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 3 - Later developments of dramatic techniques
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External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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. The AD is handling Angikabhinaya in a fashion which differs from the NS. But the SR fully depends on the NS in this case. If the AD had a modern text it also would have followed the NS. From this it could be concluded that the AD is an ancient work which follows an ancient tradition. But later, some evidences have been found which refute Dr.Ghosh's conclusions. By comparing the AD and the SR Dr. Kuñjunni Raja concludes that the AD is a modern work. His points of arguments are as follows. 1. Bharata in the NS considers Nandikeśvara as an authentic writer or 2. teacher himself. But it is well-known that the AD depends on the NS in its contents. In the AD the author says- एतान� पूर्वशास्त्रानुरोधिनी वै मय� � [etāni pūrvaśāstrānurodhinī vai mayā | ] This statement itself points out the indebtedness of the AD to its earlier works. 3. The interpreters like Simhabhūpāla and Kallinātha attribute the authorship of the above stanza to Śärngadeva which is seen both in the AD and the SR Simhabhūpāla interprets the mangaḷaślōka ¾¾ भुवन� विश्वं [bhuvana� viśva� ] like this गीतवाद्य� उक्त� अवशिष्टं नृत्तं विवक्षुस्तत् सूचक� मङ्गलमाचरत� आङ्गिकमिति | [gītavādye ukte avaśiṣṭa� nṛtta� vivakṣustat sūcaka� maṅgalamācarati āṅgikamiti | ] Kallinātha interprets the same sloka like this. अथ गीतवाद्योपकार्यत्वेनाभेदातिशयोपायभूत� नर्तनं प्रतिपादयिष्ठः समुचितेष्टदेवतां नर्तनपृष्ठगुणत्वेन स्तौति आङ्गिकमित्यादि � [atha gītavādyopakāryatvenābhedātiśayopāyabhūta� nartana� pratipādayiṣṭha� samuciteṣṭadevatā� nartanapṛṣṭhaguṇatvena stauti āṅgikamityādi | ] From the words of these two 91
