PAROMITA

Chitrangada A Dance Drama by Rabindranath Tagore In a far-away forest somewhere in Bengal, was a kingdom ruled by Chitrangada, the warrior princess. Along with her many female companions, she kept close guard on the borders of her kingdom; with bows and arrows, dressed so they could run and hide, these warrior women were adept at fighting and apprehending unwanted intruders. Unlike any other royal princess, Chitrangada preferred to take care of her kingdom herself. Being outdoors all day, most days, the princess was well tanned and slim, not the familiar beautiful woman who kept indoors and let her subjects do all the work of guarding and ruling the kingdom. One day, Arjune, the warrior prince of the famous Pandava clan was planning to spend a prolonged solitary retreat in her forest. Now, the princess had heard of Arjune, the handsome fighter and was eager to meet him. Would he be interested in a warrior woman like herself? Undeterred, she decides to go to a holy man and asks for a boon: would he change her into a beautiful woman only for a short while? Now transformed into an irresistible woman, the princess approaches Arjune. He hears and sees this lovely vision of beauty and immediately loses all thoughts of meditation. He longs to spend time with this alluring maid. But very soon after, he is bored with beauty alone and bestirs himself to search for something new. He asks after the warrior princess he had heard so much about and wants to make her acquaintance. The fair maid explains that he will be disappointed if he meets her. She is a warrior and keeps herself in fighting gear. She knows not how to walk the tantalizing walk like I do. She does not have the same bow-shaped brows like I have. Nor the doe-shaped eyes like mine. She is not at all beautiful like me. Arjune however, is intrigued by this difference and pleads for her to make it possible for him to meet her. Wait here, I will bring her to you, she says. The princess returns to the holy man who transforms her back to her original self. Now as Chitrangada, she enters the forest to meet Arjune. She does not fall at his feet in salutation. Instead, she approaches him with the following words: I am Chitrangada the royal princess, not a superior being, nor an ordinary person You will not know me if you keep me above high on a pedestal to adore You will not know me if you keep me behind to follow in your footsteps If you keep me beside you in crisis and in comfort, then alone will you come to know me For I am Chitrangada, the royal princess. Arjune, humbled, bows in gratitude. Blessed am I, he says.