Rabindranath Tagore is a gem of Indian literature, known all over the world for his amazing works in the domains of prose, poetry, and dramas. If you have read his writings, you must have inevitably experienced an out-of-this-world triangle of philosophy, humanism, and mysticism. No wonder, he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. Digging deeper into his writings, we can see that Tagore had great regard for Lord Buddha. If you have come across his drama “Chandalika”, you will certainly find Buddha’s teachings and ideologies throughout the text. Even more, this underrated drama is included in the curriculum of English in many universities’ courses around the world. If you are one of those who landed on this page searching for analysis or the four levels of Chandalika by Rabindranath Tagore, you have come to the right place. You need not look any further. Thank me later!
Four Levels of Chandalika by Rabindranath Tagore
Literal Comprehension (Summary)
The play revolves around the complexities of the human mind and its conflicting needs and wants. Prakriti, an untouchable woman, lives at the fringes of her society with her mother. Ananda, a disciple of Lord Buddha (Ananda himself was an untouchable before) accepts a drink of water from her. Ananda teaches her not to belittle herself even if the whole society might think otherwise. This small incident sparks a new self-realization in Prakriti. But at the same time, her new self directs her to so far unknown emotions towards Ananda, her emancipator. She wants Ananda only for herself. At the behest of Prakriti, her mother grudgingly agrees to use her witchcraft and necromancy to get Ananda for Prakriti. Prakriti’s mother unleashes the dark forces of the nether world, which captures and binds Ananda and brings him to Prakriti. Prakriti couldn’t watch the humiliation of Ananda under the duress of dark forces and asked her mother to release Ananda. Ananda despite his own agonies pardons and blesses Prakriti in the end. Prakriti also realizes that if you love someone, you shouldn’t hold them in captivity, but rather set them free.
Interpretation
Rabindranath Tagore wrote “Chandalika” based on the theme of age-old caste discrimination and its tragic consequences. He brings Buddhism into the play through the character of Anand (Buddha’s disciple). Although the play shows how the marginalized group in India still has to go through humiliation in the name of caste division. In other words, Tagore wanted to strike on the dark side of Hinduism by highlighting casteism as the vice of this oldest religion.
The title of the play “Chandalika” is significant in itself because it somehow refers to the lower class status of being untouchable. Tagore has resorted to Buddhism in this play to demonstrate the consequences of Hinud’s caste suppression because Buddhist philosophy is all about treating everyone equally with love and respect, irrespective of their background.
The play digs into several aspects of human life and its dimensions. It’s important to note that obsession with something might lead to unwanted disaster. Prakriti falls in love with Anand but ends up binding him with her mother’s black magic (superstition associated with Hinduism).
Critical Thinking
This drama was ahead of its time when it was written. The reader can experience everything related to human life and psychology such as love, compassion, obsession, a feeling of inferiority, sins, purgatory, and rebirth. We can appreciate the Buddhist philosophy brought into the play through the character of Ananda. However, the drama tends to fall back on some aspects from a critical perspective.
Several parts of the drama are really questionable. It is really hard to understand what the author is trying to imply with the actions of the protagonist, Prakriti. Provided that she was born into the marginal section of Indian society, the act of trying to spell-bind Ananda gives us the wrong picture. It indirectly hints to us at the stereotype associated with that section of society.
Talking about love, it is really doubtful whether Prakriti had sincere feelings toward Anand. If she really loved him, she would not have made him go through that suffering. The use of black magic by her mother makes us think if it really exists. Therefore, the readers tend to shift their position throughout the development of the story in the drama. It gets really confusing.
Assimilation
This two (or three) act play portrays an untouchable girl’s desperation to get redeemed from the dehumanized humiliating position, which was lower than animal status. The protagonist has no special desire or need. It’s understandable that she only wished to obtain human status. Like the snake shades its skin, Prakriti got the flicker of hope to discard her lower class status through Anand, the monk’s encouragement. However, she got undeservingly selfish and victimized Anand. She got immoral and selfish for achieving the unachievable.
I think that the theory of destiny is a given concept in Hinduism. It is not a self-developed or god given concept. One’s birth is associated with destiny according to Hinduism. As destiny is a given concept, it can be thus defied. If we dare to defy any given man-made concept, it loses its value. Casteism is a given system. It is a grammar of society. These are the rules, norms and values, and parameters of society. Society is a grinding machine. So we have to accept it until some trendsetters appear.
Last but not the least, I have increased respect for Buddhist philosophy because I think that it is able to bring the best out of any person. I think the drama is about self-realization. We can sum up the drama in a sentence: Love is not about possessing someone. It is about giving them freedom.
Before we go… Let’s chant it together: om maṇi padme hūṃ
