नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

.XXXVI. 25 ] THE DESCENT OF DRAMA 555

for the prosperity of the king, the ferocious beings will make themselves scarce on hearing the sound of the Benediction.

20. The instrumental music, or the drama¹ or the songs together with the instrumental music, will be equal [in importance] to the exposition of the Vedic hymns².

21. I have heard from the god of gods (Indra)¹ and after-wards from Śaṃkara (Śiva) that music [vocal and instrumental] is superior to a bath [in the Ganges] or Japas for a thousand times².

22. The places in which there occur the instrumental music and dramatic performance¹, or the song and instrumental music, will surely² never know any kind of inauspicious happening.

23. Thus I have devised the Preliminaries as a ceremony of adoration for worshipping the deities with laudatory verses and Mantras¹.

The ablution of the Director on the stage

24. As the head¹ becomes fatigued by bowing on the stage, the rule permits the Director to bathe it with water².

25. After the ablution the Director should worship the Jarjara with Mantras. All this has been said in connexion of the Preliminaries¹. This is the reason for the ablution.

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20 (C.24; K.21). ¹ nāṭyam, K. (śrutvā, C.).
² This seems to show that in the beginning, the early Vedic people were not favourably disposed to the dramatic performance. For more on this see the Introduction.
21 (C.25; K.22). ¹ Cf. 20 note. ² above.
² This seems to indicate that not only the early Vedic people who cared little for the asceticism, but other religious sects as well, did not favour the dramatic performance. This may be the reason to put the thea-trical performances which included music above the religious practices of such sects. For more about this see the Introduction.
22 (C.26; K.23). ¹ Read ātodya-nāṭyaś ca for °nātyastha, C. °nāṭyasya, K. ² Read niścayam for niscayaḥ, C. śubhaḥ, K.
23 (C.27; K.24). ¹ This seems to show that the drama was also connected with a particular religious cult.
24 (C.28a; K.25). ¹ Read śiras tu for śirasaḥ kṛtam tad, K.
* C. omits 24b. See below 25 note.
25 (K.26). ¹ C. omits this this. See NŚ. V. 10-83.