Summary of the One-Act Play The Envoy
Bhasa
is considered to be one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights,
who wrote in Sanskrit. He is even the predecessor of Kalidasa. His plays were
lost and were rediscovered in the early twentieth century.
The Envoy
As
the play begins, it is announced that the prince of the Kaurvas, is entering
the court. He has summoned all the princes and the members of his family for a consultation about deputing the commander-in-chief during their future war with
the Pandvas.
He
is full of joy at the prospects (bright hopes) of his victory over the Pandvas
because he has the support of eleven armies. He wishes to know who is going to
be the commander-in-chief during the coming war with the Pandvas.
Thus
Duryodhana invites with greetings his grandfather, Bhisham Pitameh, his uncle
lord Vaikarna and all the warriors to the council chamber.
He
also invites his friend Karna to accompany him. He offers the tortoise throne
to Guru Dronacharya, the lion throne to Bhisham Pitameh, and the leather seat to
his uncle Pandu. After that, he requests all the warriors to occupy their
seats. He makes all to speak on the selection of the commander-in-chief.
In
the meantime, it is announced that Krishna has come as an envoy (messenger)
from the Pandava Camp. The Chamberlain (attendant) addressed Krishna as ‘the
best of men’ and it made Duryodhan furious. He did not want to listen to any
word of praise for Krishana. Rather he calls him a ‘cow-herder’. There is a
long speech of Duryodhan now. He says:
Text:
P-16 This is the picture…
After
that Duryodhana tells the Kauravas about Krishna’s arrival there as a messenger
of the Pandavas and adds that they should be ready to hear Yudhishthra’s ‘soft feminine words’ from Krishana.
Here, we come to know about Duryodhana’s egotistical attitude and his penchant
(/ˈpɑ̃ːŋ.ʃɑ̃ːŋ/) for
behaving rudely.
Then
Krishna enters with the Chamberlaine. He well understands Duryodhana’s nature and begins to speak.
He
says that he knows it quite well that he should not have come as a messenger to
him because he is habitual of making a mountain out of the molehill. He grasps at
even the unsaid words. But he has come there due to his friendship with Arjuna.
Draupadi
has been humiliated beyond measures by the Kauravas in front of all present in
the court. So Kuru’s clan is going to be destroyed in the fire of Bhima’s anger
and by Arjuna’s arrows. Then the Chamberlaine escorts Krishna to move on towards
the special chamber where other princes were sitting. As they see Krishna enter
therein, they all get confused and started standing up from their seats. At
this, Duryodhana reminded them of imposing a fine if any one of them tried to
stand up to show respect to Krishna.
Then Krishna addresses him, “O Suyodhana, how are you?”
Krishna’s
words had so much power and impact on Duryodhana that he had almost fallen down
from his seat. At this, he murmurs some words also saying to him that Krishna
has really some magic powers with him. But still, he decides not to stand up.
After a few seconds, he invites Krishna to
sit. He also tells all to be seated. Then Krishna’s eyes fall on Duropadi’s
picture.
He
expresses his ire (extreme sense of anger) and contempt at the way Duropadi is
shown in the picture. She is being dragged by her hair. He calls Duryodhana’s
activity a sheer proof of his childishness because no one in the world, who is
brave and wise, would ever humiliate his kinsmen in that manner and display his
faults in an assembly. He orders him that the picture must immediately be taken
away from there. So the picture was removed.
After
that Duryodhana asks about the well-being of the Pandavas. At this, Krishana
also tells him that the Pandavas are all well and reciprocate the same feelings
for him and the kingdom. But in addition to it, they now want that the inheritance should be
divided and their due share to be given to them as they have suffered a lot in the
past.
Duryodhana
reacts sharply to the demand for inheritance and he puts forward his logic that
explains that the Pandavas have no legitimate right to the inheritance because
they are not the progeny (offsprings/children) of his uncle, who was cursed by
a sage to remain impotent (incapable of producing a child) with his wife. Thus
patrimony (inheritance ) cannot go to the sons of others.
Krishana
counters Duryodhana’s contention (argument) that his father Dhritarashtra was
also born to Ambika from Vyasa. So in that way, his father also had no right to
sit on the throne. Thus Lord Krishana advises him to leave the way that leads
to confrontation because it would bring devastation (destruction) to the whole
of the Kuru clan (family).
Now
Duryodhana shifts to another logic. He says that kingdoms are not given in
charity to others. These are won by giving a stout (tough/solid) and fierce
(violent) battle to the enemy. So if the Pandavas desire dominion (territory),
let them come forward to fight with him, or they should join a hermitage (a
place where religious people live) and start living there with peace-minded
monks.
At
Duryodhana’s harsh words that reflect his pride and dishonesty towards his
kinsmen, Krishana tells him that cheating relatives and well-wishers lead only
to ruin. Sovereignty is earned by the accumulation (gathering) of good deeds
(actions) done in the past.
Now
Duryodhana counters Krishana by telling him that he had also killed his
brother-in-law Kansa. On that ground, his decision to fight with Pandavas, who
always had harmed him is genuine. Krishana reminds Duryodhna of his wrong
example to justify his wrong deeds.
He
tells him that Kansa was guilty of perpetrating (committing) the crime of
imprisoning his own father and inflicting (causing) immense (in a great
quantity) suffering on his mother Devki. So he had to kill him.
Here we find that Duryodhana is a hard-core
wrongdoer, who had no compassion for his own cousins. The greed of keeping the whole of the kingdom under him made him deny Pandavas their due right.
We
find such characters today also in real life who become blind to follow the
path of righteousness and justice to all. If someone objects and tries to tell
them that they are doing wrong to others, they defend themselves by quoting
wrong examples in justifying themselves for their wrong deeds.
The
same thing is being done by Duryodhana. Now he asks Krishana why he had run
away to save himself from King Magadgha’s rage at his son-in-law’s murder.
Where was his bravery then?
Krishana
says that a wise man’s bravery is shown in accordance with the time, the place, and the situation. He advises Duryodhana to leave all the mutual differences
and come to the point. He advises him to forget his brother's faults and start
loving them because good relations with kinsmen (belonging to the same family)
fructify (bear fruit) not only in this life but in the life that comes after
death also.
Now,
Duryodhna gives the logic that there is no relation between the mortals (all
who have to die on this earth) and the sons of the gods (i.e. the Pandavas)
Krishana
now leaves the way of convincing and persuasion and resorts to (This word is
used to show an action when all options are closed and the person does not want
to do that action) the language to intimidate (to frighten) Duryodhana by
narrating Pandava's valour (power). He
reminds Madriputra if he did not know Arjuna’s power.
Duryodhana
refuses to accept that. Then Krishana narrates several stories about Arjuna’s
valour to him. For example:
Once
Arjuna fought a fierce battle with Lord Siva when the latter was in the guise
of a hunter. He also had stopped the clouds with his arrows from drifting (moving slowly due to some
outer force) away from the jungles of Khandava to save it from the fire that had
engulfed (surrounded completely) it.
He
had forced the clouds with his arrows to continue with their downpour over the
burning forests to extinguish (to put out/to stop from burning) fire. He had
destroyed demons several times. When the Pandavas were passing the thirteenth
year of their exile in the city of Virat King, Arjun had defeated Bhishma
there.
Then
lord Krishana reminded Duryodhana how, once, Chitrasena carried him off in the
sky and he was screaming loudly, and it was Arjuna, who had saved him from
Chitrakuta’s clutches.
In
short, Krishana tells Duryodhana to give half of the kingdom to the Pandavas,
otherwise, they would forcefully snatch it away from him.
But
still, Duryodhana is not in a mood to relent (to yield/to take a soft stand). He tells Krishana to let the wind god attack him in the shape of Bhima; let the
king of gods Indra strike him in the form of Arjuna, he is not ready to give
Pandavas not even a blade of grass of his kingdom. He adds that he does not care a fig (not to care at all) for his harsh words.
Lord
Krishana calls Duryodhana a blot (a black spot) on the fair name of the Kuru
Vansha. Duryodhana retaliated (reacted) with the same type of words. He blames
Krishana for being the cause of the deaths of innocent women, horses, bulls, and
wrestlers. He continues speaking in the same tone and tenor (in the same
attitude as perceived by the audience) and tells Krishana that he is not worthy
of speaking with him (Duryodhana). Krishana calls Duryodhana an evil-eyed crow
and a snake and tells him that very soon the whole of the Kuru clan is going to be
destroyed because of him. He informs all the princes that he is no more going to
stay at that place.
But
Duryodhana now shows utter (complete/full) rudeness and insolence/ˈɪn.səl.əns/ {utter disrespect). He puts a charge of breaking
the basic norms of conduct that must be shown by an envoy in the court of a
Prince.
So
he orders Duhshashna, Durmarshana, Durmukha, Durbudhi, and Dushteshvara to
arrest Krishana. But it seems through what Duryodhana speaks that they all are
hesitant to arrest Krishana.
He
appeals to his uncle also. But they all stood by dropping their faces. After
that, he himself advances to arrest Krishana.
He
is now moving towards Krishana telling Krishana that he is going to arrest him
in front of all the princes. He declares that he will surely arrest him even
though Krishana uses black magic or different divine weapons.
Now
it seems that Duryodhana is not able to see Krishana. Then again he says that
Krishana is there and everywhere in the council chamber. He tells all the
princes to arrest Krishana. They proceed to bind Krishana in ropes but they
fall down and get bound into their own cords (ropes). Duryodhana tells Krishana
that he would pierce his body with arrows and Pandavas shall be weeping when his
body shall be taken to the Pandavas ' camp.
At
this, Krishana calls his Sudharshan Chakra to slay Duryodhana. In this way,
there goes on a conversation between Krishana and Sudarshana Chakra. When
Krishana finally orders Sudarshan Chakra to kill Duryodhana, a request is made
by Sudarshan Chakra not to waste his powers on Duryodhana. Krishana also realises
that he has also overlooked the proper conduct that should be shown by an envoy
in the court. So he tells Sudarshana Chakra to go back to the mountain Meru,
its abode (a place for a living).
Krishana
also speaks that he is now leaving for the Pandavas’ camp. But that very time, Dhrishthratra
requests him to stop. He moves forward and prostrates (falls down in the way
when one’s front part of the whole body faces the floor)., begs pardon for his
son has offended (angered) him. He calls Krishana ‘Narayana and the Pandvas’
benefactor’.
In
this way, Krishana forgives Duryodhana’s misconduct and the one-act play ends
up with an epilogue (it is a short speech or statement that tells the audience
what happens to the characters of the play after that.)
