Devyani

In the recent years there has been an upsurge in writing books on the well-known characters from the Indian mythology and epics. Therein the authors have tried to view the characters through their own social prism and analyze them accordingly. But the past cannot be judged by the parameters of the present, as times have vastly changed and so have the social mores. Up till now, mostly the important characters of the Mahabharata like Krishna, Arjuna, Karna, Dhritrashtra, Duryodhana, Kunti, Draupadi and Gandhari have hogged the limelight, and the minor characters have been left in the side lines. The reason behind that appears to be the thought that they did not play any important role in the general framework of the narrative. But such characters have their own significance and have been crying for our attention. Amongst such ones is Devyani—the daughter of Guru Shukracharya, the mentor of the ‘asuras’(demons). She is not only charming and bewitching, but a tempestuous lover as well. When Kutch, the son of Guru Brihaspati of ‘devlok’ (the land of the gods), comes to study at the feet of her father, she falls in love with him and weaves dreams around him. The boy seems to be the prince of her dreams, but he is single-minded in his devotion to the studies. Her infatuation is single-tracked, as he never reciprocate her overtures.The ‘asuras’ kill him, twice thinking him to be a spy from the land of the gods. In their opinion he had come here to steal the secret of ‘Sanjeevani’, the science of reviving the dead. Both the times Devyani pressurizes her father to revive the dead Kutch because as she professed, she could not live without him. He was her soul mate and life. The Guru revives him twice for her happiness. When Kutch wants to return to his land at the conclusion of the course, she not only stops him but also offers herself as his future wife and asks him to marry her. But he refuses. She is then infuriated and hurls curses on him for his ungratefulness and selfish motives. She is devastated after his departure. Disappointed in love, she marries Yayati, (a Kshatriya king) only after a chance meeting with him. Though he is himself enchanted by her beauty, he can’t marry her as, caste-wise, she was superior in the social hierarchy. But she doesn’t mind it. She is adamant and prays to her father to marry her to the king. Being aware of the social stigma attached to such a wedlock, the poor man is reluctant but agrees to do so under duress. Devyani is a liberated woman with a tremendous free-will who knows no restraints. She must have her way, whatever the cost may be. For the sake of realizing her dreams she could go to any extent. 2 By a strange quirk of fate, she grows unhappy with King Vrishparva who had patronized her father, and conveys to him that she did not want to stay in his kingdom with her father. They were leaving for another place. The king knew the significance of the Guru because he knew the secret of ‘Sanjeevani’. He prays to her to spell out the conditions of changing her decision. She shamelessly blackmails him and asks him to make his daughter, princess Sharmistha, her slave for life. She has no qualms about putting this ugly and bizarre condition, although the princess was her bosom friend. But such relations had no meaning for the revengeful lady. The king had to yield to her despite his unwillingness, in the interest of his people. Even though married to Yayati at her own insistence, she asks her father to inflict the harshest punishment on him for having violated his marriage vow,and for being in secret relationship with her slave, Sharmistha. As usual, her father does her bidding. He curses him to turn into a decrepit old man, bent with age. Although this punishment shatters her own conjugal life, she is so consumed by rage that she is unable to visualize the loss to her own self. Through the narrative Devyani emerges as a thoroughly liberated, free-willed creature of violent emotions, and uncontrollable rage. She is one with a strong determination, who likes to get her wishes fulfilled at every cost irrespective of the consequences. She cares about none, but about herself. She may commit acts of indiscretion, but she is unsparing in pardoning others. Love has made her blind and wants to have the person of her choice whether he likes her or not. The characters in mythologies are customarily staid and boring, as they tend to be highly ethical and moral. They are generally flat, representing only one facet of the personality. But Devyani is a cut above the rest. She is so vibrant, lovable, lively, pleasant and emotional, but at the same time so wicked, so mean and vicious. She has no qualms about asking king Vrishparva to give his daughter, princess Sharmistha, to her as her slave for the whole life. She is burning in the fire of revenge and knows no compromise until her ‘enemy’ is decimated. She cares not what the king and the queen think of it. They are shocked the more because both these girls were bosom friends. They could not imagine how one of them could stoop so low and be so mean as to make the other her slave ! But that is the way Devyani is made. The narrative is marked by its tremendous flow : it moves on smoothly like a river in winter. Sinha’s style is gripping. He knows how to create situations which could make the reading absorbing. He has beautifully portrayed the mental conflicts of the characters demonstrating how their mind works. And that makes them more like us. Visual images abound the narrative and help recreate the scene and see things with our own eyes. Not for a moment does the reader lose interest in the story. Even though there are some repetitions, but that doesn’t prick. It feels so integral to the narrative. While reading the book one feels, he were reading not about a person who lived in the distant past, but about the one with whom he is acquainted. What surprises the reader is the existence of such a vibrant and diversified character in an ancient epic. And that is the winning point.