The epic Mahabharata war has ended. For some it is a triumph, the end of an era of injustice. For others it is the beginning of another long journey in a never-ending cycle of the rise and downfall of human civilizations. At the start of every such journey are the unavoidable troubling questions about the human propensity for war. The same human intelligence that is the source of all creativity in building a civilization also finds the most ingenious methods to destroy its own creations. Whether one is proclaimed victor or vanquished, there is the inescapable task of accounting for the deaths of hundreds upon thousands of men and women, on the battlefield and in circumstances now euphemistically called collateral damage. When all are reduced to the same state of lifelessness, and from there to the same pile of ashes blown to the winds, we cannot help asking who really won, what really was achieved, and who may prescribe the true state of dharma.
Kuvempu chooses the spectacle of the battlefield turned into a vast carpet of corpses as the setting for this play. The change of guard from Dwapara to Kali between the two aeons is used as a vehicle to raise the difficult questions about the sanctity of war and mankind’s unending quest for the battle to end all battles. Krishna’s questionable role in the battle is addressed with a rare combination of wit and sympathy. Kuvempu’s humanistic philosophy of life and his optimistic faith in human goodness comes shining through.
The play has been published by Vitasta Publishing as part of an anthology titled 'Four Classics', available on Flipkart and Amazon.