नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

2	THE NATYASASTRA	[ I. 5-

the muttering of prayers (japa) and was surrounded by his sons. The sages respectfully said to him, “O Brahman, how did originate the Nāṭyaveda³ similar to the Vedas, which you have properly composed? And for whom is it meant, how many limbs does it possess, what is its extent⁴ and how is it to be applied? Please speak to us in detail about it all⁵”.

Bharata answers.

6. Hearing these words of the sages, Bharata began in reply to speak thus about the Nāṭyaveda :

7-12. “Get yourselves cleansed, be attentive and hear about the origin of the Nāṭyaveda devised by Brahman¹. O Brahmins, in the days of yore when the Golden Age (Kṛtayuga)¹ᵃ passed with the reign of Svāyambhuva (Manu), and the Silver Age (Tretāyuga) commenced with the career of Vaivasvata Manu, and people became addicted to sensual

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³ Nāṭyaveda—The ‘Nāṭyaveda’ according to Ag. is a synonym for the ‘Nāṭyaśāstra’, and is no Vedic work. He (I. p. 4) says : अत्र तु नाट्यस्य वेदः शास्त्रमिति समासः अन्यथा अध्यापनासम्भवात्.

⁴ pramāṇa=extent. Ag. takes the word in the sense of proof (pramāṇaṁ atra niścaya-janakatvam), but he cites another view as well, which takes the word to mean ‘number’ and is as follows : अन्ये तु नाट्यांगतानां रूपकादीनां पाठ्याभिनयरसगीतानां का संख्येति विभागविषयोऽयं प्रश्न इत्याचक्षते.

⁵ From the five questions put in here, it is not to be assumed that the treatment of subjects mentioned will follow the order of these.

6 (B.G. same).

7-12 (B.G. same). ¹ The reference here is to the Nāṭyaveda alleged to have been composed by Brahman in about 36000 ślokas. It is also believed that, later on a shorter work (in 12000 granthas) was based on this great work and it was in the form of a dialogue between Śiva and Pārvatī. This is considered by some to be the Ādibharata or Sadāśivabharata. The present NŚ. contains about 12000 granthas and it is supposed to include the views of the authors of the now extinct Nāṭyaveda (composed by Brahman) as well as of the Ādibharata. See Preface to NŚ. (B.) pp. 6-7. On this point Ag (I. p. 8) says: एतेन सदाशिवब्रह्मभरतमतत्रयविवेचनेन ब्रह्ममतसारताप्रतिपादनाय मतत्रयीसारविवेचनं तद्ग्रन्थसंक्षेपेण विहितमिदं शास्त्रं.

¹ᵃ A. K. Coomaraswamy has freely translated 8-17 (The Mirror of Gestures, New York, 1936, p. 16).