The folk story ‘Raja Bhritrihari’ was presented under Abhinayan series on Friday at Madhya Pradesh State Tribal Museum Youtube Channel.
The play was presented in Maach style under the direction of Jitendra Tattwal, Ujjain. In the traditional Loknatya style (mach) of Malwa, depict the legend of Raja Bhartrihari who became a saint after abandoning the kingdom of Ujjain.
In Indian history and folklore, 'Raja Bharthari' is the hero of many folk stories in North India. He was the ruler of Ujjain in the 1st century BC, before renouncing the world and abdicating in the favor of his younger brother Vikramaditya and became a follower of Guru Gorakhnath and along with his nephew Gopi Chand went to the Guru's hill abode in northern Punjab. Raja Bhartrihari asks his Prime Minister how humans are also happy, goats and lions are drinking water at the same ghat without harming each other.
After the discussion, the king goes out for hunting. The king becomes very depressed after returning from hunting. When the queen asks for the reason, the king says that he is surprised and amazed at the truth of the creatures of the forest.
He talks about a Bhil who pleads with the king for help. The king leaves the forest to help him. On the way, the king asks his minister to lie to his queen Pingala, confusing his confusion that a mad lion has killed me.
When the minister says this to the queen, the queen jumps from the fort and gives up her life. Meanwhile, in the jungle, the king sees a person roaming with his hundred wives, who was later slaughtered by the king. After her husband is killed, the deities curse the king and become immortal. At the same time, the king receives information about his wife giving up his life, upon hearing which the king becomes unhappy and takes sannyasa.