CHAPTER TWENTY

TEN KINDS OF PLAY

1. I shall now describe the tenfold¹ division of plays together with their names, functions and modes of production.

2-3. For their definition (lakṣaṇa) plays are known to be of ten kinds such as Nāṭaka,¹ Prakaraṇa, Aṅka (Utsṛṣṭikâṅka)², Vyāyoga, Bhāṇa, Samavakāra, Vīthi, Prahasana, Ḍima³, and Īhāmṛga. I shall describe their characteristics in detail (lit. from the beginning).

4. Styles (vṛtti)¹ are known as the constituent elements of all dramatic works (lit. poems). Considering their production the ten kinds of play are considered to have proceeded from these.

5. Just as the Jātis¹ and the Śrutis² of notes constitute a scale (grāma)³, so varieties of Styles make up the dramatic composition (kāvya-bandha).

6. Just as the Ṣaḍja¹ and the Madhyama² scales include all the notes, so these two [kinds of] dramatic compositions (Nāṭaka and Prakaraṇa) are made up of all the Styles.

7. The Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa are to be known as made up of all the Styles and they utilise all the different methods of constructions¹.

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1 (C.1; B.XVIII. 1). ¹ Old writers on the subject like Kohala mention additional types of play such as Saṭṭaka, Toṭaka and Rāsaka (Ag.). Bhoja ignores the Toṭaka and recognises only twelve kinds of play including the Nāṭikā mentioned in the NŚ. (See, V. Raghavan, Śr. Pr. p. 27).

2-3 (C. 2-3; B.XVIII. 2-3). ¹ This word is sometimes loosely used as a synonym of rūpa or rūpaka.

² To distinguish it from aṅka meaning “an Act”, it it also called Utsṛṣṭikāṅka.

³ It is evidently a non-Aryan word.

4 (C.4; B.XVIII. 4). ¹ See NŚ. XXII.

5 (C. 5; B.XVIII. 5). ¹ See NŚ. (C.) XXVIII. 36ff. ² ibid. ³ ibid.

6 (C. 6; B.XVIII. 6) ¹ See NŚ. XXVIII. 22ff. ² ibid.

7 (C. 7; B.XVIII.7). ¹ It seems that 6 and 7 have taken each other's place.

356	THE NATYASASTRA	[ XX. 8.

8-9. Plays of the Vīthī, the Samavakāra, the Ihāmṛga, the Utsṛṣṭikāṅka (Aṅka), the Vyāyoga, the Bhāṇa, the Prahasana and the Ḍima classes should be made devoid of the Graceful Style. I shall hereafter describe the different methods of constructing plays.

The Nāṭaka

10-11. [A play] which has for its subject-matter a well-known story¹, for its Hero a celebrated person of exalted nature (udātta)² or which describes the character of a person descending from a royal seer³, divine protection [for him], his many super-human powers⁴ and exploits such as, success [in different under-takings] and amorous pastimes, and which has appropriate number of (lit. richly furnished which) Acts (aṅka)⁵ and Introductory Scenes (praveśaka), is called a Nāṭaka.⁶

12. Character of kings, their acts and movements represent-ing many States and Sentiments and arising from (lit. made by) their joys and sorrows [when described in a play] is styled a Nāṭaka.

The Act

13. After considering the denouement (kārya) suitable to the particular stage [of the plot] an Act should be constructed by expanding the Turning point (bindu) [of the play]. It should be furnished with a group (gaṇa) [of characters].¹

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8-9 (C. 8-9; B.XVIII. 8-9).
10-11 (C. 10-11; B.XVIII. 10-11). ¹ It must occur in some form in a Purāṇa, Itihāsa (Rām. and Mbh.) or any other celebrated work (e.g. Bṛhatkathā).
² Rāma, Kṛṣṇa and Udayana are examples of such persons. This and the other conditions mentioned in the note above exclude living persons as Heroes of the Nāṭakas. Cf. ND, p. 27.
³ Janaka and Viśvāmitra are examples of such persons.
⁴ Divine personages may be introduced in a Nāṭaka only as Heroes of an Episode (patākā) or Episodical Incident (prakarī). See Ag. and ND. (loc cit).
⁵ For the description of Act (aṅka) see below 13-15,23.
⁶ For a description of the Introductory Scene (praveśaka) see below 19-21; 27-35.
12 (C.12; B.XVIII 12).
13 (C.13, B.XVIII. 13). ¹ C. reads this couplet differently.

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24. A wise playwright should not put in [too] many incidents in a single Act¹. And incidents in it should be depicted without a hindrance of the routine duties².

25. Persons who will enter the stage in an Act (lit. there) will go out after performing things connected with the Germ and the meaning of the play, and [they are to create] the proper Sentiments.

26. Knowing the length of a day which is divided into Kṣaṇas¹, Yāmas² and Muhūrtas³ one should distribute all the different incidents in a play to different acts.

The Introductory Scene

27. When incidents that are to be finished in course of a [single] day, cannot be accommodated in an Act they should be presented in Introductory Scenes after closing the [same] Act.

28. [Incidents] that may take place in course of a month or a year, are also to be presented [similarly] after closing the Act¹; but [incidents covering] more than a year should never be treated [in such a manner].²

29. When in an Act any person goes out on business to a distant land, it should be brought to a close [at that point] as perscribed before.

30. With an Act of the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa the Hero should be closely associated. And an Introductory Scene¹ should be made up² of a conversation of attendants.

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24 (C.25; B.XVIII.22). ¹ Read ekāṅke na instead of ekāṅkena (B.C.). The controversy over the reading is anterior to the time of Ag. (See Ag.).
² Routine duties include prayers as well as taking meals. (sandhyāvandanādi).
25 (C.26; B.XVIII.23).
26 (C.27; B.XVIII 25).
27 (C.28; B.XVIII.26). ¹ Ex. Avi, II, Vikram, V.
28 (C.29, B.XVIII.31). ¹ C. reads aṅkacchedaṃ kuryāt for °cchedaṃ kṛtvā. The meaning of this rule is that an Act will include events covering a month or a year. But this contradict 23 above.
29 (C.30; B.XVIII.32).
30 (C.31; B.XVIII.28). ¹ B. vijñeyaḥ for kartavyaḥ; C. praveśake for praveśako.

360 THE NATYASASTRA [ XX. 31-

31. An Introductory Scene in the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa should be made to relate¹ to the essentials of the Turning Points (bindu) and follow the preceding (lit. another) Act.

32. It (the Introductory Scene) should not consist of exploits of the superior and the middling characters, and there should be no exalted speech in it. And in practice it should adopt speeches and manners of the common people.

33. An Introductory Scene may have many purposes. [For example], it may indicate the advent or passage of time, change of the Sentiments or the beginning [of an Act] or the denoument (kārya).

34. Incidents which depend on many [persons] are to be compressed by means of Introductory Scenes or in Junctures (sandhi). For a play containing [too] many prose passages¹ will be tiresome [to the actors] at [the time of] the production [of the play].

35. When a particular item cannot be completely presented in an Act lest it should be too large for [successful] production, its account should be compressed in a few words and put in an Introductory Scene.

The Explanatory Scene

36. In the Nāṭaka the Explanatory Scene (viṣkambhaka) should always be made up with the middling characters¹ and it

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31 (C.32; B.XVIII.33). ¹ C. bhavati kāvyam for saṁvidhātavyaḥ.
32 (C.33; B.XVIII.34).
33 (C.34; B.XVIII.35). ¹ Read 33a as कालोत्थानगतिरसख्यात्यारम्भकार्य-विषयाणाम्. (०रसो व्याख्यासंरम्भ, B.).
² B. reads the first hemistich with the change accepted by Ag. The passage in B. in trans. will be as follows : An Introductory Scene may have many purposes. For example, it may indicate the advent or passage of time, or present some explanation or other aspects of planning the denoument (kārya).
34 (C.35; B.XVIII.36). ¹ For bahucūrṇapadair yuktam. C. reads bahu-pūrṇa-padyavṛttam. 35 (C.36; B.XVIII.37).
36 (C.37; B.XVIII.54). ¹ This is meant that superior characters do not appear in an Explanatory Scene. See below 37 note.

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should be concise and follow the polished style of speaking (saṃskṛta-vacana).²

37. It should be of two kinds : pure (śuddha) and mixed (saṃkīrṇa). Of these, the pure is made up with the middling characters, and the mixed with the inferior and the middling characters.

38. In the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa an Explanatory Scene between two Acts or at the beginning of an Act, should always include the middling and the inferior characters¹.

Number of dramatis personae

39. The Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa should not be made to contain a great number of attendants [to the Hero]. The Hero's attendants (lit. men of work) in such plays (lit. there) should [at most] be four or five¹.

40. Plays of the Vyāyoga, the Īhāmṛga, the Samavakāra, and the Ḍima classes should be made to have ten or twelve characters **¹.

Introducing chariots and palaces on the stage

41. A chariot, an elephant, a horse and a palace should not be presented on the stage. These should be provided [in a play] by means of appearance and costumes¹ [of men concerned] and [their] Gaits² and movements (gati-vicāra)³.

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37 (C.38; B.XVIII.55). ¹ Ex. Pratijñā II. Śak. III.
² Ex. Pratimā. II, Vikram. III.

38 (C.39). ¹ The exact significance of this rule is not clear. It possibly means to say that plays other than of the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa types, will not allow an Explanatory Scene of the mixed kind. An example of such a scene probably occurs in the Pañca. of Bhāsa, which does not fall into any of the known types of drama. See Pusalker, Bhāsa, pp. 209ff.

39 (C.40; B.XVIII.41). ¹ This rule is possibly meant for avoiding the practical difficulty of producing a drama with too many characters.

40 (C.41). ¹ C. gives it in a mutilated form. Its second hemistich should be read as daśabhiḥ dvādaśabhir vā kāryāṇi......

41 (C.42). ¹ This couplet should be read na न त्ववतरणं कार्यं रङ्गे रथवाजी-विमानानाम्। तेषामाकृतिवेषैर्विधानमुक्तं गतिविचारैः.
² See NŚ. XXIII. 6-9.
³ See NŚ. XII.

46

362 THE NATYASASTRA [ XX. 42-

42. But an elephant, a horse, a palace, a hill or any conveyance as well as imitation weapons may be presented (lit. made) by means of model-work by these who know the rules [for their construction]¹.

Introducing an army on the stage

43. If due to any reason¹ a detatchment of an army is to be introduced on the stage (lit. here), only five (lit. four) or six persons are to make their appearance (lit. going).

44. [In a play an army] should be made to appear as consisting of a small number of men, representing mounts and travelling requisites, and it should move slowly. For in the military role (kṣatra)¹ of the actors, [actual] rules of polity do not apply.

45. In the composition of a play Denoument should be made [like] the tip of the cow's tail¹, and all the exalted situations (lit. states) should be put at the end.

46-47. At the conclusion of all the plays which contain various States and Sentiments, experts should always introduce the Marvellous Sentiment¹. Thus I have briefly but properly spoken about the characteristics of the Nāṭaka. I shall hereafter describe the Prakaraṇa by mentioning its characteristics.

The Prakaraṇa

48. The play (lit. where) in which the writer prakurute (devises)¹ by his own genius an original plot with its Hero, and works up its elaboration (śarīra), is called the Prakaraṇa.

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42 (C.42). ¹ See above 41 note 2.
43 (C.44). '¹ Emend kāraṇopapannā into kāraṇopa°.
² Emend kartavyamantra into kartavyam atra.
44 (C.45). ¹ Emend kṣatena into kṣatre na.
45 (C.46; B.XVIII.42). ¹ The exact significance of this expression as well as the implication of the entire rule is not clear. Ag. however quotes two different views on the subject but none of them seems to be convincing,
46-47 (C.47-48; B.XVIII.43-44). ¹ This is mostly to be done by causing unexpected things to happen. The sudden revelation of Āvantikā as Vāsavadattā in Bhāsa's Svapna. (VI) and the dramatic re-union of Śakuntalā with Duṣyanta in Śak. (VII) are examples of this rule.
48 (C.49; B.XVIII.45). ¹ From this it may be assumed that once there were Prakaraṇas in which the plot was not wholly original, i.e. the

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49. When a playwright constructs a play with an original (lit. invented) Germ and a plot which is not connected with Ṛṣis' works¹ and which that play has gathered from some other works and has some marvellous qualities in it, the same is also called the Prakaraṇa.

50. The plot and its elaboration as the basis of the Sentiments,¹ which have been prescribed in case of the Nāṭaka are also to be applied with [the the detail of] their characteristics to the Prakaraṇa in all its Junctures (sandhi)².

51. The varied exploits¹ of Brahmins, merchants, ministers, priests, officers [of the king] and leaders of the army [when presented in a play] are to be known as the Prakaraṇa².

52. The Prakaraṇa should be known as not made up with an exalted Hero. And it does not contain the character of any god, has no story of king's enjoyment, and it is connected with the men outside [the royal palace].

53. The play of the Prakaraṇa type should include [in some cases] servants, parasites (viṭa) and heads of the merchants' guild, [as characters and should contain incidents arising from] the conduct of courtezans as well as exploits of depraved women of good family.

54. [In an Act of the Prakaraṇa] where a minister, head of the merchants' guild, Brahmin, priest, minister and leader of the

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playwright worked up materials from the source of the plot, such as Mbh. Rām. and Bṛhatkathā. See above 10-11 note 1.

49 (C.50; B.XVIII.46). ¹ Rām and Mbh. are examples of such works.

50 (C.51; B.XVIII.47). ¹ C. rasāśrayopetaṁ for ca vṛttibhedāś ca.
² C. kevalaṁ utpādyavastu syāt for salakṣaṇaṁ sarva-sandhiṣu tu.

51 (C.51; B.XVIII.48). ¹ From this "varied exploits" one is to understand that Prakaraṇa was not concerned exclusively with love-themes.
² The types of characters mentioned in the rule are mostly absent in the scanty number of extant plays of this type. The Pratijñā. is an example of a Prak. having ministers as its Hero.

52 (C.53; B.XVIII.49). 53 (C.54; B.XVIII.50).
54 (C.55; B.XVIII.51).

364 THE NATYASASTRA [ XX. 55-

caravan stay in their family circle, no courtezan should be brought in there¹.

55. [In the Prakaraṇa] when a person is in the company of a courtezan there should not be [at the same time] his meeting with any respectable woman (lit. woman of good family), and while he is with a person of high family no courtezan should meet him then.

56. If out of necessity (lit. reason) there occurs a meeting¹ of courtezans and respectable ladies in [any scene of] a Prakaraṇa their language and manners should be kept undistorted.

57. In the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa the playwrights should have the number of Acts as not less than five and not more than ten¹; and this should be furnished with the various Sentiments and the States².

58. After considering the need and action of the plot one should place between two Acts the Introductory Scenes which are to compress the events in the Junctures (sandhi)¹.

The Nāṭikā

59. In a play of the Nāṭikā (Nāṭī) class producers are to recognise a more or less well-known variety of these two (the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa)¹.

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¹ See 56 below.
55 (C.56; B.XVIII.52).
56 (C.57; B.XVIII.53). ¹ The nature of the necessity, and the language which the author of the NŚ. had in view in formulating this rule, has probably been indicated in the following couplet. शिल्पादिव्यपदेशेन भवेद्वेश्यासमागमः। भाषेत प्राकृतं वेश्या संस्कृतं कुलनायिका. Bh. P.p. 242
57 (C.58; B.XVIII.29). ¹ Read daśa parā for daśaparā.
² B. reads the second hemistich as अङ्गान्तरसन्धिषु च प्रवेशकास्तेषु तावन्तः.
59 (C.59; B.XVIII.56). ¹ Read this couplet as follows: अङ्कान्तरालविहितः प्रवेशकोऽर्थक्रियां समभिवीक्ष्य। संक्षेपार्थं सन्धिबन्धानां संविधातव्यः. Cf. DR. I.118 (ed. Haas, pp. 34-35) and SD. 302. The Introductory Scene cannot be placed in the beginning of a play and it must be in Pkt.
59 (C.60a-61b; B.XVIII.57). ¹ Read nāṭīsañjñāśrite kāvye for nāṭakayoge prakaraṇe. See Avaloka on DR. (ed. Nirnayasagar) III.43. Description of the Nāṭikā given here (59-63) has been rightly suspected as an interpolation, though Keith is for rejecting this suspicion. See Skt. Dr. p. 349.

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60. Different in origin from the [two types of plays] the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa, its plot should be invented, the Hero should be a king and it should be based on [an incident relating to music or affairs of the harem¹.

61. And it contains an abundance of female characters, has four Acts, graceful gestures as its soul ; well-arranged constituents, many dances, songs and recitations, and love’s enjoyment are its chief features¹.

62. The Nāṭikā should be known also to contain [a display of] royal manners¹, [fit of] anger², its pacification, and [acts of] deceit (dambha), and to have the Hero³, his queen, the female Messenger and the attendants [as its dramatis personae].

63. ¹The characteristics of the Nāṭaka and the Prakaraṇa² have been briefly described by me. I shall now speak about the characteristics of the Samavakāra.

The Samavakāra

64-65. It¹ should have the [exploits of] gods as its subject matter (bīja) and an Asura as a well-known and exalted character

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60 (C.60b-61a; B.XVIII.58). ¹ Keith seems to be in error about the nature of the subject matter (plot) of the Prak. See Skt. Dr. p. 349. Justification for calling the Pratijñā. a Nāṭikā may be found in the fact that its plot is based on musical lessons given by Udayana to Vāsavadattā and it has four Acts. But according to its Prologue it is a Prakaraṇa. See Pusalker, Bhāsa, pp. 271-272.

61 (C.62; B.XVIII.59). ¹ But for this feature of having four Acts only, the Mālavī. may be considered a Nāṭikā. See Keith. Skt. Dr. p. 350. Ratnā. is a well-known example of the four Act Nāṭikā.

62 (C.63; B.XVIII.60). ¹ C. kāmopacāra for rājopacāra. ² B. krodhadambhsaṃyukta for krodhasaṃyuta cāpi. ³ C. reads 62b as नायकदूतो चापि देवीसम्बन्धा नायिका ज्ञेया.

63 (C.65; B.XVIII.62). ¹ B.C. read one additional couplet (C.64; B.XVIII.61) on the basis of two mss. It does not give any new information. ² C. Prakaraṇanāṭaka-nāṭī-lakṣaṇam uktam for °nāṭaka-lakṣaṇa-nam uktam vipra. Evidently the interpolator who is responsible for the description of the Nāṭī (Nāṭikā) inserted nāṭī in the reading of C. See above 59 note.

64-65 (C.66-67; B.XVIII.63-64). ¹ No old specimen of this type

366 THE NATYASASTRA [ XX. 66-

as its Hero, and it is to consist of three Acts [presenting] the three kinds of deception, the three kinds of excitements or the three kinds of love². [Besides this] it should have as many as twelve dramatis personae and a duration (lit. length) of eighteen Nāḍikās³. I shall now speak about the rule regarding the number of Nāḍikās to be alloted to the different Acts.

66. A Nāḍikā¹ should be known as the half of the Muhūrta² which is a [well-known] measure of time. The Acts in a Samavakāra should be measured according to the directions given in terms of this Nāḍikā.

The first act of the Samavakāra

67. The first Act [of the Samavakāra] should have a duration of twelve Nāḍikās¹ and it is to contain laughter, excitement, deception or a Vīthi.

The second and the third acts of the Samavakāra

68. The second Act also should be similar [except that] it is to have a duration of four Nāḍikās¹. And the third Act. which will bring the plot to a close will have a duration of two Nāḍikās² only.

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of drama is available. Samudramanthana by Vatsarāja (12th century) is a very late work. See Keith, Skt. Dr. p. 267. Bhāsa's Pañca. is not a Samav. Cf. Mankad, Types of Skt. Dr. p. 58; Pusalker, Bhāsa, pp. 202-210.

² It does not seem likely that any one play of this type will include all three objects (deception, excitement and love) in their three varieties.

³ As the topics (and hence the Acts) in the Samavakāra are to be loosely related (see 69 below); this limitation has been placed on the time lest it should be made too long.

66 (C.72a, 68b, BXVIII.67). ¹ nāḍikā=24 minutes. See below 67 note. ² muhūrta=a period of 48 minutes. See below 66 note 1. Curiously enough Śāradātanaya thinks that nāḍikā is one fourth of a muhūrta. See BhP. p. 249.

67 (C.70; B.XVIII.65). ¹ 12 nāḍikās (nāḍīs)=4 hours and 48 minutes.

68 (C.71; B.XVIII.66). ¹ 4 nāḍikās=1 hour 36 minutes.
² 2 nāḍikās=48 minutes.

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368 THE NATYASASTRA [ XX. 74-

Love together with material gain

74. Love in which attainment of material gain occurs in various ways¹ is called Love in relation to material gain (artha-śṛṅgāra) or it may be that love in which the enjoyment of pleasure with women is for the purpose of some material gain.

Love due to passion

75. Love actuated by passion (kāma-śṛṅgāra) includes the seduction of a maiden and it causes, and also secret or excited intercourse¹ of a man with a woman.

Metres not allowed in the Samavakāra

76. ¹In the Samavakāra the playwright should make proper use metres other than Uṣṇik and Gāyatrī etc. which are of complex construction².

77. In this manner an expert should compose a Samavakāra which will be the source of various Sentiments¹. I shall hereafter speak about the characteristics of the Īhāmṛga.

The Īhāmṛga

78. It (Īhāmṛga) has as its dramatis personae divine males who are implicated in fights about divine females. It should be constructed with a well-arranged plot and should be convincing¹.

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74 (C.78; B.XVIII.74). ¹ Read 74a as अर्थख्याति र्विविधैकथा भवति सोऽर्थशृङ्गारः : (ms. cha B.).

75 (C.79; B.XVIII.75). ¹ Read 76a as कन्याविलोभनं वै प्राप्य स्त्रीपुंसयोस्तु रम्यं वा निभृतं सावेगं वा विज्ञेयः काम शृङ्गारः. (mss. ya, na, pha, bhi in B.).

76 (C.80; B.XVIII.76). ¹ Read this couplet as follows :—उष्णिग् गायत्र्याद्यान्यानि। बन्धानि बन्धकुटिलानि तान्यत्र समवकारे कविभिः सम्यक् प्रयोज्यानि. The reading accepted by Ag. seems to be corrupt. For Uṣṇik and Gāyatrī type of metres cannot by any means be considered as being of complex construction (bandhakuṭila). Our emendation has the support of mss. cha. in B. Udbhaṭa (the noted commentator of the NŚ.) too thinks that the rule prescribes complex metres such as Sragdharā for the Samav. See Ag. ² Lengthy, sami-even and uneven types of metres.

77 (C.81; B.XVIII.77). ¹ C. sukhaduḥkhasamāśrayaḥ for nānārasasamāśrayaḥ.

78 (C.82; B.XVIII.78). ¹ C. Viprātyaya for vipratyaya. No old specimen of this type of drama is available. Rukmiṇīharaṇa by Vatsarāja is an artificial production of a very late period (12th century).

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79. It is to abound in vehement (uddhata) Heroes and to have its construction dependent on feminine anger which is to give rise to commotion (saṃkṣobha), excitement (vidrava) and angry conflict (saṃpheṭa).

80. The Īhāmṛga should be a play with well-ordered construction in which the plot of love is to be based on causing discord among females, carrying them off and oppressing [the enemies].

81. All that are to be made [available] in the Vyāyoga—its male characters, Styles and Sentiments—should be brought in the Īhāmṛga also, except that the latter is to include (lit. have connexion with) the goddesses (lit. divine females) only¹ as its female characters.

82. [In the Īhāmṛga] when persons intent on killing¹ is on the point of killing, [the impending] battle should be avoided by some artifice.

83. O Brahmins, the characteristics of the Īhāmṛga have been briefly mentioned by me. I shall speak hereafter on the characteristics of the Ḍima.

The Ḍima

84. The Ḍima should be constructed with a well-known plot, and its Hero should be wellknown and of the exalted (udātta) type. It is to contain the six Sentiments and to consist of four Acts only¹.

85-86. It should contain all the Sentiments except the Erotic and the Comic, a plot (kāvyayoni) with exciting Sentiments and various States, and it is [also] to include incidents such as an

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(See Keith, Skt. Dr. p. 266). Two other late specimens of this kind are Kṛṣṇamiśra’s Vīra-vijaya and Kṛṣṇa Avadhūta’s Sarva-vinoda-nāṭaka. (See Sten Know, ID. p. 114).
79 (C.83; B.XVIII.79).
80 (C.84a, 85a; B.XVIII.80).
81 (C.85b-86a; B.XVIII.81)- ¹ See below 90-93.
82 (C.84b, 86b; B.XVIII.82). ¹ C. vadho’pyudaśrayo for vadho’pyudagro.
83 (C.87; B.XVIII.83).
84 (C.88; B.XVIII.84). ¹ No old example of this type of drama is available.
85-86 (C.89-90; B.XVIII.85-86).
47

370 THE NATYASASTRA [ XX, 87-

earthquake¹, fall of meteors, an eclipse of the sun or the moon, battle², personal combat, challange, and angry conflict.

87-88. The Ḍima should abound in deceit and jugglary and should have the energetic activity of many persons, and dissention (bheda)¹ among themselves, and it is to include sixteen characters which may be gods, Nāgas, Rākṣasas, Yakṣas and Piśācas, and [besides this] the play is to be carefully made in the Grand and the Energetic Styles and is to have many States to support it².

89. The Ḍima has been described by me in all its characteristics. I shall speak now about the characteristics of the Vyāyoga.

The Vyāyoga

90. The Vyāyoga should be constructed by experts with one well-known Hero as its basis, and it should include a small number of female characters and [the events related in it] will be of one day's duration only¹.

91. Many males are to take part in it as in the Samavakāra, but it is not to have the latter's length, for it is to have only one Act (aṅka).

92-93. It should have a royal sage as its Hero and not a divine personage, and it should include battle, personal combat, challange and angry conflict. Thus the Vyāyoga should be made with exciting Sentiments as its basis. I shall now speak of the characteristics of the Utsṛṣṭikāṅka (Aṅka).

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¹ C. reads 86a as निर्घातचन्द्रसूर्योपराग सोल्कावपातसंयुक्तः. ² C. °yuddha-praharaṇa for yuddh-ūdharṣaṇa. 87-88 (.91-92); B. XVIII..87-88). ¹ B. bahu-pustotthānayoga for bahupuruṣotthāna-bheda. ² C. tajjñair-nānāśraya-viśeṣeṇa for nānāśraya-bhāvasampanna. 89 (C.93; B.XVIII.89). 90 (C.94; B.XVIII.90). ¹ Bhāsa's Madhyama. is its solitary old specimen. Prahlādanadeva's Pārtha-parākrama (12th cent.), Vatsarāja's Kirātārjunīya (12th cent.) and Viśvanātha's Saugandhikā-haraṇa etc. are very late specimens of this type. See Keith Skt. Dr. p. 265. Pusalker, Bhāsa. p. 203. Dūtavā. Dūtagha. Pañca. and Ūru. cannot be called Vyāyogas. Cf. Pusalker, Bhāsa, pp. 186, 187, 190, 209. Mankad, Types of Skt. Dr. p. 59-61. 91 (C.95; B.XVIII.91). 92-93 (C.96-97; B.XVIII.92-93).

•XX. 99 ] TEN KINDS OF PLAY 371

The Utsṛṣṭikâṅka

94. The Plot in it is [usually to be] well-known, but it may sometimes be otherwise, and it is to be furnished with male characters other than those who are divine¹.

95-96. The Utsṛṣṭikâṅka should abound in the Pathetic Sentiment ; it will treat women's lamentations and despondent utter-ances at a time when battle and violent fighting has ceased ; it should include bewildered movements [of mourners] and it must be devoid of the Grand, the Energetic and the Graceful Styles and its Plot should relate to one's fall (lit. end of the rise)¹.

Scenes with celestial Heroes

97. [Scenes of] all the plays which have celestial Heroes, and which [treat] a battle, capture and killing [of enemies], should be laid in Bhārata-varṣa¹.

98. Of all the Varṣas (sub-continents) prescribed for the gods why¹ is Bhārata-varṣa chosen [in this connexion] ? Because the entire land here is charming, sweet-smelling and of golden colour.

99-100. [But scenes of their] garden party (lit. going to a garden), sport, pastime and enjoying the company of females, are always to be laid in the other Varṣas ; for there is neither any sorrow nor any grief there. Their enjoyments should take place in the mountains which are connected with those Varṣas in the Purāṇic accounts, but their [other] deeds should begin here (i. e. in Bhārata-varṣa).

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94 (C.91: B. XVIII.94). ¹ Bhāsa's Ūru. is a solitary example this type of drama. See Pusalker, Bhāsa, pp. 199, 200. Keith seems to be in error when he says that a play within a play is often called an Aṅka. See Skt. Dr. p. 268.

95-96 (C.99-100 ; B. XVIII.95-96). ¹ C. kartṛvyo abhyudayāntas tajñaiḥ for kāryaḥ kāvyavidhijñaiḥ .

97 (C.101; B.XVIII.97). ¹ This and three following couplets (97-100) seem to be more relevant after NŚ. XIV. 26 which treats similar topics.

98 (C.102; B.XVIII.98). ¹ C. tasmāt for kasmāt.

99-100 (C.103-104; B.XVIII.90-100).

372 THE NĀṬYAŚĀSTRA [ XX. 101-

101. The characteristics of an Utsṛṣṭikâṅka (Aṅka) have been exaustively explained by me. I shall now speak of the Prahasana with its characteristics.

The Prahasana

102 The Prahasana should be known to be of two kinds : pure and mixed. I shall separately treat their characteristics¹.

The pure Prahasana

103-104, The Prahasana is known as pure (śuddha)¹ when it contains comic disputations by Śaiva gurus (bhagavat)² and Brahmins, abounds in jocular remarks by persons of ill repute, and gives uniformly to the Plot a realistic picture of the language and the conduct of all these in passages describing their special States.³

The mixed Prahasana

105. That Prahasana is called mixed¹ in which courtezans, servants, eunuchs, parasites (viṭa) rogues and unchaste women appear with their immodest appearance, dress and movements.

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101 (C.105; B.XVIII.101).
102 (C.106; B XVIII.102). ¹ Śaṅkhadhara's Laṭaka-mela (12th century), Jyotirīśvara's Dhūrta-samāgama (15th century) and Jagadīśvara's Hāsyārṇava (date uncertain), etc. are very late works (See Keith Skt. Dr. pp. 261-262). The Matta-vilāsa of Mahendra-vikrama-varman (620 A.C.) and the Bhagavad-ajjukīya ascribed to Bodhāyana Kavi, are fairly old specimens of the Prahasana, See Keith Skt. Dr. pp. 182. Bhagavad-ajjukīya ed. P. Anujan Achan, Cochin, 1925.
103-104 (C.107-108; B.XVIII.103-104). ¹ The word bhagavat relates primarily to a Śaiva saint. It is in this sense that the word has been used in the Prahasana named Bhagavad-ajjukīya and this speaks for the antiquity of this work (See above 102 note). A Śaiva saint appears in the Matta-vilāsa, the Dhūrta-nartaka and the Hāsya-cūḍāmaṇi. Both these Prahasanas one are however late. See Keith, Skt. Dr. pp. 182, 262, 265. For some aspects of the Śaiva tenets see Karpūramañjarī, ed M. Ghosh, pp. LXIII-LXIV.
² C. reads 103a as सं भगवत्तपसविप्रशुचिश्रोत्रियविप्रातिहास्यसंयुक्तम्.
³ Prahasanas named in note 1 above may be taken as specimens of the pure variety.
105 (C.109; B.XVIII.105). ¹ Prahasanas like the Dhūrta-samāgama and the Hāsyārṇava may be taken as specimens of the mixed variety. See Keith, Skt. Dr. pp. 260-262.

-XX. 112 ] TEN KINDS OF PLAY 378

106-107. Some popular topic [of scandal] or incident of hypocrisy should be introduced in the Prahasana through the disputations of pretenders. The Prahasana should include [any of] the types of the Vīthi it may properly require¹.

The Bhāṇa

107-108. I shall now speak of the characteristics of the Bhāṇa. The Bhāṇa is to be acted by a single character, and it is of two¹ kinds : that [with one's] recounting of one's own experience and that [with one's] describing someone else's acts².

109. [The Bhāṇa which is to include] somebody else's words addressed to oneself, should be acted by means of replies in course of Conversations with Imaginary Persons (ākāśa-bhāṣita) in accompaniment of [suitable] movement of the limbs.

110. The Bhāṇa should include characters of rogues and parasites (viṭa) and treat their different conditions, and it is always to consist of one Act and should include many movements which are to be acted by a rogue (dhūrta) or a parasite.

111. All the characteristics of the Bhāṇa have been described by me according to the tradition (āgama). I shall [now] speak of the characteristics of the Vīthi in due order.

The Vīthī

112-113. The Vīthī is to be acted by two persons or one. And it is to include characters of the superior, the middling or the

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106-107 (C.110-111a; B.XVIII.106-107a). ¹ C. reads 107a as उद्घात्यकादिभिरिदं वीथ्यङ्गे मिश्रितं भवेन्नित्यम्. ² See below 112-129.

107-108 (C.111b-112; B.XVIII. 107b-108). ¹ Emend vividha into dvividha (ms. cha in B.).

² The four Bhāṇas (Ubhayābhisārikā, Padma-prābhṛtaka, Dhūrta-viṭa-saṃvāda and Pāda-tāḍitaka) published under the title Caturbhāṇī placed by F. W. Thomas between the 6th and the 7th century are the oldest available specimens of this type (F. W. Thomas, J R A S. 1922, pp. 262ff. F.W. Thomas, Centenary Supplement J R A S. 1924 pp. 129-136; S.K.De, in J R A S. 1926, pp. 63-90, Hist of Skt. Lit. pp. 241ff. For later Bhāṇas see Keith, Skt. Dr. pp. 263-264.

109 (C.113; B.XVIII.109).

110 (C.114; B.XVIII.110).

111 (C.115; B.XVIII.111).

112-113 (C.116-117; B.XVIII.112b-113a, 112a and its f. n. 2).

374	THE NATYASASTRA	[ XX. 114

inferior type, and it may contain [any of] the Sentiments, and it may include [any of] the thirteen types. I shall now speak of the characteristics of all these.

Thirteen types of the Vīthi

114-115. The thirteen types ¹ of the Vīthi are : Accidental Interpretation (udghātyaka), Transference (avalagita), Ominous Significance (avaspandita), Incoherent Chatter (asatpralāpa), Compliment (prapañca), Enigma (nālī = nālikā) Repartee (vākkeli), Outvying (adhivala), Deception (chala), Declaration (vyāhāra), Crushing (mṛdava), Three Men's Talk (trigata), and Undue Combination of Words (gaṇḍa)

116. [Any of these] thirteen types is always to be attached to the Vīthi. I shall now speak of their characteristics in due order.

Accidental Interpretation

117. If, in order to explain them men connect words of obscure meaning with words other than [those intended by the speaker] it becomes Accidental Interpretation (udghātyaka)¹.

Transference

118. When [anything] occurring in [relation to] something, will be made to accomplish something else, it becomes [an instance of] Transference (avalagita)¹.

Ominous significance

119. That one attaches (lit. creates) out of misunderstanding an auspicious or inauspicious meaning (lit. auspicious or inauspicious rise) to the words (lit. meaning) mentioned, is [an instance of] Ominous Significance (avaspandita)¹.

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114-115 (C.118-119, Cf. B.XVIII.113b-114). ¹ Aṅga in this connexion has been translated as 'division' (Haas, DR. p. 84). But 'types' seems to be a more suitable word. 116 (C.120; B.XVIII.115a).

117 (C.121, B XVIII 115b-116a). ¹ Haas translates the word as 'Abrupt Dialogue' (DR. p.81). For an example see SD. 228; cf. Ag. DR. (III. 13-14) seems to define it differently.

118 (C.132; B.XVIII.116b-117a). ¹ Haas translates it as 'Continuance' (See p. 85). For an ex. See SD. 292; Ag. Cf. DR.III. 14b-15a.

119 (C.123; B.XVIII.817b-118a). ¹ The spelling avasyandita though accepted by SD. and DR. seems to be wrong (See Ag.). Haas