CHAPTER FIFTEEN

RULES OF PROSODY

The actor's speech

1. O the best of Brahmins, I shall now speak about the nature (lit characteristics of) the Verbal Representation which has been mentioned before¹ and which relates to (lit. arises from) vowels and consonants.

Importance of speech in drama

2. One should take care of words¹. For these are known as the body of the dramatic art (nāṭya). And Gestures, Costumes and Make-up and the Temparamental (sātvika) acting [merely] clarify the meaning of words.

3. In this world (lit. here) the Śāstras are made up of words and rest on words; hence there is nothing beyond words, and words are at the source of everything¹.

4. The Verbal representation is related to [a knowledge of] nouns (nāma), verbs (ākhyāta), particle (nipāta), preposition (upasarga), nominal suffix (taddhita) compound words (samāsa), euphonic combination (sandhi) and case-endings (vibhakti).

The two kinds of recitation

5. The Recitation (pāṭhya) [in a play] is known to be of two kinds : Sanskritic and Prakritic. I shall speak of their difference in due order.

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1 (C.1; B.XIV.1). ¹ For the four kinds of Histrionic Representation which includes the Verbal one see NŚ. VI. 23.

2 (C.1; B.XIV.2). ¹This rule applies to the actors as well as to the play-wright. On this Ag. says : वाचि यत्नस्तु कर्तव्य इति कविना निर्माणकाले नटेन प्रयोगकाले.

3 (C.3; B.XIV.3). ¹ This view is also held by Bhartṛhari (circa 600 A.C.) in his Vākyapadīya (Āgamakāṇḍa). See B. p. 224, foot note.

4. (C.4; B.XIV.4). 5 (C.5; B.XIV.5).