Danseuse Shovana Narayan spoke to Utpal K Banerjee about her depiction of goddess in her bhayankari and shubhankari avatars
In the Indian tradition, Devi, the supreme feminine spirit, is interpreted as swarupa (self-manifestation): not as an incarnation on earth, but as symbolising the total energy of the gods. She is seen as both bhayankari (destructive) and shubhankari (ameliorative). If one counts just the bhayankari manifestations, they are seen by the 12th century mythology as Mahadurga, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati: extolled in all our visual and performing arts. While in the east, Durga is the slayer of the buffalo-demon, in the south, she is worshipped alongside lakshmi and Saraswati with the chanting of lalita Sahasrnama (Thousand Names of lalita) during Navaratri. The other bhaynkari manifestations are lalita (who fought the greedy demon Skandasura); Chamunda (who killed the lustful demon-duo Shumbha and Nishumbha), Chandi (who eliminated demons Madhu and Kaitabha: born out of ear-wax of Vishnu) and Kalika (who licked up blood-drops of the mutilated demon Raktabeeja who would otherwise proliferate on earth).
The deeper truth of these myths is to recognise Devi’s unflinching fight against the baser human instincts, namely, the avarice for wealth, lust for women, accretion of filth and the power of corruption.
These instincts exist in all of us to a varying degree and need be curbed and controlled, for which ovations are sung to Devi and prayers made.The remarkable underpinning in the myths is how to create a balance and restore stability, by not entirely eradicating vice, which is impossible to achieve for humanity over space and time, but overpowering it with virtue in order to minimise its impact.
Shades of Devi, presented recently by Ashavari under guru Shovana Narayan, the renowned Kathak danseuse, created some of the hues of Devi in a simplified sense. First, Saraswati was depicted by all five of her senior disciples: in sparkling white costume: impersonating her as giver of knowledge, player of veena and bestower of riches. Then Parvati was essayed by Shivani Salhotra Varma as Shiva’s worthy consort: who is enamoured of Shiva, is given him in betrothal and gives birth to Kartikeya to vanquish the power-hungry demons. Third is Annapoorna enacted by Manasi as a Shubhankari goddess as giver of food and prosperity. The fourth form is of lakshmi by Komal Biswal: bringing in the blessing of wealth.
The penultimate figure is of Shodashi, a petite and beauteous Devi, etched by Urvi Mishra: in a mood of frolicsome entertainment. The finale is Durga depicted by Kartika Singh: bringing in the goddess whom Rama beseeched to vanquish the demon Ravana. The late, interestingly, was a learned scholar whose sky-high egotism led his path to ruin: reminder of yet another human frailty that needs be severely subdued!
Says Shovana, “I wanted to do Devi for a long time, having done Mahavidya once earlier. The concept of Devi is so full of energy and has so many facades, almost each with a male-counterpart. I wanted to bring those manifold aspects on stage and in clearly-delineated choreographic form. There are so many legends of Dasha Mahamaya and Dasha Kalika which extols the virtues of Devi.”
She readily agrees with an idea of doing the shubhankari and bhaynkari aspects together. “These could be a mini-epic: reminder of man’s possible sojourn from viciousness towards virtuousness.”