the death of karna two sides of a story

8/19/2019 The Death of Karna Two Sides of a Story

1/38

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The Death of Karna: Two Sides of a StoryAuthor(s): Hanne M. de Bruin and Clara Brakel-PapenyzenSource: Asian Theatre Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Spring, 1992), pp. 38-70Published by: University of Hawai'i PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1124249Accessed: 10-07-2015 21:49 UTC

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2/38

The

Death

of

Karna:

Two

Sides

of

a

Story

Hanne

M.

de

Bruin

and

Clara

Brakel-Papenyzen

This article

compares

two

different Asian theatre

traditions:

kuittu

from the

northern

parts

of Tamil

Nadu

and

wayang

wong

from

Central

Java. Both kinds of theatre represent independent performance tradi-

tions.

They

use the stories from

the Mahdbhdrata s a

basis for their

plots

but

include

a

number

of local

elements.

We will

compare

the

exposition

of

a

famous theme

from

the Mahdbhdrata

pic,

the death of the

hero

Karna,

in the

kittu and

wayang

wong

traditions.

Our aim here

is not to establish

whether one

tradition

influenced

the

other nor

whether

the classical

written versions of

the

story

(such

as

the

Karnaparvan

of the

Sanskrit

Mahdbhdrata,

he

literary

Tamil

versions,

or the Old Javanese Bharatayuiddhaoem) influenced the basically oral per-

formance

traditions.

Rather,

this is

merely

a

pilot

study

in which

we

try

to

establish the

variations in

the

exposition

of a

theme and

relate these

varia-

tions

to their

respective

performance

contexts.

Our

study

is

based on

independent

research in

traditional

theatre

forms

conducted in

South

India

by

Hanne de

Bruin between

1985 and

1989

and

by

Clara Brakel-

Papenyzen

in

Java

between

1975

and 1988.

Because the

theme of

Karna's

death is

a

long

and

complex

story

involving one of the central themes of the final war between the one hun-

dred

Kaurava and the

five

Pandava

brothers,

we have

decided to

focus on

one

aspect

of

the

theme: the

characterization of

Karna in

the

two

theatri-

cal

traditions.

Unlike

Arjuna,

who

clearly

belongs

to the

Pandavas,

Karna

has

conflicting

loyalties.

Arjuna

and

Karna are

both sons

of

Kunti.

Trained as an

Indologist,

Hanne M.

de

Bruin's

academic

interest

is

in

ku-ttu

(terukkuittu),

n oral

folk

tradition of Tamil

Nadu. She

produces

programs

in

which

kittu

is used to

transmit an

educational

message.

Clara

Brakel-Papenyzen

conducts

research in Asian

dance,

music,

theatre,

and

languages, specializ-

ing in Indonesian and Indian classical arts.

Asian

TheatreJournal.

ol.

9,

no.

1

(Spring

1992).

?

1992

by

University

of Hawaii

Press.

All

rights

reserved.


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3/38

THE DEATH OF

KARNA

Karna, however,

was

born before Kunti's

marriage

to

Pandu. His mother

abandoned him and he later joined the Kaurava party. Much of the dra-

matic action is

determined

by

Karna's

psychological

conflict

which the

two

plays develop

in

very

different

ways.

Such differences

may

be the

result

of

differences

in

theatrical

conventions,

but

they may

also result

from

widely

different

interpretations

of Karna's character

and relation-

ships.

Moreover,

variations

may

often be

attributed to

the

different cul-

tural

settings

in

which

wayang wong

and

kuittu

re

performed.

In our

comparison

we will

discuss Karna's

character,

his relation-

ship with Duryodhana, king of the Kauravas, with his wife (named Pon-

nuruvi

in

kuittu nd Surtikanthi

in

wayang wong),

and with his

half-brother

Arjuna.

The

comparison

will

be

preceded

by

a

short introduction to the

two theatre

forms,

highlighting

those

aspects

of the

performance

tradi-

tions which are relevant to

the discussion.

The

Kuttu Tradition

Kuittu2 s an important genre of folk theatre3 performed in the

Tamil-speaking

rural areas of South

India.4

We

refer here to the

styles

of

kuittuwhich are

performed

by

traditional

groups

of

professional

actors

operating

in

the North Arcot and

Chingleput

districts of Tamil

Nadu.

The

repertoires

of

these

itinerant

groups,

called

kuttuor ndtaka

companies,

are more or

less

exclusively

based

on

episodes

from

the

Mahdbhdrata.

Therefore,

people

also refer to

this theatre tradition

as Pdratam

(the

Tamil

form of

Mahdbha-rata)

uttu.

The kuittu radition has many features in common with better-

known

forms

of South Indian

theatre,

forms

such

asyakshagana

and

kathd-

kali.

Kzuttu,

however,

places

much more

emphasis

on

the verbal

content of

the

performance

(which

is

partly

sung

and

partly

spoken by

the

actors

themselves)

and

consequently

on

the actors' verbal

and musical

skills.

Dance

steps,

choreography,

and facial

expression

(pdvanai),

though

indis-

pensable

to

every

kuittu

erformance,

are

less elaborate and

not

so

rigidly

codified

as in other

art forms such

as bharata

natyam

or

kathdkali.

Gestures

(mudra)-aside from those gleaned from daily life-are not frequently

used.5

Kutttu

employs

a

number of

rdga

(musical

modes

associated

with

different

moods,

such as

heroic and

melancholic)

of

the

classical

system

of

South Indian

music.

These

rdga,

however,

are

used in

a

simplified,

straightforward

manner. The

musicians

and actors render the

rdga

with

an

intuitive

ease and

fluency.

The

solo

singing

of

the actors

alternates with

complex antiphonal

singing

by

one or

by

all

members of the

background

chorus

(pinpd.ttu)

and

with the

articulate

rendering

of

prose passages

(vacanam).6

The

typical

"kittu

sound"

is

produced

by

the

high-pitched

39




4/38

de

Bruinand

Brakel-Papenyzen

mukavinai

(a

kind of small

oboe),

a harmonium

(called

pe.ti

or

po.tti),

a

mrdangam,and a dholakdrum and two pairs of small cymbals

(tdlam).

The

musical

styles

of kittu

companies

may

differ

slightly.

This seems to be

one

of the

main

reasons-aside

from variations in

textual

traditions-why

actors

who

have been trained

in a

particular

(musical) style

(pdni)

hardly

ever

perform

with a

company

from a different musical

tradition.

The kiitu

tradition

requires

that

the actors combine the skills of

acting,

singing, dancing,

and facial

expression.

As it

is

quite

difficult

for

one

and

the same

person

to

perform

all these

simultaneously,

the

empha-

sis on the verbal-musical aspects of the performance necessarily reduces

the elaboration and

stylization

of

dance movement and facial

expression.

The fact

that this tradition is

less

rigidly

codified than other forms of

Indian

theatre and dance

might

create the

impression

that

a

kuttu

perfor-

mance is

to

a

large

extent

improvised-in

the sense of

being composed

on

the

spot

using any

(arbitrary)

material

and without

performance

conven-

tions.

This

impression

seems

unjustified.

Our

field

data indicate that

every

kittu

performance

has

a

more

or

less

fixed framework within which

the dramatic development takes place. In order to reassemble the story

the

actors seem to

rely

upon

a

variety

of

textual, musical,

and choreo-

graphical

elements

("building

blocks")

that

belong

to

the oral

reservoir of

the

kuttu

tradition.7

Although

the

use of these

elements is

relatively

flexi-

ble,

it is

delineated

by

the

conventions of the

kuttu

tradition,

as

well as

by

the

individual

requirements

of

every play.

The

framework of

a kuttu

performance

includes

at least

the follow-

ing

elements:

a

simple

pujd

for

Vinayakar

(Ganesha)

in the

greenroom

before the actors start to apply the makeup, a musical introduction

(melakka.ttu),

nd a series of

songs

in

praise

of

Krishna,

Vinayakar,

Saras-

vati,

and

Murukani.

These

are

followed

by

a

(standard)

introduction of

the

play performed

by

the

ka.ttiyakkdran,

ne of

the

central

figures

in

kuttu,

enacting

the role

of the

Herald,

guardian

of

the

King

and

Clown.

After

these

introductory

stages

the

story

(katai)

constituting

the central

part

of

the

play

is

slowly

developed.

Usually

a curtain

(tirai)

is held

up

each

time

a

powerful

(royal

and

usually

male)

character

comes on the

stage

for the

first time. The characters introduce themselves with the help of the ka.tti-

yakkdran

who

provides

(standard)

questions,

cues,

and

the like.

They

tell

their

name,

lineage, qualities,

and

power

and

sometimes

explain

their

present

state of

mind.

Every play

is

concluded

by

an

auspicious

song

(mankalam)

which is

sung

by

all

actors.

Most

plays

feature

a

leading

male role

(either

a hero or

a

villain,

depending

on the

plot)

and a

leading

female

role.8

If

the

heroine is a

royal

character

she is

often

accompanied

by

two

or more

ladies-in-waiting

(t6limdrkal).

These

are

portrayed

as

stereotype

"folk

characters"

and

function

as

intermediaries

between

the hero

(or

villain)

and the

heroine.

40




5/38

THE

DEATH

OF

KARNA

Although

a

sequence

of

different

episodes may

be

distinguished

within a

performance,

we hesitate to denote these as scenes because the

actors

do not seem

to be familiar

with

this

concept.

Indeed,

they prefer

to

emphasize

the

continuity

of

a

kuttu

performance.9

Adapting

performances

to

varying

contexts

requires

an

inherent

flexibility

of the

performance

tradition which in

our view is embedded

in

the

structure

of ku-ttu.' well-trained

performer

may

use

an

abundance

of

building

blocks

with

great

dexterity, enabling

him

to

adapt

the

perfor-

mance to the

specific

requirements

of various audiences at different

times

and places. Therefore, rigid codification of the theatre form also seems to

be

impeded

by

the

necessity

to

adapt constantly

to the

changing

tastes

and

expectations

of

village

audiences

financing

the

performances.

This

is

clearly

reflected in the

(unwritten)

convention that

every performance

should

be

modeled after the

wishes of the

village

(kiramattin

stam)

inviting

the

company.

Many

urban,

elite

members of Indian

society

wrongly

conclude

from

the absence of

codification

that kittu

performances

are

largely

improvised. They tend to regard kuttuas an unsophisticated and degener-

ate

theatre form that

can

only please

"the

uneducated and illiterate."

This

prejudice

seems to

be caused

by

the low

caste

of

the

performers

rather

than

by

the lack

of artistic

value of

professional

kiittu

perfor-

mances.

10

CHARACTERISTICS OF

KUTTU

According

to the

Tamil

Lexicon,

the

word ku-ttu

means

"dance,"

"dancing," or "dramatic performance." The word not only refers to the

theatre

tradition,

however,

but

also to

individual

plays

or kiittu.

Most

informants

consider the

actors'

wearing

of

wooden

ornaments

(ka.ttai)

o

be the

main

characteristic

of

kuzttu.The

most

visible

wooden

ornaments

are two

kinds of

crowns

(kir.tam

and

cikarek),

the arm

ornaments

(pujakfrtti),

and a

breast ornament

(mdrpatakam).

Ka.ttai

are

usually

worn

by royal

figures

and

powerful

(male)

characters.

The

kattai

distinguish

kuttu

from

another

popular

theatre

genre

in Tamil

Nadu,

the

tirdma

(from

the English "drama") or ndtakam.According to Frasca the ka.t.taimply

more

than

just

royalty,

power,

and

strength.

Frasca's

informants

assured

him

that

"not

only

was

kattai-costuming

the

only

type

that

was

ritually

relevant or

suitable

(poruttam),

but

that it

was the

only style

that

gave

this

folk

theatre the

sacred

power

to

induce

possession"

(Frasca

1984,

262-263).

In

the

opinion

of

some

performers

a

second

characteristic of

kuittu

is

that it

contains

karuttu,

which

could be

freely

translated as

"(sacred)

meaning," "essence," or "significance." The creation of karutturequires

that the

actors be

physically

present.

This

not

only implies

the

necessity

of

41




6/38

deBruin and

Brakel-Papenyzen

a direct and mutual

relationship

between

performers

and

audience

but

also indicates that the

proper performing

context is an

important

condi-

tion

in

evoking

and

conveying

the karuttu. Aside from the context it

also

depends

on

the

talent

and

intensity

of

the

actor as

to

whether he will

suc-

ceed

in

capturing

the audience and

conveying

the

karuttu o

them.

PERFORMING CONTEXT

Kuzttu

s

hardly

ever

performed

simply

for the sake of

entertain-

ment. Most of the

nightlong

performances

are

staged

as

part

of the

annual village festivals which are organized for one of the village god-

desses,

usually

Tiraupatiyamman

(Draupadi)

or

Mariyamman

(depend-

ing

on

the

season),

or for

other

gods

such

as

Tirupati

Perumal

(Vishnu

in

Tirupati).

Pdratamkiittu has a

special

connection

with the elaborate festi-

vals for

Tiraupatiyamman,

the heroine of the

Mahdbhdrata

who

is wor-

shiped

as a

village goddess

in

Tamil

Nadu

(Hiltebeitel

1988).

During

most

Tiraupatiyamman

festivals a series

of

eight

to twelve

kuttu

is

performed

featuring

the events which

lead to the

war

between

the

Pandavas and the Kauravas, as well as the main events of the great war

itself.

One

of

the

plays performed

in

this series

is Karna

Moksam

Ndtakam

(Karna's

Death),

which

is

the

subject

of

this

comparative

study.11

Another

important

occasion

for

staging

this

play

is

the karumdn-

taram

ceremony.

This

funerary

rite is

practiced

among

non-Brahmin

com-

munities on the

sixteenth

day

after the

demise

of

a

family

member,

mark-

ing

the

end

of the

obsequies.

On

the

night

preceding

the

sixteenth

day

the

relatives of the

deceased

sometimes

arrange

for the

performance

of Karna

MoksamNdtakam.They hope that the staging of this kuttuwill facilitate the

release of

the deceased's

soul,

so

that he or she will

attain

liberation

(moksam),

ust

like

Karna

in

the

play.

Performances

enacted

during

a

village

festival are

normally spon-

sored

by

the

village

collectively

or

by

the

inhabitants of

the

streets that

maintain

the

temple

for which

the

festival is

organized.

The

expenses

for

staging

a

play

on the

occasion of a

karumdntaram

eremony

are borne

by

the

relatives of

the

deceased.

THE

PERUIKATTUR

PONNUCAMI

TERUKKUTTU

NATAKA

MANRAM

The

textual data

on the

kuttu

tradition

in

this article

are taken from

performance

transcriptions

of

the

kuittu

known

as

Karna

Moksam

Nd.takam

as

performed

by

the

Perufikattur

Ponnucami

Terukkufittu

Nataka Man-

ram on

the

occasion of a

karumdntaram

eremony.12

Based

in

the

village

of

Perunkattur

about

25

kilometers from

Kanchipuram,

the

Perufnkattuir

Ponnucami

Terukkuittu

Nataka Manriam is a

traditional

theatre

group

which

presently

numbers

eleven

actors and

three

musicians. The

actors

42




7/38

THE DEATH OF KARNA

are all

men,

though

some of them

specialize

in

performing

female

roles.

They belong

to low-caste families of which

usually

one or two members

in

a

generation

become a kiittu

artist,

most of them

studying directly

with

their father or

another close relative. The actors are all

professionals

who

depend

on

kuttu

performances

for

their

daily living.

The

group

often

exchanges

actors

and

musicians with

at least three other kittu

companies,

which

practice

the same

style.

Performance Tradition and Context of Wayang Wong

Along

with

the

masked

dances

and the

puppet

theatre,

the

classical

dance-drama

performed

by

human

actors-wayang

wong-belongs

to

an

ancient

Javanese performance

tradition which

involves

dancing,

acting,

singing,

and music

making.

The

different forms of theatre

in

Java

tend

to

specialize

in

particular

topics:

while

the

shadow-puppet

theatre

(wayang

kulit)

and

wayang

wong perform

plays

connected

with

the

contents of the

classical

Indian

epics

Ramayana

and

Mahdbhdrata,

other theatre

forms

may

enact plays deriving from Javanese story cycles or Javanese historical

writings

(babad).

So far the classical

wayang

tradition

of

the

Javanese

courts,

which

derives

most

of

its

characters and

many

of

its themes

from the Indian

epics,

has been

described

best.

It

is

customary

to

differentiate

between

lakon baku

(or

pokok),

plays

that

closely

follow the

story

as

narrated

in

the

epic

literature either in

their Indian

or

in

their

Javanese

versions,

and

lakon

carangan,

plays

which

may

use characters

from the

epic

stories as

well

as locally created figures and usually develop a new plot independent of

the

literary

tradition

as fixed

in

written form.

While there

is

no

uniform

opinion

on

the

exact definition

of these

terms,

several writers

have

pointed

out that lakon

carangan

are

at the

moment much

more

frequently

performed

than lakon

baku

(Brandon

1970,

12;

Feinstein

1986,

xvii

ff;

Keeler

1987,

213

ff.).13

This is also

the case for

wayang

wong

performances

staged by pro-

fessional

artists for the

entertainment

of the

crowd,

either in

temporary

constructions at annual fairs or in theatre buildings. In their perfor-

mances the

link with

the

Indian

epics

is often

very

loose,

consisting

merely

of a

few

characters or a

vague

similarity

in

plot.

As the

relation-

ship

between

written

and

oral

performance

traditions is

not under

discus-

sion

here,

we

wish

only

to

indicate that

most

Javanese

regard

the

perfor-

mance of

lakon

baku as a

serious matter

requiring

a

special

setting

and

social

circumstances in

accord with

its

theme. This

holds

true

in

particu-

lar

for the

plays

dealing

with

the death

of

the main

heroes

described in

the

Bharatayuddha,of which there are many Javanese poetic versions, both

ancient

and modern.

43




8/38

de Bruin and

Brakel-Papenyzen

The classical

wayang wong

theatre

developed

its

present

perfor-

mance structure

during

the nineteenth and

early

twentieth centuries in

the

two court cities of

Central

Java:

Yogyakarta

and

Surakarta. The

vari-

ous

aspects

of its

performance

tend to be a more or

less

faithful

imitation

of the

classical

wayang

kulit,

including subject

matter,

typology, perfor-

mance

structure,

and

musical

accompaniment.14

The

actors' costume

and

makeup

correspond

to

the

dress,

jewelry,

crowns,

hairdo,

and facial fea-

tures

painted

on the

leather

puppets,

which in

turn reflect

the

costumes

and

insignia

worn

by

the

various ranks

of

priests,

kings,

noblemen,

and

their servants at the Javanese court in former times.

Although

the

classical

wayang wong

as we

know it

today

was

devel-

oped mainly

at the

Central

Javanese

courts,

this

theatre

form

was

not

exclusively performed

by

noblemen or

court servants.

Since the end

of the

nineteenth

century

(and

probably

even

before

that

time),

it

has also been

staged

by

commercial

groups

playing

in

temporary

constructions or in

theatre

buildings.

There

are

several

differences in

staging.

Court

performances

before World War II took place in the large pillared dance pavilion (pen-

dhapa)

inside

the

palace.

They

lasted for

one

or

even

several

days

and

used

large

groups

of actors

dressed

in

splendid

costumes.

During

the

reign

of

Sultan

Hamengkubuwana

VIII

at the

court of

Yogyakarta

in

particular,

performances

were

prepared

with

meticulous care.

The

ruler

participated

personally

in

the

composition

of

the

script

and

its

staging,

the

various

parts

had to

be

memorized,

and

the

acting

was

rehearsed under

supervi-

sion of

dance

and

music

masters. While

actor-dancers were

identified

even in daily life with the role they performed in court drama, they used

to

seek

inspiration

for the

impersonation

of their

roles

from the

puppet

theatre,

studying

the

features as

well as

the

performances

of

their

charac-

ter's role

from

puppet

shows

(Soedarsono

1984,

221).

Commercial

wayang

wong

is

performed

on

a

stage

(panggung)

nside

a

theatre

and

usually

in

front of

(not

surrounded

by)

the

audience.

This

setting,

and

the

fact

that

performances

may

take

place

on

any

day

of the

week,

unrestricted

by

ritual

requirements,

influences

the

performance

practice. Although commercial wayang wong copies the performances of

the

courtly

wayang

tradition

(Brakel-Papenyzen

1991,

chap.

4),

the

per-

formance

time is

much

shorter-often

just

a

few

hours.

Complex

stories

tend to

be

staged

as a

series

taking

several

consecutive

nights.

As

there

are

no

links with a

particular occasion,

the

choice

of

theme

is

rather

free

and

the

majority

of

plays

feature

novel

stories not

found in

epic

literature. The

organization

of

commercial

companies

usu-

ally

implies

that

plays

are

not

enacted on

the basis

of

written

scripts.

As

the

topic

of

the

play may

be

announced to the

actors

only

a

short time

before

the

performance

takes

place,

plays

are

not

really

rehearsed

a

long

44




9/38

THE

DEATH

OF

KARNA

time

in

advance. Therefore such

performances

always

contain

an

element

of

improvisation,

especially

in the

dialogues

and Clown's acts. Tradi-

tional

Javanese

theatre is not

realistic but

highly stylized

in

its use

of

movement,

language,

different

types

of

voices,

music,

and

performance

structure.

This

is

apparent-both

in

puppet

plays

and

in

drama

with

human

actors-from

well-known

theatrical

structuring

devices such

as

the

use of character

types

and

the

sequencing

of

dramatic

actions into

a

string

of

(more

or less

standardized)

scenes.

So

far,

the

typology

used in

the classic

puppet

theatre has been

described the best and is therefore well known even outside Java. As wa-

yang

kulit

specializes

in

the

performance

of

plays

which are

linked with

the

contents of the

Indian

epics,

the

typology

is often

associated with

the char-

acters

depicted

in

these

epics.

However,

it also

applies

to

characters

belonging

to

different

story cycles

and

enacted

through

other forms of

Javanese

theatre.

15

In

classical

wayang plays

the

string

of

major

acts

and minor

scenes

follows a

particular

pattern

which is

not

dependent

on the

content.

Pri-

marily it is related to the division of the night into three progressive

stages.

The three

resulting

sections

are

marked

by

three

different musical

modes

(pathet

nem,

sanga,

and

manyura).16

Although

battle

scenes are a

standard

feature

occurring

at

various

stages

in

the

play,

the clash

between

the

main

opponents

is

usually

saved for

the

end-that

is,

just

before

day-

break.

In

wayang

wong

court

performances

the

actors

were-and still

are-

experienced

dancers who

would

portray

the

qualities

of

the hero

they

represented

through

classical dance

poses

and

movements. And

even in

less sophisticated commercial wayang wong the actors have to master a

number

of

basic

dance

poses

and

movements

corresponding

to

the char-

acter

type

they represent.

THE

DANCE

FRAGMENT

(PETHILAN)

The

occurrence of

climactic

battles

in

Javanese

plays

led

to

the cre-

ation

of

a

specific

category

of

dramatic battle

dances

featuring

the

combat

between

major

heroes

and

heroines

or

between

heroes

and

demons.

Such

highly stylized and beautifully choreographed battles may be fitted into

the

context of a

play,

but

they

are

often

performed

out

of

context as

frag-

ments

(pethilan)

or a

battle

dance

(beksan

wireng).

While

the outcome

of

the

battle

depends

on

the

content of

the

story depicted,

the

choreography

is

largely

determined

by

the

rules of

classical

(battle)

dances.

These

may

feature

a

number

of

different

man-to-man

combats,

each

time

ending

in

a

(temporary)

defeat

and

using

different

weapons.

As

in

all

wayang

wong plays,

the

action in

these

dramatic

battle

dances is highly conventional. The fight is preceded by an introduction

during

which the

two

heroes

measure the

opponent's

strength

and chal-

45




10/38

de

Bruin

and

Brakel-Papenyzen

lenge

each

other

in

song

or

dialogue.

When

in

the course of the

combat

one of the heroes suffers a temporary defeat he kneels down; death is indi-

cated

by

sitting

on

the floor with the head

lowered

(Color

Plate

5).

THE

JAVANESE

DRAMA

KARNA

TANDHING

The

story

of

the death of Karna on

the

battlefield is known

as

a

classical

wayang

play

with the title

Karna

T(in)andhing

(Karna

in

Duel).

Forming part

of a

series of

plays

concerned with the

great

war

between

the

Pandawa

and Korawa

brothers,

this

play

belongs

to the

essential

group that follows the stories told in the Mahdbhdrata(lakon baku). It is

known in

all

wayang

traditions,

in

the

courts of

Yogyakarta

and

Surakarta

as

well as in

the

villages.

The

story

of

the

great

war

has been

part

of

the

Javanese

cultural

heritage

for

many

centuries.

Indeed,

it

was

utilized

by

the

poets

Empu

Sedhah

and Panulu

in

a

twelfth-century Javanese

poem,

the

Bharatayuiddha

Kakawin

(Metrical

Poem

of

the

Great

War).

Parallel to

the

written

literary

tradition,

the

story

has been

handed down

through

the

performance

of

drama-not only in nightlong enactments of the complete chain of events,

but

also

in

a

fragmentary

form

through

song

texts

interspersed

with

the

action

taking place

in

the

different

scenes

(suluk).

In

the

course of

the

nineteenth

century

the

theme of

Karna's death

was

used

for a

dramatic

battle

dance with

the title

"The

Warrior's

Dance

of

Karna

Fighting

a

Man-to-Man

Combat with

Janaka"

(Beksan

wireng

Karna

prang

tandhing

kaliyan

Janaka)

at the

Mangkunagaran

court in

Sura-

karta.

7

At present the plays about the famous Bharatayuiddhaar are only

rarely performed.

However,

this

does

not

imply

that

they

are

regarded

as

insignificant

or

boring:

most

Javanese

are

well

acquainted

with

their

sub-

ject

matter

if

one

is to

judge

from

the

many

articles in

local

newspapers

and

(comic)

books

published

on

the

topic.

The

usual

explanation

given

by

the

Javanese

for

the

apparent

decline in

popularity

is

that

the

theme

of

fratricide

(perang

saudara)

is

inauspicious

and

too

"dangerous"

(gawat)

to

be

performed

for

the

sake of

mere

entertainment.

This

feeling

applies

not

only to the entire play but also to the "dance fragment," pethilan.

In

fact,

the

plays

of

the

Bharatayuiddha

re

regarded

as a

complex

series,

the

performance

of

which

should

be

organized

by

a

group

of

people

for a

specific,

important

occasion.

Examples

of

these

are the

annual

puri-

fication of

the

village

rituals

(bersih

desa)

celebrated

before

World War

II in

the

village

of

Karang

Asem

and

around

Klaten

(Resink-Wilkens

1932

and

1939),

as well

as

the

famous

one-year

cycle

of

monthly

performances

organized

at the

Sasana

Inggil

in

Yogyakarta

in

1958

(Resink

1975,

215).

18

On

that

occasion

the

complete

series

consisted of

twelve plays:

eight

plays

dealing

with

the

great

war

itself,

preceded

by

two

introductory

46




11/38

THE

DEATH

OF KARNA

plays

and

concluding

with two

plays

dealing

with events

following

the

war.

It

has been

reported

that these

performances

were

all

immensely

popular

and drew enormous

crowds;

even the

book

summarizing

the

plots

had to

be

reprinted

several times

(Radyomardowo

and

others

1978).

Therefore,

a lack of

interest

cannot

be the reason

why

Bharatayziddha

lays

are

seldom

performed

in

Java

nowadays.

It

seems more

likely

that

the cir-

cumstances

requiring

the

enactment

of

the theme are

rarely

felt

to

exist.

Thus our

discussion

of

the

theme of Karna's

death

in

wayang

wong

cannot be

based on material

recorded

during

a

live

performance

but must

be derived from other sources. The most recent and

complete

information

was found on a

cassette

tape

made in

1979 on the

label

"Melody

Sound"

and

performed

by

a

group

of

professional

wayang

wong

players

from

Sura-

karta

named

Wayang Orang

Gabungan.

Their

interpretation

of the

theme forms

the

basis

for our

discussion of the

plot.

The

comparison

with the Tamil

tradition is

also based on

several

other

sources:

a

written

English

version of the

play published

by

Brandon

(1970,

269-360),

a

synopsis

of

the

play

in

Dutch

(Philips

1858,

33-45),

elaborate outlines of the play in Dutch (Kats [1923] 1984, 433-435) and

in

Javanese

(Radyomardowo

and

others

1978,

109-127),

and

a

descrip-

tion of

Karna's

life

and

character in

Indonesian

(Hardjowirogo

1968,

190-191).

The

photographs

of

two

dancers

performing

the

Karna Tinan-

dhing

fragment

were taken

at

Sekolah

Tinggi

Karawitan

Indonesia in

Feb-

ruary

1989.

For

reasons

pointed

out

above,

the

actions

and

costumes of

the dancers

conform to

the same

rules as

in

a

complete

wayang

wongplay.

Karna's

Character

and

Relationships

in

Kuittu

KARNA'S

CHARACTER

The

description

of

Karna's

character

derives

from a

dialogue

between

Karna

and

the

kattiyakkdran

n

the

beginning

of the

play.

Karna's

main

character

trait is his

liberality.

When the

ka.t.tiyakkdrannquires

about

his

good qualities,

Karna

gives

the

following

answer:

"Whoever

comes

and

whatever he

asks

for,

I

never

give

no

for an

answer.

I

possess

the

quality of giving lavishly, that's me-your humble Karna. All admit that I

am

a

generous

man."

Indeed,

Karna's

magnanimity

is

so

great

that he

even

agrees

to donate

his

armorlike skin

and his

earrings

to Lord

Indra

in

spite

of

the

Sun

God's

warning

not to

oblige

Indra in

his

request.

And

when

he

finally

lies

mortally

wounded

on

the

battlefield,

he

offers

the

merit

earned

by

his

charitable

deeds to

Krishna,

who has

approached

him

in

the

guise

of

a

poor

Brahmin

asking

for

this

gift.

When

Karna

has

granted

this

ultimate

request,

Krishna

reveals

himself in his true form and promises to fulfill whatever boons he asks.

Karna

then

expresses

the

wish to

retain

the

quality

of

liberality

in

his next

47




12/38

de Bruin

and

Brakel-Papenyzen

FIGURE

8.

An

actor

getting

into

costume

for

the

role

of Karna

in

Tamil

kuttu.

(Photo:

Hanne

M. de

Bruin)

lives

and to

complete

the

(prescribed)

thirty-two

charitable

acts

by

feeding

others

(annatdnam).

Krishna

promises

Karna that he will

be

reborn as

Cirottont-anayanar,

a

Tamil

Saivite

saint

famous for

having

sacrificed his

own

son

at Lord

Shiva's

command and

offering

him as

food to the

god.19

THE

STORY OF

KARNA'S

BIRTH

Dramatic

setting:

It

is the

early

morning

of the

seventeenth

day

of

the

great

Paratam

war.

In

the

opening

of the

play Duryodhana

has

made

Karna chief

of the

Kaurava

army.

Before

going

to the

battlefield Karna

wants to

take leave

of

his

wife

Ponnuruvi

and ask

for the

auspicious

gift

of

betel

leaves

and

areca

nut

(tampzilam)

rom

her

that

should

help

him

gain

victory.

Ponnuruvi,

however,

who

believes that

Karna is

only

the

adopted

son of a charioteer, refuses to receive her

husband.

48




13/38

THE

DEATH

OF

KARNA

Standing

in

the

street

in

front of Ponnuruvi's

apartments,

Karna

asks his wife to unlatch the door. When she hears the

request,

she

addresses one of

her

ladies-in-waiting

as follows: "There

is

somebody

standing

outside

on

my doorstep

calling

me

'my darling'

and

'my

dear'

and

asking

to be let in."

She

orders her

friend

to

tell this

man

that she

will

only

receive

him if

he

clearly

announces who he is and names

his

parents,

kinsmen,

and friends.

Despite

this

humiliation Karna

decides to fulfill the

"legitimate" request

of his wife even

though

he

feels

that

his

family

secrets will now be

brought

into the

open.20

He then

tells the

following

story of his birth (synopsis).

King

Kuntap6ja

(Kuntabhoja)

of

Kuntamapuri,

who

was child-

less,

adopted

the

eldest

daughter

of

his cousin

King

Cuiracien'a

(Sufirasena).

The

five-year-old

girl

was

called

Kunti and

brought up

at his

court. When

Kunti was

six

years

old the

sage

Turvaca

(Durvasa)

came to the

court

wishing

to

practice

yoga

for a

while.

Kunti

was

appointed

his

disciple

and

served him

faithfully

for a full

year.

As the

sage's penance

came to an

end,

he

told Kunti that she

deserved a

boon

for

having

looked after him so

well. Kunti was ready to accept whatever he wished to give her.

Foreseeing

that

she

would not have

any

children after

her mar-

riage,

the sage

taught

Kunti

five

magic

incantations-under

the

condition

that she

would

only

use them

with the

permission

of her

husband. These

incantations invoked

the five

gods:

Surya,

Yama,

Vayu,

Devendra,

and

the

Asvins,

who

would

be

the

fathers

of her

children.

One

day

Kunti

went

to

bathe in the

River

Ganga.

She

wanted to test

whether the

incantations

would

really

work

and

invoked the

Sun

God.

Although

Kunti had

not

yet

reached maturity, the Sun God was bound to obey Tfirvaca's words. By

the

power

of

illusion

(madyd),

e

transformed

Kunti

into a

mature

woman

and

they

had

intercourse.

Immediately

after

their

union,

Karna was

born.

Dreading

what

people

would

say

if

she

returned

with a

baby,

Kunti

chose to

have

her

virgin

state

restored: the

child

was

placed

inside

a

golden

casket

produced

by

the

Sun

God,

and

they

let

the

sealed box

float

down

the river.

The

box

was found

by

King

Dhritarashtra's

charioteer

Ratan and his wife, who were childless. When they saw the baby wearing

armor

and

earrings,

the

Sun

God

appeared

and

instructed

them

to

call

the

child

Karna

("Ear").

(See

Color

Plate

6.)

Ratan handed

the

golden

box

to

the

government

but

kept

the

child.

After a

while

King

Dhritarashtra

heard

that

Ratani

was

bringing

up

a

child.

As the

king

at the

time

was still

childless-neither

the

Kauravas

nor the

Pandavas

had

been

born

yet-he

asked the

charioteer

to

hand the

child

over

to him.

"Therefore,"

Karna

says,

"my

second

home

was

King

Dhritarashtra's

palace."

49




14/38

de Bruin

and

Brakel-Papenyzen

KARNA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH PONNURUVI AND

DURYODHANA

The central

part

of the

play

consists

of the

confrontation between

Karna and his wife Ponnuruvi before

he leaves for the battlefield.

It

high-

lights

Karna's

problematic

relationship

with

his

wife

and his

loyalty

toward

Duryodhana,

as

well as

Ponnuruvi's attitude

toward

Duryo-

dhana.

In

addition to

the

story

of Karna's birth

it

includes

an

episode

in

which Ponnuruvi has an ominous

dream

portending

her husband's death

on the battlefield.

While

growing up together

at

King

Dhritarashtra's

court,

a

special

bond was

forged

between

Karna

and

Duryodhana.

They

address each

other as

"younger"

and "elder" brother. It

was

Duryodhana

who

made

Karna

king

of the

Angas

when the

Pandavas,

claiming

that

Karna was

the

adopted

child of a charioteer and not of

royal

blood,

refused

to

let

him

participate

in

the

archery

contest.

When Karna reveals the

story

of his

birth to

Ponnuruvi,

she

objects to his further association with Duryodhana. She asks him what he

will

gain by

slaying

the

Pandavas,

his

own

(half-)

brothers.

In

Pon-

nuruvi's

opinion

Duryodhana "bought"

Karna's

love

(iraval

piriyam,

lit-

erally "paid

love")

by making

him

king

of

Angadesa

and

granting

him

various other sources of income.

The

resulting

domestic

quarrel

between Karna and

Ponnuruvi

turns into a

public

discussion

(vivdtam)

in which the

audience is

requested

to

function as

judge.

Ponnuruvi states that

Duryodhana

is

a man of

bad

character, whereas the Pandavas represent the "right party." Karna,

however,

claims that

Duryodhana

is

a

good

man

to whom one

should

remain

loyal

and

grateful:

(Ponnuruvi's

song)

That

Duryodhana

of

cruel

acts,

A

great

sinner and

hot-tempered

is he:

The

Lady

Draupadi

he

abused

And he

tortured the Five

Pandavas

By grossly

cheating

them.

(Ponnuruvi's

speech)

O

Lord,

pity

the Pandavas

They

were

living

happily

in

Indraprastha

when

jealousy

arose in

the

heart of

Duryodhana,

king

of

Hastinapura.

He invited

the

Pandavas and

easily got

them over to

his court.

He set

Sakuni

upon

them to

gamble,

and thus he

seized their

country

and

their

cities.

In

this

very assembly,

he told his

younger

brother

Tuirccacananf

(Duhsasana)

to disrobe their

wife

Draupadi.

Such a

man,

who

orders

that

a

lady's

sari

must be

removed,

can

he be called a

good

man?

50




15/38

THE DEATH OF

KARNA

(Karna's

reply)

What kind of people are playing at dice? What sort of people are gam-

bling?

Idlers and loafers

And who was

there,

playing

and

betting?

Dharma

[Yudhisthira]

and

Sakuni

Therefore,

Dharma

is

a

loafer,

Dharma is

a

thief

Duryodhana

is not to blame.

When Ponnuruvi

insists

that

Karna should

join

his

half-brothers,

Karna

argues

that

he cannot desert the

Kauravas

while

they

are on the

losing

side:

You

tell

me

to

change

sides.

Do

you

think

I

am that sort of

man?

What

times are these? Times

of war-the seventeenth

day

of the battle.

Duryodhana

is

relying

on

me as on

a

rock.

Not

only

is

Duryodhana's

party losing,

the Pandavas

are

winning.

And

precisely

at

this

moment

you

want me

to

leave

Duryodhana

and

join

the

winning

side? What

would

people say?

Although

Karna defends

Duryodhana

here,

he has

on

other occa-

sions been critical of Duryodhana's behavior. When, at the beginning of

the

play, Duryodhana complains

that

many

of

his soldiers

have

died

(including

Bhisma and

Drona)

and innumerable

women have become

widows

while

so

far

nothing

has been

gained,

Karna

tells

him to

stop

complaining.

If he

had

listened

to the

advice of

the

elders,

he would

have

had

many opportunities

to make

peace

with the

Pandavas.

Although

Karna

fights

on the

side of the Kauravas and even

tries

to

justify

Duryodhana's

behavior toward

his

wife,

he

advises Ponnuruvi as

he

leaves for the battlefield: "My darling, don't go to Hastinapura [if I am

killed],

but

spend your

time

with

my

younger

brothers,

the

Pandavas "

This advice

reflects Karna's

ambivalent

attitude toward the

Pandavas.

Ponnuruvi's character

in

Karna Moksam

Nd.takam

develops

from

that of

a

naive and

somewhat vain

girl

into

that

of a

disappointed,

rather

insensitive,

and

shortsighted

woman.

Ponnuruvi's

grudge against

Karna

is

based on

her

assumption

that he

is of low-caste

origin.

As a

daughter

of

Kirttivarman,

king

of

Kalinga,

Ponnuruvi

feels

trapped

in her

"declasse"

marriage with Karna. This is why she treats him with contempt and does

not

allow him

to

approach

her. As soon as

she

hears about her

husband's

royal

lineage,

however,

her

behavior

changes.

She

pretends

innocence

and tries

to win

his favor

by

showering

him

with affection. Karna

first

reacts rather

cynically

to this

sudden

change;

then his

cynicism

develops

into

anger.

But

as

the

moment

of

his

departure

draws

near,

husband and

wife

stop

quarreling

and show

mutual love

and

affection.

Having

been

warned

by

bad

omens,

they

both

sense that

Karna will not

return alive.

Thus the central part of the play ends in an emotional farewell which fore-

casts the

tragic

events on the

battlefield.

51




16/38

de Bruin and

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KARNA AND ARJUNA

Although

Karna

and

Arjuna

are

both

sons of

Kunti,

their relation-

ship

seems

to

be

dominated

by

a

mutual

jealousy

which dates

back to the

archery

contest and Karna's

humiliation

by

the Pandavas.

In the

play

they

both

express

the

desire

to

kill

each

other,

yet

Karna

in one of his mel-

ancholic

moments seems to harbor milder

feelings

toward

his

half-

brother.

Arjuna,

unaware

that

Karna is his

half-brother,

wants

to

kill

him

not

only

because of their

long-standing

enmity

but also

to

fulfill the vow

he made when Tfrccacaniani (Duhsasana), following the order of his elder

brother

Duryodhana,

tried to disrobe

Draupadi

in

public.

When

the confrontation between

Karna

and

Arjuna finally

takes

place

(Color

Plate

7)

they challenge

each other

by exchanging

abuses:

(Karna's

challenge)

Hey you,

fellow,

Arjuna

(Arjuna's reply)

Speak up,

son of

a

charioteer.

Our

enmity

dates

back to the

archery

contest

in

the arena.

Today

this

enmity

will be

settled. Forever

Come on

chap,

let us see

(Arjuna's song)

What

is there to

see,

man? Karna

You

show me

a

snake21

Trying

to intimidate

me, oh,

you

are an

expert

But the whole world knows

That

you

are

just

a

charioteer'sson.

Come

on,

let us

see

Your

great

bravery

and valor

(Arjuna's

abuse)

Hey

you,

Karna

Wow-you speak

like a

very great

hero But this world

is

spitting

at

you,

son

of

a

charioteer,

a

cartman's brat who does

not

know

the name of his

father and

mother. Even

your

own

wife does not

respect

you Get out of here

While

Arjuna

is

abusing

Karna,

the audience

pities

Karna.

(Karna's

reply)

Hey you,

Arjuna

Have

you

come to

fight?

If

you

really

mean

business,

you give

me a

good

blow

or

I

give you

one. That's what I call

fighting.

Instead,

you

tell

me

that

my

wife does

not

respect

me-is that

any

con-

cern of yours? Hey you, fellow,Arjuna All these stories, that I am a cart-

man's

son,

today

. . .

[continued

in

song].

52




17/38

THE

DEATH OF

KARNA

(Karna's song)

You'll see, everythingwill come to light.

Today

I shall

straightaway

Finish

these

lies,

do

you

hear

me

Then Karna turns to

Arjuna's

charioteer,

Krishna,

abusing

the

god.

In

order to

enrage

Arjuna,

he calls

him

a

man

of black and

coarse

appearance,

a deceiver who caused the death

of

Arjuna's

sons

Aravan

and

Apimannan

(Abhimanyu).22

After the first confrontation with

Karna,

Arjuna becomes afraid, just as Krishna predicted. Arjuna discovers that

his

adversary

shows

a remarkable

resemblance to his elder

brother,

Dharma. He asks Krishna to turn

the chariot around

and

return

to

the

camp

in

order

to check

whether

Dharma

is still there.

Reluctantly

Krishna

obeys.

When

they

meet

Dharma,

he

flies

into

a

temper

and scolds

Arjuna

and his bow

for

not

having

killed

Karna. The insult to his bow

enrages

Arjuna,

who has sworn to kill

anyone

who

speaks

in

contempt

of

it.

Krishna has to prevent Arjuna from killing his elder brother. Arjuna

accuses

Dharma

of

being

a

gambler,

addressing

him

rudely.

Dharma

is

tortured

by Arjuna's

words

and wants to return to the

forest,

but Krishna

skillfully

manages

to

obtain

forgiveness

for

Arjuna by

making

him

tell a

story

in

which

he

unknowingly

blesses

his

younger

brother.

Then,

with

the

following

words,

Dharma

orders

Arjuna

to

go

and

kill

Karna:

"Let

the

arrow which

you pointed

at

me

hit

Karna-regard

him as

your

elder

brother,

kill him

and return."

Thus

Arjuna's

act

of

killing

his elder

brother Karna is apparently legitimized by Dharma's command, and at

the

same

time

the

irony

of the

fact

that

Karna

is

Arjuna's

elder

brother

is

emphasized.

Karna's

Character

and

Relationships

in

Wayang

Wong

Before we

begin

to

analyze

Karna's

character as

expressed

in

an

actual

wayang wong

play

(Color

Plate

8)

it is

useful to

take

note of

some

general ideas about Karna in present-day Java. A summary of Karna's

life

and

characteristics

is found in

Hardjowirogo's

History of

the

Wayang

Purwa,

a

recent

publication

in

Indonesian aimed

to

spread

the

knowledge

and

appreciation

of

(Javanese) wayang

among

the

general

population:

Raden

Suryaputra

is

the son

of

Dewi

Kunti and

Batara

Surya,

but in a

mysterious

manner.

When Dewi

Kunti

was still a

virgin,

she

possessed

esoteric

knowledge

which she

received

from a certain

priest

named

Bega-

wan

Druwasa. The restriction to this esoteric knowledge was that it

should

not

be

uttered

while the

person

who

possessed

it was

exposed

to

53




18/38

de Bruin and

Brakel-Papenyzen

the

rays

of the

sun.

However

Dewi Kunti

carelessly

violated

this rule

and

thus became pregnant. Through the help and supernatural power of

Begawan

Druwasa the

baby

in her womb

could be borne from her

ear

[the

kawi

(poetic)

word for

ear

is

karna],

and when

this child

grew

up

he

was also called Karna.

Some stories

explain

the name Karna

[in

a

differ-

ent

manner],

because

he

had

earrings

when he

was

born.

Because most

people

considered

him a

child

whose father was

unknown his mother

abandoned him at the ocean's

shore. The

baby

was

carried

away,

and

was later found

by

a

king

of

the

country

of

Petaperlaya

named Prabu

Radea. He

adopted

him as his

son

and

Karna

was then

named

Radeaputra.

Since Batara

Surya

also

acknowledged

Karna as his

son,

he is

also called

Suryaputra.

In

the

course of time Karna

learned

all these

things

about

him-

self.

Although

he

was

in

fact

the eldest of

the

Pandawas,

he

did not wish

to follow his

half-brothers,

but

chose the

side of the Astina

kingdom,

whose

king

was

considered his

cousin. Karna

acted

in

this manner

because he

felt that

his

parents

rejected

him as a

baby.

Until the

Bhara-

tayuddha (Great

War)

Karna

always regarded

the

Pandawas

as

absolute

enemies.

During

the

Bharatayuddha

Karna

is defeated in a

man-to-man

fight

with

Arjuna,

fulfilling

his

duty

as

a

satriya

knight)

in

loyalty

to

the

kingdom

of

Astina.

Scholars

regard

Karna as

a

satriya

who

keeps

the

promise

he

has made.

Some stories tell how

Dewi

Kunti

(Karna's

mother)

goes

to

Karna

as the

Bharatayuddha

war

is

approaching,

remembering

that

Karna is also her

son and a

brother to the Pandawas.

Kunti

says:

"My

son,

you

had better

join

the

Pandawas;

remember that

they

are

your

brothers." Karna

answers:

"Mother,

I

shall not

obey

[your

words].

Remember how you neglected me when I was small and abandoned me

so that the

family

ties

with

my

own kin

were broken. Now

that

I

have

found

glory

through my

own

efforts,

do not coax

me to

join

the Panda-

was

and to

leave

Astina,

mother.

The Pandawas

are

definitely

my

abso-

lute

enemies."

[Hardjowirogo

1968,

190-191]

The

book

also

gives

a

description

of

Karna's

wife

Surtikanthi:

Dewi

Surtikanthi is the

second

daughter

of

Prabu

Salya, king

of the

country

of

Mandraka.

The

young

maiden was

first

betrothed to

Prabu

Suyudana

(Duryodana)

of

Astina. But in

fact at

that time Dewi

Surtikan-

thi

had

already

become

acquainted

with a

satriya, Raden

Suryaputra

(Karna),

the

adopted

son of

the

king

of

Petaperlaya.

The

two

young

people

met

secretly;

no one

knew

about their

meeting

except

for

Raden

Pamade

(Arjuna).

Then these

two

satriya

engaged

in

a

lively

battle,

until

Suryaputra

was

gripped

fast

by

Pamade,

who

was

going

to

cut his

throat and hit him

on the

temple.

At that moment Resi Narada, a god from heaven, arrived and

separated

the two

satriya.

He

told

Pamade that

Suryaputra

was

his

elder

54




19/38

THE

DEATH OF

KARNA

brother

and that Pamade

should

help

him to

get

married.

Moreover

Narada presented a crown to cover the wound. From that time onwards

Suryaputra

wears a

crown.

[Hardjowirogo

1968,

196-197]

It is

remarkable that in

Hardjowirogo's history

of Karna's

concep-

tion the

Sun God

does

not

play

an

active

role,

as

in

the Indian

story.

While

this

depersonalization

of

Surya may

be attributable to the

influence

of

Islamic

religious

ideas,

it results

in

an

emphasis

of

Kunti's

role

of

unmarried mother.

Thus,

Kunti's mistake and

guilt

are

emphasized,

as

are Karna's feelings of rejection and frustration toward his Pandava

brothers.

On

the other

hand,

having

been

adopted

by

a

person

of

royal

status,

Karna is

brought up

as

a

nobleman

and does not have to feel

infe-

rior

to

his

brothers-or to

his

wife-in

this

respect.

Karna's

ambivalent

relationship

with

Arjuna

is

explained

in

the

description

of

Surtikanthi.

Although

Arjuna

first

clashes with

Karna

when he

tries to

prevent

their secret

meetings,

he

dutifully helps

them to

get

married when

he

learns that Karna is in

fact his elder

brother.

KARNA'S

CHARACTER

IN THE

PLAY KARNA

TANDHING

In

accordance

with the

rules for

the

structure of

a

classical

wayang

performance,

the

opening

scene of

the

wayang wongplay

Karna

Tandhing

s

a

scene

at the

camp

of

the

Korawa

(named

Bumi

Kasapta) featuring

a

dis-

cussion

between

King

Duryodana

and

his advisers on

the

losses suffered

during

the

great

war.

Karna,

addressing

Duryodana

as

"younger

brother

and

king"

(yayi

prabu),

immediately replies

that

there is

no need

to

feel

dejected; nor should there be fear of Arjuna (an allusion to his forthcom-

ing appointment

as

commander of

the

Pandawa

army).

He

then

starts

boasting

about

himself,

asserting

to

the

assembly

that he is

more than a

match

for

Arjuna

and

will

easily

kill him

in a

duel:

"Younger

brother,

I

can

assure

you

that,

whenever

I

can

fight

a

man-to-man

battle with

Arjuna,

he will

be

turned into a

corpse

in

a

twinkling."

Resi

Krepa

admonishes him

by

saying

that he

should

not

overestimate

his own

power.

Karna

then

furiously

scolds the old

adviser

and a

quarrel

flares

up.

Once

more Karna, in his eagerness to remain commander-in-chief, states his

readiness

not

only

to

fight

Arjuna

but

also to

bring

back

his

head in

his

own

hands. He

then

asks

for the

appointment

of his

father-in-law,

King

Salya,

as

his

charioteer,

and

both

Duryodana

and

Salya

agree.

While

Karna

does

not

play

a

part

in

the second

scene,

he

shows a

much

softer

side of

his

character to

his

wife

Surtikanthi in

the

third

major

scene

of

the

play.

This

scene is

located in

a

beautiful

garden

(Kayangan

Telakandha),

where

Surtikanthi is

sitting

sad

and alone

amidst

the

waru

trees

when

she

hears

from the cracking of the door that her husband has

arrived.

Having

been

welcomed

by

his

wife in

the

polite

and

demure

55




20/38

de

Bruin and

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manner

appropriate

to a

female

member of

the

nobility,

Karna asks

her

why she is looking so grave. Tearfully Surtikanthi confesses that she is

frightened

about his

appointment

as

commander of the

troops,

the

more

so because she has had an

ominous dream about

her

husband

entering

a

sailing

boat and

getting shipwrecked

on

a

reef in

the middle of

the

ocean.

Karna

tries

to

reassure

her

by telling

her to trust his

bravery

and

not to be

afraid.

Asking

her to sit close

to

him,

he starts

singing

a

love

song

which is

completed

by

her.

This

poem

(in

Sinom

meter)

forms

the

expression

of

their

final

farewell.

(Karna)

Dear

lady, you

must know

That even a

flood

of

fire

Could not

destroymy

longing

To be in

the

presence

of

your

beauty.

(Surtikanthi)

I

feel

courageous

Even to

enter

a

ravine

And also

to bear the

pangs

of love

Following

the

wishes

of

the sweet man.

(Karna)

Really

young lady, you

are as

excellent as

gold.

Thereupon

they

retire to the

bedchamber

to

make

love,

which

is

only

indicated in the narration. In order not to upset his wife, Karna leaves

quietly

in

the

middle of the

night

to

go

to the

battlefield.

The

two

following

scenes are

set

at the

camp

of

Karna's

opponents

the

Pandawas

(Darma

Kasetra).

Their

meeting

is

interrupted by

clowns

carrying

the

message

that the

troops

of

Astina are

entering

the

battlefield

under the

banner of

Karna.

Although

Bima

immediately

wants

to

avenge

the

death of

his son

Gatotkaca,

Krishna

advises that

Arjuna

is the

best

counterbalance to

Karna's

power

and

should,

therefore,

be

appointed

commander of the troops. Arjuna, addressing Krishna as "elder brother

and

king"

(kaka

prabu),

answers that

this

is what he

himself

desires.

Con-

sequently

he asks for

Krishna's war

chariot,

to be driven

by

Krishna

him-

self,

and

his

request

is

granted.

As the trial

of

strength

between the

two heroes

forms the

main

theme of

the

play,

it

is

remarkable

that

their

first

confrontation

on

the bat-

tlefield

is

a

kind of

anticlimax

to the

buildup

of

aggressive

emotions in the

prev

the death of karna two sides of a story

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