Kirmeeravadham

Kirmeeravadham (The Slaying of Kirmeera) is a Kathakali play(Aattakatha) written by Kottayam Thampuran (also known as Kottayathu Thampuran) in Malayalam. Based on the Mahabharatha, the story concerns itself with events in the course of the forest exile of the Pandava princes. The play has fourteen scenes.The four plays of Kottayam Thampuran, namely, Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Kalyanasaugandhikam and Kalakeyavadham, are considered very important in the Kathakali repertoire and are a combination of conventional structure('chitta') with intermittent possibilities for improvisation('manodharma').

The five Pandava princes, along with their wife Draupadi, are in exile in the Kamyaka forest. In the first scene of the play, Draupadi and the eldest Pandava prince Dharmaputra(also known as Yudhishthira) are in distress owing to the heat and dust in the forest. They discuss the question of feeding the Brahmins who have accompanied them on their exile. In the second scene, Dharmaputra consults with the sage Dhaumya, who advises him to do penance to the Sun god(Surya). Dharmaputra acts accordingly and the Sun god appears, and grants him the Akshaya Patra, a vessel that provides, every day, an inexhaustible supply of food till Draupadi takes her food. Dharmaputra hands the vessel to Draupadi. Following this, Krishna appears on the scene, and has a conversation with Dharmaputra. Hearing of the difficulties of the Pandavas, Krishna is enraged and commands his weapon Sudarshana Chakra to appear, so that he may at once destroy the Kaurava princes, who were responsible for the exile of the Pandavas in the first place. Dharmaputra intervenes and pleads with Krishna not to do so. Krishna agrees, and leaves after blessing the Pandavas.

In the third scene, the sage Durvasa appears, with his disciples. Dharmaputra welcomes them to their abode and sends them away for their purificatory rituals before they can have a meal. The fourth scene has Draupadi lamenting about the fact that since she has had her meal for the day, the Akshaya Patra will yield no more food for the day; hence there is no way to feed the sage Durvasa and his disciples. Krishna appears again, and asks Draupadi for food. She replies that the vessel is empty. Krishna insists, and she gives him a bit of spinach that is still left over in the Akshaya Patra. Krishna eats this and at once declares that his hunger has disappeared, and by his miraculous powers causes the sages to also feel full. In the sixth scene, Durvasa returns and blesses Dharmaputra.

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