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
35 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
communication, can be presented in two different styles, viz. Natyadharmi and Lōkadharmi.17 The modus operandi of theatrical representation is two-fold: naturalistic or realistic practice and stylistic (conventionally prescribed) practice. ('लोकधर्माश्रय� लोकधर्मी नटसमयमात्ररूपा नाट्यधर्मी � [lokadharmāśraya� lokadharmī naṭasamayamātrarūpā nāṭyadharmī | ] ' ) Lōkadharmi is the practice based on the natural state of people and materials around. As Bharata says, drama is the representation of conduct, activities and mental states of the three worlds human, divine and demonic. 18 Nāṭyadharmi is of the nature of merely the conventional stage practice. The first type, Lōkadharmi is of two kinds [3 af == बाह्या च] [bāhyā ca] ] 'that indicative of the inner states and that indicative of external matters'. The first kind consists of actions or expressions which directly signify the mental status and which therefore are the objective signs (anubhāvas) of those conditions : ' तत्र आन्तरा चित्तवृत्त्यर्पकत्वे� अनुभावस्� ( [tatra āntarā cittavṛttyarpakatvena anubhāvasya (] f). For example, in an arrogant reference to oneself, one raises the hand to the level of the forehead in Patākamudrā. The second kind (bāhya): When a lotus is represented by the Padmakōśamudrā. Nāṭyadharmi, too is of two kinds (i) that which is meant solely 17. अभिनयस्य द्विविधा इतिकर्तव्यता लोकधर्मी नाट्यधर्मी � � ( [abhinayasya dvividhā itikartavyatā lokadharmī nāṭyadharmī ca | ( ] Abhinavabhārati ) 18. त्रैलोक्यस्यास्य सर्वस्� नाट्यं भावानुकीर्तनम् | ( [trailokyasyāsya sarvasya nāṭya� bhāvānukīrtanam | (] NSI108) 67
