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 7 - Vacikabhinaya according to Bharata’s Natyasastra
5 (of 29)
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)
When a story is based on the classics, the names that are given to the characters should correspond to those pertaining to the respective classics. There is no necessity in such cases to introduce new names, where as in cases of original themes, the names that are given to the respective characters should indicate the nature of such characters. Here, the author has full liberty to create characters and name them. However, Bharata has given examples of naming such characters. VOICE KĀKUSVARAV YAÑJANA (MODULATION IN VOICE) When the text has been fully learnt, it is absolutely necessary to render it on the stage with proper kakusvara (modulation in voice). Modulation is qualified by six characteristics - 1. Svaras (musical notes), 2. Sthānas (anatomical parts of the origin of sounds) 3. Varṇas (modes of intonation) 4. Kākus (variations in inflexion) 5. Alankaras (modes of enunciation) and 6. Angas (modes of rendering). 1.Svaras (Musical notes) There are seven fundamental musical notes that correspond to the diatonic scale as follows: - 213 Sa
ri
ga
C
D
E
(I)
ma
ра
da
ni
sa
F
G A
B C
