Context plays a vital role when we attempt a serious study of a piece of literature. Girish Karnad's famous play Hayavadana requires us to pay special attention to its context and current scenario if we truly wish to probe the psyche of a main character like Padmini. Although the roots of the work lie beneath the soil of ancient myths and legends, its relevance is felt even today in terms of the dichotomy between body and mind in which we are often trapped. In India, the roots of spirituality lie in the essence of humanity at large. Even if our body desires something, the soul would deny it. However, it is the power of discrimination that wins! The main plot of the play Hayavadana is based on the "story of the transported heads" in the Sanskrit Vetala Panchavimsati. What adds charm to the play is the way Karnad has dealt with the old theme and as a result, what we see are the realistic characters we come across in our daily lives. The central character Padmini undergoes the same torments of life and the same confusion when it comes to making a choice. She is torn between the two choices in terms of Kapila and Devadotta, one is physically strong while the other is rationally superior. Since he is flesh and blood, he wishes to have both, but this is not possible due to social restrictions. She can't marry them both, but fate works a miracle for her. He initially feels triumphant about his wish, but later gets the right impression about nature that humans are mere puppets acting according to nature's tunes. Devadotta is an attractive young Brahmin with a beauty of mind. He falls in love with a peerless and witty girl named Padmini. Being a blacksmith's song, Kapila has a wonderful physique... in the center of the card... while performing sati. As an empowered modern woman, Padmini's plight deserves to be mentioned in today's context. He pines for the intellectual power of Devadotta as well as the physical power of Kapila. He has the opportunity to have both, but ultimately his triumph fades into failure as time passes. Since human beings are incomplete, most desires are not fulfilled. Like Savitri in Mohan Rakesh's Halfway House, Padmini longs to be faithful to her husband but cannot resist the temptation of another man's physical beauty. However, there is a sense of repentance in her and this leads her to tease the idea of ​​performing sati, like a typical Indian woman, at the end of the play. Works Cited1. Karnad, Girish. Hayavadana. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1975.2. Rakesh, Mohan. Halfway House (Trans. Bindu Batra) Delhi: Worldview Publications, 2001.