Essay name: Hastalaksanadipika a critical edition and study
Author:
E. K. Sudha
Affiliation: Government Sanskrit College (Tripunithura) / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study on the Hastalaksanadipika—a manual depicting the Mudras (gestures) of the Kerala theatre. It is a very popular text supposedly dating to the 10th century A.D. This study also touches the subject of Krsnanattam, Kathakali and Kutiyattam—some of India's oldest theatrical traditions in Kerala.
Chapter 2 - Bharata’s Dramaturgy
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External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
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BHARATA'S DRAMATURGY Bharata is considered as the father of Indian stylised drama- turgy. The NS is the first eponymous work of dramaturgy that is avail- able to us at present. It is still the most important text on drama- turgy that ancient India ever produced. The title in its simplest sense literally means 'drama science' i.e. the science of drama. If culture is understood in terms of achievements of people, then the Arthaśästra of Kautilya, the NS of Bharata and Kāmasūtras of Vatsyāyana are the three most important works for a study of ancient Indian culture. In all probability these great works are the products of an age, which enjoyed political peace, and not of an age troubled frequently by political disturbance. The contents of the NS pre-supposes a high stage of development of literature and the fine arts, which again pre-supposes a long period of peace. The verses X and XI of chapter VI of the NS briefly explains the content of the NS. रस� भावा ह्यभिनया धर्मी वृत्तिप्रवृत्तयः � सिद्धि� स्वरास्तथातोद्यं गानं प्रकृतिरेव � ।। उपचारस्तथा विप्रा मण्डपाश्चेति सर्वशः � त्रयोदशविध� ह्ये� ह्यादिष्टो नाट्यसंग्रहः � � [rasā bhāvā hyabhinayā dharmī vṛttipravṛttaya� | siddhi� svarāstathātodya� gāna� prakṛtireva ca || upacārastathā viprā maṇḍapāśceti sarvaśa� | trayodaśavidho hyeṣa hyādiṣṭo nāṭyasaṃgraha� | | ] The NS not only deals with the technique of the play, but also with the thirteen sangrahas. The sangraha (epitome or compendium) is derived as the epitome of the idea expressed in detail by aphorisms and their traditional expositions. In this, the following 33
