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Dasarupaka (critical study)

by Anuru Ranjan Mishra | 2015 | 106,293 words

This page relates ‘Conclusion� of the English study of the Dasarupaka of Dhananjaya: an important work on Hindu dramaturgy (Natya-shastra) from the tenth century dealing with the ten divisions of Sanskrit drama (nata), describing their technical aspects and essential dramaturgical principals. These ten types of drama are categorised based on the plot (vastu), hero (neta) and sentiment (rasa)

In the prologue of the drama, վś󲹻岹ٳٲ claims that he is the author of the ѳܻṣa. However, he has not given much information about himself. He states only that he is the grandson of ղṭeś and the son of ṛt. The scholars like M. R. Kale (1983, ѳܻṣa, Introduction, p.xiii) assign him to eighth or prior to the eighth century A.D.

The plot of the ѳܻṣa has a political background. The story has been taken from the historical source; however, some matters in the story are invented by the author, such as �ܻܳī festival� in the third actand the description of the “Jirṇodyāna� in the sixth act.

վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has followed almost all the rules prescribed by Bharata and ٳ󲹲ԲñᲹⲹ, though he occasionally disregards the rules regarding sentiments (rasa), styles (ṛtپ), gentle dance () etc. He has not applied gentle dance () in the drama of ѳܻṣa, because it is based on politics.

վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has employed more than twenty characters in the ѳܻṣa, but only few of them are historical characters like Chandragupta, Cāṇakyaand ṣa and the rest of the characters are imaginary. The drama does not contain any leading female character. However, the lonely female character, i.e. Candanadāsa’s wife, has a brief role and enters in the seventh act. Bharata restricts that only four to five characters should be present in an act, however, վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has employed more than five characters in an act. As far as the classification of the drama is concerned, վś󲹻岹ٳٲ’s drama could be classified even as a ʰ첹ṇa, as its characters are both imaginary and historical. Further, the drama could be classified, as the ղDz type since it also satisfies the requirement of the ղDz that the plot should be historical and sentiment should be heroic. However, as a matter of fact, it should be noted that the drama ѳܻṣa cannot be a ʰ첹ṇa, as it involves the historyand other materials, which should not be present in a ʰ첹ṇa. It cannot be a ղDz, as the same (ղDz) should be characterized by a single act and the ѳܻṣa has seven acts in it.

According to the rule of the ṭyśٰ, ṭa첹 should apply all types of styles. However, in the ѳܻṣa, վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has applied verbal, grand and violent styles but has not applied gay style (kaiśikīṛtپ). Since the plot of the ѳܻṣa is based on politics and there is no use for a leading female character, it could not apply gay style. The plot is full of violence, anger, altercation.

Since the plot of the ѳܻṣa is based on politics, it adheres to the heroic (ī) sentiment as the main sentiment and to the furious (raudra), pathetic (첹ṇa), terrible (󲹲Բ첹) and marvellous (adbhuta) sentiments as subordinate sentiments. There is no use for erotic (śṛṅ) and laughter () sentiments effectively. The cause may be that there is the absence of leading and other female characters.

վś󲹻岹ٳٲ’s ѳܻṣa has utilized all five types of junctures (sandhi) with the combination of five types of actions (ٳ) and five types of elements (ٳ󲹱ṛt) in its seven acts. From the beginning to the end, i.e. the attainment of the result and from the getting signet ring to the surrendering of ṣa, the junctures are utilized perfectly.

վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has applied almost all the technical aspects that are required in the drama ѳܻṣa; however, he has not applied վṣk󲹰첹 or an interlude scene after the prologue, which is prescribed by both Bharata and ٳ󲹲ԲñᲹⲹ as necessary in a ṭa첹.

վś󲹻岹ٳٲ’s ѳܻṣa does not contain that much of the social reflaction. It has a different type of plot, based on politics; and therefore it does not deal with the social matters. However, its plot involves the ruling of the Mauryas; and therefore, it can be guessed that the society was orderly and people were living peacefully.

The drama of ѳܻṣa does not directly comment on the status of women in the society. However, some instances suggest that women were advanced and they were employed in various ways, even as the secret agent. However, from the character of Candanadāsa’s wife, it can be imagined that women were devoted to their husbands. They were either happy or sorrowful depending on the state of minds of their husbands.

In fine, it can be stated that the ѳܻṣa fulfills most of the characteristics of ṭa첹 stipulated by both Bharata and ٳ󲹲ԲñᲹⲹ although it lacks some of the characteristics in some cases and thus constitutes a fine example of ṭa첹.

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