Valmiki-Pratibha
Encyclopedia
Vālmīki-Praṭibhā is an opera
by Rabindranath Tagore
. The Bengali
libretto
was written by Tagore himself based on the legend of Ratnakara the Thug
who later became Sage Valmiki
and composed Ramayana
, a Hindu
epic
.
Composed in 1881, the opera was first performed at the Jorasanko Thakur Bari
on 26 February 1881. Tagore himself played the role of Valmiki. It was staged in front of some eminent literary personalities of contemporary Bengal like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
, Gooroodas Banerjee
and Haraprasad Shastri
. The first edition of the opera was also published this time. The second and final edition was published on 20 February 1886.
The music of this opera was a "fusion of classical, folk and European strains." The story narrates how Ratnakara, a robber chief turns into a great poet by the grace of Saraswati
, the goddess of wisdom.
, the robber chief, and his men captured a young girl to be sacrificed
before Kali
, goddess of death. As Valmiki approached to behead the girl, her cries melt the robber chief’s heart and she was released. Later Valmiki’s men found that their leader was taking no more pleasure in bloodshed. Considering it a shameful cowardliness, they abandoned him. Valmiki began to wander in the forest. One day he saw a young hunter killing two innocent love birds. Raged, he uttered a curse which curiously enough, came out in Sanskrit
, the language of the gods that he never learnt. Valmiki saw an image of Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom being worshipped by the forest-nymphs. He renounced Kali and began his long search for the fair goddess. In the mean time, Laksmi, goddess of fortune, approached to detract him, but he refused her. At last his penance was rewarded and Saraswati appeared to him. It turned out that the little girl he saved form beheading was none other than the goddess herself in disguise who came to melt his ‘stony’ heart. Later, the goddess offered her Veena
to Valmiki and blessed him with music.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. The Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
was written by Tagore himself based on the legend of Ratnakara the Thug
Valmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
who later became Sage Valmiki
Valmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
and composed Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
epic
Indian epic poetry
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya . The Ramayana and Mahabharata, originally composed in Sanskrit and translated thereafter into many other Indian languages, are some of the oldest surviving epic poems on earth and form part of...
.
Composed in 1881, the opera was first performed at the Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Jorasanko Thakur Bari
The Thakurbari The Thakurbari The Thakurbari (Bangla: House of the Thakurs (anglicised to Tagore) in Jorasanko, north of Kolkata, West Bengal, India is the ancestral home of the Tagore family. It is currently located on the Rabindra Bharati University campus at 6/4 Dwarakanath Tagore Lane...
on 26 February 1881. Tagore himself played the role of Valmiki. It was staged in front of some eminent literary personalities of contemporary Bengal like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was a famous Bengali writer, poet and journalist. He was the composer of India’s national song Vande Mataram, originally a Bengali and Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring the activists during the Indian Freedom Movement...
, Gooroodas Banerjee
Gooroodas Banerjee
Sir Gooroodas Banerjee, KCIE was a Bengali Indian judge of the Calcutta High Court. In 1890, he also became the first Indian Vice-Chancellor of University of Calcutta...
and Haraprasad Shastri
Haraprasad Shastri
Haraprasad Shastri , also known as Haraprasad Bhattacharya, was an Indian academic, Sanskrit scholar, archivist and historian of Bengali literature...
. The first edition of the opera was also published this time. The second and final edition was published on 20 February 1886.
The music of this opera was a "fusion of classical, folk and European strains." The story narrates how Ratnakara, a robber chief turns into a great poet by the grace of Saraswati
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
, the goddess of wisdom.
Name
Tagore wrote in his reminiscence, Jibansmriti, “[In Valmiki-Pratibha] I played Valmiki and my niece Pratibha played Saraswati – this history remains in the naming of Valmiki-Pratibha.”Synopsis
One night, ValmikiValmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
, the robber chief, and his men captured a young girl to be sacrificed
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
before Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
, goddess of death. As Valmiki approached to behead the girl, her cries melt the robber chief’s heart and she was released. Later Valmiki’s men found that their leader was taking no more pleasure in bloodshed. Considering it a shameful cowardliness, they abandoned him. Valmiki began to wander in the forest. One day he saw a young hunter killing two innocent love birds. Raged, he uttered a curse which curiously enough, came out in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, the language of the gods that he never learnt. Valmiki saw an image of Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom being worshipped by the forest-nymphs. He renounced Kali and began his long search for the fair goddess. In the mean time, Laksmi, goddess of fortune, approached to detract him, but he refused her. At last his penance was rewarded and Saraswati appeared to him. It turned out that the little girl he saved form beheading was none other than the goddess herself in disguise who came to melt his ‘stony’ heart. Later, the goddess offered her Veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
to Valmiki and blessed him with music.
Roles and historical cast
In the list below, the role is followed by the original cast member from the 1881 production.- ValmikiValmikiValmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
, the robber chief – Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. - SaraswatiSaraswatiIn Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
, goddess of wisdom – Pratibha Devi, Tagore’s niece. - LakshmiLakshmiLakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
, goddess of fortune – Sushila Devi, Tagore’s niece. - robbers – Sarada Prasad Ganguly, Kedarnath Majumdar, Akshay Majumdar.
Recording
- 1967, Santosh Sengupta (conductor), Hemanta Mukherjee (ValmikiValmikiValmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
), Suchitra MitraSuchitra MitraSuchitra Mitra was an Indian singer and composer, as well as a well-respected exponent of Rabindra Sangeet or the songs of Bengal's poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore. As an academic she remained a Professor and the Head of 'Rabindra Sangeet Department' at the Rabindra Bharati University for many...
(SaraswatiSaraswatiIn Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
), Tarun Bandyopadhyay (robber), Sagar Sen (robber), Arghya Sen (robber), Sumitra Sen (forest-nymph), Ritu Guha (LakshmiLakshmiLakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
) etc. (The Gramophone Company of India Limited, EALP 1313)
Sources
- Ghose, Sisir Kumar (2006). Rabindranath Tagore.Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 8126019948
- Guha-Thakurta, P. (2000). The Bengali drama: its origin and development. Routledge. ISBN 0415245044
- Hochman, Stanley (ed.) (1984). "Tagore, Rabindranath", McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of world drama, Volume 5, pp. 1–2. VNR AG. ISBN 0070791694