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Kapila
Padmini is the spark that ignites the rivalry between Devadatta and Kapila. She marries Devadatta because she loves his mind, but she quickly realizes how sensitive Devadatta is when she makes harsh, teasing comments (a fact that Kapila understood when he met her for the first time). Even while she is pregnant with Devadatta’s child, she begins to pine for Kapila’s muscular body, and it is her split desire which causes Devadatta to kill himself, followed quickly by Kapila. When Padmini switches the men’s heads accidentally, she appears to get the best of both worlds now that Devadatta’s head is attached to Kapila’s body, but as the men’s bodies slowly return to their former states, she begins to yearn again for a different life. When the two men kill each other at the end of the play, she laments that they have once again left her all alone. She tells the Bhagavata to take care of her son and performs sati, throwing herself on the funeral pyre. Her storyline dramatizes the ways in which the mind—and tools of rationality more generally—can be irreconcilably at odds with the desires of the body.
Padmini Quotes in Hayavadana
The Hayavadana quotes below are all either spoken by Padmini or refer to Padmini. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 1 Quotes
Two friends there were—one mind, one heart. They saw a girl and forgot themselves. But they could not understand the song she sang.
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After Hayavadana goes off to try to get rid of his horse’s head, the Bhagavata launches into the story he had been meaning to tell. He introduces the two main characters and summarizes their conflict. His repetition of the phrase “one mind, one heart,” which he had also used before Hayavadana’s interruption, is thematically important, and has two meanings. The two friends initially share a very close friendship, and thus they are said to be of one mind and one heart. They know each other’s mind and care for each other. But in their rivalry, one of them (Devadatta) comes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor
Why should love stick to the sap of a single body? When the stem is drunk with the thick yearning of the many-petalled, many-flowered lantana, why should it be tied down to the relation of a single flower?
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As the Bhagavata sets up the main conflict of the play, the female chorus expresses Padmini’s feelings and desires. They question through nature-related metaphor why someone should be limited to loving only one other person. Padmini’s main conflict will be her inability to find completeness in loving only one man. This style of poetic metaphor expressed through song, and the use of natural imagery as euphemisms for physical romance and intimacy, are both traditions borrowed from Sanskrit theater. This is unlikely to be accidental, as the play itself began as a Sanskrit drama that was then adapted into a play Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea
DEVADATTA: Kapila, with you as my witness I swear, if I ever get her as my wife, I’ll sacrifice my two arms to the goddess Kali. I’ll sacrifice my head to Lord Rudra…
KAPILA: Ts! Ts! [Aside.] This is a serious situation.
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When Devadatta explains to Kapila how much he is in love with Padmini and how much he would sacrifice if he could marry her, Kapila is skeptical. It is at this point, however, that Kapila realizes that Devadatta may care more about Padmini than he has about other women in the past. The vow that Devadatta makes is a serious one, and foreshadows how he will eventually cut off his head. This will become a particularly appropriate way for Devadatta to sacrifice himself, because it eliminates the part of him that comprised his whole identity – his head and his Dolorem et qua
Devadatta, my friend, I confess to you I’m feeling uneasy. You are a gentle soul. You can’t bear a bitter word or an evil thought. But this one is fast as lightning—and as sharp. She is not for the likes of you. What she needs is a man of steel.
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After Kapila goes to knock on Padmini’s door and she outwits him several times—not letting him enter her house until she gets a satisfactory answer as to why he is there—Kapila wonders how Devadatta will fare in a relationship with Padmini. Up until this point, the scene between him and Devadatta underscored their difference in intelligence, but here Kapila focuses on the difference in their constitutions. Kapila predicts correctly that Devadatta is too sensitive for Padmini and believes that she instead needs someone stronger and sturdier, like him. As Kapila has also fallen in love with Padmini at first sight, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam el
Why do you tremble, heart? Why do you cringe like a touch-me-not bush through which a snake has passed?
The sun rests his head on the Fortunate Lady’s flower.
And the head is bidding good-bye to the heart.
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When Padmini changes her mind again and decides to travel to the fair so as not to disappoint Kapila, both men are confused and Devadatta is especially hurt. In the transition between packing the cart and setting off for the fair, the Bhagavata recites these poetic lines in the style of traditional Sanskrit verse. The Bhagavata hints at what’s to come through his reference to the Fortunate Lady’s flower, which represents Padmini’s thoughts of infidelity and her unhappiness in her own marriage. The fact that the “sun rests his head” on this flower implies this shift in Padmini’s affections from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam conseq
What a good mix!
No more tricks!
Is this one that
or that one this?
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After Padmini has switched Devadatta and Kapila’s heads, all three of them become amused at their unlikely situation. They sing this rhyme over and over again, holding hands and spinning in circles as they go. Though their relationships will quickly turn sour, here they share a brief moment of unbridled joy and laughter. This moment comes just before the end of the first act, and in a way it mirrors the laughter that Padmini’s son will find in Hayavadana at the very end of the play. The difference between the two moments, however, is that Devadatta and Kapila are locked Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligen
KAPILA. [Raising his right hand.] This is the hand that accepted her at the wedding. This is the body she’s lived with all these months. And the child she’s carrying is the seed of this body.
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When Padmini starts to refer to the person with Devadatta’s head as Devadatta, the man with Kapila’s head starts to argue that he is in fact Devadatta because he has Devadatta’s body. This argument establishes the newfound conflict between the three of them, after the men’s heads have been switched. Between the two of them, Kapila’s hybridity is seemingly more upsetting because he has lost the thing that defined him: his body. He tries to argue that he is Devadatta in order to latch onto the only other thing that really gave him an identity: his love for Padmini. This Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia a
Of all the human limbs the topmost—in position as well as in importance—is the head. I have Devadatta’s head, and it follows that I am Devadatta.
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When Kapila begins to argue that he is Devadatta because he has Devadatta’s body, Devadatta naturally starts to make the opposite argument. Unlike with Kapila’s argument, however, Devadatta’s argument has a lot of prior textual merit. The Bhagavata says something similar when he tells Hayavadana that one cannot alter what is written on one’s forehead, and even Kapila acknowledges this later in the play after their bodies slowly begin to change to reflect the personalities of the heads now attached to them. But even in light of this argument, the body also has its effect on personality, as much of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicab
Act 2 Quotes
Kapila? What could he be doing now? Where could he be? Could his body be fair still, and his face dark? [Long pause.] Devadatta changes. Kapila changes. And me?
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As the second act goes on and Devadatta’s body begins to return to its original state, Padmini begins to dream of Kapila. One day after a long overdue workout, Devadatta becomes angry that he is losing his muscles. Padmini says he shouldn’t care and that Kapila is out of her life, but no sooner has she said this than she begins to wonder where Kapila is. As Devadatta reverts to his original self, Padmini becomes unhappy and wonders whether she has changed at all from the time she felt so split in her love for the two men. With this Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Opti
DOLL II: Especially last night—I mean—that dream…
DOLL I: Tut-tut—One shouldn't talk about such things!
DOLL II: It was so shameless…
DOLL I: I said be quiet…
DOLL II: Honestly! The way they…
DOLL I: Look, if we must talk about it, let me.
DOLL II: You didn't want to talk about it. So…
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As Devadatta’s body returns to its original form, Padmini continues to dream of Kapila. Here the dolls imply that her dreams have become more and more sexually explicit as they fight over who gets to tell the audience about her “shameless” dream. The dolls here reinforce their connection to Padmini’s desire by narrating some of her dreams, but in previous dialogues they also revealed some of her insecurities about her own body and her relationship to these two men. Here and elsewhere, the dolls also express some of her worries about how her relationships are perceived by society, just as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit.
KAPILA: The moment it came to me, a war started between us.
PADMINI: And who won?
KAPILA: I did.
PADMINI: The head always wins, doesn’t it?
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When Padmini goes to find Kapila in the forest, she discovers that he, like Kapila, has largely reverted to his original self. He describes how his body rebelled when he tried to work back into shape, but that ultimately, he won the battle between his head and Devadatta’s body. With this development, Kapila seems to realize that the head does in fact rule the body and that he is, undeniably, Kapila—something that he had argued against when their heads were switched initially. But as Devadatta had illustrated earlier, and as Kapila explains shortly after this quote occurs, the body that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam vo
Isn’t that surprising? That the body should have its own ghosts—its own memories?
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After describing how he conquered Devadatta’s body and, in doing so, returned himself to his original form, Kapila admits to Padmini that his body still has experiences and senses of which he has no conscious knowledge—sensations leftover from Devadatta’s body. Devadatta feels this earlier as well when he impulsively challenges the wrestler, but Kapila’s situation is more difficult as he describes how his body remembers the intimacy that Devadatta and Padmini had shared without having the memories to match. It is this incongruity which haunts him most of all as he tries to sort through his own identity, and which Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt
I know it in my blood you couldn’t have lived together. Because you knew death you died in each other’s arms. You could only have lived ripping each other to pieces. I had to drive you to death. You forgave each other, but again—left me out.
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After Kapila and Devadatta have killed each other at the end of the play, Padmini wonders whether they would still be alive if she had said that all three of them could live together. It is unclear whether Padmini would have found fulfilment in such an arrangement, but she makes it clear that she doesn’t think it would have worked for Devadatta and Kapila. She acknowledges that the conflict between the two men’s warring heads and bodies, there was no room for her, and she echoes earlier sentiments that she feels alone and unchanged by the events that have transpired. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at
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Padmini Character Timeline in Hayavadana
The timeline below shows where the character Padmini appears in Hayavadana. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1
...two friends, Devadatta and Kapila, who are of “one mind, one heart,” met a girl (Padmini) and “forgot themselves” as a result, but ultimately neither of them could “understand the song...
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...on the door to try and find out who lives there. When the girl (named Padmini) answers the door, he is immediately love-struck. Padmini asks him what he wants, outwitting him...
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Kapila eventually asks Padmini if she knows of Devadatta. She asks what Devadatta is to Kapila, to which Kapila...
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The Bhagavata explains that a match between Padmini and Devadatta had no obstacles because both families were of high status: her family was...
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The plot skips forwards six months. Padmini is pregnant and she, Devadatta, and Kapila are taking a trip to Ujjain. Devadatta reveals...
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As they talk, Devadatta reveals his jealousy of Kapila and of the attention Padmini gives him. He thinks that she drools over him, and was unhappy when she invited...
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Padmini tries to appease Devadatta and suggests that they cancel the trip and spend the day...
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The three of them set out in the cart, and Padmini remarks how smoothly Kapila drives the cart. She relates an anecdote about how, soon after...
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Padmini spots a tree with beautiful flowers, called the Fortunate Lady’s flower, and Kapila immediately dashes...
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Kapila returns with the Fortunate Lady’s flowers. Padmini asks why the flowers are called that, and he explains that the flowers have all...
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Kapila and Padmini decide to visit the temple of Rudra, but Devadatta, still upset, says that he doesn’t...
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Devadatta says goodbye to Padmini and Kapila, and says to himself that he hopes they live happily together. Remembering his...
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Padmini and Kapila return from the temple of Rudra. They begin to worry about Devadatta when...
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In despair, Padmini asks how the two of them could have left her alone. She worries that if...
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When Kali revives Devadatta and Kapila, they (along with Padmini) quickly realize that something is wrong. Padmini explains what has happened. At first they are...
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...between the two men begins to heat up. When Devadatta pushes Kapila aside to take Padmini home, Kapila asks Padmini if Devadatta would ever have been so violent. Padmini begins to...
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Act 2
...his question about the solution to the problem of the mixed-up heads. He describes how Padmini, Devadatta, and Kapila consult a rishi (i.e., a sage) about their problem. The rishi tells...
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Back at Padmini and Devadatta’s house, the two are happier than ever. Devadatta buys dolls for their unborn...
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Time passes and Devadatta and Padmini’s baby is born. Devadatta addresses the Bhagavata directly for the first time, inviting him to...
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...the baby gets all the attention. They confess that they should have been wary of Padmini when she was pregnant, swelling up with the baby. They comment on how ugly she...
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Another six months pass, and Padmini and Devadatta are fighting over how to treat their son. Padmini wants to take him...
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Padmini sings a lullaby to her son about a rider on a white stallion, and falls...
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...the actor who originally portrayed Devadatta now returns to that mask/role. The dolls imply that Padmini’s dreams have become particularly sexually explicit, and they fight over who gets to tell the...
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While Devadatta travels to get new dolls, Padmini goes into the forest with her son. She imagines the “witching fair,” making up stories...
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...Bhagavata is surprised to see him living in the jungle. The Bhagavata tells Kapila that Padmini has given birth to her son, and notices how angry Kapila looks by the way...
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Padmini finds Kapila in the forest. He confesses that he has worked hard to get his...
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Devadatta, who has returned with new dolls, searches for Padmini and runs into the Bhagavata. The Bhagavata is surprised to see him, and reluctantly reveals...
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Devadatta finds Padmini and Kapila, and the three are forced to confront their situation together. Kapila asks if...
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Padmini is once again left behind. She wonders whether she should have said she would live...
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...reacts violently when someone tries to touch his dolls. The Bhagavata realizes that it is Padmini’s son.
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...national anthem ruins people’s voices. Instead he and the boy sing together the lullaby that Padmini had sung to him about the rider on the white stallion.
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