BETWEEN MYTH AND METAPHOR: THE CHANGING MEANING OF NAGA IN KARNAD'S NAGA-MANDALA

The Indian mythology had Nagas or serpentine gods often represented as mighty and mighty gods like the Naga King or Kaliya which is tamed by Lord Krishna. The role of Nagas in different stories is not simple as they have both good and bad parts of their nature. The duality of the Naga refers to cosmic balance. On the one hand, they are linked to fertility and life (e.g. pouring milk over anthills), on the other hand, they are feared due to their potential to be very dangerous (the evil aspect). The relationship of serpents with the divine is further shown by the fact that Lord Vishnu has a Naga and Shiva wears a Naga on his neck as a necklace. The Naga myth is not only Indian but also transcends to other mythologies such as the Greek and Biblical ones. Girish Karnad in the play Naga-Mandala employs this mythological Naga as an image to discuss the complicated human feelings and relations. The play based on the classic Yakshagana act brings in the supernatural (the Naga masquerading as humans) to talk about the boundary between the divine, human and animal world. The current paper attempts to examine how the mythology re-invented in the setting of human drama is effective as a potent lens through which to examine eternal motifs of identity, power and transformation.