नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

.IV. 278 ] DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASS DANCE 69

272. The Class Dance (tāṇḍava)$^1$ is mostly to accompany the adoration of gods but its gentler form (sukumāra-prayoga) relates to the Erotic Sentiment.

The Vardhamānaka

273. Now while coming to discuss the Vardhamānaka I shall describe the rules regarding the performance of the Class Dance (tāṇḍava) as it was performed by Taṇḍu.

274. As in its performance Kalā and tempo (laya) attain vṛddhi (increment) due to the increment of Akṣaras it is called the Vardhamānaka.

The Āsārita

275. After setting down the musical instruments (kutapa) the producers [of plays] should get the Āsārita performed.

276. Then after the Upohana has been performed to the accompaniment of drums$^1$ and stringed instruments, a female dancer should enter [the stage] with the playing of drums [only].

277. This playing of the [instrumental] music should be in pure Karaṇa$^1$ and Jāti$^2$. And then a Cārī should be performed with steps in accompaniment of music.

278. On entering the stage with flowers in her hands the female dancer should be in the Vaiśākha Sthāna (posture) and perform all the four Recakas (i.e. those of feet, hand, waist and neck).

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272 (B.275b-276a, G.271). $^1$ The tāṇḍava has been translated by some as 'wild dance' (Haas, Daśarūpa, p.5), but the adjective seems to be misleading. From the present chapter of the NŚ, it appears that the word meant 'class dance' which has been codified. It is to be distinguished from the folk dance mentioned in later works. Tāṇḍava was no exclusively male dance. For the illustrations of the karaṇas taken out of old bas reliefs and printed in the Baroda ed. of the NŚ. show that these were performed by women as well. These karaṇas were evidently elements of tāṇḍava; lāsya performed by women was only a gentler form of the tāṇḍava.

273 (B.276b-277a, G.272).	274 (B.277b-278a, G.273).
275 (B.278b-279a, G.274).	276 (B.279b-280a, G.275).
277 (B.280b-281a, G.276).	278 (B.281b-282a, G.277).