Significance of the role of Anasuya and Priyamvada
In Kalidasa’s most popular and arguably
the greatest play Abhijnansakuntalam, we have Kanva, Vidushaka, Anasuya,
Priyamvada and Gautami as minor characters but they perform their respective
roles with utmost sincerity and responsibility. Anasuya and Priyamvada are
depicted as the best friends of Shakuntala and have sisterly affection towards
Shakuntala. Priyamvada shows a disposition, youthful and vivacious while
Anasuya is rather serious.
Anasuya and Priyamvada pervade in the
first half of the play and have significant role life of Sakuntala in the
hermitage of Kanva. Anasuya was the help to Sakuntala in
distress, logically handling every situation while Priyamvada, as the name
suggests was pleasing andsweet spoken. Both the girls are quick enough to find
that Sakuntala has fallen deeply in love and also well aware about the mental
state of love-lornShakuntala. They also gave an excellent idea to Shakuntala to
write a love letter to the King and conceal it in flowers that can be delivered
into his hands under the pretext of offering flowers so that she can foster and
strengthen her relationship with him
When sage Durvasacursed Sakuntala for
ignoring his pious presence, it was Priyamvada who pleaded Sakuntala’s absent
mindedness and obtained from the sage forgiveness and asked for showing mercy
in so far that the curse would be lifted on the production of some token of
recognition.Moreover, both Priyamvada and Anasuya are so dutiful, docile and
loyal that they say nothing about the curse to any one; they do not even
communicate it to Sakuntala as they thought it was not advisable to worry her
with it as the token of recognition could easily be produced when the time is
ripe. In Act IV when Sakuntala departs
from the hermitage to King Dushyanta palace, both of her friends wept bitterly
and felt deserted.
Priyamvada and Anasuya play a pivotal
role in the development of the romantic relationship between Dushyanta and
Shakuntala in the early stages of the play. They made a chance to Dusyanta to
appear before her in the guise of protection from the bee by saying that: “Who
are we to protect you? Call to mind Dushyanta; the penance groves are under the
royal protection.” Priyamvada persuades Dusyanta to ask more about Sakuntala
and thereby satisfying Dushyanya’s curiosity about her lineage. Anasuya is
careful enough to provide the hospitality to their renowned guest and begs his
pardon politely for not receiving and engaging Dusyanta properly. She inquires
about the cause of Sakuntala's illness consoles her that grief would be easy to
bear if shared with a loving person.Anasuya
seeks Sakuntala'sopinion in writing a love letter to Dusyanta, which was
suggested by Priyamvada.They decorated Sakuntala using materials available at
the hermitage when she is set to return to her husband.On her departure, they
felt that they were orphans and cried bitterly in spite of Kashyap’s warning
that ascetics should not have such emotions.
Thus, in the characterization of Anasuya
and Priyamvada, Kalidasa has taken much liberty compared to his other maids.Unlike
other maids Kanva assured a good future to them giving them marriage, though
they do not appear in the play after Shakuntala’s departure.
It's not priyamvada who has peeaded sakuntala's absent it was anasuya who did that because as anasuya's characteristics she is the serious one who handles the situation but priyamvada was only standing there shocked
ReplyDeleteWhaen sage durvasa cursed Sakuntala
ReplyDeleteThen her companion was the witness to all that incident . They requested to the angry sage to make some solution in the curse . After many requested , he told that on seeing se ornament of shakuntala her husband will be able to recognise her .
DeleteThank you for your support like this I am very geratful to you sir
ReplyDelete