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A battle for Dharma

Mythological play with a contemporary echo.

Yuvakala Vauhini staged a mythological play, titled Brahma Radham written by the late Kappaganthula Mallikarjuna Rao, at Indira Priyadarshini auditorium in Public Gardens. This is a prose play of a theme taken out of Mahabharata. T he backdrop for the story is when Pandavas move to forests after they lose their kingdom to Kauravas. Dharmraja notices a python taking on mighty Bheema.

Dharmraja appeals to the python to release Bheema. The python agrees but only on the condition that Dharmraja, known to be a man of great wisdom, answers its questions on what is ‘Dharma’.

Then it is revealed that the snake is none other King Nahusha who was cursed to turn into this form, by a sage.

Then the story is told in flashback. Indra, the lord of heaven, had to vacate his throne and stay away for some time. The sages led by Brihaspati, decide not to keep the throne vacant till Indra returns.

They invite King Nahusha, known to be a decent king, to occupy the throne till the return of Indra.

He accedes to their request and becomes the king, for a while. Once Nahusha tastes the immense powers the throne offers him, he starts misusing it.

He even goes to the extent of demanding Sachidevi, wife of Indra, to become his woman. He then demands the Sapta Rushies to carry him in a palanquin.

He then commands Sachidevi to sit along with him. Unable to bear this mental torture, Sachidevi, the queen of Indra Loka, disappears. In a rage Nahusha kicks one of the sages, named Agastya. And the latter curses him to become a python.

Upset at this new development Nahusha repents and begs him for the retrieval of the curse.

Agastya then tells him that he will regain his original form only after he resorted to do good things to people and realise what ’Dharma’ is.

Now it is the turn of Dharmraja to explain to Nahusha, in the form of a python, what Dharma means. The sets, lighting and musical support were imaginative.