রবীন্দ্রনাথের ‘বাল্মীকি প্রতিভা’-র নাট্যগুণ : নন্দনের নতুন মানচিত্র / The Dramatic Merit of Rabindranath Tagore's Valmiki Pratibha: Charting a New Aesthetic Landscape

Abstract

The paper studies the structure and themes of Rabindranath Tagore’s first musical drama, Valmiki Pratibha (1881). The play brought a new direction to nineteenth-century Bengali theatre. Tagore combined ideas from Western opera, especially the music of Arthur Sullivan, with Indian traditions such as Jatra, family theatre, and Biharilal Chakraborty’s Saradamangal. Instead of following the style of European opera, Tagore created a sur natak, in which songs play an important role in developing the story and expressing the emotions of the characters. This study examines the six scenes of the play and explains how different events lead to the inner conflict (antardwandwa) of the main character. It traces the transformation of Ratnakar, a cruel robber, into the great poet-sage Valmiki. This transformation takes place through his struggle between violence and compassion. The forest deities act like a chorus and help build the dramatic mood. The storm in the fourth scene reflects Valmiki’s disturbed mind and his moral struggle. The most important moment comes when Valmiki sees a hunter kill a Krauncha bird. His deep sorrow gives birth to the first Sanskrit shloka, marking his spiritual and creative transformation. By choosing Goddess Saraswati, the symbol of knowledge and creativity, over Goddess Lakshmi, the symbol of wealth, Valmiki gives importance to wisdom and artistic freedom. The paper concludes that Valmiki Pratibha is a successful blend of poetry, music, and drama. It broke the old rules of theatre and introduced a modern style that made an important contribution to Indian dramatic literature.