Shanlax

International Journal of English

Thematic Analysis of the

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Sociocultural Decapitation in
Karnad’s Play: ‘Tale-danda’
Volume: 12
Dr. Prafull D Kulkarni
Special Issue: 1 Associate Professor, Head & Research Supervisor of English
Sharadchandra College, Maharashtra, India
Month: December
Abstract
Drama is a source of entertainment as well as enlightenment. Girish Karnad
Year: 2023 uses this audio-visual medium to bring to light a social vice of India, namely,
casteism and its age-old impact on its victims. Its sway on society and the resultant
P-ISSN: 2320-2645 retaliation by its sufferers is highlighted by the dramatist using the legendary figure
of Mahatma Basaveshwara as a reformer in one of his English plays entitled Tale-
danda (The Beheading) in English. Karnad’s approach in this play is full of censure
E-ISSN: 2582-3531
against the oppression of the underprivileged. For ages, they were the victims of
social persecution which once resulted in an anti-elitist uprising in south India.
Received: 26.10.2023 The movement later culminated in a kind of sociocultural decapitation of the
underprivileged in twelfth-century Karnataka. The present paper attempts to focus
Accepted: 05.12.2023 on this historical event and its aftermath as dramatized in the play on the avenging
individuals.
Keywords: Girish Karnad, Historical Play, Tale-Danda, Inter-Caste Marriage,
Published: 14.12.2023 Sociocultural Decapitation.

Citation: Introduction
Kulkarni, Prafull D. Revenge as a feeling always has its source in psychic injury.
“Thematic Analysis It takes birth, consciously or unconsciously, in an individual’s
of the Sociocultural imagination out of his disgruntled state of mind, out of his loss of
Decapitation in Karnad’s pride, out of persistent insults or out of his unfulfilled ambitions.
Play: ‘Tale-Danda.’” Such an individual can go to any extent to calm down the fire of
Shanlax International retribution raging in his psyche, and, in the process, may hurt his
Journal of English, enemy seriously or even get hurt himself quite badly. The present
vol. 12, no. S1, 2023, paper deals with this unusual sociocultural situation in the Indian
pp. 273–78. context as dramatized by Girish Karnad in his play, Tale-danda (The
Beheading).
DOI: The critically acclaimed play is all about the revolt of the
https://doi.org/10.34293/ suppressed lower castes, their revengeful retaliation and the eventual
rtdh.v12iS1-Dec.72 civil war which took place in twelfth-century India. The play is
also an adoration of the religious and the legendary Saint Mahatma
Basaveshwara, his lofty idealism of social equality, and his zeal
for social reformation, but his eventual failure in establishing the
egalitarian society due to the revengeful tendencies of his followers.
Despite the wholehearted efforts and sacrifices of social reformers
such as Lord Budha, Mahatma Basaweshwara, Mahatma Gandhi,
Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj, Dayanand Saraswati, Dr Ambedkar,
etc., over the years, the Indian society is caste-ridden in every sphere
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of life. The impact of advanced scientific and secular education could not completely eradicate this
age-old Indian malady even in the twenty-first century. The country’s politics, too, is based heavily
on caste calculations. Now and then, Indian news features and dailies throw light on the incidents
of upper-caste atrocities upon the struggling lower-caste masses and their resultant antagonism
towards the perpetrators. In such a scenario, the strong message generated by the play is quite
significant. The playwright’s aim here, hence, seems not so much to give a historical account of
the events that happened in the past but to ponder over this problem of the society that once led to
a social upheaval by the oppressed masses through a sociocultural egalitarian movement known as
‘Sharana Cult’.
The literal translation of the words ‘Tale’ in English is ‘head’ and ‘danda’ is ‘punishment’ (the
beheading). You think with your head, worse still, you dare to feel with your head. And that’s
why it must be chopped’ (Vishwanathan Within & Without). In our day-to-day lives, these things
happen due to the pent-up feelings of hatred of an individual or a group of individuals for the
oppressive individual or vice versa. Over the years, the troubled party feels that some injustice has
been forced upon them. That leads them to retaliate later at an appropriate time. Sometimes they
take revenge to satiate their troubled psyche. In turn, the other party thinks likewise. They do find
themselves questioned, challenged or threatened. Therefore, to sustain their pride, they retaliate
to overcome the other’s malicious intent. To preserve their dignity and social standing, they feel
it necessary to crush the thinking abilities of the opponent through beheading. Eventually, the
conflict leads to a bloody end. In the process, a few miscreants from either side jump into the fray
to fulfil their greedy motives and utilize every opportunity of social vendetta for their selfish ends.
The four ancient hierarchical Verna distinctions of the society, namely the Brahmins (priests),
Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (traders) and Shudras (menials), as interpreted by Dr. Ambedkar,
were initially an open ‘Class System’ (Ambedkar Writing & Speeches, 17) which later on
encapsulated as closed ‘Caste System’ due to the practice of endogamy observed by the priestly
classes. While writing the play, the dramatist was probably aware of the fact that “as long as caste
in India does exist, Hindus will hardly intermarry or have any social intercourse with outsiders”
(Ketkar Ambedkar’s Writing & Speeches, 6). Therefore, in Tale-danda he presents the age-old
issue of the caste conflict in the light of an ‘inter-caste marriage incident’ which took place during
Mahatma Basaveshwara’s time and which resulted in the crushing of the very Sharana movement.
The dramatist also seems well aware of Dr Ambedkar’s understanding of the issue. Dr. Ambedkar
in his seminar paper entitled “Castes in India” observes:
One thing I want to impress upon you is that Manu did not give the Law of Caste and that he
could not do so. Caste existed long before Manu. [……] The spread and growth of the Caste
system is too gigantic a task to be achieved by the power or cunning of an individual or of a
class. Similar in argument is the theory that the Brahmins created the Caste. After what I have
said regarding this, I need hardly say anything more, except to point out that it is incorrect in
thought and malicious in intent. The Brahmins may have been guilty of many things, and I dare
say they were, but the imposing of the caste system on the non-Brahmin population was beyond
their mettle (Ambedkar, 16).
Contrary to this opinion, it is observed that the Brahmins had a distinguished upper hand in every
field of Indian society. The Sudras or menial workers were the last in the social ladder and labelled
as the untouchables. They were denied even the most basic human needs by the upper castes who
forced innumerable atrocities upon them. Their miserable life was nothing short of a living hell.
Since antiquity, it has been the most exploited social class in India. Naturally, they would seek
an opportunity to avenge this social injustice whenever such an opportunity arose. According to
Sigmund Freud, “the exploited persons in society foster feelings of hatred and animosity towards the
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exploited classes in their unconscious minds” (Sharma & Sharma Psychology of Revolution, 459).
After Buddha, there was no one to guide these neglected people until Mahatma Basaveshwara arose
in the twelfth century AD. His emergence with the humanitarian ideals of the casteless society was
a sort of boon for these oppressed masses. They grabbed his principles with both hands, became
sharanas and looked upon him as their mentor. In the process, their pent-up feelings of hatred and
centuries-old feelings of revenge burst to life leading to a social upheaval when an incident of
inter-caste marriage aided them as a catalyst. Karnad’s Tale-danda deals with this mass uprising
of the oppressed social classes against the upper castes in this high-tension drama of sociocultural
retribution.

Thematic Exploration
The play revolves around two major incidents in the life of Mahatma Basaveshwara, namely,
the treasury miracle and the inter-caste marriage of one of his followers. He is fondly addressed
as Basavanna by his sharanas and is the finance minister to King Bijjala of the Kalyan province in
Karnataka. Sovideva, the disgruntled prince of the King, doesn’t see eye to eye with Basavanna. In
the King’s absence, to malign his image he invades the treasury of the State to check the accounts
suspected to be swindled and utilized by Basavanna for the propagation of his sharana cult. The
sharanas get an air of the intentions of Sovideva and immediately surround the treasury in thousands
to prevent any foul play to their mentor by the prince. Sovideva fails to find anything wrong with
the treasury. Sharanas believe it is a miracle due to the supernatural powers of Basavanna himself.
Sovideva is then jeered by the assembled sharanas due to his failure in implicating Basavanna.
The prince therefore feels humiliated and very angry. After his return to the Capital, however,
the King, who himself is a secret admirer of Basava, unleashes his full fury upon Sovideva and
physically kicks his son for attempting to dishonour Basavanna. That makes the prince a hardcore
enemy of Basavanna. His angry remarks against the sharanas in his mother’s presence even before
the treasury event foretell his intentions when he screams: “I shall bury them alive! Hack them to
pieces and feed them to my hounds!” (Karnad Tale-danda, 8).
Prince Sovideva doesn’t like the King’s soft stand against the sharanas. “It’s he who’s encouraged
those sons of slaves” (8), Sovideva thinks. The King, however, is a Basava sympathizer since he
is a barber by caste and is looked down upon by the Brahmins even though he is their King. In the
play, he once laments before the Queen:
His Majesty King Bijjala is a barber by caste. For ten generations my forefathers ravaged the
land as robber barons. For another five they ruled as the trusted feudatories of the emperor
himself. They married into every royal family in sight. Bribed generations of Brahmins with
millions of cows. All this so they could have the caste of Kshatriyas branded on their foreheads.
And yet you ask the most innocent child in my Empire: What is Bijjala, son of Kalachurya
Permadi, by caste? And the instant reply will be: a barber! (14).
This anguished cry of the King himself tells the whole story of the tortured predicament of the
lower castes in Indian society. That’s why, though an atheist and secular king, he reveres Basavanna
and his people who have brought hope of better social stature to him. He further comments:
In all my sixty-two years, the only people who have looked me in the eye without a reference to
my lowly birth lurking deep in their eyes are the sharanas: Basavanna and his men. They treat
me as – as what? – (Almost with a sense of wonder.) as a human being. (15).
All such pent-up feelings of the socially oppressed masses find vent in the form of social
revolt on the occasion of an arranged inter-caste marriage of a Brahmin girl, Kalavati, and an
untouchable cobbler’s son, Sheelavanta, later in the play. The lower castes turned sharanas here
find a wonderful opportunity to avenge the age-old and oppressive Brahminism, to challenge their

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social and religious superiority and to annihilate the Brahmin might forever. For them, it is like
an another way of combating the continuing increase in casteism is the encouragement of inter-
caste marriages. It provides an opportunity for two families belonging to different castes to come
together. In this way, the seed of casteism shall be unable to strike root and even if it does the
resulting sapling will be so weak that it will subsequently be wiped out (Sharma & Sharma, 382).
Dr Ambedkar is also of the opinion that the four ancient social ‘classes’ later became the ‘castes’
due to the continual practice of ‘endogamy’ or the ‘marriages arranged within one’s classes’ by
the priestly class. The system was then imitated and followed by other classes as well. That further
led to the encapsulation of the classes and thus led to the formation of the castes. Hence, this
endogamy, according to him, is the actual basis of the rigid and casteist Varnashram Dharma.
Sharanas of Mahatma Basaveshwara in Karnad’s Tale-danda are quite aware of the fact that it is
the root cause of social evil. Hence, they grab this opportunity with both hands and work in unison
for the proposed inter-caste marriage to take place at any cost despite the reluctance of Basavanna.
The following sharana discourse in the play over the news of this unnatural alliance points out this
feeling of hatred and revenge against the Brahminical perpetrators:
Sharana One: The whole city is abuzz with your news.
Sharana Two: Every sharana’s home is wearing a festive air already. You’ve done it!
Sharana Three: The Brahmins are in a state of uproar. All credit to you!
Sharana Four: Excellent! Excellent! (Karnad, 43)
The treasury incident earlier had prepared the ground for this revolt. The orthodox Brahmins,
represented in the drama by Damodar Bhatta and Manchanna Kramita, play an important role in
the plot from this point onwards. They provide the brain with the insensible and impetuous Prince
Sovideva’s muscle force. These two characters have been drawn by Karnad as prototypes of the
Brahmin community. Anything unorthodox beyond their established rules is a challenge to their
religious superiority and their social standing. Hence, they would not tolerate Basavanna’s cult
based on social equality. For them “he cannot grasp the elementary fact that a hierarchy which
accommodates difference is more humane than an equality which enforces conformity” (57).
However, in Karnad’s Tale-danda, though the Brahmin prototypes are drawn in the characters
of Damodar Bhatta and Manchanna Kramita, it is the individual self-interest of these characters
in the play that gains significance. The cunning Damodar Bhatta feels belated when the sharanas
enthusiastically arrange the inter-caste wedding. For the followers of Vedic traditions, the incident
however was a blow to their beliefs. But for Damodar as an individual, “The whole city is like
tinder – ready to ignite into flames. … It was impossible which way the wind will blow” (55). That
has provided him with a lifetime opportunity to exert his influence upon the disgruntled prince and
gain a position of political strength with his help. Hence, he immediately grabs the opportunity and
coordinates the wind to blow his way. He prepares Prince Sovideva for a coup against his father
and very treacherously makes arrangements for his crowning.
Thus, the inter-caste marriage upon which Karnad’s Tale-danda is structured becomes a tool of
revenge for both the upper caste elites and the ordinary lower castes turned sharanas. Basavanna
understands the situation fully well. He is fighting for the cause of equality with the powerful tool
of non-violence and non-cooperation. He has been leading the battle against inequality. He is aware
of the fact that the Sharana movement is still in its infancy. It is not yet ripe for a social revolution
of such a magnitude. Any haste at such an inopportune time may lead the movement astray. He
therefore says: “We are not ready for the kind of revolution this wedding is. We haven’t worked
long enough or hard enough!” (44). He also knows that it’s dangerous for the newlywed to live a
happy life. His genuine concern for their well-being finds expression in these words:

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It’s a question of life and death for these children. From tomorrow the wrath of the bigoted will
pursue them like a swarm of snakes, to strike as they pause to put up a roof or light an oven.
Who will protect them then? (38).
A Brahmin turned sharana woman Lalita whose daughter was to get married to Sheelavanta
also voices similar concerns. She retells the prophecy of Sheelavanta’s grandmother that “Rivers
of blood will flow if the marriage takes place” (41). Hence, Basavanna is reluctant to support and
bless the occasion.
However, the sharanas are too vindictive to bother for the safety of a poor couple against the
opportunity of avenging their age-old suppression. The inter-caste marriage between a Brahmin
girl and a cobbler’s son thus becomes a tool of revenge for the sharanas against the priestly class.
In this agitation, they are so enraged that they would not even grasp the logical considerations
of Basavanna. Their powerful arguments and incessant pressure eventually influence Basavanna
to bless the occasion. Finally, he persuades King Bijjala to give his consent to this alliance and
provide security to the ceremony.
King Bijjala initially is reluctant to incur the wrath of his orthodox subjects. However, he bows
under the pressure of Basavanna’s larger-than-life image and provides security to the wedding
ceremony. By this act, he risks his authority in this complicated social matter for the cause of the
sharana movement. The wedding finally takes place without any untoward incident but later results
in the treacherous move by Damodar Bhatta to take the King captive. The revenge of the sharanas
is finally fulfilled. They now have nothing to do with the supportive King. The sharanas are simply
happy that they have forced vengeance on the orthodoxy through this inter-caste alliance. Now
they become indifferent to the troubles of King Bijjala. Even after Basavanna’s humanitarian plea
to save Bijjala from Sovideva’s captivity, they keep themselves away and attempt to save their skin
in the matter. The words of the sharana father of the bride, Madhuvarasa, addressed to Basavanna
point out this feeling:
The world is awe-struck at the wedding of Sheela and Kalavati. We sharanas have at last shown
our mettle, our indomitable spirit. And after all that, you want to lay the credit at the King’s
feet? (67).
On the other hand, Jagadeva, the disgruntled follower of Basavanna, forces his revenge against
Basavanna by assassinating King Bijjala. The excited Damodar Bhatta comments: “The sharanas
lie inert, lost, adrift in a void of their creation. Excellent! Now we must act-” (78). Here, by offering
his advice, he wants to be a political advisor of the new King. But another Brahmin aspirant to that
position, Manchanna, is smarter than Damodar Bhatta. His timely judging of the situation compels
Sovideva to turn to him for advice. The cunning Manchanna here kills two birds with a single stone.
He removes the obstacle of Damodar to satisfy his political ambition of becoming the Advisor of
the King and also incites the revenge motive of Sovideva for the insults from the sharanas at the
treasury. Ultimately, the unforgiving Sovideva immediately orders tale danda, the beheading of the
sharanas involved in the inter-caste marriage. Damodar Bhatta is killed in the confusion. Mayhem
follows, people are killed, the followers of Basavanna are beheaded and the sharana movement is
crushed by a decree of the new atrocious King:
From this moment all sharanas, foreigners, and free thinkers are expelled from this land on
pain of death. Women and the lower orders shall live within the norms prescribed by our ancient
tradition, or else they’ll suffer like dogs. Each citizen shall consider himself a soldier ready to lay
down his life for the King. For the King is God incarnate! (90).

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Conclusion
The revenge motive, thus, runs all through the plot of Girish Karnad’s play, Tale-Danda. The
great humanitarian movement of the past was a failure during Basava’s time. The treasury miracle
in the play led to discontent, jealousy and division among the sharanas. The following dialogue of
Jagadeva voice out these feelings:
I was at the Treasury! […] To make sure that Basavanna’s honour remained untarnished. To
establish his glory in perpetuity. […] I told myself, I shall be the hero of the sharanas. […] (but)
I was told - Basavanna has performed a miracle. Basavanna! No mention of me. In front of my
own house, only hosannas to Basavanna! (30).
These anguished words of a Brahmin-turned-Sharana make him vengefully intolerant and later
lead him to destroy the nonviolent image of Basavanna and his revolutionary cult by assassinating
King Bijjala. Thus, he represents the common man who is torn between secularism and individual
supremacy, right and wrong and between his integrity and jealousy. In this way, the play Tale-
danda by Girish Karnad represents the world of socially disturbed India in which the vices of
personal ambitions, anguish and enmity unfortunately overturn and outclass the virtues making it a
play of sociocultural retribution.

References
1. Ambedkar, B. Writing & Speeches. 1979.
2. Karnad, G. Tale-Danda. Ravi Dayal, 1993.
3. Ketkar. Ambedkar’s Writings & Speeches. 1979.
4. Sharma, R. K., & Sharma, R. Social Psychology. Atlantic Publisher, 1997.
5. Sharma K. S. Re-Reading Dr BR Ambedkar’s Earliest Paper On Caste 100 Years Later.
Counter Currents, 2016.

278 Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai