नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

XLVI

the performance of a play were always referred to (XXVII. 48-57) as 'spectators' or 'observers' (prekṣaka)⁸ and never as audience (śrotṛ), although there was always the speech element in it, which was a thing to be heard. This disposes of the question of judging the value of a drama except in connection with its production on the stage This importance of the representational aspect of a play has possibly behind it an historical reason. Though in historical times we find written dramas produced on the stage, this was probably not the case in very early times, and the dialogues which contribute an important part of the drama were often improvised on the stage by the actors⁹, and this practice seems to have continued in certain classes of folk-plays till the late medieval times¹⁰. Hence the drama naturally continued to be looked upon by Indians as spectacles even after great playwright creators like Bhāsa, Kālidāsa, Śūdraka, and Bhavabhūti had written their dramas which in spite of their traditional form were literary master-pieces.

Now, dramas being essentially things to be visualised, their judgement should properly rest with the people called upon to witness them. This was not only the ancient Hindu view, even the modern producers, in spite of their enlisting the service of professional (dramatic) critics, depend actually on the opinion of the common people who attend their performance.

The judgement of the drama which is to depend on spectators has been clearly explained in the theory of the Success discussed in the Nāṭyaśāstra (XXVII). In this connection one must remember the medley of persons who usually assemble to witness a dramatic performance and what varying tastes and inclinations they might possess. For, this may give us some guidance as to what value should be put on their judgement which appear to have no chance of unity. In laying down the characteristics of a drama the Nāṭyaśāstra has the following : "This (the Nāṭya) teaches duty to those bent on doing their duty, love to those who are eager for its fulfilment, and it chastises those who are ill-bred or unruly, promotes self-restraint in those who are disciplined, gives courage to cowards, energy to heroic persons, enlightens men of poor intellect and gives wisdom to the learned. This gives diversion to kings, firmness [of mind] to persons afflicted with sorrow, and [hints of acquiring] wealth to those who are for earning it, and it brings composure to persons agitated in mind. The drama as I

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⁸ Prekṣa occurring in NŚ. III. 99. seems to be the same as 'pekkhā' mentioned in Pali Brahmajālasutta See Levi. II. p. 54. ⁹ Winternitz, Vol.I. pp. 101-102.

¹⁰ The Kṛṣṇakīrtana, a collection of Middle Bengali songs on Kṛṣṇa and Radha's love-affairs, seems to have been the musical framework of a drama. We saw in our early boyhood that extemporised dialogues were a special feature of the old type Bengali Yātras. These have totally disappeared now under the influence of modern theatre which depend on thoroughly written plays.