Question : Compare and contrast the two Parts of “Abhisara – The Tryst”.
Answer: In the poem ” Abhisara – The Tryst”, Rabindranath Tagore has presented the theme of Transitory nature of youth and beauty, impermanence of sensual pleasure and compassion and selflessness by the two main characters. The poem is based on two meetings between Vasavadatta “the dancing girl” and Upagupta “the disciple of Buddha”. Therefore the poem has two parts set in entirely two different seasons which are rainy season of August and the spring season of April.
First part of the poem describes the rainy season of August. ” The sky is murky” and stars are “all hidden”, when Vasavadatta is presented as the epitome of beauty as she is “starred with jewels”, ” clouded with a pale blue mantle” and “drunk with the wine of her youth”. She is proud of her beauty, youth and wealth. While, Upagupta is an ascetic, who has devoted his whole life towards the service of mankind and strongly believes in the teachings of Lord Buddha. He is an epitome of kindness, wisdom and selflessness. In this part of the poem two different ways of life are contrasted – spirituality led by Upagupta and materialism by Vasavadatta.
The darkness of the rainy night of this part shows that the ” glittering” woman is in the dark, that is she is ignorant of what is real and what is unreal. She is ignorant of the transitoriness of her youth and beauty, and invites Upagupta to her house but the ascetic politely refuses her invitation, saying –
“Woman, go on your way,
When the time is ripe, I will come to you”.
As Upagupta knows that, the right time has not come yet, he promises her to visit when the right time would come.
The right time comes in the second part of the poem.
” A year had not passed”. It is the month of April, bright sunny days of spring shows the inner transformation of “the dancing girl”.
The season of hope, joy and festivities in the second part presents trees ” full of blossom” and “gay notes of a flute” floating in the air. But Vasavadatta is “struck with the black pestilence” and “her body spotted sores of small pox”. She is abandoned and driven away from the city.
In contrast to the first part, this part presents the impermanence of beauty and wealth and emphasise on the value of love, compassion and selflessness.
At this time, Upagupta, the ascetic has come to her as – “the time, at last has come”. Here the time is right to visit Vasavadatta as she needs Upagupta’s compassion and humanity, the most at this time.
While the two parts differs in their themes and narrative arcs, there is a common factor between the two parts – the character of Upagupta remains same.
In both the parts Upagupta is committed to his spiritual path, he follows the teachings of Buddha – love, compassion and selflessness. Upagupta is unaffected by the worldly pleasure and physical appearance. He is enlighten from within. It is only the “inner light” of the ascetic that remains intact in both parts of poem irrespective of the change in the outer world.
In this second part, there is a bright sun in the sky but the woman’s life is steed into darkness of hoplessness and sorrow. Being subject to decay, she discovers the spiritual truth.
Thus, the two parts, represent two cardinal moments in Vasavadatta’s life, highlighting her journey from ignorance to spiritual awakening.
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