Page 286 - DENG201_ENGLISH_II

English - II

Notes find in her anything, which can entice him to her. He had taken a vow of celibacy for twelve years,
which he could not violate. The charms of her body were not such as to lead him away from his
resolution. The exposition of the action of Chitra is thus made in this scene.
In the second scene, there is the spurning of Arjuna by Chitra. When Arjuna, unmindful of his vows,
seeks the new Chitra in the temple, she is more saddened than elated. And consequently she rejects
Arjuna.
The story develops with Arjuna’s sudden acceptance of Chitra later on, due to Chitra having been
endowed with beauty and grace for a year by the gods of Love and Spring. Their amours and blissful
spending of the time in the forest in a romantic setting is depicted in this scene. The triumph of the
body over the soul is revealed here. Arjuna falls a prey to the appearance of perfect beauty. The Other
Chitra is falsehood, an illusion, a deceit of a god. Chitra admits this to Arjuna and reveals to him
obliquely her true identity. But to Arjuna everything seems to be a dream; he forgets his vow of
celibacy and perceives the appearance of beauty which is now before him. She makes him a captive
of her love and beauty and he desires to drink deep into the joys of her beauty and charms. The action
in the story develops due to the help of the gods.
In the third scene, one sees the physical union of Chitra and Arjuna. Then Chitra tells Madana and
Vasanta that during the previous night Arjuna had come and made love to her. Yet she is full of
remorse because Arjuna had not loved her but only her borrowed beauty. Her body has thus become
her own enemy.
Chitra and Arjuna’s union does not give Chitra a sense of satisfaction, but on the contrary it brings
out the dormant anguish of her soul. Her physical beauty is a temporary one. As such it would slip
away from her and she would be left to sit and weep day and night when she would be put to shame
at her naked poverty. The body triumphs, but its triumph is only momentary, for it would soon fade
away into nothingness. With the close of the flowering season the triumph of fruitage would follow,
when the heat—cloyed bloom of the body would droop and the abiding fruitful truth would be
accepted. Earthly bliss brings in its train satiety in the consummation, which the union of the two
bodies enjoys. Behind this is concealed a cry of agony. This has been described in a subtle manner,
which speaks of the great artistic sensibility of the poet. The two gods appear for the second time in
the scene. It is through Chitra’s dialogue with them that the action the drama is further unfolded and
the symbolic meaning of the play is revealed that, Man is not content with the earthly bliss (which is
temporal) and he essentially longs for a bliss, which is of a higher type (which is permanent). The
entire atmosphere in the scene is romantic and passionate The language used is also romantic and
poetic. There is thus perfect fusion between the theme and the language.
In the fourth scene, the decline of Arjuna’s passion is described. As the days pass, there is a sharp
decline in Arjuna’s zeal. Now, he dreams of home. He wonders when Chitra says that such ephemeral
love is not meant for familial happiness. It is difficult to say whether it is Chitra that is giving Arjuna
eyes to see that mundane unfolding truth, or whether she is too self conscious, too suspicious of the
consequence of their love. When she invites him again to partake of love’s excess, he calls her attention
to the prayer-bells from the distant temple. To Arjuna love is more than a mere reverie of the senses.
The scene shows that Arjuna is gradually awakening into his real self from the world of shadows and
dreams because dreams cannot enwrap a man forever; they are to vanish and their place is to be
taken by the realities of life. Chitra’s remark is significant as it hai a prominent bearing on the meaning
of the play. Physical enjoyments beget satiety after indulgence in it for sometime. It is not abiding
and one feels like turning away from it has been drunk to the lees.
The fifth scene is an Interlude. The fervour of Vasanta. (Youth and Beauty) cannot keep pace with the
demands of Madana (Love). There is the inevitable awakening of spring, as it draws to a close.
Madana and Vasanta appear for the third time in this scene. They carry the action further by a comment
that the earthly bliss of Chitra and Arjuna, having reached the highest point, is almost at its end. The
language here is poetic, romantic, sensuous and full of passion.
In the sixth scene, further decline of Arjuna’s obsession is depicted. Arjuna who readily switched
over from asceticism to love now longs for the old days when he used to hunt with his brothers.
Contemplation entangles, and he wonders about his companion, her home and parents.

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