नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

-I. 125 ] THE ORIGIN OF DRAMA 17

happy adoration of the world. A dramatic spectacle (_prekṣā_¹) should not be held without offering Pūjā² to the stage.

125. He who will hold a dramatic spectacle without offering the Pūjā, will find his knowledge [of the art] useless, and he will be reborn as an animal of lower order (tiryag-yoni).

126. Hence [producers of a play] should first of all offer by all means, Pūjā to the [presiding] deity of the stage, which is similar to the [Vedic] sacrifice.

127. The actor (nartaka) or his wealthy patron (arthapati) who does not offer this Pūjā or does not cause it to be offered, will sustain a loss.

128. He who will offer this Pūjā according to the rules and the observed practice, will attain auspicious wealth and will [in the end] go to heavens."

129. Then Brahman with other gods said to me, "Let it be so, offer Pūjā to the stage."

Here ends Chapter I of Bharata's Nāṭyaśāstra,
which treats of the Origin of Drama.

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124 (B.127b-128a ; G.122) ¹ prekṣā Pali pekkhā occuring in Sikkhā padas (c. 600 B. C. ).

² pūjā—worshipping a deity with flowers, sweet scent, incense, music and offering of eatables.

125 (B.128b-129a, G.123).	126 (B.129b-130a, G.124).
127 (B.130b-131a, G.125)	128 (B131b-132a, G.126).
129 (B.132b-133, G.127).