Andha Yug (III)_Plot of the play

 

Plot of the Play Andha Yug

Introduction:

Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug is a powerful modern verse-play based on the last day of the Mahabharata war. The play is not merely a retelling of an epic story; it is a symbolic portrayal of the moral and spiritual blindness that leads to destruction in every age. It opens after the war between Kauravas and Pandavas has already been fought and won, and all that remains is death, despair, and guilt.

Act I:

The first act sets the tone of darkness and fear. Two tired guards hear vultures flying toward Kurukshetra. According to them, it is a bad omen for the ruined city. Inside the Kaurava palace, the blind king Dhritarashtra and Gandhari wait for news from Sanjaya, but Vidura arrives instead. Dhritarashtra confesses his fear, while Vidura reminds him that it is too late. He asks to seek faith in Krishna. Gandhari angrily blames Krishna for breaking moral laws. The chorus declares that only two fading lives are left in devastated Hastinapur.

Act II:

In the second act, Sanjaya loses his way in the forest and meets Kritavarma, Kripacharya, and Ashwatthama, the only surviving Kaurava warriors. Burning with revenge for his father Drona’s treacherous death, Ashwatthama swears to destroy the Pandavas. When Sanjaya tells him that Duryodhana is still alive and hiding in a lake, they go to meet him.

Act III:

The third act links the palace and the forest. Yuyutsu, who had fought on the Pandavas’ side, comes to Hastinapur. But he is rejected by his own people. Sanjaya brings news of Duryodhana’s defeat. Meanwhile, Ashwatthama witnesses Bhima’s unfair killing of Duryodhana and takes a vow of vengeance. Duryodhana appoints him as commander before dying, and Ashwatthama decides to attack the sleeping Pandavas.

Act IV:

In the fourth act, Ashwatthama prays to Lord Shiva, gains divine blessing, and enters the Pandava camp at night. He brutally kills Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, and others. Then he tries to destroy Uttara’s unborn child, the last heir of the Pandava line. Gandhari removes her blindfold and turns Ashwatthama’s body into diamond-like hardness. Both Arjuna and Ashwatthama release the Brahmastra, but only Krishna can save the unborn child. Krishna takes the blow upon himself, curses Ashwatthama to endless wandering, and accepts Gandhari’s curse that his own clan will perish and he will die by a hunter’s arrow.

Act V:

The fifth act shows the moral emptiness that follows war. Yudhishthira rules over Hastinapur but feels defeated and isolated. Yuyutsu, insulted by everyone, commits suicide. Kripacharya leaves the collapsing kingdom. Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, Kunti, and Sanjaya retreat to the forest, which catches fire; Gandhari repents, and they all die. Yudhishthira realises the futility of war and renounces the world.

Epilogue:

The epilogue narrates Krishna’s death. Sitting under a peepul tree, he is struck by a hunter’s arrow that mistakes his foot for a deer’s face. With Krishna’s death, Dvapara Yuga ends and Kali Yuga begins—the age of spiritual blindness and moral decay.

Conclusion

The plot of Andha Yug moves from external war to inner destruction. Through the downfall of both victors and vanquished, Bharati shows that hatred, ego, and revenge blind humanity. The play ends with a warning: when man loses faith and compassion, the “age of blindness” begins again.