CHAPTER FIVE

THE PRELIMINARIES OF A PLAY

The Sages question.

1-4. On hearing the words of Bharata who continued the topic of drama the sages were pleased in mind and said, "We have heard from you about the origin of drama¹ and the Jarjara² as well as [the means of] stopping obstacles³, and the worship of gods⁴. Having grasped the meaning we would like to know in detail (lit. exhaustively), O the very splendid one, about the Preliminaries with all their characteristics; it behoves you, O Brahmin, to explain [everything] for our understanding [the same properly]."

Bharata answers.

5-6. Hearing these words of the sages Bharata spoke thus about the rules of the Preliminaries: "O the blessed ones, listen to me. I am speaking about the Preliminaries as well as of the Pādabhāga¹, the Kalās and the Walking-round³ [which relate to them].

Preliminaries defined

7. As it is first performed at the beginning (pūrvam) in the stage (raṅga) it is called the (pūrvaraṅga)¹ Preliminaries.

Parts of the Preliminaries

8-11. Its different parts which are to be performed in due

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1-4 (B.G. same). ¹ See NŚ. I. 13-18. ² See NŚ. I. 69-73. ³ See I. 54-68. ⁴ See NŚ. III.

5-6 (B.G. same). ¹ pādabhāga—See NŚ. (C.) XXXI. 308-309. This is a term relating to tāla.

² kalā—unit of the time measure in music. See NŚ. (C.) XXXI. 608. On this Ag. (I. 211) says: कला शब्देन च शतविधा तालकला निष्क्रामादिरुच्यते। तथा समलो मात्रात्मकस्तालभागो गृहीतः. ³ parivarta. On this see below 23-24, 65-80.

7 (B.G. same). ¹ BhP. defines pūrvaraṅga as follows: कलापाताः पादभागाः परिवर्ताश्च सूरिभिः। पूर्वं क्रियते यद्रङ्गे पूर्वरङ्गो भवेद्तः (SR. p. 742)! The definition in the the comm. of DR. (III. 2) is corrupt.

8-11 (B.G. same).