A study of Hayavadana and Transposed Heads through the lens of poetics

1. By: Prakruti Bhatt

2.  Novella by Thomas Mann published in 1940
 Mann was inspired for the plot after reading the
indologist Heinrich Zimmer's book on the Indian
goddess Kali.
 The femme fatale archetype [Sita]
 According to Jens Reikmann following are the themes
of Transposed heads:
1. Sensuality
2. Metaphysics
3. Entangled identities
4. The problem of love and individuality

3.  Play by Girish Karnad published in 1972
 Based on Transposed Heads
 Play within the play- the story of Hayavadana

4.  The play is a blending of various Rasas, the chief
among them are:
1. Vismay (wonder)
2. Bhayanak (Horror)
3. Hasya (Laughter)
4. Karuna (Compassion)

5.  The peripeteia after the heads of Shridaman and
Nanda are transposed. Also as a reason for the
characters’ tragedy
 The Desis (Tying) and Lusis (untying) of events to
reach the climax. For example, the tension which is
created after the marriage of Shridaman and Sita is
resolved with the then following events.

6.  A close look at the works would reveal a commonality
between the poetic tradition employed by the writers.
 Both the poetic traditions could be applied to either of
the works since they, to a certain extent, deal with
similar issues.
 Sita, Padmini and Kali- the femme fatale and the
feminist discourse
 Deus Ex Machina or Divine intervention

7.  https://www.litcharts.com/lit/hayavadana/summary
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transposed_Heads
#Plot
 https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.207945/pa
ge/n5