Mahaviracharita ("Exploits of a Great Hero") is a play by the 8th-century Sanskrit playwright Bhavabhuti based on the early life of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana and venerated as a Hindu deity. It is the first play of Bhavabhuti, thus lacking in character and style compared to his two known later works: Malatimadhava and Uttararamacharita. Though currently composed of seven acts, the whole present text may not have been composed by Bhavabhuti.
Structure and plot
The play is composed of seven acts. Most modern scholars agree that Bhavabhuti has written the play from the beginning only to the 46th verse of Act V. According to one theory, the rest of the play is lost to time. Another theory suggests that Bhavabuti left the play incomplete after the 46th verse of Act V. However, two different extensions replace the lost material to make up seven acts. The North Indian version is composed by a poet Vinayaka and the South Indian version is attributed to Subrahmanya, but this is disputed. Both versions do not resemble Bhavabuti's style. However, the North Indian version is considered better in quality than the South Indian version.
Bhavabhuti's original: Act I - V.46
The prologue starts with the sutradhara (narrator) singing the prayer to God, followed by the introduction of Bhavabhuti and the themes of the play, pointing out the starting point and context of the story portrayed in Act I. In Act I, the sage Vishwamitra has called his disciples Rama and his brother Lakshmana to guard his sacrifice against demons. He has also invited King Janaka to the sacrifice site but he is unable to attend and sends his brother Kushadhvaja and daughters Sita and Urmila as his delegates.
Act I begins with Vishwamitra introducing the Ayodhyan princes to Kushadhvaja, who in turn introduces his nieces to the sage. From behind the curtain, Ahalya hails Rama as her saviour and Vishwamitra tells her story to the Mithila royalty. Sita realizes that Rama is no ordinary being and develops feelings for him. Sarvamaya, a messenger of the demon king of Lanka - Ravana - demands Sita for his king. An angry Lakshamana reacts, but is pacified by Rama. Suddenly, demoness Tataka attacks the sacrifice site. Vishwamitra orders Rama to slay her, but Rama hesitates to kill a woman. The sage justifies her slaying since she otherwise would slay the priests. The powerful Tataka is killed, shocking Sarvamaya. A pleased Vishwamitra grants the princes divine weapons. Kushadhvaja wishes to have Rama as his son-in-law. Janaka imposes a condition, only the man who can string the enormous bow of the god Shiva may win the hand of Sita. So, Rama mounts the string on the bow, breaking it in the process. Kushadhvaja and Vishwamitra decide to marry Sita and Urmila to Rama and Lakshamana. Tataka's sons Maricha and Subahu attack the sacrifice site. Vishwamitra orders Rama to slay them, ending the Act.
In Act II, Ravana's minister Malyavan and sister Surpanakha discuss news of Tataka and Subahu's death, Maricha's narrow escape and Rama's marriage. A letter from Parshurama arrives with a veiled threat to Ravana to stop atrocities on sages in Dandaka Forest or face the consequences. It offers friendship on condition he stops the carnage. Malyavan provokes Parshurama against Rama, who broke his guru Shiva's bow. In the main scene of the act, an enraged Parshurama arrives in Mithila and dashes into the inner chambers of Rama and Sita. Rama — embraced by a frightened Sita — meets Parshurama and praises him to calm the warrior-sage. While Sita is taken away, on the orders of Parshurama, Janaka and his family-priest Satananda arrive on the scene and send Rama inside. Satananda tries to pacify Parshurama and reminds him that he had broken social norms by entering the inner chambers, but Parshurama pays no heed.
The sage Vashishtha, family-priest of Rama, Vishwamitra and Satananda try to calm Parshurama in Act III, with arguments including the father Dasharatha's plea, the seniority of Vashishtha to Parshurama (thus Parshurama should listen to his uncle Vashishtha), and Satananda's warning to use his penance power against his cousin Parshurama. Janaka and Dasharatha intervene and accelerate the dispute. As the scene is set for a battle between Vishwamitra and Parshurama's penance powers, Rama enters and humbly praises Parshurama, who prepares to fight him.