Futile Quest for Perfection: Understanding the Aesthetics of Wabi-sabi through Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana

The essence of a man's existence is fundamental to the pursuit of perfection. It is regulated by several psychological and philosophical principles that play an emphasis on the distinctive and particular experiences that one has. It is portrayed as some abstract concept of "human nature," a compendium of categorical imperatives or precepts that govern individuals and their approach to life. The disorderliness of a human's qualities, the incompleteness of their thinking, and their flaws are fundamental to who they are. In terms of human entropy, the state of disorder and uncertainty always exists in an individual, which helps them to stabilize and adapt themselves to changing circumstances both inside and outside of them. The quest for perfection is therefore pointless because it reflects an internal burden that is sewn into the fabric of tension, anxiety, panic, and mental collapse and, in the end, calls into question an individual's fundamental identity. This fruitless endeavour in seeking the best puts a person's control over their life and being into doubt. Human aspirations result in human desperation, according to Karnad's interpretation of Hayavadana. The narrative's characters travel a path from exquisite imagining to terrible reality here. Therefore, it is revealed that the search for perfection is meaningless since it draws attention to one's difficulties, sorrows, responses, and powerlessness, which makes one feel absurd in the end. With the help of this research article, an attempt has been made to comprehend the aesthetics of Wabi-sabi and delve deeper into its philosophy to understand the search for ‘beauty in imperfection’. Under the influence of this Japanese theory, it is evident that one must embrace human entropy and stabilise within their dimensions.