| Literal Comprehension

“Chandalika” is a story by Rabindranath Tagore. Ananda, a disciple of Lord Buddha accepts a drink of water from a lady of the untouchable caste, and she falls in love with him. His honor of her as somebody’s making her feel that it’s her new birth. She says that she is unable to live without him and persuades her mother to cast a magical spell on him.

Seeing her daughter’s suffering her mother becomes ready to bind him with her magical spell though she knows that she is doing wrong. She has to work terribly hard for a long time risking her life. Finally, her magic wins, and Ananda is seen at her house overcome by shame.

Ananda prays to Buddha, who breaks the magical spell and saves them from committing sin. Ananda despite his own pain pardons and blesses Prakriti at the end. Prakriti also realizes that if you love someone, you shouldn’t hold them in captivity but rather set them free.

| Interpretation

“Chandalika” drama shows that humanity doesn’t have any race and the variations on the caste of people contain equal purity of dignity. The love felt by a girl for the opposite sex is much more powerful and she can’t go over her fury and commit a random act to fulfill her strong desire for love.

Similarly, there is the excellent philosophy of Buddha’s principle to tolerate everyone with respect, peace, and love.

| Critical Thinking

Though this drama tries to brighten society through great logic of humanity, I have some critical issues with this drama:

• Can anyone love anyone because only of their nature of living philosophy?
• Can we believe in the existence of black magic nowadays too?
• Can a daughter become selfish to win her love, even ready to sacrifice her own mother?

| Assimilation

After reading this drama, I got a point that we must not wish for anything hard, which is not going to be ours. I truly got motivated by the sayings of Ananda and forget social evils.

Also, I started to follow the principle of Buddha’s philosophy in my life too. Last but not least, I want to be recognized myself as a human being, not as a person who is insulted all the time for committing a social crime.