नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

.V. 105 ] THE PRELIMINARIES OF A PLAY 89

should bow to Śiva (Rudra), Brahman and Viṣṇu (Upendra) while going forward three steps by 'masculine', 'feminine' and 'neuter' feet [one after another].

99-100. The right foot is 'masculine' and the left foot is 'feminine' while the right foot not [much] raised is called 'neuter'.

100-101. Śiva (Īśa) should be bowed to with the masculine foot [put forward first] while in bowing to Brahman the neuter foot [should be so put forward]¹.

The Fourth Man enters.

101-102. The Walking-round should be [finished] thus, and then the Fourth Man (caturtha-kāra) should duly enter [the stage] with flowers [in his hands].

102-103. And he should duly offer Pūjā to the Jarjara and to all the musical instruments (kutapa) as well as to the Director.

103-104. His foot-movements during the Pūjā should be made to accompany the playing of drums, and there should be no song sung then, but only meaningless syllables should be chanted (stobhakriyā).

Singing of the Avakṛṣṭā Dhruvā

104-105. After offering the Pūjā the Fourth Man should make his exit. And then should be sung an Avakṛṣṭā Dhruvā¹ in Caturasra (Tāla) and slow tempo (sthita-laya).

105-106. This Dhruvā should abound in heavy syllables and depend on the Sthāyi-varṇa¹ and be made up of eight Kalās, and its Tāla should be Avapāṇika.

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99-100 (B.100, G.99).
100-101 (B.101a-102b, G.100). ¹ B. repeats here 90-91.
101-102 (B.103, G.101).
102-103 (B.104, G.102). ¹ See NŚ. III, 11-13.
103-104 (B.105, G.103).
104-105 (B.106, G.104). ¹ One of the six kinds of Dhruvās. See NŚ. (C.) XXXII. 154-159).
105-106 (B.107, G.105). ¹ See NŚ. (C.) XXIX. 21.
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