Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)
by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words
This page relates 鈥楨lements of Drama (e): Gatiprasara (gait extension)鈥� of the study on the elements of Art and Architecture according to the Vishnudharmottara Purana: an ancient text whose third book deals with various artisan themes such as Architecture, Painting, Dance, Grammar, etc. Many chapters are devoted to Hindu Temple architecture and the iconography of Deities and their installation rites and ceremonies.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
1.3. Elements of Drama (e): Gati辫谤补蝉腻谤补 (gait extension)
Gati i.e., gait[1] and 辫谤补蝉腻谤补 i.e., extension[2] identify the special kind of Gait-sequence which are taken by the actors according to their needs in the stage. Some particular gaits as stated in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 are discussed here.
a 厂惫腻产丑腻惫颈办补-驳补迟颈:
The word 蝉惫腻产丑腻惫颈办补 means natural.[3] So, the term 蝉惫腻产丑腻惫颈办补 gati denotes natural gait. According to the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, in natural gait the knees are lifted up to waist.[4]
b Sthira-gati:
Sthira-gati denotes the steady movements. To show walking in fever, hunger, disease, tiredness due to penance, dissimulation, excitement, love and sorrow or ease, slow gait should be adopted by the artist.[5] The lover who goes to meet his or her secret lover adopts the sthira-gati.[6] In darkness or if a deformed creature is visible or if a person walks a long way, the gait of a person becomes automatically slow down.[7]
c 艢墨驳丑谤补-驳补迟颈:
艢墨驳丑谤补-gati or quick gait[8] should be adopted in fear, terror, anger, joy, rapid and urgent actions, on hearing distasteful information, on seeing unbelievable things, searching of crime factors etc.[9] In the 惭峁沜肠丑补办补峁璱办补 of 艢udraka, the heroin 痴补蝉补苍迟补蝉别苍腻 was moving speedily in terror as she was followed by some cunning persons like 痴墨峁璦, 颁别峁璦 and 艢补办腻谤补 and her gait was crossing over the speed of wind[10] . This can be taken as a menifstation of 艣墨驳丑谤补-驳补迟颈.
d Skhalita-gati:
The word skhalita means stumbled.[11] So, the term skhalitagati obviously denotes irregularity in walking. The movements of the drunken person and mad man are always irregular and unstable.[12]
e 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤颈峁嚹�-驳补迟颈:
A person in elegant and stylish dress up walks in rhythmic footsteps with particular movements of arms along with the legs. One looks very graceful in it and it is generally adopted at the time of meeting with the beloved. That is why this type of gait is related to 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 i.e., love.[13] Moreover, this type of gait is seen in the walking of 诲奴迟墨 i.e., female messenger[14] .[15]
Besides these three kinds of way of walking, in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, some particular gaits are recommended for some characters of Dramas. As for example: the gait of 痴墨峁璦 should be graceful and that of 碍补帽肠耻办墨 should be shaky and unstable.[16] Again in the gait of 颁别峁璦, the eyes should be upward acting as thinking of something.[17] 痴颈诲耻峁办补鈥檚 movement should be funny.[18] In Sanskrit Dramas, the character of 痴颈诲耻峁办补 is portrayed as a depicter of humour[19] which demands a comical gait to make audience laugh. In the 础产丑颈箩帽腻苍补艣补办耻苍迟补濒补, to get respite from the stay in the hermitage, 痴颈诲耻峁办补 was seen to adopt the gimmick of breaking down of his limbs[20] which automatically looks funny and generates a lighter environment.
In the 础产丑颈苍补测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺 gaits are based on the movements of some living creatures viz.,
- swan,
- peacock,
- deer,
- eleaphant,
- tortories,
- lion,
- serpent and
- frog.[21]
In the 础产丑颈苍补测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺, gaits are explained along with some particular hand gestures. It shows that footsteps are to be followed by some hand postures. In the gait of swan i.e., 丑补峁僺补, the actor or dancer should place one foot after another. The distance between two feet should be half a cubit and the hands should be in kapitthahasta.[22] The gait of mayura i.e., peacock steps can be made by standing on toes and moving both the knees alternately. In this gait the actor or dancer should hold kapitthahasta with both hands.[23] The gait of 尘峁沢补 itself identifies the footsteps of 尘峁沢补 i.e., deer.[24] To adopt this gait the actor or the dancer should run forward or sideways with 迟谤颈辫补迟腻办补 hands.[25] The gait of gaja i.e., elephant is always noticed as slow gait.[26] The 础产丑颈苍补测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺 suggests holding 辫补迟腻办补 hands in this gait.[27] According to the 础产丑颈苍补测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺, in the gait of 迟耻谤补峁単补 i.e horse, the 艣颈办丑补谤补 and 辫补迟腻办补 hands should be hold with left and right hands respectively.[28] In the gait of 蝉颈峁僪补 i.e., lion, the actor or dancer should stand on toes first and then jump forward speedily.[29] The 艣颈办丑补谤补hasta is adopted with both hands in this gait.[30] Frog step is suggested to do exactly as the gait of 蝉颈峁僪补 in the 础产丑颈苍补测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺.[31]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
V.S Apte, The Student鈥檚 Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.180
[2]:
Ibid., p.372
[3]:
V.S Apte, The Student鈥檚 Sanskrit English Dictionary,, p.633
[5]:
[6]:
Ibid.,3.29.9-10
[7]:
sattve tu vik峁泃e d峁涐梗峁璭 gatirvisphuritek峁峁嚹�/ 鈥︹�︹�︹�and膩pyandhak膩re gatirbhavet// d墨rgh膩dvani gatasy膩pi 艣anairmandaparikram膩/ Ibid., 3.29.18,19&30
[8]:
V.S Apte, The Student鈥檚 Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.557
[9]:
痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 3.29.4-7
[10]:
ki峁� tva峁� padairmama pad膩 vi艣e峁yant墨/
vy膩l墨va y膩si patagendrabhay膩bhibh奴t膩//
veg膩daha峁� pravis峁泃a岣� 辫补惫补苍补峁� 苍颈谤耻诲丑测腻峁�/
tvannigrahe tu varag膩tri na me 辫谤补测补迟苍补岣�// 惭峁沜肠丑补办补峁璱办补峁�, 1.22
[11]:
V.S Apte, The Student鈥檚 Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.618
[12]:
mattasya tu 驳补迟颈岣� 办腻谤测腻 skhalit膩 p膩r艣vayordvayo岣�/
unmattasy膩pi kartavy膩 gatistvabhinayakram膩/ 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 3.29.30-31.
[13]:
驳补迟颈岣� 艣峁涐箙g膩ri峁嚹� 办腻谤测腻 svasthak膩mitasambhave/ sasau峁ａ弓havasam膩yuktairlayat膩lava艣onugai岣�// Ibid., 3.29.7-8
[14]:
V.S Apte, The Student鈥檚 Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.256
[15]:
诲奴迟墨dar艣itam膩rgastu h峁沝yave艣aparikrame/ 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 3.29.8
[16]:
vi峁璦sy膩pi tu kartavy膩 gatirlalitavikram膩/ ka帽cuk墨yasya kartavy膩 办补尘辫颈迟腻 skhalit膩 驳补迟颈岣�// Ibid., 3.29.28
[18]:
vid奴峁kasya kartavy膩 gatirh膩syaprad膩 tath膩/ Ibid., 3.29.34
[19]:
h膩syakara岣� kalaharatirvid奴峁ka岣� sy膩t/ 厂腻丑颈迟测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺, 3.42
[20]:
a峁単abha峁単avikala iva bh奴tv膩 sth膩sy膩mi/ 础产丑颈箩帽腻苍补艣补办耻苍迟补濒补峁�, 2.p.55
[21]:
[22]:
[23]:
prapad膩bhy膩峁� bh奴bi sthitv膩 办补辫颈迟迟丑补峁� karayorvahan/
ekaikaj膩nucalan膩n尘补测奴谤墨 gatir墨rit膩/ Ibid., 312
[25]:
鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�Τ侔北璨钩倌灏觳筴arau vahan鈥︹�︹�︹�︹��/ purata岣� p膩r艣vayo艣caiva 测腻苍补峁� 尘峁沢补gatirbhavet// Ibid., 313
[26]:
鈥︹�atirmanda峁� gajal墨leti vi艣rut膩/ Ibid., 315
[30]:
[31]:
kar膩bhy膩峁� 艣颈办丑补谤补峁� dh峁泃v膩 办颈帽肠颈迟 蝉颈峁僪墨sam膩 驳补迟颈岣�/ 尘补峁囜笉奴办墨 gatiritye峁Ｄ佲�︹��// Ibid., 311