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Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 6 templates: del empty params (7×); hyphenate params (1×);

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{{short description|Gujarati play written by Manilal Dwivedi}}
{{for|an [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]]|Narasimha}}
{{Infobox play
| name =
| image = Nrusinhavatar_cover.jpeg
| caption = First edition cover page, 1955 (published and edited by [[Dhirubhai Thaker]])
| writer = [[Manilal Nabhubhai Dwivedi]]
| chorus = 
| characters = {{unbulleted list
|Hiranyakashipu
|Queen of Hiranyakashipu
|Prahalad
|Vishnu
|Laxmi
|Jay and Vijay
|Shambuk and Hyagriva
|Narad
|Indra
|Kashyap
|Diti
|Nrusinh
}}
| setting =
| premiere = 1899
| place =
| orig_lang = [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]
| subject =
| genre =
}}
'''''Nrusinhavatar''''' ({{IPA-gu|nrusĩhavətar|pron|}}) is one of the two [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] plays written by [[Manilal Nabhubhai Dwivedi]], the other is [[Kanta (play)|''Kanta'']]. Written probably in 1896, it recounts the [[Purana|puranic]] [[Hindu mythology|mythological]] tale of [[Narasimha|Nrusinh]][[avatar]]. It was first staged by the [[Mumbai Gujarati Natak Company]] in 1899 but was unsuccessful. It was staged again in 1906-07 and became successful. It was edited and published as the book by [[Dhirubhai Thaker]] in 1955.<ref name=":c">{{Cite book|script-title=gu:ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ|last=Baradi|first=Hasmukh|publisher=[[Gujarati Vishwakosh|Gujarati Vishvakosh Trust]]|year=1998|editor-last=Thaker|editor-first=Dhirubhai|editor-link=Dhirubhai Thaker|edition=1st|volume=X|location=[[Ahmedabad]]|pages=304-305|language=gu|title=Gujarati Vishwakosh|trans-title=Gujarati Encyclopaedia|oclc=165832685|author-link=Hasmukh Baradi}}</ref>

== Plot ==
[[File:God Narasimha.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Hiranyakashipu]] (centre) wielding a mace against [[Narasimha|Nrusinh]] (left) and [[Prahlada|Prahalad]] stands praying. The mythological tale of Nrusinh, Hiranyakashipu and Prahalad is the source of the play.]]

Due to curse of [[Sanaka]] and others, Vishnu's gatekeepers [[Jaya-Vijaya|Jay and Vijay]] are reborn on earth as [[Hiranyaksha]] and [[Hiranyakashipu]] to sage [[Kashyap]]. When Hiranyakashipu learns that Hiranyaksha is killed by [[Varaha]] incarnation ([[avatar]]) of Vishnu, he swear to take revenge. He went to perform penance to have a boon of immortality from [[Brahma|Prajapati]]. [[Indra]] abducts his pregnant wife. [[Narada|Narad]] saves his wife and his son [[Prahlada|Prahalad]] and returns them to Hiranyakashipu when he returns. Prahalad is sent to study. He was an ardent devotee of Vishnu so he continues to chant Narayan (name of Vishnu) even after the prohibition by his father. Hiranyakashipu tries to kill him with various means but Vishnu saves him each time. At last he orders his on to embrace a hot iron pillar in the court but Vishnu appears in the incarnation (avatar) of [[Narasimha|Nrusinh]] from the split pillar and slays Hiranyakashipu.<ref name="Thaker2008" />

== Characters ==
The principal characters are:

* Hiranyakashipu - The king
* Queen of Hiranyakashipu
* Prahalad - Son of Hiranyakashipu
* Vishnu - The celestial God
* Laxmi - Wife of Vishnu
* Jay and Vijay - Doorkeepers of Vishnu
* Shambuk and Hyagriva - Commanders of Hiranyakashipu
* Narad - Celestial being and the devotee of Vishnu
* Indra - Celestial lord
* Kashyap - Sage
* Diti - Mother of Hiranyakashipu
* Nrusinh - avatar of [[Vishnu]]

== Sets ==
* Forest, Vishnu temple, Ashram of Kashyapa, Parijat forest, court of Hiranyakashipu, queen's palace, square outside the palace, court of Indra, celestial space, forest
* Court of Hiranyakashipu, queen's palace, Ashram of Shukra, jester's house, Shukra's Ashram, private room of Hiranyakashipu, queen's palace, drawing room, queen's palace, forest
* palace, forest, mechanic's house, seashore, queen's palace, forest, Somdatta's house, queen's palace, court of Hiranyakashipu<ref name="Thaker2008">{{Cite book|script-title=gu:અભિનેય નાટકો (૩૬૦ ગુજરાતી નાટકોની રંગસૂચિ)|last=Thaker|first=Dhirubhai|publisher=[[Gujarati Vishwakosh|Gujarati Vishwakosh Trust]]|year=2008|edition=2nd|location=Ahmedabad|page=81|language=gu|title=Abhiney Natako (360 Gujarati Natakoni Rangsuchi)|trans-title=Staged Plays (List of 360 Gujarati Plays)|author-link=Dhirubhai Thaker|oclc=945585883}}</ref>

== Theme and style ==
The play recounts the Hindu [[Purana|puranic]] [[Hindu mythology|mythological]] tale of [[Narasimha|Nrusinh]][[avatar]], an [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]] with a picture of contemporary household. The mythological tale is taken from the ''Prahaladavritanta'' chapter of seventh book (''skandha'') of [[Bhagavata Purana|Bhagvata Purana]]. The character of a jester named Somadatt and his household is included for the public interest. The characterisation of the characters was praised by [[Dhirubhai Thaker]] for their diversity. The play is written in the style of the [[Indian classical drama|Sanskrit play]] having a prologue praising the deity, a stage-manager and the happy ending but also considering the public interest and the stage requirements.<ref name=":c" /><ref name="Thakar56" /><ref name=":0" /> There is also an influence of English plays in theme of conflict, tragic characterisations and satire.<ref name=":0" /> The play focuses on devotional aspect. It has 64 poems including 35 songs. There are Sanskrit and Gujarati [[shloka]]s as dialogues in the play. Some songs including "Tum Tananan Harigun Gao..." and "Premkala Balihari" became very popular then.<ref name=":c" /><ref name="Thakar56"/><ref name=":0" /> According to Thaker, the friendship of Prahlad and Devdutt included the play reflects Dwivedi's lifelong longing for a pure friendship.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t_suAAAAMAAJ|title=ગુજરાતી નાટ્ય સાહિત્યનો ઉદભવ અને વિકાસ|script-title=gu:Gujarati Natya Sahityano Udbhav Ane Vikas|last=Chokshi|first=Mahesh Hiralal|publisher=Gujarat Sangeet Nritya Natya Akademi|year=1965|location=Ahmedabad|pages=127-129|trans-title=Origin and Development of Gujarati Playwriting|oclc=20835630|language=gu}}</ref>

[[Duty]] is a central theme of the play. All characters in the play are bound by their duty and are conflicted by their loves. The play becomes more intense as it progresses and culminates in climatic appearance of Nrusinh.<ref name="Thakar56"/>

== History and reception ==
Following success of Dwivedi's play ''[[Kanta (play)|Kanta]]'' based ''Kulin Kanta'' in 1889, the [[Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali]] asked him to write another play. ''Nrusinhavatar'' was his second play written around end of 1896.{{efn-ua|The play is mentioned in his will dated 2 January 1897. So ''Nrusinhavatar'' must be written around the end of 1896.<ref name="Thakar56"/>}} It is believed that Dwivedi had made some changes in the play and its songs for the stage performance. He probably had discussed the changes with Dayashankar Visanji Bhatt, the director. Some songs were added in the stage adaptation by Vajeshankar Kalidas.<ref name="Thakar56">{{cite book |last=Thaker|first=Dhirubhai|author-link=Dhirubhai Thaker|title=મણિલાલ નભુભાઇ: સાહિત્ય સાધના|trans-title=Works of Manilal Nabhubhai|language=gu|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.305012/page/n223|year=1956|publisher=Gurjar Grantharatna Karyalay|location=Ahmedabad|pages=205–214|oclc=80129512}}</ref><ref name="Choksi 20042">{{Cite book|title=ગુજરાતી રંગભૂમિ: રિદ્ધિ અને રોનક (Gujarati Rangbhoomi: Riddhi Ane Ronak)|publisher=Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust|year=2004|editor-last=Choksi|editor-first=Mahesh|location=Ahmedabad|pages=11-12|language=gu|trans-title=Compilation of Information regarding professional theatre of Gujarat|editor-last2=Somani|editor-first2=Dhirendra}}</ref>

''Nrusinhavatar'' was first staged on 18 February 1899<ref name="Choksi 20042"/> by the Mumbai Gujarati Natak Mandali, a year after the death of Dwivedi. It was commercially unsuccessful probably because its director and the actor playing the lead character of Hiranyakashipu were [[Parsis]]. In 1906–07, it was again staged by the Company and run successfully for around thirty nights. It starred [[Jaishankar Sundari]] as Laxmi, [[Bapulal Nayak]] as Vishnu, Prabhashankar Jagjivan 'Ramani' as Prahalad, Jatashankar Oza as Hiranyakashipu, Dayashankar as Kashyap, Jethalal D Nayak as Diti and Nannu Gulab Panwala as a jester. The first seven or eight shows were houseful and the Company earned the good amount of revenue. Jaishankar Sundari opines that it was one of the most successful devotional aspect focused plays.<ref name="Thakar56"/><ref name="Thaker2008"/><ref name="Baradi2003">{{cite book|last=Baradi|first=Hasmukh|author-link=Hasmukh Baradi|translator-last=Meghani|translator-first=Vinod|title=History of Gujarati Theatre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eWwCxY7w-QC|series=India - The Land and the People|year=2003|location=New Delhi|publisher=[[National Book Trust]]|isbn=978-81-237-4032-4|pages=47–48}}</ref><ref name=":c" /> The success was attributed to mythological characters, use of local dialects, colloquy of jester and use of sarcasm by stage-manager who instigates quarrels in the play.<ref name="Baradi2003" />

As the Company had bought the rights of the play including its publication rights for Rs. 500 from Dwivedi, it was not published for decades. It was finally edited and published as the book by [[Dhirubhai Thaker]] in 1955.<ref name="Thakar56"/><ref name="Thaker2008"/><ref name=":c" />

==Notes==
{{notelist-ua}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Manilal Nabhubhai Dwivedi}}

[[Category:Works by Manilal Dwivedi]]
[[Category:1896 plays]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language plays]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language books]]
[[Category:Indian plays]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian literature]]
[[Category:Books published posthumously]]
[[Category:Plays based on myths and legends]]

Nrusinhavatar - Revision history

imported>Monkbot: Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 6 templates: del empty params (7×); hyphenate params (1×);