Page 271 - DENG201_ENGLISH_II

Unit 19: Chitra by Rabindranath Tagore: Detailed Study

place. She assures him that she will be content with the present. She also tells him that each separate Notes
moment of beauty comes to her like a mysterious bird from its unseen nest in the dark, bearing a
message of music. She would sit always with hope on the edge of realisation and thus end her days
(spend her span of life).
Critical Remarks

Arjuna has been idling away his time in a dreamy world of romance and love. After meeting the
villagers, he comes to realities. His mind is completely occupied with the thoughts of princess Chitra
whose arms with their beauty of strength are a terror to the robbers. He throws the ‘Challenge’ that
they too-he and the beautiful woman by his side should leave the arbour of love and race on their
horses to the field of action. He finds in her a Goddess of victory scattering all around joyful hope,
riding on a white horse, proudly holding the reins in her left hand. He strongly feels that woman’s
arms though not adorned with anything, look beautiful. His heart is restless. He feels like racing with
her on swift horses side by side like twin orbs of light sweeping through space. After getting satisfied
that Arjuna has accepted her both as the playmate of the night and the helpmate of the day. Chitra
feels glad to reveal her identity. Earlier he was in an illusion and now he has realised the truth.
The action of the play shows development and it is slowly reaching its climax. There is a fine depiction
of the feelings of both Arjuna and Chitra. The concept that illusion is the first appearance of Truth is
indeed unique.
Scene IX
From the “Lie” to the “Truth”
Chitra returns to Arjuna as she had been when she first met him. Yet she is not quite the same
because she is also the prospective mother of Arjuna’s son. Arjuna is content, and has a sense of
complete fulfillment.
Chitra and Arjuna arrive on the scene. Chitra asks Arjuna if the cup (of the pleasure of life) has been
drained (exhausted) to the last drop. She wonders whether it is really the end (final stage). She will
not accept such a situation, but states that when everything is completed, something still remains
and that indeed is her last sacrifice at his feet.
She begins to narrate that she brought flowers of unequalled beauty from the garden of heaven in
order to worship him, the lord of her heart. If after the rites are completed, the flowers get faded, they
should be thrown out of the temple.
Revealing herself in her original male dress, she asks him to look at his worshipper with graceful
eyes. She further states that she is not as perfect as the flowers with which she has worshipped him.
She admits that she has several defects and short-comings. She is a traveller in the path of the great
world. Her clothes have become untidy and her feet are bleeding with thorns. She brings to him the
gift (boon) of the heart of a woman, the embodiment of pains and joys, hopes and fears and shames
of the daughter of the dust. Her imperfection, whatever it be its state is noble and grand. She requests
her master, to accept her as his servant in future, soon after the flower-service is completed.
She now makes it clear to Arjuna that she is Chitra, the daughter of the king. She reminds him of the
day (in the past) when a woman came to him in the temple of Shiva, her body decorated with jewels
and clothes. Shamelessly she came to court (love) him as though she were a man. He did act quite
suitably by rejecting her. She pointedly reminds her lord that she was that woman, in disguise. Then
by the grace and blessings of God, she got the brightest form (of beauty) that ever was possible for a
mortal, and it was granted for a year. In that attractive form, she was able to arrest that attention of
Arjuna. But at present she is not definitely that woman.
She informs him that she was only Chitra. She further states that she was no goddess to be worshipped.
For that matter, she was not even the object of common pity to be set aside like a moth with sheer
indifference. He will be able to know her true (real) self if he permits her to be by his side in the path
of danger and daring (critical and extraordinary situations) and if he allows her to share the great
duties of his life. She makes it clear that she is nourishing (feeding) a child in her womb and if luckily
if the child were to be a son, she would herself teach him to be a second Arjuna and send him

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 265