“as it ais” is a prompted re-telling of the 18-day Kurukshetra war from the Hindu epic Mahabharata as translated by Manmatha Dutt.
The Sanskrit epic the Mahabharata has been adapted many times over in oral retellings, plays, movies, comic books and more. Consisting of over 100,000 verses, the poem has so many stories that picking which ones to tell is a statement in itself.
And making that decision can pose its own challenges as Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, co-artistic directors of the Toronto-based theater company Why Not, learned when they went about adapting it. Now they are bringing their expansive two-part contemporary staging, which premiered in 2023 at the Shaw Festival in Ontario, Canada, to Lincoln Center, where it will run from Tuesday through June 29.
Their adaptation is based on the poet Carole Satyamurti’s retelling of the epic, which, at its core, is the story of two warring sets of cousins — the Kauravas and the Pandavas — trying to control a kingdom. The poem is part myth, part guide to upholding moral values and duty — or dharma.
Arjuna has sworn to avenge Abhimanyu or enter the fire.
Drona arranges chariots, elephants infantry in formation like lotus with needle to protect Jayadratha from Arjuna. - Manmatha Dutt. Mahabharata. Drona Parva. chapter 87
Arjuna appears for battle wearing mail, sword, golden diadem garlands of white flowers blowing conch, meteors fall, jackals howl. - Dutt. chp. 91
Arjuna uses thunder and lightning to destroy the Trigarta warriors Shrutayusha and Achyutayush, who fall like trees broken by wind, in a dry ocean bed. - Dutt. chp. 93
Drona like a blazing universal fire destroys troops dust raised armor look like gems reflecting sun light. - Dutt. chp. 95
Satyaki fights Drona, charioteers and horses pierced with shafts of golden wings. blood spattered standards. division of war elephants bedecked with jewels, gold, ornaments flags and pennants. silver garlands on horses, troops massed like clouds, rows of flesh-eating cranes and fireflies beautified by rainbows and lightning. - Dutt. chp. 98
While his horses rest, Arjuna showers flaming arrows onto rushing warriors. An ocean forms with chariots and flags the a whirlpool, elephants its sharks, foot-soldiers its fishes, chariots its current, turbans its foam and dead elephants its rocks. - Dutt. chp. 100
Satyaki’s standard. Lion golden mane, white clouds, golden circles, pearls and corals, umbrella with golden staff. - Dutt. chp. 112
warriors fall to Arjuna and Satyaki like insects before a fire. Dutt. chp. 121
Bhima on chariot wearing armor, earrings, leather gloves, streaks of lightning, yellow, red white and sable garments, bow. - Dutt. chp. 127
Bhima and Karna duel on chariots firing golden arrows in circles like plumed birds taking flight. - Dutt. chp. 133-139
Bhurishrava drags Satyaki like a tiger dragging an elephant. - Dutt. chp . 143
Arjuna severs Bhurishrava’s arm before Bhurishrava brings his sword down on a prone Satyaki. Bhurishrava questions Arjuna’s dharma for the blind side attack. Arjuna asks Bhurishrava if he raised that concern when they cut down Abhimanyu who was without weapons, armor or a chariot. Bhurishrava offers his arm to Arjuna in response as he falls. Meteors fall. - Dutt. chp. 143
Arjuna kills Jayadratha. Blazing arrows fiery heads from like rays of the sun attack chariots under meteors. - Dutt. 146
Duryodhana attacks recklessly after Jayadratha falls - Dutt.
Celestial dancers, musicians and Gods gather to watch Karna and Satyaki fight at sundown. - Dutt. chp. 147
