya’s royalty for his guru and shows his hidden virtue.
What is the meaning of Subaltern?
~ In critical theory and postcolonialism, the term subaltern designates the populations which are socially, politically and geographically outside of the hegemonic power structure of the colony and of the colonial homeland.
~ In postcolonial theory the term subaltern describes the lower class people and who are at the margins of a society. Parihas and Tribal people are recognized as marginalized or subaltern.
Subaltern theory in ‘The Purpose’
If we look at the story of Mahabharata we can realize that Arjun is the hero while studying under Dronacharya or throughout the epic. While in The Purpose T.P.Kailasam portrayed Eklavya as a main hero or the main character of the play. In Mahabharata protagonist is Arjuna while in this play protagonist is Eklavya.
Eklavya’s portrayal in Mahabharata
Eklavya’s famous story is based on the great Indian epic Mahabharata. Eklavya was a poor hunter. He wanted to learn archery with the purpose of driving out the wolves from the forest and thus he wanted to protect the deer and fawns. To fulfill his purpose he went to the Guru Dronaand requested him to learn him archery. At that time there was a rule that only Brahmins and king’s son were able to learn from guru in gurukula. But Eklavaya was a Nishad boy and belonged to the lawer caste that’s why he was rejected by him. But his great will to learn archery leaded him to learn archery by blessing of the clay image of Guru Drona. Eklavya became an outstanding archer who stunned even Drona and Arjuna by his unique feats. At the instance of Arjuna, Guru Drona demanded a right thumb of Eklavya as “gurudakshina”. Eklavaya paid his gurudakshina without any hesitataion.
Eklavya’s portrayal in “The Purpose” as a subaltern
In “The Purpose” the Arjun was portrayed as an antihero. Eklavya was portrayed nobler than Arjuna. The story told by Maharshived Vyas in The Mahabharata is conflicting with the story told by T.P.kailasam in The Purpose.
In this play Kailasam portrayedEklavya with marginalized character as modern alternative or example for reshaping society.As in Kailasam’s The Purpose guru Drona explained to Arjuna all the five elements which were necessary for a pupil – a perfect mastery of the ground work of archery, power to concentrate, a deep and fervent love for one’s Guru, his whole hearted willingness to learn, and lastly assiduous practice. On meeting Guru Dronawhen Eklavya told him of his noble cause for which he wanted to learn archery from him. But Guru Dronadenied him because of his commitment to Arjuna to make him great archer in the world. He refused to accept poor Nishad boy as his pupil. Eklavya had ability to become great archer than the Arjuna then even he was rejected by Guru Drona.Arjuna’s attention to learn archery was only to attain fame, whereas Eklavya wanted to learn archery to protect deer in forest. During one scene when Eklavya pointing out to the Arjun and said,
“The boy Partha will never improve”!!!
After hearing this Arjuna said Guru Drona to stop it and asked who the boy was? When Eklavya revealed his identity Arjuna also made fun of him.
Eklavya: I am nishaada. I came here to beg your guru to help me become the greatest archer in the world.
Arjuna: “Become the greatest archer in the world”, indeed! How can you even for a moment think it possible for NISHAADA to become what is almost impossible even for even for an ARYA?
Through this conversation we can get the idea that to learn archery what matter the most in one’s caste. There was strong argument between Aklavya and Arjuna on the regarding matter of caste. But Aklavyaaslo replied well with the context of five elements which was explained by GrurDrona.
Arjuna: “An Arya is an Arya! And a Nishaada is only a low born Nishaada!”
Eklavay: “Pride in one’s caste more than in one’s power to do good.”
Arjuna: “Like you”? I Do NOT LIKE YOU! I DISLIKE YOU! VERY MUCH!
Eklavya: There you are! Your dislike shows that you fear me!
Eklavyawas not only portrayed as a character whom voice was oppressed by another character. When Arjuna said him he disliked him. Eklavya said him that,
“HATE IS ONLY ANOTHER NAME OF FEAR.”
Class conflict was very well represented by T.P.Kailasamspecially between the dialogue of Eklavya and Arjuna.
As Drona denied Eklavyato learn an archery, he went and created the clay image of Guru Drona and started to learn archery in front of the statue of Guru Drona. Because of his great devotion and concentration in archery he became the greatest archer. In the second act Drona and Arjuna met Eklavya and came to know that he became a good archer. Because of this Dronawas afraid as he had promised Arjuna to become him the greatest archer in the world. Arjuna went to the extent of blaming Dronacharya for teaching him secretly and thus making him the greatest archer. Then Eklavya caught between dual loyalty his teacher on the one side and his fawns on the other.Arjuna kept blaming on Guru Drona, without knowing that Drona would have kept his promise to make him greatest archer and he did not learn archery to Eklavya. After hearing this Eklavya suddenly went to the clay statue of Drona and cut off his right thumb and served Guru Drona as a ‘gurudakshina’. Eklavya was a subaltern character than even we can see the wholeness of his heart or his respect towards the guru. He could not tolerate that Arjuna blamed his guru as liar.
Drona: “Little man! What have you done?”
Eklavya: “Gurujee! You will keep yours promise and I will stop his mouth forever!
Drone denied him to learn archery though even he had a great gratitude towards his guru.Eklavya realized the awkward situation of his guru and not able to tolerate the accusation ‘liar ‘ oh his teacher and cut his own thumb and put into the Drona’s feet as gurudakshina. The image of the thumblessEklavya was tragic. The thumb of this supreme archer was what intellect was to the sophisticated, it was a supreme mark of his identity.
Here we can find a difference between the story of Eklavya in Mahabharata and in The Purpose. In Mahabharata Drona asked Eklavya for gurudakshina. While T.P.Kailasam presented Eklavya as he was offering his right thumb as gurudakshina to the Drona. Eklavya offered a unique gurudakshina to his Guru Drona. In Mahabharata Eklavya observed as voliceless character while here in The Purpose he observed as a hero of the play he raised his voice for himself.
This concept of subaltern is also seen in society nowadays in 21st century also. Indian cast system is divided into five parts: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas ,Sudra and Dalits.Eklavya was not able to learn archery from guru Drona, same way many lower class people did not get the education.
Conclusion:-
So we can say that in The Purpose T.P.Kailasam’sEklavya was nobler than Arjuna. Eklavya was a Nishaad boy than even his purpose of learning archery was nobler than Arjuna. He wanted to learn archery for the betterment of other. Actually it was the duty of prince but Arjuna was very selfish. Here in The PurposeT.P.kailsam tried to give a voice to a marginalized character of Eklavya.T.P.Kailasam deconstructed the myth of Mahabharata to give the voice of Marginalized character.Kailasam has beautifully concealed thr conflict of the High-born and low-born behind the curtain of the struggle for supremacy in archery.
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