A THERAPEUTIC PLAY ON ALCOHOLISM
Devised by Vasanti Gopinath Jayaswal
THE SLAYING OF ASURA LAHARIMAAN
History
Om Shree Sundara Vinaayakaaya Namah
The seed for the following idea was sown in 1991 when one day I watched a T.V. documentary on the life of the Caiyupo Indians of South America. I was amazed at their clarity of thinking, considering they were so called uneducated tribal people. They presented a series of complaints against the white rulers for destroying their traditional way of life and ruining their youth. This case was so well presented that I was surprised that Bharatiyas ( Indians) with so much education could not do so well. I was especially inspired by the presentation of an old Caiyupo lady who screamed at the white rulers requesting them to take their Jesus, aspirin and social drinking and their bull dozers out of their forest. It seemed that her very breasts were being torn away from her, the way it was with the famous personality Kannagi who became deified as an emanation of Kaali.
I have seen what alcoholism is doing to Bharat. It is not that alcohol is bad but it has its proper place only as a tonic and a medicine. Associating it with rituals that may have been safe in early days, it is no longer safe these days.
Its role in social and business life among the educated is an indicator of traditions that we are picking up rapidly from the west. At the same time our traditions are not being improved at all. So called Hindu religious and Bharatiya political leaders are going through a pretension of our culture and fooling the a- viveka masses. There is a desperate need to do two things- one to shake off this silly imitation of the west, and two, to develop our own traditions such that we become an efficient nation. Blindly copying of old ways will not do.
We must make an honest and respectful study of our scriptures while constantly sifting the appropriate from the non appropriate parts. I have used the Vedas and the Puranas in the States in dealing with the problems of the Indian Community there. I realize we can make a greater impact in our cultural homeland too. I believe that only the youth can make the difference that we so badly need. Once again it is through the fine arts that this can be spread with ease. Here is one such a way ! May the almighty provide your shareera traya with jnaana, viveka and balam.
While conducting two dance camps organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra in Kerala, I was deeply touched by the plight of the wives of the alcoholics who were residing in the Rehabilitation Center next door to us. Later when I returned to LA, I decided to embark on a THERAPEUTIC PLAY on the theme of Alcoholism. This then is the SLAYING of the Asura LAHARIMAAN.
Smt. Vasanti Gopinath Jayaswal. Shree Vishnumaya Shree Vidya Mukambika Sannidhi, Westchester, California.
AMBA House of Traditions
THE SLAYING OF LAHARIMAAN
A mythology devised in the puraanic traditions to combat the evils of alcoholism, to be staged as a therapeutic drama using local traditions for mass appeal
Teachers and Directors are to construct the dialogues according to the language and age of the participants with due consideration to the place where it is to be staged.
The play has been written based on Indian culture however you can adapt it to suit any country’s indigenous cultural needs.Be aware not to lose the main thrust.
Unlike normal dramas I have provided opportunities for active audience participation. It is in this respect that the play takes on a therapeutic value. DIALOGUES HAVE TO BE ADDED IF THIS A SPOKEN DRAMA, AS PER THE FEELING AND CONTEXT.
Symbolic Words Used
Paachana – process using fire, like cooking Kumar- youth
Agnidevata- the principle of fire
Ambu- water mathi- in the mind. Mind full of waters. Connection of mind and water
yaksha – a being almost like a genie
nagini- a being from the depths,
sura -elixir paatra- pot
arishta and asava are two types of Ayurvedic preparations that are alcohol based
lahari- alcohol beverage maan – possessing
samskaarini- one who cultured
kudharmi- one who is prone to adharma
abalaa- woman,i.e. One with strength bala= strength Here a used as from rather than not or without
vanchana kumar- vanchana -to cheat
chikitsa-treatment
Scene One
Paachana Kumar the young prince and son of Agnidevata enters a forest. Ambumathi, a beautiful princess, the daughter of an yaksha and a naagini, is seen by him, bathing in the river. He falls in love with her. He courts her.
STAGE NOTES
Tabla solo while Pachana Kumar rides on a chariot approaches the edge of the forest. Amazed at the beauty of the forest he gets down and travels on his own. He admires the birds, the trees, the creepers , flowers etc.. He hears the gurgle of the waters and proceeds towards it. There he sees this girl.
Stringed instruement solo showing the Water- bathing dance of Ambumati include wading. swimming, diving and playing with water movements.
After she dresses,PK approaches her.
Song by male :Who are you, what are you doing here all alone etc.
Song by female: Ambu answers I am..... I live here in these waters. Why are talking to me.. Who are you etc......
Song by mal: His answer , attraction to the beauty of the forest as a means to pacify and relax himself...
Instruemental music with drums as He wins over the shy Ambu by picking flowers for her hair, dusts her face with paraag, decorates her brows with dots etc.
Sargam by male and female plus instruments and drums as they dance together and finally enter a kunj. They emerge wearing garlands around their necks. Audience throws flower petals shouting jug jug jeeyo.
Scene Two- Durbar
Pachana kumar holds durbar revealing the power he commands over his subjects.
Durbar scene features - Song by male:Aa poet describes the glory of king PK, how only in his kingdom is the great golden Surapaatra. He speaks of a special mysterious power he has. With that he saved a pativrata woman from the fire in her home and how he sent his army to cause forest fires in a neighbouring place, where the people no longer follow dharmic ways etc.
News arrives of the birth of his twin sons Arishtaasav and Laharimaan.
PK gives alms to the poor and gifts to the learned.
STAGE NOTES
The stage should display a large golden wine goblet set in a prominent way
Scene Three- The Royal Games.
The play of the princes. Traditional Indian games that kshatriyas used to engage in. Lahariman is shown as an aggresssive, stubborn and a noisy child. Arishtaasava shown as a quiet, determined and equally strong child.
STAGE NOTES
Only drums for play- Use small boys. Arisht dressed in red and white colors. Lahariman in only red color.
Two people should stand strategically between the audience and the stage. One holds a red flag for Lahar and the other, a red and white flag for Arisht. When it looks like Arisht is winning for eg the red & white flag comes up, the audience should cheer Arisht and when Lahar seems to win then the other flag is lifted and cheering words are to be for Lahar.
Scene Four- The Wedding
Marriage of the princes. Arishtaasavam marries princess Samskarini and Laharimaan marries Kudharmi.
STAGE NOTES
Use shehnai and nagada may be. Only shlokas in connection with havan need be recited. Now Arisht and Lahar are older however they wear same color but grander clothes. Kudharmi wears rather immodest clothes , grand jewellery etc. Sanskarini- pastel colours and simpler clothes and just enough traditional jewellery.
Scene Five- The Aggression of Laharimaan
Lahariman encouraged by his wife, ambitious to be king , plots to overtake the throne.
STAGE NOTES
Male and Female vocals. Kudharmi tempts Lahar with suggestions that Arisht being the older one will be ascending the throne al;though Lahar was smarter than him. Lahar assuares her with the following points...
1. Arisht takes time over forming solutions therefore he would show his father that he can give quicker solutions to problems.
2. Arisht studies and measures the strength of his enemies and often befriends them. Lahar would use greater force on all enemies and squash them.
3.Arisht keeps a royal distance with his subjects just like a father and his child. Lahar would come to the level of the subjects and be their friend. Thus he would win the support of the subjects ands be able to overthrow his father in case his father does not choose him as king.
Scene Six- The Thapas
Laharimaan performs various rituals to gain favour of Brahma. Brahma grants him the boon of power of controlling the minds of men and gives him death at the hands of an Abalaa. This gain is compounded by the news brought by a messenger to him, of the birth of his son Vanchan Kumar.
STAGE NOTES
Only simple sanskrit shlokas for the havan as well as the speech of Brahma and Lahar. Audience can join in the recitation of the word svaahaa every time.
Scene Seven-The exploits of Lahariman.
Laharimaan drives his family away and ascends the throne.
Over the years he becomes greedy for the acquisition of other kingdoms His method is to send secret warriors who spray into the air a magical gas that causes those who breathe to become thirsty.
This drives them away from what they are doing and thus keep going again and again into company where they can drink.
Thus he conquers the land of the White where his victims are those who teach, who are artists , who are pujaris, pravachakas etc.
He takes over the Land of the Red, where his victims are landlords, sportsmen, soldiers etc.
He takes over the Land of the Black, where his victims are construction workers, storekeepers and hardworking labourers etc.
Everywhere that Lahariman takes over the attack is done during periods of extreme excitement, loneliness, when troubled by disease, sorrow and when an imitation of an alien culture takes place. The result is that in all three kingdoms the common scene is that of women crying, children wandering aimlessly and men folk asleep or in a daze. No longer do people know their role in life.
STAGE NOTES
Before the attack show men and women in regular Indian clothes. Children in skirt and blouse, boys in pyjama-kurta , young women in saree , salwar kameez, men in dhoti and kurta pyjama etc. After the attack sow them wiping off the tilak, cutting hair short, wearing tight jeans and tops, three piece suits,etc.
Scene Eight - The Vigil
Samskarini and her son Chikitsa is shown in the forest gathering firewood. There is a troubled look on her face. As her son moves further into the forest she is left all alone. She sits on a log, pensive when a young 16 year old rishi with matted locks appears. On questioning her of sorrow, he is told of her concern regarding her family, friends, the subjects who are troubled by her brother in law. She is concerned about the loss of traditions amongst her people. The rishi advises her to undertake the upasana of Devi Shaaradaa who has the power to bless men such that they will not fear to practise their religion and continue their valuable traditions. It is with Her help alone that one can get Knowledge of Reality and thus defeat Lahariman.
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Having received upadesa, Sanskarini and Chikitsa begin to do intense japa and pooja and other austerities.
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Their vigil causes the Devi to appear. She rides on a swan. She is the colour of the autumnal moon. Dressed in all finery, she is draped in white. Her ornaments are the letters of the Sanskritha alphabets.On her crown is a crescent moon. In her eight hands she carries vamsa dhanu and bana, trisula, ghanta, nagapasa, akshamala,veena, varada and abhaya mudras. She carries on her right shoulder a quiver full of arrows. She graces the two of them and informs them that the devas who are being troubled by Laharimaan’s power have pleaded to her too . She gives a talk on the proper and improper use of the great Surapaatra. She tells that Chikeetsa is the only one who has the siddhi from his past birth with which knowledge he will distribute the contents of the paatra for the benefit of mankind. She assures them of the impending defeat of Lahariman and the restoration of the kingdom to Dharma. She reminds them that they along with their dharmic family and friends should continue to perform japa for the welfare of the world.
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STAGE NOTES
The rishi teaches Sanskarini the mantra -Om Aim Hreem Shaaradaayaiy Namaha
RHYTHM of the mantra -18 maatraas of which
4 is for Om . 4 for Aim. 4 for Hreem 4 for Shaaradaiyay 3 for Namah )
The audience at the end of the scene when the devi disappears must join in with the stage performers in repeating 36 times this mantra.
Shaaradaa devi can be made as murti, just as beautiful as the Durga pratima done during dassera. However the mouth and a couple of hands must be capable of movement like a puppet. These will be operated as the devi’s lines are sung. Please use pakhavaj or chenda and shankh to arrival. announce her
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Scene Nine- Conquest of Laharimaan
The Devi orders sixteen yoginis to go to the afflicted regions. They spread their powers to undo the effects of the mist spread by Lahariman. Then as the people wake up they feel remorse and begin to pray. As a result of their prayers the Nine lakshmis appear and bless them. The people give up their newly adopted mleccha ways and come up with their own traditions adapted for modern times.
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STAGE NOTES
Time for using masks and large weapons suggesting their features in their names.
Examples
Yoginis- like yakshagana and traditional kathakali characters Lakshmis- Chau
These characters may be taken from the audience.and dressed simple but effective such as give them a robe with the features painted in front, a mask and the weapon. They should walk on to the stage and them come down to the audience with simple brandishing movements. The two people who hold the flags can shout traahi traahi chandavikrama etc and audience can repeat with fervour. Also bolo Shree satya lakshmi ki jai when the lakshmis appear.
A mock bonfire is lit where people throw various items suggestive of western culture. eg large paper motifs of three piece suits, cassette with michael jackson, pic of a bikini clad girl, big piece of bread and jam, beef steak, hamburger etc.
May be this can be made in the middle of the audience and the members of the audience too can join in this GREAT DUMPING. They start their return to their own culture by refusing to shake hands with each other and instead doing namastey.........
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Scene Ten- The Conquest of Laharimaan continued
News of the unrest in the kingdoms he has conquered comes to King Lahariman through his messengers. The subjects are beginning to defy him. They return to wearing their traditional clothes giving up western clothes and customs. They begin to wear tilakam. They light lamps at sandhya and encourage their family to worship together etc.
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The enraged Lahariman prepares for battle. The devi sends Forty Four Raksha- devatas to defeat the army of Lahariman. She herself takes on the King and defeats him. She annoints Chikitsa as king of Bharatavarsha.
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STAGE NOTES
Once again use masks . Raksha devatas- Tibetan or Nepali.
At the end the yoginees, the lakshmis and the raksha devatas should stand encircling the audience in the back.
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Scene Eleven- Mangalam
Mangalam. Everybody including the audience joins in the victory celebration.
STAGE NOTES
All join in the refrain , dance in dandia raas style and sing- Shaaradey Shaaradey divya matee dey shaaradey ( Refer the popular Jesudas’s song for the tune)
Shaaradey Shaaradey divya shakti dey shaaradey
Jai Shaaradey Jai shaaradey Jai jai Jai Shree shaaradey
Bhaarata bhumi paalana devi, mama Maata Shree Shaaradey
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May be the prop of Shaarada can be brought to the center and all dance around her.
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BOLO MAThAA SHAARADA KI JAI
SHUBHAM
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Dear dramatists and therapists
If this play interests you and you have questions regarding the contents and appropriateness in implementation, please feel free to email me.
Best wishes
June 30 2025
Petaluma, California
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