Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.4.Issue 2.

2016
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal
(Apr-Jun)
http://www.rjelal.com; Email:editorrjelal@gmail.com

RESEARCH ARTICLE

CULTURAL SEMIOTICS IN GIRISH KARNAD'S ‘NAGA-MANDALA’

V. LEELA KRISHNA
Assistant Professor of English
Shri Vishnu Engineering College for Women
Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh

ABSTRACT
The paper titled ‘Cultural semiotics in Girish Karnad’s Nagamandala’ explores the
cultural symbols presented in the play Naga-Mandala (1987-88). Semiotics deals
with symbols and signs that represent a meaning in the given context. Cultural
semiotics studies the cultural signs and symbols. Naga-Mandala is a folk cultural
play. The cultural context determines the true meaning of the play. The cultural
construct generated by the patriarchal system is predominantly reflected in the
play. The paper studies various signs and symbols presented in the play for
understanding the deeper meaning of the play. It mainly focuses on the cultural
symbols that represent Indian attitude through Hindu Myth. These cultural symbols
and signs hints at open and unspoken messages. Naga-Mandala stays alive due to
the richness of its symbols.
Key words: Naga Mandala, Culture, Semiotics study, Signs and Symbols,
Representation, latent meaning, Conflict, Socio-cultural concerns.

©KY PUBLICATIONS

Girish Karnad, the Jnanpeeth Awardee, is relationship, position and identity of woman, the
the most outstanding dramatic genius of the post- impact of social and cultural modes on the feminine
Independent Indian literature. The play Naga psyche and various concepts connected to Indian
Mandala was written by Girish Karnad at the culture. The cultural codes used in the play reflect
University of Chicago where he was a visiting values, attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, superstitions
professor. The play is based on two folk tales which and practices of Indian culture and community; they
Karnad heard from A.K. Ramanujan-one about lamp can be traditional, ritualistic, social, etc. The aim of
flames who gather late at night in a temple to gossip this paper is to study Naga Mandala from the
and the other about a cobra who visits a woman cultural semiotics point of view since the cultural
every night by taking the human form of her codes used in the play plays a distinct role as they
husband. help in the construction of meaning.
Naga Mandala reflects Indian cultural, Prologue: Naga-Mandala was presented in three
religious, psychological and social life through the parts: Prologue and two acts in tune with the
use of symbols. It projects the flaws in patriarchal classical Indian drama. The prologue was set in the
culture, its modes of conduct, age-old traditional inner sanctum of a ruined temple. The idol was
values and belief system existing in the past. It broken and it was difficult to identify the presiding
speaks of various issues such as man-woman deity. It was night time and the moon lights swept
509 V. LEELA KRISHNA
Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.4.Issue 2.2016
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal
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http://www.rjelal.com; Email:editorrjelal@gmail.com

through the cracks of the roof and the walls. A “Flame 2: Kusbi oil! Peanut oil! How
playwright sitting in the temple and was trying very disgusting! My family comes
hard to keep himself awake. He was cursed that he from the coast. We won’t touch anything
would die in case he slept. For, he had bored the but coconut oil.” (Karnad 249)
audience with his plays and their suffering turned By presenting different flames burnt on different oil,
into the curse of death. Karnad symbolically and sarcastically comments on
The inner sanctum of a ruined temple. The socio-economic situation prevalent in Indian culture
idol is broken, so the presiding deity of the temple for many centuries. The caste divisions, the attitudes
cannot be identified. of the people are reflected. The high caste people
It is night. Moonlight seeps in through the undermine the low caste people and show
cracks in the roof and the walls. ( Karnad 247) disrespect towards them. Flame-4 is able to come
The Location: The location of the temple is repeated early because the young couple is enjoying erotic
in Karnad’s plays. As in the case of the play ‘Bali, the pleasure as the master’s old ailing mother died. But
sacrifice,’ Naga Mandala also begins in a ruined flame -3 is unhappy since she has to witness what is
temple. He presents it as a place where anything better left to the dark as her master wants to see his
that is human is sacred, whether it is the act of beautiful wife naked in order to be erotically
having an illicit affair as in Bali, or the act of stimulated. The gossip of the flames resembles the
shedding blood within the four walls of the holy discussion made by typical village women in India.
place as in Hayavadana. In Nagamandala, it They talk of their masters and mistresses, of their
becomes a place of gossip for the lamp flames. The homes, their affections and sexual life. They also
state of the broken idol stands for the diminishing argue with each other on the quality of the houses
faith on God among the people. It represents the they give light to. They set the background for the
true state of man who is drowned in sins and hopes play and prepare the mood of the audience towards
for forgiveness. The ruined temple, the broken idol, the theme. They describe the bad manners of
the moonlight beaming through the cracks in the various couples. The episode of the couple hints at
roof suggests that the play shall unfold something the problems faced by the couple in the joint family
more ethereal than merely material. In the play, it is system in India. The playwright tries to bring out the
a playwright who has to stay awake the whole night typical attitude of people of India through the
for having been cursed for making so many of his flames not only by the tone of slandering and
audience soporific in the past. In order to break the sneering but also by their eagerness to hear new
curse, he decides to spend the night in the temple. tales about people, to mock, giggle and enjoy the
He finds solace in the presence of God and hopes to fun. The gossip, the story telling, love making, the
redeem himself. The play deals with the lighting of the flame and putting it off are all
introspection of a playwright who was a failure. As activities of the night.
he is struggling to remain awake, he hears female Sari and song: The man and the story remain on the
voices to his surprise. He hides behind a pillar in the stage throughout the play while the flames too
temple. To his utter disbelief, naked lamp flames listen from a distance. In a drama both song and
enter the temple giggling and talking to each other. story go hand in hand on the stage. They enrich each
The Flames: The flames gather in the temple during other’s performance and create a make believe
night and gossip.Flame-1 is from a house where the situation by stimulating emotions among the
master buys all the groceries because his wife is audience. Hence, story comes to the stage wearing
spendthrift. While Flame-1 feeds on Kusbi oil, song as her sari. Sari is a traditional Indian dress
Flame-2 is fed on coconut oil. When Flame-2 which women have been wearing for centuries. It
expresses her disgust for kusbi oil and peanut oil, reflects the history and culture of Indian society. The
Flame-1 asks her about her friend, the kerosine role played by the playwright presents an
flame. autobiographic element of Girish karnad. He speaks
of why Girish karnad started writing plays again

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A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal
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after the self exile from the theater until 1987. nature representing the ideas lying hidden in her
Though it is only a folk tale, it highlights the unconscious. When Rani dreams of her parents for
necessity of passing one’s knowledge to others the first time, she imagines an Eagle taking her to
because culture can be enriched only through them. An Eagle, which flies in the sky with broad
sharing and transmitting it. wings, symbolizes strength and courage. It also
Names of Rani and Appanna: The names of the two represents flight and freedom, which expresses
principle characters in the story, Rani and Appanna Rani’s yearning for release from her confinement.
are significant. They are the common names found The stag with golden antlers coming to the door and
everywhere in India. The name Rani is used calling reminds us of the plight of Sita in Ramayana.
commonly for any woman who is dear to her She seeks not only solace but also strength for
husband or parents. The name Appanna is also a survival. She gets satisfaction in her fantasy through
very common name found in the public. Through the her favorite nursery tale.
names, Karnad indirectly suggests that it is the story Kurudavva and Kappanna: Kurudavva represents a
of any common man. By giving these general names, typical folk–tale character, who contributes to the
Karnad aims to universalize the characters in the escalation of the action in the play. She typically
play. The spectators and the readers are able to resembles the traditional Indian mother who
identify themselves with the characters and this worries about the well being of her daughter.
gives the play the stamp of universality. Kurudavva's initiative paves way for the use of myth
Dreams: Rani feels lonely and frightened as she is which constitutes a necessary aspect of a folktale.
imprisoned in the house and left alone. She repeats Kurudavva, the blind lady, mother of Kappanna and
herself the nursery tale in which a girl is taken to her a friend of Appanna’s deceased mother plays an
parents who cares her affectionately. She feels important role in the play. Like a traditional elderly
herself secure indulging in such fantasies. In the woman of India, she considers it her moral duty to
dream, Rani is taken to her parents by an eagle. The set things right in the house of her dead friend’s son.
idyllic surroundings of the garden where she is The blindness of Kurudavva signifies the wisdom she
carried by the eagle are typical of all Indian folk- carries within her. Her words reveal the innate
tales, across the seven seas, on the seventh island, wisdom she possesses:
in a magic garden. The magical garden becomes an Kurudavva: Of course it is, silly! How can
exotic symbol of a perfect world which every anyone be inside when there is a lock
individual craves for, but which exists only in our outside on the door? Tell me, can you see
imagination. Rani dreams of her parents, embraces clothes drying inside? What kind of
them in her sleep and cries, the parents console her, clothes? Any saris? Skirts? Or is it only
reassure her that they would not let her go. men’s clothes? (Karnad 257)
“Rani: Then Rani’s parents embrace her Kurudavva’s conversation with Rani reveals her
and cry. They kiss her and caress her. At innate motherliness and Rani’s desperation to be
night she sleeps between them. So she is freed. Kurudavva’s description of Rani is also
not frightened any more. ‘Don’t worry.’ typically Indian. She has her own stereo typed way
They promise her ‘we won’t let you go of describing Rani’s hibiscus like ears, skin like
away again ever! In the morning, the stag mango leaves and lips like rolls of Silk. She feels
with the golden antlers comes to the door sorry that such beauty as Rani’s is languishing in
He calls out to Rani. She refuses to go. ‘I loneliness. She wants to know whether Rani has
am not a stag’, he explains,‘I am a ever been touched by her husband but Rani has not
prince’(Karnad 255) been instructed in Man-Woman relationship by her
Rani’s dreams show the inner workings of her mother. The growing intimacy between the Cobra
psyche, they are an expression of her inner most and Rani define the complexity of the theme. The
desires and yearnings suppressed in her conjugation between Rani and the Cobra is depicted
unconscious. Rani’s dreams are highly symbolic in through the dialogues between Rani and Kurudavva.

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The affirmative response of Rani to Kurudavva's wife. He literally cages his wife in his dwelling. He
query if she has 'started her married life' ratifies the treats Rani as if she were an object without life and
union. Kurudavva's giggling remark further ratifies feelings. He regards Rani as his personal property
the idea: and adopts a possessive attitude towards her. He
Kurudavva (laughs) Tired? Poor thing! So has cold contempt for her. The innocent and
you see the power of my roots. innocuous woman is in his view a culprit or a
Didn't I tell you your husband will sting to potential criminal deserving solitary confinement.
you once he tastes it?(Karnad279) While he enjoys extra marital sex, he does not like
Kappanna’s devotion, affection and duty towards his anybody even to talk to her. It can be noticed that
blind mother is a sure sign of Indian culture. Though Appanna and Naga are the two faces of a single
he is suffering from backache, Kappanna carries her man, one seen at day, the other at night symbolize
on his back day and night. He is great devotee of the “double standards” of man. Karnad says “The
mother, therefore, prays Lord Hanuman to give him position of Rani in the story of Naga Mandala, for
strength, not for wrestle or fight, but for carrying his instance, can be seen as a metaphor for the
mother around. Duty and service finds rarely in situation of a young girl in the bosom of a joint
youths and it presents Kappanna’s good morality. family where she sees her husband only in two
The relationship between the mother and son is one unconnected roles – as a stranger during the day
of unaffected love and affection. and as a lover at night. Inevitably, the pattern of
The Herb: It is remarkable that besides the use of relationships she is forced to weave from these
Cobra myth, Karnad employs a number of disjointed encounters must be something of a
supernatural beliefs prevalent in Indian culture. The fiction.”(Karnad 314) Simon de Beauvoir's assertion
herb of lure, an aphrodisiac, is another belief that "One is not born a woman, but rather, becomes
prevalent in the villages of India. Using herbs and a woman" (Beauvoir, 351) is quite sound and
roots is very common in villages of India to create appears equally applicable in case of man. One is
love or to take revenge against someone. It is a not born a man, but rather becomes one under the
practice quite common among the people of this impact of the existing socio-cultural and economic
culture to tie some roots or herbs to their body to forces. In this play, Appanna is not born a man, but
get protection from evil or to get benevolences. becomes one under the male-hegemonic social
They firmly believe that mother earth takes care of system. On the whole, Appanna’s absolute
every problem that people encounter and suggests superiority over his wife, his minimal
the way out especially for a woman. Whenever a communication with her, her separation from all
woman suffers, Hindu mythology makes the earth as male and female companionship and his gender
the ultimate asylum. Radhiga Priyadarshini biased inhuman treatment with his wife are some
compares Kurudavva to mother-earth, ‘Kurudavva is examples of patriarchal culture’s tyranny against
the mythological earth mother displaced in the women, to which Appanna is a representative.
plausible human direction. She is associated with Appanna is not a human being rather he is like a wild
ploughs, roots, pebbles etc. Girish Karnad makes the beast in the guise of man, but under the cover of
earth erupt out in the form of Kurudavva, roots, patriarchy he oppresses Rani, thereby ignoring her
plough, ant-hill and a serpent to rescue Rani and existence as a human being. Indeed all his treatment
avenge Appanna’. (Priyadarshini 169-170) and behaviour presents false morality.
Appanna: Appanna is the epitome of Indian Rani’s father: Rani’s father represents the role of a
masculinity. He represents typical patriarchal typical Indian father. He arranges her marriage with
culture. He shows his supremacy by arresting the a parentless young boy with plenty of wealth, but
spouse's selfhood within the four walls of the house. the choice of Rani is overlooked taking for granted
Appanna is the king of his house, a supreme egoist. that she is incapable of taking decision. Alike many
He represents male chauvinist. For him, submitting Indian fathers, he looks at the marriage from a
his sexual impulses means being submissive to his materialistic perspective, thereby overlooking all

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other aspects of healthy and meaningful marital life: ordinary practice it is a symbolic invitation to the
“Her fond father found her a suitable husband. The phallic symbol. In the realm of man-woman
young man was rich and his parents were both relationship, the Naga can be taken as a symbol of a
dead” (Karnad 253). Here the word “suitable” is man who is capable of fulfilling a woman’s secret
used ironically. desire. To quote Rajinder Paul, “It is a play where a
The Dog: The dog stands for the will power of cobra plays the lover and proves to be better
Appanna. The death of the dog implies the death of behaved than his human counterpart who is as
his will-power and therefore infuriates Appanna. insensitive as a husband as we read about in bad
The dog that was initially brought for human- tales.”(Rajinder Paul, p.31)
intruders proves to be futile. On the death of the In Indian cultural context, the Naga
dog, Appanna buys a mongoose as a guard. A represents the vertebral column present in human
mongoose can’t guard humans. Therefore, it is for body. As per the parlance of ancient yogic system of
the snake or Appanna's sexual self that he sets a India, one has to channelize the energies present in
watchdog at the beginning itself. The mongoose is the vertebral column (Kundalini) with continuous
evidence enough. It says that the mongoose had conscious contemplations. It is believed that these
given a tougher fight and so there was no sign of energies will elevate and bestow the divine blessings
Naga for the next several days and when he does with which splendor of life can be experienced by
arrive, his body was covered with wounds that had the practitioners. It is believed that the kundalini
only partly healed. energy can even raise the mundane man to super
The Naga: In the play, Karnad used the traditional mundane level. In the play also, Naga appears and
symbol ‘Naga’ artistically and effectively to bring out gives blissful life to Rani. He transforms the life of
many massages. The role of snake effected lives of Rani by giving everything she sought after and also
many and redefined many relations especially of elevated her to the level of divinity. At the end of
Rani and Appana. The snake through its acts has the play everyone treats Rani as goddess.
given Appanna a new way of life. It is through the The snake Ordeal: The snake ordeal that Rani
snake which is worshiped for fertility that Rani is performs in order to prove her innocence stands as
conceived and it brings a complete change in her a cultural code of India. It reminds us of Sita’s trial in
life. Snake has been used as an age-old symbol of the Ramayana, and it shows its affinities with the
male sexuality, long black tresses as the female traditional Indian values. In ancient Indian villages
sexuality, night as the personal aspect of human there is a tradition that to prove one’s honesty one
being and day as public front. In the south Indian would either have to hold red hot bar of iron in the
villages, there is a ritual among women to pour milk hand and entreat innocence or to take snake ordeal.
in ant hill occupied by cobras on a certain day in a In the play Rani performs the snake ordeal as
year; ‘Nagulachaviti’, ‘Naga- panchami’ the fourth ordained by Naga. She takes snake ordeal where she
day and the fifth day of the waxing period of the has to put her hand into the ant hill and pull out the
moon. It is a way of propitiating the phallic symbol. snake. After which she has to make her statement
Naga is the phallic symbol worshipped by unmarried by promising in the snake’s name. It is a belief in
girls and the supposed barren women, the former that society that if the person has said the truth
for getting good husbands and the latter to become then the snake would bless that person, if not, it
mothers, of which Rani in Naga- Mandala becomes would bite the person which eventually lead to the
a mother and gets a good husband. Naga pratistha, death of the person. Rani walks up to the ant- hill,
the setting up of naga icons is another fertility rite. plunges her hand into it pulls the cobra out and
Nagamandala depicts the divine union of male and says:
female snakes. When Rani finds the pastry of the “Since coming to this village, I have held by
second root boiling blood red, she is afraid of this hand, only two… my husband and…
administering it to her husband. So she pours it over And this cobra… Yes, my husband and this
the ant hill, the home of Naga and he accepts it. In king cobra. Except for these two, I have not

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touched any of the male sex. Nor have I the bathroom, looking for the snake. Rani
allowed any other male to touch me. If I lie, pats her hair.) (Karnad 299)
let the cobra bite me.” (Karnad 292) Karnad wants to point out a social reality with the
The whole trial of Rani with the king cobra spreading snake ordeal: Why village elders did not ask
its hood over her can be seen as having symbolic Appanna to prove his innocence? Why there is the
significance. The period of the Rani- Appanna as moral code of conduct for women only why not for
Naga- relationship is the period of learning, of males? Why is it that a woman has to face all these
assessing, for both. In the early marriages that were problems? All these questions remain unanswered
so common in India some five or six decades ago, or rather there is no answer to these questions. By
physical maturity preceded emotional and presenting this socio-cultural reality, Karnad
psychological maturity and this caused pain and compels society to fight against moral insensitivity,
suffering in most cases. This is symbolized in the inhuman customs and cultural lethargy of the times.
trial. Rani is willing to face death to prove her fidelity Rani: Rani is the central character in the play. The
and her truthfulness brings about a change of heart whole story revolves round her. The story of Rani
in Appanna. R. Radhiga Priyadarshini compares the represents the story of every woman. Rani, like
western and eastern views of a snake. While in the every girl in India, lives with her parents till she is
west a snake is considered ‘demonic’, in the east married; then, suddenly her husband’s house
they acquire the status of a deity especially in Hindu becomes her home. The plight of Rani in the locked
mythology and folklore (Priyadarshini 165). house symbolically describes her position in the
The end of Naga Mandala is also house where she has no contacts against the wishes
exceptionally symbolical. The playwright has of her husband. As a young girl, Rani has desires and
suggested two ends and both the ends convey the dreams, needs and necessities, but she has to
same meaning with equal intensity. According to the suppress all of them in the face of stiff and strong
first ending, the snake sacrifices itself for Rani’s hegemonic system. The prime factor behind her
marital bliss. When Naga died Rani requested her silence and submission is that she has been
husband to allow her son to perform the last ritual counseled and conditioned to be cordial and co-
of Naga. The second ending suggests the entry of operative; shy and submissive, timid and tolerant in
Naga into her long black tresses, symbolizes his her marital life. As a result, she fails to gather
eternal presence: “This hair is the symbol of my courage and confidence to question the exploitative
wedded bliss. Live in there happily, forever.”(Karnad and oppressive system. “This solitary confinement of
300). In the second, the more romantic one, it Rani by Appanna in the house symbolizes the
snuggles in her tresses and remains a constant chastity belt of the Middle Ages, the reduction of
danger to Appanna’s patriarchal authority: women’s talents to housework and the exclusion of
RANI (softly, to the Cobra). You? What are women from enlightenment and
you doing here? He’ll kill you. Go. enjoyment”(SaratBabu.M 239)
Go away. No! Not that way. He’s there. Rani is the symbol of a woman’s eternal endurance
What shall we do? What shall we do? of this oppression. She is like other Indian wives,
Why did you ever come back here, suffers from an acute sense of loss and lassitude
stupid?(Suddenly) My hair! Of course, within wedlock. She suppresses her urges-sexual,
Come, quick. Climb into it. (She lets her hair social and psychological. Rani observes all her
down to the floor.) Quick now. Get in. domestic traditional duties sincerely. Though her
Are you safely in there? Good. Now stay husband makes her captive in the house, exploits
there.And lie still. You don’t know her feelings and gives mental tortures, she remains
how heavy you are. Let me get used to you, loyal to him. She does not complaint about anything.
will you? (Appanna comes in with a stick.) She tolerates all his injustices mutely like a
It went that way towards the bathroom. traditional Hindu wife. She remains a dutiful and
(Appanna rushs out of the bedroom, toward obedient wife despite of Appanna’s rude and cruel

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behaviour. Alike the Indian wives, she is also norm never forgives a woman who lost her chastity.
concerned about the safety of her husband: On the whole, Rani, the chasteful woman represents
“Suppose something happens to my husband? What good morality whereas her adulterous and duty-
will my fate be? Forgive me god. This is evil. I was avoiding husband stands for false and egoistic
about to commit a crime. Father, mother how could morality of patriarchal culture.
your daughter agree to such a heinous act” (Karnad). Conclusion
No tradition-bound Indian woman likes to see her Naga mandala signifies the cultural world of
husband die before her death and wants to become India. Patriarchy, socio-cultural practices, parents of
a widow. Born and brought up in the man-made Rani, Appanna, Rani, Kurudavva, Herbs, Naga, Dog,
system, she is averse even to the idea of death of Snake ordeal, Village elders, etc are the tools mirror
her husband while she remains alive because she the culture of India. It also depicts the condition of
knows that the life of a widow is not only vulnerable an Indian woman. In the Indian context, it is
but also painful. Indeed, Rani is culturally virtuous imperative that Rani does not walk out of her
and religious minded woman. Her devotion and husband, nor would it be in the fitness of things to
loyalty is unquestionable. Therefore, she stands for have a lover. A woman must gain at least her status,
good morality. if not, emancipation within the rules set up. Karnad
The position of Rani in the story of Naga- was conscious of the controversy the play could
Mandala, can be seen as a metaphor for the raise if Rani was to have Naga as her lover. Naga
situation of a young girl in the bosom of a joint must die and the people must believe that Rani was
family where she sees her husband only in two an epitome of chastity. Rani, it seems, is relieved at
unconnected roles—as a stranger during the day the end that her lover was no more than a snake
and as a lover at night. In Indian society a woman is and dismisses the whole thing after a customary
expected to perform unquestionable obedience to homage. It seems that she herself would not like to
her husband as Rani does in this play. She has no admit having a lover. The stories in India must
right not only to refuse her husband but also to conform to the Indian minds reservation about
question him. Appanna openly and unashamedly human behaviour. Karnad was conscious of it, as
commits adultery, but nobody objects to it; the were the earlier storytellers and avoided themes of
village elders who sit in judgment do not find any incest or marital infidelity in women.
fault with him. Nobody was ready to believe the References
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by the strong warning of Appanna and Naga not ask 70).
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her house. Rani is frigid and despises sex. What she Book Review ,July-Aug.1990, p.32
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