नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

28 THE NATYASASTRA [ II. 68-

after due performance of all the acts prescribed by rules, and the stage (raṅgaśīrṣa) should include six pieces of wood.

69-71. The tiring room (nepathya) should be furnished with two doors¹. In filling up [the ground marked for the stage] the black earth should be used with great care. This earth is to be made free from stone chips, gravel and grass by the use of a plough to which are to be yoked two white draught animals. Those who will do [the ploughing] work should be free from physical defects of all kinds. And the earth should be carried in new baskets by persons free from defective limbs.

72-74. Thus one should carefully construct the plinth of the stage (raṅgaśīrṣa)¹. It must not be [convex] like the back of a tortoise or that of a fish. For a stage (raṅgapīṭha) the ground which is as level as the surface of a mirror, is commendable. Jewels and precious stones should be laid underneath this (raṅgaśīrṣa) by expert builders. Diamond is to be put in the east, lapis lazuli in the south, quartz in the west and coral in the north, and in the centre gold.

Decorative work in the stage

75-80. The plinth of the stage having been constructed thus, one should start the wood-work which is based on a carefully thought out (ūha-pratyūha-saṃyukta)¹ [plan], with many artistic

---

and IX. 1933. pp. 973 ff. ; V. Raghavan, "Theatre Architecture in Ancient India" Triveni IV-VI, (1931, 1933) also "Hindu Theatre", IHQ. IX. 1933. pp. 991 ff. I am unable to agree with them. For my arguments on this point see "The Hindu Theatre" in IHQ. IX. 1933 pp. 591 ff. and 'The NŚ' and the Abhinavabhāratī" in IHQ. X. 1934 pp. 161 ff.

69-71 (B.75-77, G.72b-75a). ¹ On this point the Hindu Theatre has a similarity with the Chinese theatre. (See A.K. Coomaraswamy—"Hindu Theatre" in IHQ. IX. 1933. p. 594).

72-74 (B. 78-80, G.75b-78a). ¹ See note 1 on 68. If raṅgaśīrṣa and raṅgapīṭha are taken to mean two different parts of the playhouse the interpretation of the passage will lead us to unnecessary difficulty.

75-80 (B.80-86a, G.78b-83). ¹ ūha and pratyūha may also be taken as two architectural terms (see Ag. I. p. 63).