नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

-I. 15 ] THE ORIGIN OF DRAMA 3

pleasures², were under the sway of desire and greed, became infatuated with jealousy and anger and [thus] found their happiness mixed with sorrow, and Jambudvīpa³ protected by the Lokapālas (guardians of the worlds) was full of gods, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas and great Uragas (Nāgas), the gods, with Indra (Mahendra) as their head, (approached) Brahman and spoke to him, 'We want an object of diversion, which must be audible as well as visible⁴. As the Vedas are not to be listened to by those born as Śūdras, be pleased to create another Veda which will belong to all the Colour-groups⁵ (varṇa)'.

13. "Let it be so", said he in reply and then having dismissed the king of gods (Indra) he resorted to yoga (concentration of mind)¹ and recalled to mind the four Vedas.²

14-15. He then thought: "I shall make a fifth¹ Veda on the Nāṭya with the Semi-historical Tales (itihāsa),² which will conduce to duty (dharma)³, wealth (artha) as well as fame, will

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² grāmyadharma—Ag. explains the word differently and as follows : ग्राम्योऽसभ्यताप्रार्थनाकीर्यदेयोचितो धर्मः स्वधर्माननुपालनलक्षणः.

³ According to ancient Indian geography the earth was divided into seven dvīpas (continents). Jambudvīpa is one of them. It included Bhārata-varṣa or Bharata-varṣa, known at present as 'India'. Viṣṇu P. (ch. 1-12). See Winternitz, Hist. of Indian Literature, Vol. I, p. 548.

⁴ On this point Ag. says : दृश्यमिति हृद्यं श्रव्यमिति व्युत्पत्तिप्रदमित्यर्थः.

⁵ This relates to the four classes such as Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra.

13 (B.G. same). ¹ Yoga has been defined in Patañjali's work as cittavṛttinirodhaḥ. It however begins with the concentration of the mind.

² After 13, B. reads one additional couplet. But G. considers this passage to be spurious and puts it in the footnote.

14-15 (B.G. same). ¹ In the early Indian literature the itihāsa alone was considered as the fifth Veda. See Chāndogya Up. VII. 1f. and 7., and Suttanipāta, II.7 (sellasutta). Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra too gives the same position to the itihāsas. See Winternitz, Vol. I. p. 313.

² On itihāsa see note below.

³ dharma also means virtue, law and custom etc.