Chandalika Bcom 4th sem Summary

                                    (Summary Of Chandalika)

"Chandalika" is a beautiful play in Two-scenes . Untouchable girl of low caste is the heroine of the play. Her name is Prakriti.It's not like a common story and also its not a tale of wicked girl roused to lust by the physical charm of Buddhist Monk Ananda. She suddenly awakened to a consciousness of her full rights as a woman by humanity of Ananda.The monk accepts water from her hand. He teaches her to judge herself by her capacity for capacity for love and service,not by artifical value that society attaches to birth."Chandalika" also shows how thw psychic power of the buddha saves his devotee from the lust of Girl (Prakriti).

SCENE 1(Summary)

First Scene of the play takes us to village well. Finding prakriti near the village well for so long,her mother enquires after her.She comes to know that Prakriti generated waits at the well for somebody named Ananda,a Buddhist Monk.He had a radiant personality, He demanded water from Prakriti. The water that she poured into his cupped hands seemed to her to be the water of the seven seas mixed into one that washed away the stain of her birth.Since then she has been hearing the vry "give ,e water". She wants to give her heart to him. The mother tries to persuade her against it. The daughter forces her mother to use her magical powers to bring that monk to her home.

SCENE 2

So Students, as in Scene 1 we come to know that the mother of Prakriti uses her magical powers on the monk. In the beginning her magic does not work but later on,she is able to cast a spell on hime.As a result,the monk starts coming to her house from the monastery at from faraway Vaishali. When he reaches Patal village where the Buddha had preached to King Suprabhas, he comes out of the magical spell.Prakriti requests her mother to use her full strength. It seems that her magic is not working now.Her mother hets tired in her efforts . But Prakriti Does not show any pity on her mother. She wants Ananda at any cost.

Prakriti looks into the mirror with fear and hope.She is horrified to see that the radiance and purity on the face of Ananda are gone. She finds Ananda coming towards her witth bent head as if he is conscious of his fall. She asks her mother to cancel her magical spells on him. But it was too late .She realises the gravity of her crime which has caused his tragic fall. She asks for his forgiveness,Ananda recovers his poise. He goes on proclaiming his devotion to Buddha.

                           Important Question/Answer

Que1 : 'The message of Chandalika is that the value of a human being resides in a loving heart,not in caste!' - Discuss

Ans. This is absolutely true that the value of a human being resides in a loving heart not in caste,creed and worldly things are created by man,not by god to suit his own purposes. Rabindra Nath Tagore teels that man is the crown of creation and the picture of god on the earth.Even Shakespeare endorses this view point,that if God has made man after. His own image,why should a man hate man merely because he is an outcaste.

The relevant question immediately strikes our mind - who created caste? It is man who is solely responsible for dividing society into different sections and the untouchables are one of them. Tagore mocks at those who,instead of loving mankind,hate people in the name of caste and religion. Through the character of Prakriti, Tagore tells us that a religion which insults others in the name of caste is a false religion.

Que2 : Write in your own words the story of the play 'Chandalika' highlighting the spiritual conflict involved.

Ans.The play 'Chandalika' deals with the spiritual conflict in the heart of a sensitive girl and her mother . Prakriti is suddenly awakened to her rights as a women by a follower of Buddha whose name is Ananda . He accepts water from her hands . He teaches her to judge herself by her capacity for devotion and service . she is torn by confliet whether or not to conquer him through the magic spell of her mother .she does not realise that she is committing a crime against nature . she cannot force her emotion and devotion on anyone .

A conflict in the heart of the mother of Prakriti is also seen . Actually , she does not want to cast her spell upon a holy man .she has an inclination that she will fail in her mission and it will ultimately cause her death . she is torn between her love for her daughter and her conscience . Against her wish , she casts her spell on Ananada ,Prakriti experiences an emotional trauma and her mother dies in the attempt .

Q3.  Attempt a portrayal of the Prakriti - Mother relationship.

ANS - Prakriti and her mother are the two most important characters in the play . From the beginning to the end , they remain on the scene. They spin the whole action of the play.They are poles apart in their nature.

Prakriti and her mother have entirely different nature. She tries to dissuade Prakriti from indulging in an evil crime by forcing her love on a person who has renouced the world.She knows that her magic spells will not work. She is a tragic figure. For the sake of love for her daughter,she spends her life-blood in casting a spell on Ananda.

Que4 . Do you think untouchability as the theme of play or a stories relevant in the modern day context.

Ans. No doubt the theme of untouchability in the play can easily be taken even in the modern day context . It is not a true claim that the word has become a classless society the problem of dividing society in the name of cast Creed and religion will continue to exist so long as the fall ego of man survives casteism is the ill product of man of who benefit out of this system of classification gold created man after his own image but man made man his slave for his gain and selfish purpose Indian society was primarily divided into four cast the untouchable have always face the blunt of negland the European country people of lower caste are victims of step motherly treatment William Blake in his poem "The Little Black Boy" hits out the high class people. In the play chandalika Tagore also criticize the concept of casteism.