NATYA Vishaya Samgraha

04/06/2025

YAKSHAGANA:

Yakshagana in south India started as songs or narrative ethnic stories by a single person, usually a woman (Yakshi), later supported by a man (Yaksha) Yakshagana is like an ocean in which so many hidden treasures exists. It is a combination of Nrtha, Nrtya and Natanabhinaya relating stories from the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatha. While preaching universal brotherhood, justice and truth, it also succeeds in entertaining the spirit of universal prosperity. Yakshagana is the finest treasure for all the generations.
“Punkhanu punkha vishayakshanthathparopi
Brahmavalokanadi yamnajahaati yogi
Sangeetha vadya laya talava sangatham
Moulishta kumbha parirakshanaadheernathaivah”
-human beings who are caught up in mundane, concerns of worldly life can achieve spiritual enlistment by watching the Yakshagana performances, which combines “nrtyabhinaya geethanaam trimoorthyatmaswaroopam”. In Yakshagana the Gandharvas sing the glory of God. In Ramayana it is written that
at every auspicious movement, Yakshas sings the melodies and they are the path
to Moksha (salvation). Yakshagana seems to be one of the earliest forms of performing art tradition of Andhra, though the existing texts can only date back to 15th century and 16th centuries. Both the etymological meaning of the word and the popular tradition indicate that originally it was referred a singing style of a sect called Yakshas. The earliest reference to Yakshas singing is in Palkuri Somanatha’s “Panditharadhya Charithra (1280-1340), he describes in the “Parvatha Prakaranam” the performance of the then existing art forms performed during the Sivarathri Festival at Srisailam.
“Aadata gandharva yaksha vidyadharadulai padedaru nadedaru varu”
– They are the singers and the performers in the guise of Gandharvas, Yakshas
and Vidyadharas performing with great aplomb and enthusiasm. Srinatha was
the first poet (1430c) to refer to Yakshagana as a compound word, while extolling
the Draksharamam pilgrim in his Bheemeswara Puranam:
“keerthinthureddani keerthi gandharvulu
gaandharvamuna Yakshagana saralin”.
It is mentioned about Yaksha men and women singing and dancing on festive occasions. These texts affirm that some people disguised as Yakshas gave musical performances and it later developed in to a separate style of singing and women joined the men in singing and they were also expert dancers.
Yakshagana, an umbrella term, retained folk form in certain versions and in other versions turned into classical or Sanskrit heritage, absorbing the dance grammar of Bharatha and later masters like Nandikeswara and Jayapa Senani. If we dig into the past of the tradition through the information available in Telugu literature, it gives the impression that Yakshagana was originated in Andhra soil. The earliest written Yakshagana in Telugu literature is “Saburicharitam” of Proluganti Chenna Sauri of late 15th century, which is not available. Sugreeva Vijayam of Kandukoori Rudra Kavi of late 16th century seems to be the earliest available Yakshagana in Telugu literature. According to Hindu, Buddhist and Jain scriptures, Yakshas were a community spread over a large area from Ceylon to Nepal. Ceylon had a rich tradition of ritualistic performances to honor the Yakshas.
In the state of Karnataka, Yakkalagana or Yakkageeta is a singing tradition attributed to a community of singers and dancers and several villages are built commemorating them. The ‘Jakkulu’ were a tribe who lived in distinct settlements and worshipped Kameswari, an aspect of mother goddess. These Jakkus as “a dancing theatrical caste” must have held high position in the administration during 15th&16th centuries as is evidenced by an inscription at Tirupathi dated July9, 1481 by one Jakkula Kannayi. Separate texts were written for them as was done by Proluganti Chennayasuri whose “Saubhari Charitham” is a “Jakkula Katha”. References to Jakkula dancers and their performances are seen in Purushothama Deeksh*ta’s “Tanjapura Annadana Mahanatakam” (17th c). Their references give us to believe that there existed in Andhra a musically oriented community called the ‘Jakkus’ which took to dancing and then to theatrical performances in course of time. The songs sung by jakku are called “Jakkula Pata” and its Sanskrit version is known as “Yakshagana”. Yakshas are also said to have flourished on earth as tribe’s men, as a sect amongst Jains and Buddhists as seen from the literatures of those religions. Jainism was once having its swat in Karnataka and Buddhism in Andhra.
The Ekkadigas of Karnataka and Jakkula of Andhra might be their descendants and might have taken to Hindu faith during the days of decline of Jainism and Buddhism in those regions. On the basis of this evidence, one can safely conclude that Yakshagana began as a singing tradition and developed in to a full-fledged theatre tradition. The great poet Srinatha in his “Kreedabhiramam” describes the performance of a Jakkula woman, wearing an attire of a dancer, narrating a story singing and dancing just as in the original Kathak dance form. There are varying opinions about the origin of Yakshagana. One theory is that it is derived from Kuravanji Natakam. The term Kuravanji means a ‘gypsy dance’. The word is a compound derived from Kurava (which refers to a hill tribe) and Anji (which refers to a dance step). Thus, Kuravanji denotes the manner in which the Kuravas danced. The clothes and jewels of the Kuravas reflected the environment they lived in, with animal pelts, bird feathers, quills, tiger claws and so on. It is thought that the simple Kuravanji Natakam involving few characters were the precursors to the more elaborate form of dance dramas which subsequently evolved in non-tribal communities. Kuravanji Natakam began to be composed around non tribal themes including those from Hindu Mythology. Gradually the Puranic characters and tribal heroes merged in to each other.
Development of Yakshagana: Yakshagana can be classified in to three categories: 1. Sravyamulu: Those written just for the pleasure of reading and listening to 2. Drusyamulu: Those fit to be staged. 3. Those fit for both: Sravya as well as Drusya Yakshagana. In South India (Dakshina Bharatha) initially the language of entire Dakshina Bharatha was same. So, the Yakshagana performed in these regions were same. When Dakshina Bharatha was divided into different states, different languages came into existence. And thus we find differences in the performance of Yakshagana of different states. Yakshagana troupes or Bhagavatha Mela comes from several places – Kuchipudi, Melattur (Achyuthapuram), Thoothkudi, Soolamangalam and Kerala. In this forms all the roles (including female roles) are played by males because the art was treated as worship of the divine and ladies are not eligible to perform any religious duties during their monthly periods, which was a hindrance for uninterrupted worship. In Nrtta, Nrtya, Lasya and Tandava male dancers who adopt the female roles are called “Bhrukunsuvu”. This is defined in Natya section of the first canto in Amarakosa of Amarasimha. The tradition of males donning the female roles goes back to several centuries and is found in the dance forms of Kathakali, Karnataka Yakshagana, Andhra Yakshagana, Melattur Bhagavatha Mela, Toorpu Bhagavatha of Bobbili and Kuchipudi. The first Yakshagana, named “Garudachala Yakshagana” was written by Obayya Mantri. Hasya rasa is given great preference. Though Garudachala Yakshagana was considered as the first Yakshagana; the proof, which was obtained by “Sugreeva Vijayam” written by Kandukoori Rudra Kavi. These Yakshagana were delightful and charming in those days. In Dravidian language these dramas are called Kuravanji. Later these Kuravanji adopted the beautiful important themes from Ramayana and Mahabharata and used to perform as Yakshagana.

04/06/2025

History, origin and development of Kuchipudi Dance tradition:

Kūcipūḍi is an ‘agrahāra’ (where exclusively Brahman families live) and this place was amongst lush paddy fields, on the Vijayawada and Machilipatnam Road, about 48 kms from Vijayawada and 22kms from Machilipatnam. Legends says that this small village was once situated on the banks of river Krishna that is said to have changed its course 5 centuries ago and now flows about 5kms away from it. The road journey from Vijayawada takes about an hour and half. One can find the Rāmaliṁgēśwara swāmi Temple in the heart of this village, who is worshipped as the family deity by these Brāḥmaṇ community. According to the great Kathak dance exponent Shovana Narayan, (in her book “Indian Classical Dances” says): Kūcipūḍi and Kathak, both originally being male dance forms, claim themselves to be the direct descendants of Bharata. Secondly, both claim that Pratiṣṭhānapuram was in their respective region of influence”. We have many literary evidences which proves the existence of this tradition since 12th century. In Telugu literature, we can find a detailed description of dancing from Nannaya period of 11th century AD. The 13th century AD is often regarded as the golden era of dance. Many great personalities like Pālkūri Sōmanātha Kavi, Jāyana, Tikkana and Srīnātha have mentioned about dance in their works. Especially in BasavaPurāṇaṁ and Paṇḍitārādhya Caritra of Pālkūri Sōmanātha we can find innumerable references of music, dance, and drama. In “Parvatha Prakaraṇa”, one can find mention of so many technical terms of dance and description of dances that are performed during the Mahā Śivarātri festival at Srisailam Temple. Sōmanātha even mentions about the “Pūrva Raṅgaṁ” (preliminary rituals before starting the actual performance within the curtain) and enactments of various stories. He also refers to ‘Pagaṭivēṣaṁ or Pahala’, a tradition which was prevalent in Kūcipūḍi tradition and other villages in Andhra Pradesh. In Telugu Maha Bhārata of Srīnātha’s, there are references to Sabha Vandana and Vetrapāṇi which also means the Sūtradhāra, who carries ‘Kuṭīlaka’ (a crooked staff) in his hand, which is a practice observed in Kūcipūḍi dance-drama tradition.
Since ancient times, Temples and Royal courts were the place for performances. Kings promoted Indian Art-forms especially the- Lalithakalas. Dance is one among the prominent art form. In Dakṣiṇa Bharata region, dance developed in two directions- Nāṭyamēḷaṁ and NaṭṭuvaMēḷaṁ. Meḷam is a Telugu word, which derived from “Mēḷaviṁpu”, which means group or combination. In front of the deity, Ārādhana Nṛtya were performed. At Kalyāṇamaṇḍapaṁ it was the Kēḷika Nṛtyaṁ, that was performed by the Devadasis in the temple. Their troupe was called NaṭṭuvaMēḷaṁ. In the Kalyāṇamaṇḍapaṁ, not only devadasis, even elite woman can dance. This is only for the sake of entertainment, so it is called as Kēḷika. In the NaṭṭuvaMēḷaṁ troupe, there will be many accompanying artists called ‘Haṅgudārulu’. It was always a Brahmin man who takes the position of the Acharya (Teacher). The second troupe or the second kind of Mēḷaṁ, which is the “Nāṭyameḷaṁ”, consists exclusively men. They perform the stories form Bhāgavata, Ramayana, Bhārata in the format of drama. As these artists perform the stories of various Gods, they were called as Bhāgavatulu and their dance tradition was called as Bhāgavataṁ.
Initially, in Andhra region, the Vīra Śaiva cult gave an impulsion to the miracles of Lord Shiva and was often became themes for performance as means of religious propaganda. The entire acting was through dance and music with occasional dialogues. They were dedicated bands of artists who were constantly on the move. The themes were taken from Purāṇās and mythological stories with which the audiences were already well acquainted. The main purpose was to inculcate and spread religious sentiments, culture, and history, which showcase the great moral values. At the same time, they also entertained the audience with occasional comedy, which always accompanied by simple classical songs tuned to suit the performances. This troupe consists exclusively men, perform the stories form Bhāgavata, Ramayana, Bhārataṁ in the format of drama. As these artists perform the stories of various Gods, they were called as ‘Bhāgavatulu’ and their dance tradition was called as “Bhāgavataṁ”. These dramas were usually performed at the junction of the roads. In ancient time, this kind of dance was called as “Śṛṅgāṭakaṁ”. Slowly, it was also called as “Vīdhināṭaka” as it was performed on the streets (Vīdhi means street) and their dance was called as “Vīdhi Bhāgavataṁ”. If they are performing at Śiva temple, they used to choose from Śiva Purāṇaṁ, and it was called as “Śivalīlā Nāṭyaṁ”. and if it was at Viṣṇu temple, they used to take the stories from Bhāgavata, Ramayana and this kind of dance was called as “Viṣnulīla Nāṭyaṁ”. The earlier form of dance drama, called ‘Bahu Nāṭaka’ by Somanatha, portraying the ten varieties of Śivalīlās, gradually took shape as Yakṣhagāna. Yakṣhagānaṁ seems to be one of the earliest forms of performing art tradition of Andhra, though the existing texts can only date back to 15th century and 16th centuries. The origin and historical development of this word referees it as a singing style of a sect called Yakṣha. The earliest reference to Yakṣha singing can be found in Pālkūri Samantha’s “Panḍitārādhya Caritra (1280-1340). Krīḍābhirāmaṁ (15thc), Manucaritra (15thc), Pārijātāpaharaņam (15thc) and in Rāmābhyudayaṁ, it is mentioned about Yakṣha men and women singing and dancing on festive occasions. These texts affirm that some people disguised as Yakșha gave musical performances and it later developed in to a separate style of singing and women joined the men in singing and they were also expert in dancing. Though the word “Yakṣagāna” is used as an umbrella term in various texts in Telugu literature, it gives the impression that Yakṣagāna originated in Andhra soil. So, we can understand that it was the woman of tribal community who used to sing and dance to various stories from Purāņās and entertain the pilgrims near the temples. They used very old ragas which were now hardly used. The aristocrats who observed their performances were impressed and expanded these stories with indigenous Chaṅdas, giving them a classical form, which they termed Yakṣhagāna Nāṭakās. Over successive generations, Vīdhināṭaka and Yakṣhagāna underwent significant transformations.
It is evident during 15th century, a number of puranic deities had entered in the field of tribal pantheon. (Swapnasundari, 2005). These were called as “VeṣaKatha”. Various communities of tribal performed these VeṣaKatha. Slowly they included special characters called Siṅgi and Siṅgaḍu, which were not at all connected with the story. These characters were created mainly to bring out the Hāsya Rasa. Slowly various characters were introduced in to these VeṣaKathas like Golla Veṣakatha, Rukmini Veṣakatha, Bhāma Veṣakatha, Rādha Veṣakatha, Kŗșņa Veṣakatha etc by various artistic communities in Andhra Region. During this process various script writers made new inclusions of their own imaginary scenes into their script. A new character called Śunkarikonḍaḍu was added in Golla VeṣaKatha which was later called as Golla Kalāpaṁ. There are many scripts on the same Golla Veṣaṁ and Bhama Veṣaṁ available even today, written by number of poets. In Kūcipūḍi tradition though they used to perform many Veṣa Kathas like Bhama, Golla, Dādinamma, Bāliṅtha, Śārada etc. Only Bhāma and Golla Veṣaṁs were developed into the nomenclature of “Kalāpaṁ”. Like any Uparūpakaṁ, Kalāpaṁ also gives more importance to song and dance along with the important feature of Rūpaka – the Vācikābhinaya. It will have only one Aṅka. There will not be any elaborated stories in this Kalāpaṁs, only a fragment of a story will be woven like story and dramatized. There will be only two or Three characters in these Kalāpaṁs.
Bhāmākalāpaṁ and Gollakalāpaṁ are the two Kalāpaṁs that became renowned in Kūcipūḍi dance tradition. Though there are other Kalāpas like Dādinamma Kalāpaṁ, Choḍigāḍi Kalāpaṁ, Dhūrjatī Kalāpaṁ, they could not receive much applause from audience. Among the two popular Kalāpas of Kūcipūḍi, Bhāmākalāpaṁ explores the reader the essence of ‘Davita Siddhāṅta’ (Dualistic school of philosophy) along with poetic realms of rasa (mainly Śṛṅgāra and Hāsya) and Alaṁkāra Śāstra. Whereas Gollakalāpaṁ expounds on ‘Advaita Siddhāṅta’ (monistic school of Philosophy). As KALAPAS doesn’t have the characters like Sūtradhāra and Vidūṣaka like in Sanskrit Rūpakās, the second supporting character (Like Mādhavi in Bhāmākalāpaṁ and Vipra in Gollakalāpaṁ) itself usually performs the duties of Sūtradhāra as well as the Vidūṣaka. The name “Pārijātaṁ” is mentioned as one of the Uparūpakās. Many scholars consider Kalāpaṁ under “Śrīgaditaṁ”. It is only the Bhāmākalāpam has the characteristics of Śrīgaditaṁ. But Gollakalāpam is totally different in nature and treatment
Consequently, a solo Kūcipūḍi repertoire was shaped by Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry. Vedantam Laxmi Narayana Sastri (1880-1940), is the first person credited for introducing solo system of dance in the otherwise traditional dance drama form of Kūcipūḍi. An original thinker right from his young age, he choreographed several solo numbers, like Aṣṭapadis, Padaṁs, Jāvaḷis, songs from Kṛṣṇa Karṇamṛutam and Pushpabāṇa Vilāpaṃ which have an ample scope for Sātvikābhinaya. Lakshminarayana Sastry’s teaching was unique. He was master in both theoretical and practical aspects of dance, music and Tāla. He introduced different intricate foot works, new Jati patterns and Sollu kaṭṭus in Tarangaṁ. He also trained his students standing on the edges of the brass plate filled with water and balancing a pot filled with water on the head without spilling a single drop of water. He trained his disciples with individual care and attempted to bring out the deepest talents in them, some of his talented disciples were Vedantham Jagannatha Sarma, Vempati Peda Satyam, Vempati Chinna Satyam and Ayyanki Tāndava Krishna. He also trained the temple dancers, who include Duggirala Jagadaṁba of Maṇḍapeṭa and Srīrajitaṁ. Non-Kūcipūḍi artistes like T. Bala Saraswathi, Ramayya Pillai, Mylapore Gouri Amma and Tara Chowdary came to him for training in Abhinaya. Late.Smt. Bala Saraswati who herself was Abhinaya Saraswati, publicly declared that the Kūcipūḍi art of Abhinaya as taught to her by Vedantham Lakshmi Narayana Sastri had opened her eyes to a new world of dance and beauty of which she had not been aware until then” as quoted by Ragini Devi in ‘Yakṣhagāna Marg”.

11/03/2025

https://youtu.be/htpzm2eNE_o?si=FwugkBGIZl5W86M9

samridhi costume designers enna channel എല്ലാവിധ ഫാഷൻ കളും ചെയ്‌യുന്ന tutorial വീഡിയോസ് ആണ് ഉള്ളത്. ഈ വീഡിയോ introduction വീഡിയോ ആണ്. ...

07/03/2025

WHAT IS ADAVU OR ADUGU :

In Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, the word ādu means dancing. Adavu is the fundamental unit of movement in dance. An Adavu is formed by the coordinated use of anga, upanga, and pratyanga. According to Astabhāsa Kavi Chandrasekhara, a 15th-century poet from Karnataka, that dancers performed these Adavus while dancing in the Virupakshaswamy temple in Hampi. Another reference to Adavus is found in Sārāmṛta, a text written by King Tulaja II of Thanjavur, where he mentions various types such as Thattadavu, Dhithathai Adavu, Natya Thattadavu, Digidigi Adavu, and Anukkura Adavu.

WHAT IS SOLLUKATTU

Sollukattu refers to the vocalized rhythmic syllables (tala) used in dance and music. These syllables, such as tha, dhi, thom, na, jha, num, dhi, mi, ki, ta, tha, ka, ri,tha, kina, dhi,nu, kuku, as well as musical notes like sa-ri-ga-ma, or even meaningful words from sahitya, are sung in a specific raga and tala. When the Natyacharya or Nattuvanar recites these syllables, the dancer responds through angikabhinaya to express the meaning of the sahitya, complemented by sattvikabhinaya. Simultaneously, the mridangist plays the sollukattu in perfect synchrony with the Nattuvanar, singer, and dancer. Sollukattu plays a crucial role in compositions such as Swarajati.
Reference: U S Krishna Rao &U K Chandrabhaga Devi, A Panorama of Indian Dances, pg 87, Sri Sadguru publication, 1993

05/06/2024

Rasabhinaya:

na rasanāvyāpārāsvādanam api tu mānasa eva (NS.6.31) .

The Nāṭyashāstra states that the goal of any art form is to invoke such Rasa.

Vavanga mukharāagascha satvenāabhinayenaca /
Kaventargataṃ bhaāvam bhāavayanbhāavamucyate //

Bhāva arises from Satva
(chitta or mind) that partakes in the nature of the body. Bhāvas are the innate
emotions that are within all people (sentient beings). While doing abhinaya, words, gestures, and facial expressions, are used to reveal the inner
most ideas and sentiments of the poet, it is called Bhava.
We can also defineBhāva as “When the theme conveyed by the Vibhāvas is brought into realization
through Anubhāva by means of the gestures whether Ᾱngika, Vācika or Sātvika, it
is termed “Bhāva".

Bhava, derived from the Sanskrit root "Bhoo," signifies the art of expressing inner thoughts and sentiments through abhinaya, words, gestures, and facial expressions. It originates from Satva, the mind, which is intertwined with the body's nature. Bhavas represents the inherent emotions present in all sentient beings. "Bhavayanti" conveys the complete and pervasive expression of feelings. In the context of Angikabhinaya, Bhava is essential to Satvikabhinaya. It encompasses feelings, moods, and states of mind, embodying the emotional essence of characters or the emotive states conveyed during a performance to evoke rasa, the aesthetic experience. Bhava can also be defined as the realization of thematic content through Anubhava, using gestures, whether Angika, Vachika, or Satvika.

Abhinaya holds significant importance in depicting characters and conveying emotions effectively. Bharata categorized abhinaya into three types based on the equilibrium among Angika, Vachika, and Satvika elements. When Satvika dominates, it's termed Jyestabhinaya or Uthamabhinaya; when all three abhinayas are balanced, it's referred to as Madhyamabhinaya; and when Satvika is less prominent, it's called Adhamabhinaya.

Bhavabhinayasambandan sthayibhavam sthatha budhaih
asvadayanti manasa tasmannamya rasah smrthah

In natya the spectator experience the joy of rasa when the sthayibhava associate with Vibhava, Anubhava and Sanchari bhavas that are presented in a kavya

Acting demands a profound comprehension of the character, situation, and context, emphasizing the importance of avoiding exaggeration. Subtle expressions serve as the cornerstone for connecting with the audience's emotions

05/09/2022

What is 'Shastra' ? It is often translated as 'Hindu Scripture'. But actually….Shastra = Shas+tra. Shas = by teaching, & tra = it protects. So 'Shastra' is that which protects you by its teaching. Protects you from what ? Suffering, pain, unhappiness, emotional turmoil. Great, so there is something that can protect me from all that just by teaching me something ? Yes, by teaching you how to live a fulfilled dharmic life and think clearly to discover an inner peace.

Ok, so what does Shastra consist of ? The great rishi, Yajnavalkya, answers this question by dividing the Shastra into '14 abodes of knowledge' = 4 Vedas + 6 Vedangas + 4 Upangas. Ok…lets break this down. Vedas are considered the source of all knowledge. They are in the form of sounds (Shabdha pramana) from Bhagvan, and were heard by the Rishis. They contain knowledge on 2 main topics: Action & Self-Knowledge. Action (Karma Kanda) relates to how we should live in the world and what values we should follow to be happy, plus which pujas to perform. Self Knowledge is discussed in the Upanishads, which are a part of the Veda. These reveal the nature of the who you really are, and what this universe really is.These 'limbs' (anga) of the Veda, support the Veda and are useful for the main body to function – just like you actual limbs support your body. By knowing these, they directly help you understand and implement the advice given in Veda. Each one is a huge discipline of knowledge in itself – people spend lifetimes specialising in each one.

4 Upangas = Purana + Nyaya (Logic) + Mimamsa (Linguistic Analysis) + Dharma Shastra (Morals, Ethics, Norms). Purana includes the famous epic hostorical stories – Mahabharata, Ramayana, plus 19 Maha Puranas depicting the lives of the Devas (Shiva Purana, Vishnu Purana, Bhagavatam,etc). Logic is a very important discipline to learn for all, to help us understand whether a particular view is logically sound or not. 'Tarka Sangraha' is basic text on Logic studied by beginners. Mimamsa is all about analysing the meaning of a sentance in order to understand the authors intended meaning

03/07/2022

01/07/2022

Please save your date and time on 5th July to come to Ravindrabharathi by 6.15 to come and enjoy witnessing our performances and join with us in honouring Kala Krishna garu with Meenakshi Amma award for Excellence with cash award 🙏

21/06/2022

Q2. Definitions:

Naṁdikeśvara was the first person to compare the terms – Nāṭya Nṛtta and Nṛtya and explained. He says, long ago Brahma created Nāṭya and entrusted it to sage Bharata. Then Bharata with his troupe consisting of Gandharvās and Apsarās, presented Nāṭya, Nṛtta and Nṛtya in the presence of lord Śiva. After Bharata, his disciple Kohala, created many Uparūpakas which were based on the Nṛtya, Thereafter, this Nṛtya developed as a new artform, to make it more authentic and more useful. Naṁdikeśvara wrote Abhinaya Darpaṇaṁ as an exclusive treatise for Nṛtya. So, the first ever text or Śāstra on Nṛtya is “Abhinaya Darpaṇaṁ” and for Nāṭya it is Nāṭya Śāstra. Namdikesvara says:

Etat caturvidhōpetaṁ naṭanaṁ trividhaṁ smṛtāḥ /

Nāṭyam nṛttam nṛtya miti munibhiḥ bharatādhibhiḥ //

-natana which is done with the help of caturvidhabhinayas is of three kinds:

1. Nāṭya:

Bharata defines Nāṭya like this:

yoyaṁ svabhāvo lōkasya sukha dukkha samavitaḥ /

sōñgādyābhinayō petaṁ nāṭya mityabhidhīyate // (N.S. SLOKA 119)

The existing happiness or sadness in the world, is enacted through caturvidhabhinayas is known as Nāṭyaṁ

Nānā bhāvōpa saṁpannaṁ nānāvasthāntarātmakaṁ /

lokavṛttānukaraṇaṁ nāṭyame tanmayākṛtaṁ // (N.S. SLOKA.112)

Nāṭyaṁ is full of various bhavas showing various situations and conditions in the world. Bharata also says:

Lōkōpadeśa jananaṁ nāṭyame tat bhaviṣyati //

Nāṭya or drama will portray the activities of people who are of Upper, middle and low class and will contain instructions for their benefit. Not only that it will provide advice in all matters and actions.

Naṁdikesvara defined Natya:

Nāṭyam tannāṭakaṁ caiva pūjyaṁ pūrvakathayutaṁ /

- Nāṭya is nothing but a Nāṭakaṁ (presentation of a play on the stage), which is full of ancient stories and is adorable and arouses rasa.



2. Nrtta:

According to Natya Sastra, Bharata says:

mayapīdaṁ smṛtaṁ nṛttaṁ sandhyā kāleṣu nrtyatā /

nānā karaṇa saṁyuktair angahārair vibhūṣitaṁ //

Shiva remembered his own creation of Nṛtta which is embellished with Karaṇa and Aṅgahārās. Since this Nṛtta was taught by Tanḍu, Bharata called it as Tanḍava

Naṁdikesvara defines Nṛtta like this:

Bhāvābhinaya hīnaṁ tu nṛtta mityabhidhīyate /

- Angavikshepana – movements of various limbs of the body based on tala and laya which are prominent in nrtta. Nrtta is devoid of bhava and rasa. But modern writers feel that nrtta is also “bhavavyanjakam” (arouses bhava).

3. Nṛtya:

Bharata has not used the word Nṛtya in his text separately. The Nāṭya which was given by Brahma and the Nrtta, given by Shiva, was combined by Bharata and put into his new choreographies, thus, giving rise to a new technique called Nṛtya, which he was not aware of it. Bharata explains how to do abhinaya for a song in the following sloka:

pradhamaṁtvābhineyaṁ syād gītake sarva vastukaṁ /

tadēvatu punarvastu nṛttēnāpi pradarśayet // (Nāṭyaśāstra)

- the meaning of the song is conveyed through abhinaya- gestures and expressions, later the same thing is done by incorporating Nṛttaṁ into it.

According to Naṁdikesvara:

“Rasa bhāva vyanjanādiyuktaṁ nṛtya mitīryate /

- Communication of the meanings of the songs is important in nṛtya. It expresses Rasas and bhavas.

4. Tanḍava & Lāsya:

Bharata in Natya Sastra, did not talk about Lasya except mentioning about the ten Lāsyāṅgās. Naṁdikesvara defines these two terms like this:

Etatrayaṁ dvidhābhinnam lāsya – tāńḍava soujňakaṁ /

Sukumāraṁ tu lāsyaṁ – uddhataṁ tāńḍavaṁ viduḥ //

The two words Nṛtta and Tāńḍava are synonyms. However, since the dance performed by Pārvati is considered graceful (Sukumāra) it is called as Lāsya; the dance performed by Lord Śiva was Uddhatham and it is called as Tāńḍava.