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Hayavadana
Muhammad-bin-Tuglaq of fourteenth century India and
INTR
INTRODUCTION
ODUCTION concerns the loneliness of leadership. Both plays explore the
psychology of their characters, whether in myths or in history,
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF GIRISH KARNAD to expose something fundamental about the human condition.
Girish Karnad was born to a Brahmin family and from an early
age took an interest in travelling theatre troupes. He majored KEY FACTS
in mathematics and statistics at Karnatak Arts College,
graduating in 1958. After graduating he travelled to England • Full Title: Hayavadana
and studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford as a • When Written: 1971
Rhodes scholar, where he wrote his first play, Yayati. After • Where Written: Madras (now known as Chennai), India
working for the Oxford University Press for seven years, he
• When Published: 1972
began to write full time for both theatre and film. For four
decades he has continued to write plays, often using history • Literary Period: “Theatre of roots” movement
and mythology to address contemporary themes. For his • Genre: Play, tragicomedy
contributions to theatre, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one • Setting: City of Dharmapura, mythical past
of India’s top civilian honors, in 1974. In 1992 the Indian • Climax: Unable to reconcile their swapped heads and bodies,
government awarded him the Padma Bhushan, another of its Devadatta and Kapila kill each other
highest honors, for his contributions to the arts. He also
• Antagonist: Human imperfection and incompleteness; the
received the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honor, in
mind/body conflict
1999.
EXTRA CREDIT
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Plot in translation. Though Girish Karnad’s first language is
In 1947, when Karnad was a young boy, India gained Konkani, Hayavadana and most of his other works are written
independence from colonial rule under Britain. Under colonial in what he considers his adopted language, Kannada. Karnad
British rule, theater in India had largely consisted of also translated the play into English himself.
performances of Shakespeare. In an attempt to decolonize the
theater, many Indian playwrights and directors turned to
First production. Hayavadana was originally performed by The
religious rituals, classical dance and song, martial arts, and
Madras Players, Karnad’s local theatre company.
Sanskrit aesthetics in order to create a modern Indian theatre.
This was later dubbed the “theatre of roots” movement.
Karnad’s work shares in this movement’s goal, but also draws PL
PLO
OT SUMMARY
from some western styles like Greek theater (through the use
of choruses and masks). The theatre of roots movement The play opens with a puja to Ganesha, as the Bhagavata asks
became strongest in the 1960s and 1970s, just as Karnad that Ganesha bless the performance that he and the company
began to write plays. are about to put on. Then he places the audience in the setting
of the play, Dharmapura, and begins to introduce the central
RELATED LITERARY WORKS characters. The first is Devadatta, the son of a Brahmin who
outshines the other pundits and poets of the kingdom. The
Hayavadana draws inspiration from a 1940 novella by Thomas
second is Kapila, the son of the iron-smith who is skilled at
Mann called The Transposed Heads. The Devadatta-Kapila-
physical feats of strength. The two are the closest of friends.
Padmini storyline is drawn from this work, but Karnad puts
much more focus on the psychological struggles of the three As the Bhagavata sets up the story, there is a scream of terror
characters than Mann did. Mann, for his part, drew inspiration offstage. An actor runs onstage screaming that he has seen a
for The Transposed Heads from an eleventh century Sanskrit creature with a horse’s head, a man’s body, and the voice of a
text called the Kathasaritsagara. Karnad’s other early works that human. The Bhagavata doesn’t believe him, and even when the
focus on similar philosophical and psychological themes include creature (Hayavadana) enters, the Bhagavata thinks it is a mask
Yayati and Tughlaq. In Yayati, Karnad reinterprets an ancient and attempts to pull off Hayavadana’s head. Upon realizing it’s
Hindu myth about responsibility, in which a son and father his real head, the Bhagavata listens as Hayavadana explains his
exchange ages. Tughlaq is a history play about the life of Sultan origin: he is the son of a princess and a celestial being in horse
form, and he is desperate to become a full man. The Bhagavata
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suggests he go to the temple of Kali, as she grants anything the head rules the body, and so she is his wife. Kapila’s head
anyone asks for. Hayavadana sets out for the temple, hopeful argues that his hand accepted hers at the wedding ceremony,
that Kali will be able to change his head to a human head. and that the child she is carrying came from his body. Padmini is
Recovering from the interruption, the Bhagavata returns to the aghast, but decides to go with Devadatta’s head. Kapila does
play. He begins to sing, explaining that the two heroes fell in not return with them.
love with a girl and forgot themselves. Meanwhile, a female As the second act opens, Padmini and Devadatta are happier
chorus sings in the background about the nature of love. than they’ve ever been. She loves his newfound strength, and
Devadatta and Kapila enter. Devadatta explains his love for the two of them prepare for their child. They buy two dolls for
Padmini, explaining that he would sacrifice his arms and his their son. The dolls speak to the audience and reveal that over
head if he could marry her. Kapila at first makes fun of time, Devadatta’s new, strong body begins to revert to its old
Devadatta but then sees how much his friend is affected by form. He and Padmini fight over how to treat their son, as she
Padmini. He agrees to find out her name and where she lives. believes that Devadatta coddles him. The dolls tell the audience
Kapila goes to the street where Padmini lives and begins to that Padmini begins to dream of Kapila. When the dolls begin to
knock on the doors. When Padmini opens the door to her show signs of wear, Kapila asks Devadatta to get new ones and
home, Kapila is immediately love-struck. Padmini asks him what goes to show her son the forest.
he wants, outwitting him as he tries to come up with reasons As Padmini travels through the woods, she discovers Kapila
why he is there. He eventually explains that he is there to woo living there. He has regained his strength, just as Devadatta has
her for Devadatta. Kapila says to himself that Padmini really lost his. He explains how he had to war against his body, and
needs a man of steel, and that Devadatta is too sensitive for how he has come to accept that he is, in fact, Kapila. Padmini
someone as quick as Padmini. implies that she is attracted to him, and spends several nights
The Bhagavata reveals that Devadatta and Padmini were with him.
quickly married, and that all three remained friends. The story Devadatta returns with the dolls and tries to find Padmini in the
then jumps forward six months, when Padmini is pregnant with woods. He discovers her with Kapila, and the two decide to kill
a son, and the three friends are meant to go on a trip to Ujjain each other to put an end to the struggle between their heads
together. Devadatta expresses jealousy that Padmini seems to and their bodies. After they have killed each other, Padmini
have some affection for Kapila, which Padmini denies. She says decides to perform sati, throwing herself on their funeral pyre.
that she will cancel the trip so that the two of them can spend The Bhagavata explains that Padmini was, in her own way, a
more time together, but when Kapila arrives, ready to leave, devoted wife.
Padmini changes her mind and decides to go, much to Just as the audience believes the play has ended, a second
Devadatta’s dismay. actor comes onstage saying that there was a horse walking
As the three of them travel together, Padmini remarks how well down the street singing the national anthem. The first actor
Kapila drives the cart. She points out a tree with the Fortunate also enters, with a young boy in tow. The boy is very serious,
Lady’s flower, and Kapila rushes off to grab flowers for her. and does not speak, laugh, or cry. It is revealed the child is
Padmini remarks to herself how muscular Kapila is, and Padmini’s son.
Devadatta sees Padmini watching him with desire. When they At that point, Hayavadana returns. He explains that he had
pass the temple of Rudra and Kali, Devadatta is reminded of his asked Kali to make him complete, but instead of making him a
old promise and sneaks away to cut off his head. Kapila goes to complete human, she has made him a complete horse.
look for him, and upon discovering Devadatta’s headless body Padmini’s son begins to laugh at Hayavadana, and the two sing
is struck with grief. He decides to cut off his head as well. together. Hayavadana still wishes to rid himself of his human
Padmini begins to get worried about the two men and goes voice, and the boy encourages him to laugh. As Hayavadana
after them. She sees their two headless bodies on the ground laughs more and more, his laughter turns into a horse’s neigh,
and attempts to commit suicide as well. The goddess Kali stops and he thus becomes a complete horse.
her and tells her she will revive the men if Padmini replaces The Bhagavata concludes the story by marveling at the mercy
their heads on their bodies. Padmini, in her excitement, of Ganesha, who has fulfilled the desires of Hayavadana and
accidentally switches the two heads when she replaces them. the young boy. He says that it is time to pray, and Padmini,
The two men are revived: one with Devadatta’s head and Devadatta, and Kapila join in thanking the Lord for ensuring the
Kapila’s body, and the other with Kapila’s head and Devadatta’s completion and success of the play.
body.
At first, the three of them are amused by the mix-up, but when
they try to return home, they discover issues. Each man CHARA
CHARACTERS
CTERS
believes that Padmini is his wife. Devadatta’s head claims that
MAJOR CHARACTERS

The Bhaga
Bhagavata
vata – In Hinduism a Bhagavata is a worshipper or switched, Kapila wastes no time in arguing that Padmini is
devotee. In this play, the Bhagavata serves as the narrator. He actually his wife because he now has Devadatta’s body. When
presents and interprets the action of the play’s main storyline, his arguments are unsuccessful, he abandons society to live in
the story of Devadatta, Kapila, and Padmini. Although the the jungle. He works himself back into shape physically, but is
Bhagavata is the play’s narrator, it is revealed over the course haunted by the memories that Devadatta’s body possesses. He
of the play that he is not in control of the story. First, agrees, along with Devadatta, to end his hollow existence by
Hayavadana interrupts the Bhagavata’s story. The Bhagavata is killing and being killed.
surprised to encounter this creature, and attempts to council Padmini – Padmini is the spark that ignites the rivalry between
Hayavadana on how to rid himself of his horse’s head before Devadatta and Kapila. She marries Devadatta because she
resuming his narration. In the second act of the play, after loves his mind, but she quickly realizes how sensitive Devadatta
Devadatta and Kapila’s heads have switched and time has is when she makes harsh, teasing comments (a fact that Kapila
passed, the Bhagavata starts to speak directly to the understood when he met her for the first time). Even while she
characters. He is surprised to find Kapila living in the jungle and is pregnant with Devadatta’s child, she begins to pine for
startled when Devadatta arrives at Kapila’s home to find Kapila’s muscular body, and it is her split desire which causes
Padmini. When Padmini decides to perform sati, the Bhagavata Devadatta to kill himself, followed quickly by Kapila. When
speaks to her directly and tries to dissuade her. Thus the Padmini switches the men’s heads accidentally, she appears to
Bhagavata’s arc reflects how the play’s plot developments get the best of both worlds now that Devadatta’s head is
become unexpected even to its narrator, and that the play itself attached to Kapila’s body, but as the men’s bodies slowly return
demonstrates the chaos and unpredictability of life. to their former states, she begins to yearn again for a different
De
Devadatta
vadatta – Devadatta is one of the two heroes of the play’s life. When the two men kill each other at the end of the play,
main storyline. His name means “god-given,” and the Bhagavata she laments that they have once again left her all alone. She
describes him as “fair in colour” (the actor who portrays him tells the Bhagavata to take care of her son and performs sati,
wears a white mask) and “unrivalled in intelligence.” He is the throwing herself on the funeral pyre. Her storyline dramatizes
son of a Brahmin (i.e., a religious teacher) and he is unrivaled in the ways in which the mind—and tools of rationality more
his skill as a poet and pundit. He and Kapila start the play as generally—can be irreconcilably at odds with the desires of the
close friends, but when he falls in love with Padmini, a rivalry body.
starts between the two men. After he and Padmini marry, he Ha
Haya
yavadana
vadana – Hayavadana’s name is apt, as it literally means
grows jealous of the affection she shows toward Kapila, which “horse face.” Hayavadana interrupts the main action of the play
drives him to cut off his head. When his head is swapped with to explain his origin story to the Bhagavata. He is the product of
Kapila’s, he is happy to have his mind, Kapila’s strength, and a marriage between a princess and a Celestial Being in horse
Padmini by his side. But when his body begins to revert to its form. He is desperate to try and get rid of his horse’s head and
old form (i.e., soft and weak), he once again feels dissatisfied become a whole man. He travels to the goddess Kali’s temple to
and worried that Padmini feels that something is lacking in their ask to become a complete man, but instead she turns him into a
relationship. Ultimately, he realizes that he will always be complete horse. He is happy to be a complete being, but
incomplete, and he attempts to end his cycle of frustration by laments that he retains his human voice. When a young boy
ending both his and Kapila’s lives. The two of them kill each enters the scene and begins to laugh at him and sing with him,
other with swords as an act of mercy, forgiving each other for he is able to lose his human voice, and thereby becomes a
their rivalry in the process. complete horse.
Kapila – Kapila is one of the two heroes of the play’s main Bo
Boyy – Padmini’s son, who appears onstage as a young boy at
storyline. His name means “reddish brown,” as his skin is dark the very end of the play (where as an infant the character is
and he is the son of an iron-smith. As a counterpart to represented onstage by a wooden doll). The first actor explains
Devadatta, Kapila wears a black mask, and the Bhagavata that his whole life the boy has been silent, as he grew up in the
describes how “in deeds which require drive and daring, in forest. He also inherits a sense of incompleteness, as he is
dancing, in strength and in physical skills, he has no equal.” technically has two fathers, one of whom has the body of his
Kapila is a devoted friend to Devadatta, and goes to find out father, Devadatta, and one of whom has the head. When he is
Padmini’s name on his behalf. However, Kapila quickly realizes introduced he can only clutch his dolls, and does not laugh or
that Devadatta is no match for Padmini, and that instead she cry until he sees Hayavadana. He begins to laugh and sing with
needs a “man of steel” like himself. His feats of physical strength the horse, and Hayavadana in turn is able to lose his human
continue to impress Padmini even after she and Devadatta are voice and become a whole being. Thus, through laughter and
married. Even though he clearly has feelings for Padmini, he is joy, these two characters find the completeness for which the
also a loyal friend, and when Devadatta cuts off his own head rest of the characters had been searching.
out of jealousy, Kapila follows suit. Yet once their heads are

Kali – A Hindu goddess of death, Kali appears as various
characters go to her temple throughout the play. Devadatta THEMES
sacrifices his head to her, and Kali interrupts Padmini as she
In LitCharts literature guides, each theme gets its own color-
tries to kill herself as well. Kali revives Devadatta and Kapila,
coded icon. These icons make it easy to track where the themes
but only after Padmini has accidentally swapped their heads.
occur most prominently throughout the work. If you don't have
When Hayavadana travels to her temple to ask her to make him
a color printer, you can still use the icons to track themes in
a complete man, she instead makes him a complete horse. She
black and white.
demonstrates the indifference of the gods as well as their
ability to sow chaos just as easily as they create order.
IDENTITY, HYBRIDITY, AND
MINOR CHARACTERS INCOMPLETENESS
One of the common threads throughout
Dolls – In the second act, Padmini and Devadatta buy two dolls
Hayavadana is the recurrence of beings that are
for their infant son. The dolls are played by young children
hybrids, with minds and bodies that are not ordinarily
onstage. They note that Devadatta’s strength fades over time,
compatible. The play contains three “layers”: first, a ritual
and they narrate Padmini’s dreams to the audience as she longs
prayer; second, the plot concerning Hayavadana; and third, the
for Kapila.
actual “story” being presented about two men whose heads are
Female chorus – Along with the Bhagavata, the chorus helps to accidentally swapped. Karnad uses these beings to
narrate some of the inner action of the play, particularly demonstrate that incompleteness is an integral aspect of the
describing Padmini’s feelings about love and being torn human condition, and that although it is human nature to strive
between two men. toward completeness, it is inevitably unattainable.
Actor I – An actor in the company that puts on the play. He At the very outset of the play, hybridity is presented as an ideal.
discovers Hayavadana at the beginning of the play and is The play begins with a puja (i.e., a prayer ritual) for the mask of
terrified by the half-horse, half-man. At the end of the play, he Ganesha, one of the main deities in Hinduism. Ganesha is a god
returns with a young boy, who is revealed to be Padmini’s son. with the body of a boy and the head of an elephant. The
Actor II – Another actor in the company. He discovers Bhagavata points out that Ganesha’s appearance makes him
Hayavadana after his body has transformed into a horse’s body. seem imperfect, and yet he is thought of as “the Lord and
Master of Success and Perfection.” This leads the Bhagavata to
suggest that Ganesha really signifies that “the completeness of
TERMS God is something no poor mortal can comprehend.” Thus,
although Ganesha appears to be made of fragments of
Puja – A puja is a prayer ritual performed by Hindus to one or different beings, he is nevertheless associated with completion.
more deities. It honors or celebrates the presence of special At the end of the play, the Bhagavata once again thanks
guests. Hayavadana opens with a puja to Ganesha, a god with Ganesha for ensuring the completion and success of their play.
the head of an elephant and the body of a boy. He is the god of However, by the play’s end, none of the human characters have
wisdom and learning, as well as the remover of obstacles. In the achieved the same sense of completeness.
play, the Bhagavata asks him to ensure that the play is
completed successfully, and the play ends with another prayer In the second framing device of the play, which contains the
to Ganesha. plot of Hayavadana himself, Hayavadana longs for
completeness. Hayavadana is a creature with a man’s body and
Br
Brahmin
ahmin – The highest ranking of the four castes (or classes) in a horse’s head, the offspring of a deity in horse form and a
Hinduism, due to the belief that they are inherently of greater woman. He explains that all his life he has been trying to
ritual purity than members of other castes. They often remove his horse’s head so that he can become a complete
specialize as religious leaders and teachers, and the study and man. He goes to Kali’s temple to try to change his head into a
scholarship of sacred scriptures was traditionally reserved for man’s head, but she interrupts him in the middle of his request
them. In Hayavadana, Devadatta belongs to this caste, and instead turns him into a complete horse. When he finds
reinforcing his connection to the mind and intellectualism. that his voice remains, he is disappointed that he is still a hybrid
Sati – Sati is an obsolete Hindu funeral custom by which creature. At the very end of the play, Hayavadana is magically
widows throw themselves on their husbands’ funeral pyres. able to achieve completeness with the help of the young boy.
This custom was banned in India in 1861. The practice is As they sing and laugh together, he loses his human voice in
somewhat subverted in Hayavadana because Padmini performs exchange for a horse neigh. Even though he is able to find unity,
sati not for one man, but two, reinforcing the abnormality and it is not in human form but rather as an animal being,
incompleteness of the characters’ relationships.

reinforcing the idea that humans are incapable of true fall in love with Padmini, who in turn is attracted to attributes in
completeness. each of them. The dynamics between the three characters
The play’s primary story line concerns two friends: Devadatta, dramatize the conflict between the mind and the body. The play
a poet, and Kapila, a wrestler, as they vie for Padmini’s affection. shows that while the head may be more in control of the body
Although Padmini marries Devadatta at the beginning of the and may follow more logical instincts, the body and its desires
story, she also has feelings for Kapila. In despair over seeing can prove just as strong in swaying the course of human life.
Padmini gaze longingly at Kapila, Devadatta decides to cut off At the beginning of the play, before Padmini is introduced,
his own head. Kapila discovers Devadatta’s body and also cuts Devadatta and Kapila’s friendship reflects the mind having
off his head, mourning the loss of his best friend. Padmini calls more control over the body. Devadatta, a poet, represents the
on the goddess Kali to revive them, but she accidentally swaps mind and intellect. He has a lot of sway over the actions and
their heads, so that each has the body of one man and the head emotions of Kapila, a wrestler (who represents the body and its
of another. The incompleteness of the two men becomes the desires). For example, Kapila tells Devadatta that he would
main conflict between all three characters. Their inability to walk into fire for Devadatta, and that he is closer to Devadatta
find a sense of wholeness drives them to kill each other/ than he is to his own parents. Kapila agrees to woo Padmini on
themselves at the end of the play. After their heads are behalf of Devadatta, even though he himself has feelings for
swapped, the men’s bodies begin to change as they assimilate Padmini and remarks that she needs a “man of steel” like
with their new heads. The body of Kapila becomes soft and himself.
weak now that it is attached to Devadatta’s head, while the When Padmini becomes more integrated into the story, she
body of Devadatta becomes more muscular with Kapila’s head. follows her head and marries Devadatta. But she quickly
However, Devadatta no longer writes poetry now that he is realizes that she also has feelings and desire for Kapila. She is
attached to Kapila’s body, and Kapila mentions that his new particularly desirous of his body. Karnad does not write any
body has memories of feelings that he does not know how to interactions between Devadatta and Padmini before they are
name because he did not experience them. The situation leaves married. Instead, the Bhagavata provides the most insight on
a hollowness in both of their lives. Ultimately, neither is why she decides to marry him, explaining that because her
satisfied with this new half-existence, so they resolve kill each family was wealthy, and his family was intellectual, nothing
other. could have stood in the way of their marriage. But when the
Padmini exemplifies her own kind of incompleteness. She storyline resumes, after the two are married and Padmini is
marries Devadatta for his mind, but even in their marriage she pregnant, Devadatta quickly becomes jealous of Padmini’s
acknowledges her physical attraction to Kapila. When the two affection towards Kapila. Padmini watches Kapila when he does
men switch heads, she initially seems to have gotten the best of anything physically demanding because Kapila is much more fit,
both worlds, but as the men’s bodies change, she recognizes demonstrating her own transition from desire for the mind to
that none of them can go on living, as her own desire is split in desire for the body. When the two men switch bodies, the
between the minds and bodies of the men. After the two men conflict becomes even more explicit, as there is confusion over
kill each other, abandoning her, she realizes her own who is Padmini’s husband: the man with Devadatta’s head and
incompleteness and performs sati (a practice in which a widow Kapila’s body, or the man with Kapila’s head and Devadatta’s
throws herself onto her husband’s funeral pyre). body? Padmini, for her own part, shows her desires quite plainly
Although all of the characters attempt to find unity within as she goes immediately with Devadatta’s head/Kapila’s body, a
themselves, all the human characters are ultimately unable to being that speaks to her two desires.
do so. As each loses a part of his or her identity—whether it is a The dolls that Devadatta buys for his and Padmini’s child
head, a body, or a lover—they work to return to a sort of eventually become symbols of Padmini’s bodily desire,
equilibrium, but the fates of Karnad’s various human characters expressing her inner thoughts to the audience. They establish
suggest that humans always suffer from a sense of their connection to desire by describing how the other children
incompletion. The only character that achieves unity is and mothers look at them with glowing eyes. As the story
Hayavadana, but he becomes complete only as a horse, not as a progresses, the dolls describe how Devadatta’s hands have
man. Karnad thus suggests that completeness is left to beings softened, signaling Padmini’s waning desire for the new version
that are divine, while humans work at—and ultimately fail to of Devadatta because his body is reverting to its old form. The
achieve—a true sense of completion in their identities. dolls eventually narrate Padmini’s dreams, describing how she
is dreaming of a man with a “rough” face and a “nice body,”
THE MIND VS. THE BODY demonstrating how she continues to feel conflicted between
her mind and body as the men return to their original states.
The most central plot of Hayavadana is the love
triangle between Padmini, Devadatta, and Kapila. The story of Devadatta, Kapila, and Padmini thus dramatizes
Devadatta and Kapila, who are best friends, both the conflict between the mind and the body, or between logic

and lust. Although initially the head (personified by Devadatta) disrupting the distinction between fiction and reality, or the
wins, eventually the body (personified by Kapila) demonstrates stage and the world at large. This is also true of Hayavadana’s
its equal power over human emotions and actions. Ultimately, storyline; because he “interrupts” the play, it is as if he exists on
because they are unable to reconcile this contrast, the two men the same level of reality as the audience rather than remaining
kill each other and Padmini kills herself, proving that when inside the play with the other characters. In this way, the play
these two sides of human beings are not in agreement, the repeatedly calls attention to the fact that it is a play, and makes
consequences can be tragic. use of such moments to create humor, as well as to comment
on the importance of telling stories more generally.
METATHEATRE AND STORYTELLING The joy found in this kind of storytelling becomes most
Metatheatre describes aspects of a play that draw thematically resonant at the end of the play, when a young child
attention to its nature as a play. Though the “play appears onstage. The Bhagavata quickly realizes that it is
within a play” is a common conceit, Hayavadana is Padmini’s child by the mole on his shoulder and the dolls he
unusual in that it has several layers: first, the play opens with a carries, which Padmini had given to him. An actor explains that
ritual to Ganesha, as the Bhagavata (a narrator-like character) the child has never laughed, cried, or spoken in his life, but he
asks Ganesha to bless the play that the company is about to begins to laugh at Hayavadana because of his human voice and
perform. In the middle of this ritual, Hayavadana is introduced horse body. The child’s joy causes Hayavadana to laugh as well,
and he explains his origin as a half-horse, half-man. As he goes and as his laughter turns into a horse’s neigh, he loses his
off to attempt to change his head into a human head, the human voice and becomes a complete horse. This gives closure
Bhagavata begins the real play, which concerns the love to the two main storylines of the play (Padmini’s story and
triangle of Devadatta, Kapila, and Padmini. Eventually, the Hayavadana’s). The fact that Padmini’s child returns at the end
storylines begin to interrupt and weave in and out of one as an older boy within the Hayavadana storyline pulls the two
another, and the Bhagavata appears not to know what happens stories—which were previously presented as separate—into
as the story continues. Although this unique use of three the same reality. When the boy and Hayavadana find happiness
separate storylines may seem at first to distract from the main with each other, each storyline finds its end. The metatheatrical
storyline, the play’s metatheatrical elements and the eventual elements of the play are repeatedly played for comedic effect,
surprise return of Padmini’s child ultimately invite the audience but the end of the play goes further, reinforcing the power of
to believe in the power of stories, and in the power of the joy storytelling to bring people together.
that can be found in stories.
Throughout the play, various characters wear masks. Thus, INDIAN CULTURE AND NATIONALISM
rather than attempting realism, Karnad draws attention to the Hayavadana is the most successful example of the
fact that the audience is watching a play and plays many “theatre of roots” movement in India. This
dramatic moments for comedic effect. First, the puja to movement began after India gained independence
Ganesha introduces the symbol of the masks. The mask of from Britain in 1947, and playwrights began to move away
Ganesha is the mask of an elephant, establishing masks as a from Western dramatic conventions in favor of using regional
theatrical device. Hayavadana’s mask is that of a horse’s head, languages and theatrical forms in their plays. Hayavadana itself
and draws attention to the theatrical conceit of an actor playing is written in the regional Indian language Kannada and uses
a man with a horse’s head, and this incongruity elicits a lot of elements of Indian yakshagana and natak theater. Karnad uses
comedy as he tries to hide his head and as the Bhagavata these various theatrical forms within his play to argue that the
attempts to pull it off. Devadatta and Kapila also are played by idea of India as a unified nation is a construction, and that
actors wearing masks because their heads eventually must be modern Indian culture is in fact made up of many diverse
“cut off” and switched. This allows Karnad to use what might in traditions.
another play be a serious moment to comic effect, as the two Even the play and its source material are filtered through
struggle to cut off their “heads.” several distinct cultural lenses. The source material for the
As the story continues into the second act, it seems to spin story of Devadatta, Kapila, and Padmini is based on a Sanskrit
more and more out of the Bhagavata’s control, and the myth from the Kathasaritasagara. However, Karnad’s more
storylines begin to intersect with one another. The Bhagavata direct source for the text was a play by Thomas Mann called
starts to interact with the characters directly, speaking to The Transposed Heads, which had been adapted from the
Kapila when he discovers him in the woods and startled by Kathasaritasagara. Thus, the stories retold in Karnad’s play had
finding Devadatta there as well. He also speaks to Padmini already been filtered through a different (Western) cultural
before she performs sati, and she tells him to take care of her lens by the time Karnad wrote his own version in Kannada (a
infant son. At these moments, the line between the world of the regional dialect of India). Putting his own spin on the original
storyteller and the world of the story is blurred, thereby also myth and the Mann adaptation, Karnad emphasizes the

symbolic nature of each character by characterizing Devadatta
primarily by his mind and Kapila by his body, and frames the SYMBOLS
story by nesting it inside two other plot lines.
Symbols appear in blue text throughout the Summary and
Hayavadana is also written and performed with the aid of many Analysis sections of this LitChart.
different forms of Indian theatre, which are referenced
throughout. However, these traditions are updated, making it a
distinctly modern adaptation despite its references to MASKS
traditional styles of theater. The play borrows elements from While masks are used in theatre for many different
different kinds of traditional Indian theatre, such as yakshagana. purposes, in Hayavadana masks represent a
One example of this borrowing occurs when Hayavadana is character’s incompleteness. For each character that has a mask,
introduced through the use of a half-curtain. Traditionally this the mask represents the incompatibility between the
technique is used to prolong the introduction of a character, character’s head and body. In the puja to Ganesha, a mask is
revealing them little by little to make their entrance more brought out that represents the god, who has the head of an
exciting, but in this play it is used for comedic effect as his elephant and the body of a boy. The actors portraying
horse’s head keeps popping out and he continues to duck Devadatta, Kapila, and Hayavadana also have masks, because
behind the curtain. their heads are (or become) incongruous with their bodies.
The scene in which Kapila goes to woo Padmini for Devadatta is Though the masks also make the audience members aware that
a scene that is borrowed from older stories told in Indian they are watching a play because they go against a more
theater, but a modern spin is put on it by having the woman realistic presentational style, they also remind the audience
outwit the man instead of the other way around. The use of that the characters wearing them strive for a more complete
masks is also a convention borrowed tradition from Indian as human existence.
well as Greek theatre, amplifying various characters’
characteristics and helping audience members distinguish
THE FORTUNATE LADY’S FLOWER
between them. One of the ways that the play may appear to be
slightly more unified culturally is through its treatment of The fortunate lady’s flower appears several times
religion, but Karnad makes it clear that nationalism is not an throughout the play, and symbolizes the limitations
ideal within the play through his characters’ commentary on of Padmini’s happiness in her marriage. When Padmini,
the subject. Deities are certainly an integral part of Hayavadana Devadatta, and Kapila are traveling in their cart, Padmini spots
as they ask Ganesha to remove all obstacles from the play, and a beautiful tree and asks Kapila what it is. He explains that the
as the goddess Kali grants the desires of various characters, but flower gets its name because “it has all the marks of marriage a
Karnad makes it clear that these cultural pillars are not the woman puts on” (yellow like the color of her dress, a red spot
same thing as the state of the nation, as the Bhagavata asks like on her forehead, black marks resembling a necklace).
Ganesha at the end to “Give the rulers of our country success Padmini is entranced by Kapila’s explanation, and also by his
in all endeavours, and along with it, a little bit of sense.” body as he climbs to retrieve the flowers for her. Thus the use
of the flower is a duplicitous symbol. Although Kapila explains
Hayavadana himself recounts his efforts to be more unified as
that it signifies marriage, for Padmini, it also represents her
an individual being as he tries to reconcile his horse head and
thoughts of infidelity, and how she is dissatisfied in her
human body. He describes how in order to do this he took an
marriage to a single man. The tree appears later, when Padmini
interest in “the social life of the Nation,” but cannot seem to find
visits Kapila in the forest (after he and Devadatta have
his society. Hayavadana makes an explicitly anti-nationalistic
switched bodies) and she expresses that she is unhappy and
comment at the end of the play—ironically, just after he enters
that she misses Kapila. Finally, the Bhagavata explains that the
singing the Indian national anthem. Wishing to get rid of the
tree grows where Padmini performs sati, thus defining both her
only part of himself that remains human—his
life and her death by the limitations of her marriage.
voice—Hayavadana tells the Bhagavata, “That’s why I sing all
these patriotic songs—and the National Anthem! That
particularly! I have noticed that the people singing the National QUO
QUOTES
TES
Anthem always seemed to have ruined their voices.” Thus,
Karnad’s use of a variety of theatrical styles, along with his own Note: all page numbers for the quotes below refer to the
commentary on the notion of India as a unified nation, show Oxford edition of Hayavadana published in 1976.
that India is not characterized by a singular or unified culture,
but rather is made up of a rich array of cultural traditions.

Act 1 Quotes
Kapila, by contrast, leads to their primary inner conflicts and
O single-tusked destroyer of incompleteness, we pay their unending search for a more unified sense of self.
homage to you and start our play.
Related Characters: The Bhagavata (speaker) BHAGAVATA: Hayavadana, what's written on our
foreheads cannot be altered. HAYAVADANA: [slapping
Related Themes: himself on the forehead] But what a forehead! What a forehead!
If it was a forehead like yours, I would have accepted anything.
Related Symbols: But this! I have tried to accept my fate. My personal life has
naturally been blameless. So I took interest in the social life of
Page Number: 1 the Nation—Civics, Politics, Patriotism, Nationalism,
Explanation and Analysis Indianization, the Socialist Pattern of Society. . . I have tried
everything! But where's my society? Where? You must help me
At the very beginning of the play, the Bhagavata prays to
to become a complete man, Bhagavata Sir. But how? What can I
Ganesha (the “single-tusked destroyer of incompleteness,”
do?
who has the body of a boy and the head of an elephant) to
ensure the success of the play. In this way, the play sets up
its unique structure, beginning with a scene that falls Related Characters: The Bhagavata, Hayavadana (speaker)
somewhere between theater and religious ritual, and calls
attention to the fact that the audience is watching a play. It Related Themes:
also establishes the pattern of using masks to represent
hybrid creatures, as the Bhagavata prays to the mask of an Page Number: 9
elephant onstage. Finally, the opening scene situates the Explanation and Analysis
play firmly within Indian culture and religion by invoking a
As Hayavadana explains the methods he has used to try to
Hindu prayer ritual and god.
rid himself of his horse head, the Bhagavata comments that
it is difficult to alter “what’s written on [one’s] forehead.”
Figuratively, he seems to mean that one cannot escape one’s
Could it be that this Image of purity and Holiness, this fate, but in a more literal sense in this play, the head is a
Mangala-moorty, intends to signify by his very appearance force that is hard to reckon with. Many of the characters,
that the completeness of God is something no poor mortal can including Devadatta and Padmini, echo these sentiments
comprehend? later when they argue that the head rules the body. In the
case of Kapila and Devadatta, their heads even transform
Related Characters: The Bhagavata (speaker) their bodies, such as when Devadatta and Kapila’s bodies
gradually change to suit their swapped heads. For
Related Themes: Hayavadana, his head literally becomes the source of his
identity, as his name actually means “horse face.”
Page Number: 1
Explanation and Analysis

Two friends there were—one mind, one heart. They saw a
In this quote, the Bhagavata introduces one of the larger
girl and forgot themselves. But they could not understand
themes of the play: the theme of incompleteness and human
the song she sang.
striving for a sense of self. As he is offering his prayers to the
holy Ganesha, the Bhagavata sets up a distinction between
the completeness of a god and the incompleteness of Related Characters: The Bhagavata (speaker), Devadatta,
humans—a distinction with which many of the characters Kapila, Padmini
within the play will struggle. Although Ganesha is a hybrid
creature, the Bhagavata argues that his completeness is Related Themes:
simply beyond what any mortal may understand. The hybrid
nature of characters like Hayavadana, Devadatta, and Page Number: 11

After Hayavadana goes off to try to get rid of his horse’s

Related Themes:
head, the Bhagavata launches into the story he had been
meaning to tell. He introduces the two main characters and
summarizes their conflict. His repetition of the phrase “one Related Symbols:
mind, one heart,” which he had also used before
Hayavadana’s interruption, is thematically important, and Page Number: 11
has two meanings. The two friends initially share a very Explanation and Analysis
close friendship, and thus they are said to be of one mind
Even though the Bhagavata introduces the men with short
and one heart. They know each other’s mind and care for
descriptions that distill their characters, this stage direction
each other. But in their rivalry, one of them (Devadatta)
gives an even more simplistic and direct view of the two
comes to represent the mind, while the other (Kapila),
men. They are immediately placed in opposition to one
comes to represent the heart and the body.
another: Devadatta is thin, delicate and intellectual; Kapila
is powerful and muscular. In defining the two exclusively by
these attributes Karnad renders them as symbolic figures,
Why should love stick to the sap of a single body? When representing the mind and body. Their symbolic nature is
the stem is drunk with the thick yearning of the many- made even more apparent through the use of the masks, as
petalled, many-flowered lantana, why should it be tied down to the colors of the masks (light versus dark) put the two
the relation of a single flower? characters in opposition to one another.
Related Characters: Female chorus (speaker), Padmini

DEVADATTA: Kapila, with you as my witness I swear, if I
Related Themes: ever get her as my wife, I’ll sacrifice my two arms to the
goddess Kali. I’ll sacrifice my head to Lord Rudra… KAPILA: Ts!
Page Number: 11 Ts! [Aside.] This is a serious situation.
As the Bhagavata sets up the main conflict of the play, the Related Characters: Devadatta, Kapila (speaker), Padmini
female chorus expresses Padmini’s feelings and desires.
They question through nature-related metaphor why Related Themes:
someone should be limited to loving only one other person.
Padmini’s main conflict will be her inability to find Page Number: 14
completeness in loving only one man. This style of poetic Explanation and Analysis
metaphor expressed through song, and the use of natural
When Devadatta explains to Kapila how much he is in love
imagery as euphemisms for physical romance and intimacy,
with Padmini and how much he would sacrifice if he could
are both traditions borrowed from Sanskrit theater. This is
marry her, Kapila is skeptical. It is at this point, however, that
unlikely to be accidental, as the play itself began as a
Kapila realizes that Devadatta may care more about
Sanskrit drama that was then adapted into a play by Thomas
Padmini than he has about other women in the past. The
Mann, which Karnad in turn drew on. The use of this
vow that Devadatta makes is a serious one, and
language, then, is a nod to the play’s origins. In this way,
foreshadows how he will eventually cut off his head. This
Karnad continues to build on Indian theatrical heritage in
will become a particularly appropriate way for Devadatta to
crafting his modern production.
sacrifice himself, because it eliminates the part of him that
comprised his whole identity – his head and his intelligence.
[Devadatta enters and sits on the chair. He is a slender,

delicate-looking person and is wearing a pale-coloured mask.
Devadatta, my friend, I confess to you I’m feeling uneasy.
He is lost in thought. Kapila enters. He is powerfully built and wears
You are a gentle soul. You can’t bear a bitter word or an
a dark mask.]
evil thought. But this one is fast as lightning—and as sharp. She
is not for the likes of you. What she needs is a man of steel.
Related Characters: Devadatta, Kapila

What a good mix! No more tricks! Is this one that or that
Related Characters: Kapila (speaker), Devadatta, Padmini one this?
Related Themes:
Related Characters: Devadatta, Kapila, Padmini (speaker)
Page Number: 19
Related Themes:
After Kapila goes to knock on Padmini’s door and she Page Number: 35
outwits him several times—not letting him enter her house Explanation and Analysis
until she gets a satisfactory answer as to why he is
After Padmini has switched Devadatta and Kapila’s heads,
there—Kapila wonders how Devadatta will fare in a
all three of them become amused at their unlikely situation.
relationship with Padmini. Up until this point, the scene
They sing this rhyme over and over again, holding hands and
between him and Devadatta underscored their difference
spinning in circles as they go. Though their relationships will
in intelligence, but here Kapila focuses on the difference in
quickly turn sour, here they share a brief moment of
their constitutions. Kapila predicts correctly that Devadatta
unbridled joy and laughter. This moment comes just before
is too sensitive for Padmini and believes that she instead
the end of the first act, and in a way it mirrors the laughter
needs someone stronger and sturdier, like him. As Kapila
that Padmini’s son will find in Hayavadana at the very end of
has also fallen in love with Padmini at first sight, he sets up
the play. The difference between the two moments,
the conflict that will ensue between the two men as they vie
however, is that Devadatta and Kapila are locked in hybrid
for her affection throughout the play.
bodies and conflicting desires, whereas laughter is used to
achieve completeness at the end of the play.
Why do you tremble, heart? Why do you cringe like a

touch-me-not bush through which a snake has passed?
KAPILA. [Raising his right hand.] This is the hand that
The sun rests his head on the Fortunate Lady’s flower. And the
accepted her at the wedding. This is the body she’s lived
head is bidding good-bye to the heart.
with all these months. And the child she’s carrying is the seed of
this body.
Related Characters: The Bhagavata (speaker), Devadatta,
Kapila, Padmini
Related Characters: Kapila (speaker), Devadatta, Padmini
Related Themes:
Related Themes:
Related Symbols: Page Number: 36-37
Page Number: 24-25 Explanation and Analysis
Explanation and Analysis When Padmini starts to refer to the person with
Devadatta’s head as Devadatta, the man with Kapila’s head
When Padmini changes her mind again and decides to travel
starts to argue that he is in fact Devadatta because he has
to the fair so as not to disappoint Kapila, both men are
Devadatta’s body. This argument establishes the newfound
confused and Devadatta is especially hurt. In the transition
conflict between the three of them, after the men’s heads
between packing the cart and setting off for the fair, the
have been switched. Between the two of them, Kapila’s
Bhagavata recites these poetic lines in the style of
hybridity is seemingly more upsetting because he has lost
traditional Sanskrit verse. The Bhagavata hints at what’s to
the thing that defined him: his body. He tries to argue that
come through his reference to the Fortunate Lady’s flower,
he is Devadatta in order to latch onto the only other thing
which represents Padmini’s thoughts of infidelity and her
that really gave him an identity: his love for Padmini. This
unhappiness in her own marriage. The fact that the “sun
sets up the incompleteness that the characters will feel as a
rests his head” on this flower implies this shift in Padmini’s
result of their odd state of hybridity.
affections from Devadatta to Kapila. The last line also
elucidates the nature of this change: Padmini’s heart is
losing affection for Devadatta (who symbolizes the head).

Of all the human limbs the topmost—in position as well as
in importance—is the head. I have Devadatta’s head, and it men, then, proves detrimental to their happiness, leading to
follows that I am Devadatta. a split in their personalities that they can’t resolve.
Related Characters: Devadatta (speaker), Kapila, Padmini

Kapila? What could he be doing now? Where could he be?
Related Themes: Could his body be fair still, and his face dark? [Long pause.]
Devadatta changes. Kapila changes. And me?
Page Number: 37
Explanation and Analysis Related Characters: Padmini (speaker), Devadatta, Kapila

When Kapila begins to argue that he is Devadatta because
Related Themes:
he has Devadatta’s body, Devadatta naturally starts to make
the opposite argument. Unlike with Kapila’s argument, Page Number: 43
however, Devadatta’s argument has a lot of prior textual
merit. The Bhagavata says something similar when he tells Explanation and Analysis
Hayavadana that one cannot alter what is written on one’s As the second act goes on and Devadatta’s body begins to
forehead, and even Kapila acknowledges this later in the return to its original state, Padmini begins to dream of
play after their bodies slowly begin to change to reflect the Kapila. One day after a long overdue workout, Devadatta
personalities of the heads now attached to them. But even becomes angry that he is losing his muscles. Padmini says he
in light of this argument, the body also has its effect on shouldn’t care and that Kapila is out of her life, but no
personality, as much of the second act will come to show. sooner has she said this than she begins to wonder where
Although Devadatta’s argument is (appropriately) more Kapila is. As Devadatta reverts to his original self, Padmini
logical and thus the argument that wins out at first, Kapila’s becomes unhappy and wonders whether she has changed at
physical and emotional appeal will once again sway Padmini all from the time she felt so split in her love for the two men.
when she returns to him later, proving that the body and the With this question, the audience can see that Padmini has
heart hold equal sway over people. been the most constant character throughout the play in
her love for both of these men, but her love and identity are
both equally limited by the societal expectation of marriage.
Act 2 Quotes
You know, I’d always thought one had to use one’s brains
while wrestling or fencing or swimming. But this body just DOLL II: Especially last night—I mean—that dream… DOLL
doesn’t wait for thoughts—it acts! I: Tut-tut—One shouldn't talk about such things! DOLL II:
It was so shameless… DOLL I: I said be quiet… DOLL II:
Related Characters: Devadatta (speaker), Kapila Honestly! The way they… DOLL I: Look, if we must talk about it,
let me. DOLL II: You didn't want to talk about it. So…
Related Themes:
Related Characters: Dolls (speaker), Kapila, Padmini
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis Related Themes:

At the beginning of the second act, as Devadatta is getting Page Number: 51
used to his new, strong body, he tells Padmini how on his
way to the fair he saw a wrestler and was immediately Explanation and Analysis
prompted to challenge him, and remarks that the body’s As Devadatta’s body returns to its original form, Padmini
impulses can be just as strong as any logical intention. continues to dream of Kapila. Here the dolls imply that her
Though much of the play’s text seems to argue that the head dreams have become more and more sexually explicit as
is the primary part of a being, throughout the second act the they fight over who gets to tell the audience about her
play demonstrates that the body can be just as important in “shameless” dream. The dolls here reinforce their
determining selfhood and the course of one’s actions. The connection to Padmini’s desire by narrating some of her
fact that the body and head are not in sync in these two

dreams, but in previous dialogues they also revealed some senses of which he has no conscious
of her insecurities about her own body and her relationship knowledge—sensations leftover from Devadatta’s body.
to these two men. Here and elsewhere, the dolls also Devadatta feels this earlier as well when he impulsively
express some of her worries about how her relationships challenges the wrestler, but Kapila’s situation is more
are perceived by society, just as she previously feared that difficult as he describes how his body remembers the
she would be called a whore. This exchange demonstrates intimacy that Devadatta and Padmini had shared without
how she feels unsatisfied and incomplete in her marriage to having the memories to match. It is this incongruity which
one man, but has no means of remedying that problem haunts him most of all as he tries to sort through his own
without incurring judgment. identity, and which causes Padmini to pity him and remain
with him for several nights in the forest.
KAPILA: The moment it came to me, a war started

between us. PADMINI: And who won? KAPILA: I did. I know it in my blood you couldn’t have lived together.
PADMINI: The head always wins, doesn’t it? Because you knew death you died in each other’s arms.
You could only have lived ripping each other to pieces. I had to
drive you to death. You forgave each other, but again—left me
Related Characters: Kapila, Padmini (speaker), Devadatta
out.
Related Themes:
Related Characters: Padmini (speaker), Devadatta, Kapila
Page Number: 55
Related Themes:
When Padmini goes to find Kapila in the forest, she Page Number: 62
discovers that he, like Kapila, has largely reverted to his
original self. He describes how his body rebelled when he Explanation and Analysis
tried to work back into shape, but that ultimately, he won After Kapila and Devadatta have killed each other at the
the battle between his head and Devadatta’s body. With this end of the play, Padmini wonders whether they would still
development, Kapila seems to realize that the head does in be alive if she had said that all three of them could live
fact rule the body and that he is, undeniably, together. It is unclear whether Padmini would have found
Kapila—something that he had argued against when their fulfilment in such an arrangement, but she makes it clear
heads were switched initially. But as Devadatta had that she doesn’t think it would have worked for Devadatta
illustrated earlier, and as Kapila explains shortly after this and Kapila. She acknowledges that the conflict between the
quote occurs, the body that he inherited from Devadatta two men’s warring heads and bodies, there was no room for
comes with its own experiences as well. Thus, the rule of the her, and she echoes earlier sentiments that she feels alone
head over the body is far from complete. and unchanged by the events that have transpired. She
never had a complete sense of identity because her love
was always split and unfulfilled.
Isn’t that surprising? That the body should have its own
ghosts—its own memories?
That’s why I sing all these patriotic songs—and the
National Anthem! That particularly! I have noticed that
Related Characters: Kapila (speaker), Devadatta, Padmini
the people singing the National Anthem always seem to have
Related Themes: ruined their voices—So I try.
Page Number: 57 Related Characters: Hayavadana (speaker)

Related Themes:
After describing how he conquered Devadatta’s body and,
in doing so, returned himself to his original form, Kapila Page Number: 69
admits to Padmini that his body still has experiences and

Explanation and Analysis Related Characters: The Bhagavata (speaker),

Hayavadana, Boy
When Hayavadana returns after visiting Kali’s temple, he
has traded his human body for a horse body, but laments Related Themes:
that he still has a human voice. He explains to the Bhagavata
that he sings the National Anthem because he thinks that Page Number: 70
that will ruin his voice. Once again, Karnad reintroduces his
commentary that Indian nationalism is not an adequate Explanation and Analysis
means of establishing a collective identity. This statement, When Hayavadana returns as a talking horse, Padmini’s
when read alongside Hayavadana’s earlier statement that child, who is also onstage at the time and has been thought
he was unable to find a society to make him feel unified (as not to be able to smile or speak, begins to laugh at
well as the fact that Karnad uses a wide variety of regional Hayavadana, and the two sing together. Eventually the
Indian theatrical techniques), the play argues for a vision of child’s laughter causes Hayavadana to lose his human voice
India that is made up of a large and diverse array of cultural as his own laughter transforms into a horse’s neigh.
traditions. Through this crossing of storylines, the two are able to find
their own sense of completeness. The laughter found
through this theatrical storytelling, both by the characters
What’s there in a song, Hayavadana? The real beauty lies within it and also for the audience, is shown to be a powerful
in the child’s laughter—in the innocent joy of that laughter. means of finding a sense of closure, release, and even
No tragedy can touch it. completion.

SUMMARY AND ANAL

ANALYSIS
YSIS
The color-coded icons under each analysis entry make it easy to track where the themes occur most prominently throughout the
work. Each icon corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart.
ACT 1
At the beginning of the performance, a mask of Ganesha (a Right away, it is established that the play will be unique in several
Hindu god with the head of an elephant and the body of a boy) ways. Because Karnad wrote the play partly as a reaction against
is brought onstage and placed onto a chair in front of the Western theatrical conventions, he begins by placing the audience
audience, and a puja is done. directly within the Indian culture and religion that permeate the
play. By beginning the play with an actual religious ritual (the puja),
Karnad establishes that there will be different “layers” to the play,
not just a single, fictional plot line.
The Bhagavata asks that Ganesha, who is the “destroyer of The Bhagavata introduces a main theme within the play: hybridity.
obstacles,” bless the performance and give it success. He Ganesha is the first of many beings with a mismatched head and
comments that Ganesha may seem to be an imperfect being body to appear in the play. In the case of the play’s human
because of his hybrid state, but that his completeness is simply characters, hybridity is associated with a state of incompleteness,
unknowable to mortal beings. but the Bhagavata argues here that divine beings do not have that
same deficiency; their perfection is incomprehensible to mortals.
The Bhagavata then sets up the action of the play. He first As the Bhagavata introduces the two primary characters of the
introduces the setting, the kingdom of Dharmapura. He then story, his descriptions set up what will be their primary conflict.
introduces the two heroes, Devadatta and Kapila. Devadatta, Devadatta’s descriptions center almost exclusively on his intellect,
who is fair and handsome, is the son of a Brahmin and is a highly whereas Kapila’s descriptions center almost exclusively on his
intellectual poet. The Bhagavata describes how he outdoes the physical strength and attributes. Therefore, from the very outset,
best poets and pundits in the kingdom “in debates on logic and the characters become symbolic of “the head” (associated with the
love.” Kapila, on the other hand, is the son of an iron smith and intellect and logic) and “the body” (associated with emotion and
is darker and “plain to look at.” Kapila excels in “deeds which sexuality).
require drive and daring,” including dancing and feats of
strength. The Bhagavata describes how the world is in awe of
their friendship, and sings that they are two friends of “one
mind, one heart.”
At that moment, an actor screams in terror, running onstage. When the actor interrupts the Bhagavata’s story, it is implied that
The Bhagavata tries to calm him, saying that there’s nothing to Hayavadana’s storyline is on the same plane of reality as the
be afraid of on the stage. Only the musicians and audience are audience (i.e., the audience is supposed to believe that what is
there. The actor explains that he was hurrying on his way to happening is real, even though it is of course still within the play
perform when he had to go to the bathroom. With nowhere to that Karnad has written). This interruption adds to the play’s
go, he sat by the side of the road, when a voice told him not to humor. The story of the actor trying to go to the bathroom on the
do that. He looked around and didn’t see anybody. He side of the road removes the audience from the seriousness of the
attempted to go again, but the voice once again chastised him. religious ritual and the Bhagavata’s speech, and demonstrates how
He looked up to find a talking horse in front of him. the play calls attention to the fact that it is a play for comedic effect.
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The Bhagavata does not believe the actor and tells him to get The fear that the actor feels toward the talking horse reinforces the
into costume and makeup. The actor shows the Bhagavata his idea that the Bhagavata had introduced with the ritual: that hybrid
shaking hands, saying that he is too terrified to perform or fight beings are beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. Thus, the
with a sword. The Bhagavata has no choice but to send him Bhagavata sends the actor back to make sure that no such hybrid
back to make sure that there was no talking horse. The actor being actually exists.
reluctantly goes.
The Bhagavata once again tries to return to his story, but the The entrance of Hayavadana makes use of a technique traditionally
actor rushes back on, crying that the creature is coming. The used in Indian yakshagana theater. The curtain is usually employed
Bhagavata reasons that if the actor is so frightened, they in this way to build anticipation and excitement about a new
should try to hide the creature from the audience. Accordingly, character’s entrance before they are revealed in all their glory. Here,
two stage hands hold up a curtain. At that moment, the however, the technique is used for comedic effect, as Hayavadana
creature (Hayavadana) enters and stands behind the curtain. does not wish to be seen and his head keeps popping out of the
The audience hears the sound of someone sobbing. The curtain. This is a prime example of Karnad using regional theatrical
Bhagavata orders the stage hands to lower the curtain. Each traditions but giving them a modern update.
time the curtain is lowered just enough to show Hayavadana’s
head, he ducks behind it. Eventually, Hayavadana is revealed in
his full form: half-horse, half-man.
The Bhagavata remains in disbelief and chides Hayavadana for With Hayavadana’s entrance, the play’s use of masks is introduced.
trying to scare people with a mask. He asks Hayavadana to take The masks not only signal hybrid creatures, but call the audience’s
off his mask, but when Hayavadana does not reply, he tries to attention to the artifice of theater, thus also highlighting storytelling
pull off Hayavadana’s head with the help of the actor. as one of the play’s main themes.
Eventually, however, he concedes that it must be Hayavadana’s
real head.
The Bhagavata asks Hayavadana who he is, and what brought Hayavadana’s origin story introduces the play’s theme of searching
him to this place. Hayavadana answers that all his life he has for fulfilment and completion. Rather than accept his horse’s head
been trying to get rid of his horse’s head, and he thought the as a part of who he is, Hayavadana works to rid himself of the
Bhagavata might be able to help him. He explains that his feeling of incompleteness, building on the Bhagavata’s earlier
mother was a princess, and when she came of age she was remark that humans do not understand the divine completeness
meant to choose her own husband. Many princes came for her that can be found in hybrid beings.
hand in marriage, but she didn’t like any of them. When the
prince of Araby arrived on his great white stallion, she fainted.
Her father decided that this was the man to marry her, but
when the princess woke up, she insisted she would only marry
the horse.
Hayavadana continues his story, saying that no one could The story of the princess keeps with the play’s theme of mind vs.
dissuade his mother from her decision, and so she and the body, as the princess allowed her desire for the horse overcome any
horse had fifteen years of happy marriage. One morning, the sense of logic or reason. The conflict between her mind and body
horse turned into a Celestial Being. He had been cursed to be finds parallel in the conflict between Hayavadana’s head and body.
born a horse by another god, on the condition that after fifteen The story also brings in religious elements of Indian culture, but as
years of human love he could regain his divine form. He asked Hayavadana will explain shortly, culture does not always equate
the princess to join him in his “Heavenly Abode,” but the with finding one’s society.
princess would only go with him if he returned to horse form.
Thus, he cursed her to become a horse herself. She ran away
happily, and Hayavadana was left behind as a product of their
marriage.

Hayavadana asks the Bhagavata how he can get rid of his head, The Bhagavata here foreshadows that in each of the plot lines, the
but the Bhagavata replies that “what’s written on our head wins out over the body, though not always with satisfactory
foreheads cannot be altered.” Hayavadana says that he had results. Additionally, Hayavadana’s search for a unified society
tried to become a complete man by taking an interest in “the serves as a metaphor for India’s status as a nation, as it is also made
social life of the Nation,” but that he was unable to find his up of a variety of diverse traditions.
society. He wonders how he can become a complete man
without a complete society.
The Bhagavata suggests that Hayavadana go to various Kali’s temple becomes one of the ways in which the various plot
temples and try to make a vow to a god. Hayavadana says that lines of the play intersect and eventually become tied together, as
he has tried everything, but the Bhagavata thinks of one more Padmini, Devadatta, and Kapila also go to Kali’s temple. The
temple he might try: that of the goddess Kali. He says that Bhagavata’s comment that people stopped going to her because she
thousands of people used to flock to her temple, but people granted anything anyone asked also foreshadows that simply asking
stopped going because they discovered that she granted the gods does not necessarily lead to a sense of completeness in
anything anyone asked. Hayavadana and the actor set off for one’s identity, as will be the case with all the characters who visit
the temple. Kali’s temple.
The Bhagavata returns to the story he had been trying to tell, The Bhagavata returns to his introduction concerning the mind and
providing a short summary of the plot that is about to unfold: the heart as he describes what is about to unfold for the audience.
the two friends, Devadatta and Kapila, who are of “one mind, The Bhagavata only describes the first half of the story that he is
one heart,” met a girl (Padmini) and “forgot themselves” as a about to tell, suggesting that he is not in complete control of the
result, but ultimately neither of them could “understand the story even as he is its narrator. This is corroborated later, when he
song she sang.” He then describes a scene in which the woman seems surprised by the actions of various characters.
holds the decapitated heads of the two men, covering herself in
their blood as she dances and sings.
The female chorus then begins to sing, asking through various The chorus is a tradition borrowed from ancient Greek theatre that
metaphors why someone’s love should be limited to one other Karnad is integrating with other theatrical conventions from other
person. cultures. The chorus helps convey Padmini’s desire to the audience.
Because the men have been said to be of “one mind, one heart,” the
chorus foreshadows that Padmini will love one man’s mind and
another man’s heart (or body).
Devadatta and Kapila then enter the stage. Devadatta is Karnad continues to set up the opposition between the mind and
described as a “slender, delicate-looking person” and he wears the heart with masks of opposing colors and essentially opposite
a pale colored mask. Kapila, for his part, is “powerfully built” descriptions. The masks also remind the audience that they are
and wears a dark mask. watching a play, and will become an important device later when
the men exchange their masks.

Kapila asks his friend why he didn’t come to the gymnasium the The initial exchange between Devadatta and Kapila hints at their
night before. Devadatta is distracted and responds that he was eventual conflict and rivalry over Padmini, but it also continues to
working. As Kapila describes a wrestling match that he had set up their character dichotomy: Kapila goes to the gymnasium to
won, he notices that Devadatta isn’t paying much attention and wrestle, while Devadatta works on his studies. Devadatta also
assumes that he has fallen in love again. Devadatta tries to rattles off classical poetry while Kapila makes fun of him. Kapila
convince him that this girl is especially important to him and instead prefers to put his own language about his loyalty in terms of
rattles off poetry about her, but Kapila interrupts and finishes the physical suffering he would endure.
his thought for him, demonstrating how many times Devadatta
has repeated these sentiments. Devadatta becomes angry with
Kapila for not taking his feelings seriously, and questions his
friendship. Kapila affirms that he would die for Devadatta,
jumping into a well or walking into fire.
Devadatta, convinced that his friend actually does understand Again, Devadatta’s poetry becomes the hallmark of his character,
him, tries to explain his love further. When he begins to reveal and establishes for the audience why Padmini eventually marries
his feelings more fully through new poetry, Kapila eventually him. Devadatta’s promise to cut off his arms and his head if he is
realizes that this girl must be particularly special. Devadatta is able to marry her will come back to haunt him, as he will eventually
upset because he believes she is beyond his reach, and vows fulfill part of his promise, leading to both a literal and metaphorical
that if he were to marry her, he would sacrifice his arms and his state of incompleteness.
head to the gods.
Kapila offers to try to find the girl for him. Devadatta tells him The actions of each character further associate them with the body
that he had followed her home from the market the previous and mind, respectively. Kapila departs instantly, acting before
evening, so he knows that she lives somewhere in Pavana thinking. Devadatta doesn’t stop him, but immediately questions his
Veethi. The only thing Devadatta remembers about the house decision, demonstrating how different the two are. The two-headed
is that it had an engraving of a two-headed bird at the top of the bird on the knocker signifies the love that Padmini will eventually
door frame. Kapila goes off immediately to find her house and feel for both men simultaneously.
discover her name. Devadatta remarks to himself how good a
friend Kapila is, but after a moment he wonders if it is actually a
good idea to send Kapila in his place, as he is “too rough, too
indelicate.”
Kapila goes to Pavana Veethi, the street of merchants. He This scene is a modern take on a common trope in Indian theater
passes many enormous houses, searching for the one that has and storytelling in which a man goes to woo a woman. This adds to
the two-headed bird. When he finds the right house, he knocks the assemblage of different elements from Indian culture that
on the door to try and find out who lives there. When the girl Karnad infuses into this play. However, Karnad puts a twist on this
(named Padmini) answers the door, he is immediately love- conventional device by having the woman outwit the man, instead
struck. Padmini asks him what he wants, outwitting him as he of the other way around. As Kapila falls in love with Padmini, the
tries to come up with reasons why he is there. She asks him if love triangle (and with it the main conflict of the play) is established.
his eyes work, and then asks why, if he knew which house he
wanted, he was peering at all the doors. She refuses to get the
master of the house for him, or her father or brother, and
Kapila is left in a desperate state as he tries to avoid revealing
why he has knocked on the door.

Kapila eventually asks Padmini if she knows of Devadatta. She The struggle between the head and the body really begins from this
asks what Devadatta is to Kapila, to which Kapila replies that moment. Kapila doesn’t use any poetry to woo Padmini, instead
he is the greatest friend in the world, and adds, “but the main using more direct language and flirtation. He gets a strong response
question now: what’s he going to be to you?” Padmini blushes at from Padmini, foreshadowing the trouble that will arise from her
this and goes off to find her mother. When he leaves, Kapila attraction to him. Kapila, for his own part, seems to grasp Padmini’s
says to himself that Padmini really needs a man of steel, and nature better than Devadatta does.
that Devadatta is too sensitive for someone as quick and sharp
as she is.
The Bhagavata explains that a match between Padmini and Karnad does not give the audience a scene between Padmini and
Devadatta had no obstacles because both families were of high Devadatta before they are married, and builds on the theme he has
status: her family was very wealthy, while his family was very set up by providing a very logical explanation for the reason that the
intellectual. They are married quickly and the Bhagavata two get married. Thus, in the conflict of head vs. body, the head
explains that the friendship between the two of them and initially wins out.
Kapila continues to be strong.
The plot skips forwards six months. Padmini is pregnant and Not long into their marriage, Padmini starts to fulfill Kapila’s earlier
she, Devadatta, and Kapila are taking a trip to Ujjain. Devadatta prediction that she is too quick and too sharp for Devadatta. Having
reveals that he is he is nervous about her traveling while been introduced as a soft, sensitive character in opposition with the
pregnant, and she in turn teases him that he is so protective of tough, steely Kapila, Devadatta is very vulnerable to Padmini’s
her that one might think she was the first woman to ever language.
become pregnant. She comments that she only has to stumble
for Devadatta to act like she has lost their child. Devadatta
becomes very upset at this kind of teasing.
As they talk, Devadatta reveals his jealousy of Kapila and of the The rivalry between the two men becomes explicit for the first time
attention Padmini gives him. He thinks that she drools over as Padmini suspects that Devadatta is jealous of Kapila. Karnad
him, and was unhappy when she invited him to the house when continues to frame this rivalry in terms of mind and body, as
Devadatta wanted to read a play to her, because when Kapila Devadatta’s affection for Padmini is expressed by reading plays to
arrived there was no chance of reading the play. Padmini asks if her, while Kapila’s is expressed through his physically visible
Devadatta is jealous of Kapila, which Devadatta adamantly happiness when he sees her. Comparing Kapila to a dog also
denies. Devadatta has also noticed that Kapila, too, seems to removes him from the intelligence associated with humans and
light up every time he sees Padmini, describing how he “begins connects him instead to animal instinct.
to wag his tail” and “sits up on his hind legs.” Devadatta
wonders to himself how she could not have noticed this.
Padmini tries to appease Devadatta and suggests that they The audience begins to see that even though Padmini is married to
cancel the trip and spend the day together instead, assuring Devadatta, she struggles with her own sense of incompleteness. She
Devadatta that she will not be too disappointed. When Kapila clearly loves her husband, but does not want to disappoint Kapila
arrives, Devadatta tells him that Padmini is not well. Kapila and has affection for him. Her seemingly insignificant change of
privately expresses his disappointment that he won’t be able to heart ends up hurting both Devadatta and Kapila, eventually
spend time with Padmini. However, when Padmini sees Kapila snowballing into the larger conflict that leads to the two men
she changes her mind again so as not to disappoint him, and swapping heads.
tells Kapila to pack the cart. Devadatta is hurt by this change of
heart.

The three of them set out in the cart, and Padmini remarks how Padmini’s story stokes Devadatta’s jealousy as she subtly begins to
smoothly Kapila drives the cart. She relates an anecdote about reveal her attraction to Kapila and his physical prowess. This
how, soon after they were married, Devadatta tried to drive sequence builds on the tension that was established between the
her to a lake outside the city, but failed to steer the oxen characters before they left on their trip, which only grows as
beyond the city gates and so Devadatta had to bring them back Padmini’s affection becomes more and more apparent.
home, angry and embarrassed.
Padmini spots a tree with beautiful flowers, called the Here the conflict between the two men becomes much more
Fortunate Lady’s flower, and Kapila immediately dashes off to evident as Padmini and Devadatta narrate their feelings to
climb the tree and retrieve some of the flowers for her. She themselves (and the audience). Padmini’s physical desire for Kapila
remarks to herself how muscular Kapila’s body is, and begins to overshadow her feelings for her husband. This exchange
Devadatta notices Padmini staring at Kapila. He burns with spurs Devadatta, for his part, to realize that he has lost much of
jealousy as he observes her, but doesn’t say anything, and Padmini’s affection, and is what eventually causes him to sacrifice
instead simply forces himself to watch her watching Kapila. his head.
Meanwhile, Padmini worries that Devadatta is watching her
and sees her love for Kapila. She asks herself how much longer
she can go on like this.
Kapila returns with the Fortunate Lady’s flowers. Padmini asks The metaphor of the Fortunate Lady’s flowers not only represents
why the flowers are called that, and he explains that the flowers Padmini (a married woman) but also shows Kapila making an
have all the markings of a married woman, such as the marks on attempt at poetry. As he explains the connections between the
her forehead, the parting of her hair, and dots that look like a flower and married women, Padmini is impressed—a reminder that
necklace. Padmini turns to Devadatta and says that he should a beautiful mind is as attractive to her as a beautiful body.
use those descriptions in his poetry. Devadatta tries to shift the
dynamic by asking them to keep traveling, but Padmini remarks
that she’d like to spend the night where they have stopped
because of the various sites around them, including the temple
of Rudra and the temple of Kali.
Kapila and Padmini decide to visit the temple of Rudra, but At this point, Devadatta believes that he has lost Padmini, who
Devadatta, still upset, says that he doesn’t want to go and will continues to complain that he is too sensitive. The fact that she goes
watch the cart. Kapila senses the tension and offers to stay with Kapila demonstrates that although the head may initially win
instead, but Devadatta insists that the two of them go ahead. out, the body and its desires can prove just as powerful.
Padmini is frustrated at this tantrum and decides she will go
without Devadatta. At an impasse, Kapila goes with Padmini to
the temple.
Devadatta says goodbye to Padmini and Kapila, and says to As Devadatta believes he has lost Padmini, his decision to cut off his
himself that he hopes they live happily together. Remembering head also demonstrates that when he loses Padmini, he loses the
his vow to sacrifice his arms and head, Devadatta goes off to best part of himself. Cutting off his head is an appropriate symbolic
temple of Kali. He shouts a short, anguished prayer in which he act to demonstrate that he has lost a sense of his own identity as
says that his head will be an offering to the goddess, and then well.
fulfills his promise by cutting off his head (the actor’s mask),
which involves some struggle.

Padmini and Kapila return from the temple of Rudra. They The monologue Kapila gives after he discovers his friend echoes the
begin to worry about Devadatta when they cannot find him, beginning of the play, in which he assured Devadatta of his
and so Kapila follows his footprints to Kali’s temple. When he friendship. This time, however, it shows the audience how much has
discovers Devadatta’s body, he is filled with anguish at his changed since the beginning of the play. Although the two men were
friend’s death, and asks the dead Devadatta whether he forgot initially of “one mind, one heart,” their love for Padmini has split
that Kapila would have done anything for him. He admits that them into two very distinct—even opposed—beings. Even in this
he knows he did wrong, but confesses that he didn’t have the monologue, Kapila reaffirms the differences between them:
intelligence to do anything else. Kapila says he cannot go on Devadatta was always smarter than he was.
living without his friend, and decides to join him in the next life.
He then cuts off his own head. After a while, it begins to get
dark, and Padmini gets worried, noticing that Kapila has
disappeared, too. She goes to look for them both at the temple,
where she stumbles upon the bodies of the two men and
screams in horror.
In despair, Padmini asks how the two of them could have left Padmini’s own monologue reveals her fears and insecurities about
her alone. She worries that if she goes home, society will say her own identity and sense of self. She truly loves both men, but as
that the two men fought and died for a “whore.” She resolves to the female chorus sang at the beginning of the story, society does
join the men in the afterlife as well and picks up a sword to kill not believe love can function in this way. When Padmini switches
herself, but Kali stops her. Kali reveals her annoyance that the the heads, the men’s masks take on a symbolic connection to
men didn’t care about sacrificing their heads to her at all, but hybridity, signifying that each now exists in a state of duality and
simply wanted to escape their situations. Kali tells Padmini that incompleteness.
she will revive the two men if Padmini places their heads back
on their bodies. Padmini, in her excitement, accidentally
switches Devadatta’s and Kapila’s heads (in the play, this is
accomplished with the masks).
When Kali revives Devadatta and Kapila, they (along with Although initially the three are entertained by the course of events,
Padmini) quickly realize that something is wrong. Padmini friendship once again quickly turns to rivalry. Their argument here
explains what has happened. At first they are amused at the speaks to a more philosophical exploration of what composes a
mix-up, singing a childish song and falling on the ground with sense of identity and personality. This is particularly interesting to
laughter. When they try to leave, however, conflict ensues as consider in the context of a performance, because the actor who
each man tries to argue that Padmini is his wife and should initially played Devadatta now voices Kapila’s thoughts and vice
come with him. Devadatta (that is, the man with Devadatta’s versa—an effective device to create a sense of incongruity.
head) argues that the head rules the body and that one marries
a personality, not a body. Kapila argues that his hand accepted
hers at the wedding, that his body is the body she has lived with
for months, and that his body gave Padmini her child—and
therefore he is now her husband.
The argument between the two men begins to heat up. When At the end of this exchange, Kapila’s taunt becomes particularly
Devadatta pushes Kapila aside to take Padmini home, Kapila resonant. While the two men have each lost half of their identities,
asks Padmini if Devadatta would ever have been so violent. Padmini has gained a single being that represents the seamless
Padmini begins to go with Devadatta, and Kapila taunts combination of her previously conflicting desires. The Bhagavata’s
Padmini by saying that she only wants his body and Devadatta’s interjection makes it clear that this is not the resolution of the story,
mind. The Bhagavata interjects, wondering what the solution is however, foreshadowing that they cannot all be satisfied by the
to this problem, and the curtain falls on the end of act one. events that have occurred.

ACT 2
Act two opens with the Bhagavata repeating his question about With the rishi’s resolution regarding which of the men is Devadatta,
the solution to the problem of the mixed-up heads. He once again the head proves dominant over the body. But Padmini’s
describes how Padmini, Devadatta, and Kapila consult a rishi joy makes it clear that she prizes Kapila’s body equally, if not more,
(i.e., a sage) about their problem. The rishi tells them that the than Devadatta’s head. On the other hand, Kapila has now lost the
head does in fact rule the body, and thus the man with part of himself that defined him (his body). As a result, he no longer
Devadatta’s head is Padmini’s husband. The couple celebrates, understands how he fits into society and so he decides to leave it
and Padmini is particularly joyful about Devadatta’s new body. behind entirely.
She tries to console Kapila, reminding him that she is going with
his body. Devadatta and Padmini return to their home, while
Kapila returns to the forest and disappears.
Back at Padmini and Devadatta’s house, the two are happier Even though the head is the center of personality, Devadatta’s new
than ever. Devadatta buys dolls for their unborn child at a fair, body’s impulses reveal that the body can prove just as powerful in
which pleases Padmini. He recounts to her that on the way to defining one’s identity, an idea that Kapila will echo later on. It is this
the fair he passed by a wrestler and was moved immediately to mixed nature of identity that haunts both of the men, and which will
challenge him, pinning him to the ground within minutes, even later become such a conundrum.
though he had never wrestled before. Padmini marvels at his
fabulous strength.
The dolls (who are played by children) address the audience, The dolls serve as another theatrical device, in addition to the
remarking on the beauty of the house and saying that they female chorus, to convey Padmini’s thoughts and desires to the
deserve the best. The dolls describe how the mothers and audience. Their comment about Devadatta’s hands parallels
children stared at them at the fair with desire. They also Padmini as she registers the changes in Devadatta’s body.
comment on how rough Devadatta’s hands are, and say that he
doesn’t deserve the dolls.
Time passes and Devadatta and Padmini’s baby is born. Through this exchange, the audience can begin to track how the
Devadatta addresses the Bhagavata directly for the first time, Bhagavata seems to be more and more surprised by the play’s
inviting him to the feast they are having. The Bhagavata notes developments as it progresses. This conveys some of the chaos and
that he hadn’t heard about the feast, or of their son being born. unpredictability of the play—and of life more generally—as the
stories eventually weave in and out of each other in unexpected
ways.
The dolls note how they are ignored while the baby gets all the The dolls continue to comment on the state of Padmini’s mind and
attention. They confess that they should have been wary of body, her desires, and the way she interacts with others. Though
Padmini when she was pregnant, swelling up with the baby. they often seem to be negative towards her, in many ways they also
They comment on how ugly she looked, though they remark represent her own insecurities.
that she is not ugly to Devadatta.

Another six months pass, and Padmini and Devadatta are In this exchange, old issues begin to resurface. Padmini once again
fighting over how to treat their son. Padmini wants to take him believes Devadatta is too sensitive. The dolls’ connection to Padmini
to the lake, but Devadatta thinks that it would be too cold to is highlighted again as they explain why she shudders: Devadatta’s
swim. Padmini believes that Devadatta is too protective of him. body is losing its power and muscle. This reinforces the idea that the
When Devadatta touches Padmini, she shudders and get goose head rules the body and is what defines a person’s identity.
bumps. Shortly after, Devadatta grabs one of the dolls, who also
shudders. The dolls explain that his body is returning to its soft,
weak state.
Padmini sings a lullaby to her son about a rider on a white The song that Padmini sings to her son about the white stallion is a
stallion, and falls asleep. The dolls narrate her dreams, subtle foreshadowing of the connection that her son will eventually
describing the appearance of a man whose face is rough but have to Hayavadana. As the dolls once again narrate Padmini’s
whose body is soft. They say it is someone who is “not her desires, it is easy to see the parallel structure with the first part of
husband,” revealing that she is dreaming of Kapila. the story: initially Devadatta’s head wins out, but Padmini
ultimately longs again for Kapila’s body.
More time has passed, and Devadatta has returned to his The actors switch masks again—a theatrical device which helps the
original form: soft-bodied and lacking muscle. A stage direction audience track that the characters have returned to their original
notes that the actor who originally portrayed Devadatta now form. This change directly impacts Padmini’s dreams, and even
returns to that mask/role. The dolls imply that Padmini’s drives her to send Devadatta away so that she can go to find Kapila
dreams have become particularly sexually explicit, and they in the forest.
fight over who gets to tell the audience, tearing each other’s
clothes and scratching each other. This leads Padmini to remark
that their son’s dolls have become tattered. She asks Devadatta
to travel to buy new ones.
While Devadatta travels to get new dolls, Padmini goes into the As Padmini travels through the forest, the return of the symbol of
forest with her son. She imagines the “witching fair,” making up the Fortunate Lady’s flower is ironic, as the flower represents
stories about the activities of the forest. Before leaving, she marriage but appears again, for Padmini, in a moment of infidelity.
reveals that she must do one other thing: say hello to the tree
of the Fortunate Lady.
In another part of the forest, Kapila enters, and the Bhagavata That the Bhagavata is surprised at Kapila’s appearance is in keeping
is surprised to see him living in the jungle. The Bhagavata tells with earlier hints that he is “in the dark” and no longer in control as
Kapila that Padmini has given birth to her son, and notices how the play’s plot twists and turns. As the play approaches its climax, it
angry Kapila looks by the way he stands and moves. Kapila says becomes less and less predictable.
that the Bhagavata’s comments are merely poetry.
Padmini finds Kapila in the forest. He confesses that he has Just as Devadatta experienced impulses that belonged to Kapila’s
worked hard to get his body back into shape, almost torturing body, Kapila experiences memories that belonged to Devadatta’s
himself. He is also haunted by memories that belonged to body. This is in keeping with the play’s suggestion that even though
Devadatta’s body—memories of things he never experienced, the head may make up the personality, the body can be just as
like being intimate with Padmini. He is distressed that she is crucial in composing the identity of a person. It also establishes that
bringing all these memories back. She says that he should be when the head and the body are not in sync, it is difficult to
able to experience the things in those memories, too, and determine one’s identity or feel complete.
caresses his face. The two of them go into Kapila’s hut together.

Devadatta, who has returned with new dolls, searches for The Bhagavata is also shocked to find Devadatta in the forest,
Padmini and runs into the Bhagavata. The Bhagavata is showing that the plot is getting more and more out of the
surprised to see him, and reluctantly reveals that Padmini has Bhagavata’s hands even as he is the narrator.
now spent four nights in Kapila’s hut.
Devadatta finds Padmini and Kapila, and the three are forced to The inner conflict that springs from hybrid beings comes to a head
confront their situation together. Kapila asks if they could live here. Devadatta and Kapila, spurred by their feeling that they are
together as three, but the men quickly reject this idea. hollow, and lacking a sense of a complete identity, resolve to kill
Devadatta and Kapila realize that the only way to end their each other. This indicates that when the mind and the body are not
incomplete existence is to kill each other. They agree to fight to in sync, there can be fatal consequences, and also shows how
the death. Their fight is stylized, almost like a dance, as the human beings often strive and fail to find a sense of completeness.
Bhagavata sings. Kapila wounds Devadatta, who falls to his
knees and stabs Kapila. They continue to fight on their knees
before they succumb to their wounds and die.
Padmini is once again left behind. She wonders whether she Padmini has her own sense of incompleteness, and realizes that she,
should have said she would live with Devadatta and Kapila like the men, will not find satisfaction. As the female chorus sings
both, but acknowledges that they could not have lived together. again, they highlight Padmini’s struggle with having love for more
She decides to perform sati and burn herself on their funeral than one person, and the final reference to the Fortunate Lady’s
pyre. She tells the Bhagavata to take her son to the hunters flower is once again ironic, as Padmini in her marriage was anything
who live in the forest, and then once he reaches five years old but a “fortunate lady.”
to return him to his grandfather in the city. She performs sati as
the stage hands lift a curtain with flames on it higher and
higher, and the female chorus repeats its opening song asking
why one cannot love more than one person. They refer to
Padmini as the Fortunate Lady, and the Bhagavata reveals that
that tree now stands on the spot where it is believed that
Padmini died.
As the story seemingly concludes, the Bhagavata is interrupted The innermost story of the play comes to an end, but the play is not
once again, this time by a second actor who screams that he has over. Instead, the action is once again interrupted by Hayavadana,
seen a horse (who turns out to be Hayavadana) singing the who again calls attention to the fact that the audience is watching a
national anthem. play.
The first actor also returns to the stage, this time with a young When Padmini’s son returns as a boy of six, the audience sees that
boy clutching a pair of dolls. The boy does not smile, laugh, or he seems to have his own sense of incompleteness, as he does not
talk. He only reacts violently when someone tries to touch his appear to have a voice or the emotions of a normal child.
dolls. The Bhagavata realizes that it is Padmini’s son.
At that moment, Hayavadana returns, this time with a horse Hayavadana’s storyline connects to Devadatta, Padmini, and
body as well as a horse head. He explains that he asked Kali to Kapila’s through the reappearance of Kali. Even after Hayavadana’s
make him complete, but she cut off his request and made him a body has been turned into a horse’s, he still feels that he is not
complete horse instead of a complete man. He is upset that he complete, as he retains his human voice.
still has a human voice, however.

The young boy starts laughing at Hayavadana, startling the When Hayavadana mentions that he sings the national anthem to
Bhagavata and the actors. Hayavadana remarks that he was get rid of his voice, Karnad seems to be making a commentary
trying to sing the national anthem because the national anthem disparaging Indian nationalism—suggesting that he sees Indian
ruins people’s voices. Instead he and the boy sing together the culture as being composed of many varied and distinct traditions,
lullaby that Padmini had sung to him about the rider on the like a hybrid.
white stallion.
The Bhagavata remarks how beautiful the child’s laughter is, The Bhagavata’s comment drives home the idea that the laughter
though Hayavadana is skeptical of that kind of sentimentality. and joy which can be found in stories are extremely powerful in
As the boy and Hayavadana continue to laugh, Hayavadana’s bringing people together. Although Hayavadana is skeptical at first,
laugh changes into a horse’s neigh. Thus, he finally becomes both he and the boy find a sense of completeness in their laughter;
complete. the boy finds his voice, while Hayavadana loses his.
The Bhagavata concludes the story by praying once again to The final action of the play brings it full circle, ending with a prayer,
Ganesha, and all the other characters and actors join him in just as it began. The characters ask Ganesha, who ensured their
prayer. They thank the god for the successful completion of the success, to also ensure the success of the rulers of a country,
play and, as a final request, ask him to give the rulers of the providing a measure of optimism that someday the country might
country success and “a little bit of sense.” also have more of a sense of strength in its own complex identity.

HOW T
TO
O CITE
To cite this LitChart:
MLA
Emanuel, Lizzy. "Hayavadana." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 28 Feb
2018. Web. 28 Feb 2018.
CHICA
CHICAGO
GO MANU
MANUAL
AL
Emanuel, Lizzy. "Hayavadana." LitCharts LLC, February 28, 2018.
Retrieved February 28, 2018. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/
hayavadana.
To cite any of the quotes from Hayavadana covered in the Quotes

section of this LitChart:
MLA
Karnad, Girish. Hayavadana. Oxford. 1976.
CHICA
CHICAGO
GO MANU
MANUAL
AL
Karnad, Girish. Hayavadana. New York: Oxford. 1976.

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Explanation and Analysis

Explanation and Analysis

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After Hayavadana goes off to try to get rid of his horse’s

Related Characters: Female chorus (speaker), Padmini

[Devadatta enters and sits on the chair. He is a slender,

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Why do you tremble, heart? Why do you cringe like a

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Related Characters: Devadatta (speaker), Kapila, Padmini

Explanation and Analysis Related Characters: Padmini (speaker), Devadatta, Kapila

Explanation and Analysis Related Themes:

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KAPILA: The moment it came to me, a war started

Page Number: 57 Related Characters: Hayavadana (speaker)

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Explanation and Analysis Related Characters: The Bhagavata (speaker),

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SUMMARY AND ANAL

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To cite any of the quotes from Hayavadana covered in the Quotes

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