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नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

Natyashastra of Bharata Muni with Hindi Commentary (Vol 1)

भरत मुनि / आचार्य अभिनवगुप्त द्वारा

DevanagariSanskritpublished654 पृष्ठ

344 THE NATYASASTRA [ XIX. 29-

Addressing wife in love-making

29. In love-making the wife may be accosted as “my dear” (priye)$^1$ by all except the king. But priests’ and merchants’ wives are always to be addressed as “noble lady” (ārye)$^2$.

Giving names to different characters in a play

30. The playwrights should always assign significant names [to characters] which are not well-known and which have been created [by them]$^1$.

Name of Brahmins and Kṣatriyas

31. Of these, Brahmins and Kṣatriyas in a play should, be given, according to their clan or profession, names ending in śarman or varman$^1$.

Naming merchants

32. The names of merchants$^1$ should end in datta$^2$.

Naming warriors

To warriors should be given names indicating much valour.$^3$


$^2$ Ex. the heterae (gaṇikā) addressed by her maid (Caru. II. 0.6). The word ajjukā (°āryakā, OIA) “madam” afterwards came to mean ‘heterae’ as in the title of the Prahasana Bhagavadajjukīyam by Baudhāyana Kavi
$^2$ No example of this seems to be available in any extant drama. But the word occurs in the form of attiā in Mṛcch. (IV.30).

29 (C.28b-59a, B. XVII. 93b 94a). $^1$ Śakuntalā is addressed as priye by Duṣyanta (Śak. VII. 20.6), but the occasion is strictly not one of love-making (śṛṅgāra); Udayana while lamenting for Vāsavadattā says Hā priye, hā priya-śiṣye etc. (Svapna. I. 12.53).
$^2$ No example seems to be available in any extant drama.

30. (C.29b-30a: B.XVII. 94b-95a). $^1$ No example of such names seems to occur in any extant drama.

31 (C.30b-31a; B.XVII. 25b-96a). $^1$ No example of such names seems to occur in any extant drama.

32 (C.31b-32a; B.XVII. 96b, 97b). $^1$ Ex. Cārudatta the hero of Bhāsa's play of the same name.
$^2$ B. reads after this one additional hemistich which in translation is as follows : The name of Kāpālikas should end in ghaṇṭa. The interpolator had evidently Bhavabhūti’s Aghoraghaṇṭa (Mālati) in mind.
$^3$ Ex. Vīrasena in Mālavī. (I.8.1).

-XIX. 37 ] MODES OF ADDRESS AND INTONATION 345

Naming king's wives

33. The king's wives should be given names [which are connected] with the idea of victory (vijaya)$^1$.

Naming courtezans

Names of courtezans should end in dattā$^2$, mitrā$^3$ and senā$^4$.

Naming hand-maids

34. In a play hand-maids should be given the names of various flowers$^1$.

Naming menials

Names of menials should bear the meaning of auspiciousness$^2$.

Naming superior persons

35. To superior persons should be given names of deep significance so that their deeds may be in harmony with such names$^1$.

Naming other persons

36. The rest of persons$^1$ should be given names suitable to to their birth and profession.

Names [that are to be given] to men and women [in a play] have been properly described [by me].

37a. Names in a play should always be made in this manner by the playwright.


33 (C. 32b-33; B.XVII. 98). $^1$ No example of this seems to occur in any extant drama.
$^2$ No example seems to occur in any old drama. And the name Vāsavadattā for the queen in several dramas seems to be a clear violation of the rule (See Svapna. Ratnā. etc.).
$^3$ No example seems to occur in any old drama.
$^4$ Ex. Vasantasenā in Bhāsa's Cāru. and Śūdraka's Mṛcch.
34 (C.33b-34a; B.XVII. 99). $^1$ Nalinikā in Avi. (II) and Padminikā in Svapna (V) seems to be rare examples of this.
$^2$ Ex. Jayasenā the servant (bhaṭa) of the king (Avi. I).
35 (C.34b-35a; B.XVII 100). $^1$ No example seems to occur in any extant play.
36 (C.35b-36a; B.XVII. 101). $^1$ E.g. Brahmacāri (Svapna. I), Viṭa (Cāru.) Devakulika, and Sudhākāra (Pratimā. IV.) etc.
37a (C. 36b; B. XVII. 102a).

44

346 THE NATYASASTRA [XIX 37-

37-38. After knowing exhaustively everything about the rules of language¹ in a drama, one shonld practise Recitation which is to have six Alaṃkāras.

Qualities of Recitation

²I shall now describe the qualities of Recitation. In it there are seven notes (svara), three voice registers (sthāna), four Varṇas (lit. manner of uttering notes), two ways of intonation (kāku), six Alaṃkāras and six limbs (aṅga). I shall now explain their characteristics.

The seven notes (svara) are : Ṣaḍja, Ṛṣabha, Gāndhāra, Madhyama, Pañcama, Dhaivata and Niṣāda. These are to be made suitable to different Sentiments.

Seven notes to suit differment Sentiments

38-40. In the Comic and the Erotic Sentiments the notes should be made Madhyama and Pañcama. Similarly in the Heroic, the Furious and the Marvellous Sentiments they should be made Ṣaḍja, and Ṛṣabha. In the Pathetic Sentiment the notes should be Gāndhāra and Niṣāda, and in the Odious and the Terrible Sentiments they should be Dhaivata.

Uses of the three voice registers

There are three voice registers (sthāna) : the breast (uras) the throat (kaṇṭha) and the head (śiras).

40-41. In the human body as well as in the Vīṇā notes and their pitches proceed from the three registers : the breast, the throat and the head.

41-42. In calling one who is at a distance, notes proceeding from the head register should be used, but for calling one who is not at a great distance, notes from the throat register is to be used, while for a person who is by one's side, notes from the breast [will be proper].


37-38 (C. and prose 37a ; B.XVII. 102b, 103a). ¹ It will be apparent from the notes given above that the rules regarding forms of address have very often been overlooked in extant dramas.
² The text from here till the beginning of 38-40 is in prose.
38-40 (C.38-39; B.XVII. 103b, 104-105a).
40-41 (C.40. 41a; B.XVII. 105b-106).

  • 41-42 (C.41b-42a; B.XVII.107).

-XIX. 44 ] MODE OF ADDRESS AND INTONATION 347

42-43. At the time of Recitation, a sentence begun with notes from the breast should be raised to notes of the head register and at its close it should be brought down to notes of the throat.

Uses of the four accents

  1. In Recitation the four accents will be : acute (udātta) grave (anudātta), circumflex (svarita) and quivering (kampita).

¹ Recitation in circumflex and acute accents is suitable to the Comic and the Erotic Sentiments, acute and quivering accent is suitable to the Heroic, the Furious and the Marvellous Sentiments, while grave, circumflex and quivering accents are appropriate to the Pathetic, the Odious and the Terrible Sentiments.

Two ways of intonation

There are two ways of intonation, e.g. one entailing expactation (sākāṅkṣa) and another entailing no expectation (nirākāṅkṣa). These relate to the sentence uttered.

  1. A sentence which has not completely expressed its [intended] meaning, is said to be entailing an expectation (sākāṅkṣa) and a sentence which has completely expressed such a sense, is said to be entailing no expectation (nirākāṅkṣa).

¹Now, entailing an expectation relates to [the utterance of a sentence] of which the meaning has not been completely expressed and which has notes from the throat and the breast, and begins with a high pitch (tāra) and ends in a low pitch (mandra) and has not completed its Varṇa or Alaṃkāra.

And, entailing no expectation relates to [the utterance of a sentence] the meaning of which has not been completely expressed and which has notes from the head and begins with a low pitch (mandra) and ends with a high pitch (tāra) and has completed its Varṇa and Alaṃkāra.


42-43 (C.42b-43a; B.XVII.408).
43 (C. 43b, 43c; B. XVII. 109-110). ¹ The text from here till the beginning of 44 is in prose.
44 (C. 44; B. XVII. 111). ¹ The text from here till the beginning of 45 is in prose.

348 THE NATYASASTRA [ XIX. 45.

The six Alaṃkāras

45. The six Alaṃkāras of the [note in] Recitation are that it may be high (ucca), excited (dīpta), grave (mandra), low (nīca), fast (druta), and slow (vilambita). Now listen about their characteristics.

Uses of the six Alaṃkāras

$^1$The high (ucca) note proceeds from the head register and is of high pitch (tāra); it is to be used in speaking to anyone at a distance, in rejoinder, confusion, in calling anyone from a distance, in terrifying anyone, in affliction and the like.

The excited (dīpta) note proceeds from the head register and is of extra high pitch (tāratara); it is to be used in reproach, quarrel, discussion, indignation, abusive speech, defiance, anger, valour, pride, sharp and harsh words, rebuke, lamentation$^2$ and the like.

The grave (mandra) note proceed from the breast register and is to be used in despondency, weekness, anxiety, impatience, low-spiritedness, sickness, deep wound from weapons, fainting, intoxication, communicating secret words$^4$ and the like.

The low (nīca) note proceeds from the breast register but has a very low pitch (mandra-tara) sound; it is to be used in natural speaking, sickness$^5$, weariness due to austerities and walking a distance, panic, falling down, fainting and the like.

The fast (druta) note proceeds from the throat register and is swift; it is to be used in women's soothing children (lallana) refusal of lover's overture (manmana)$^6$, fear, cold, fever, panic$^7$, agitation, secret emergent (ātyayika), act, pain and the like.


45 (C.45; B.XVII. 112-114). $^1$ the text from here till the beginnig of 46 is in prose.
$^2$ C. om. °krandita, °nirbhartsana.
$^3$ B. inserts krīḍā after vyādhi.
$^4$ C. om. guhyārthanthavacana.
$^5$ After vyadhi read tapa-pathesrānta-trasta.
$^6$ C. skhalita-vellana-madana for lallana-manmana. On the meaning of lalla (lallana) and manmana there is no unanimity. We follow Ag's upādhyāya, who says लल्लमन्मना नायिकागतौ बालविनोदन-सान्त्वनादौ, मुखत्येव प्रायपर[भियोगानङ्गीकर]णादौ च (Ag)
$^7$ After trās (trastā, C.) read yastvātyayika (gūḍha) kāryavedanādiṣu.

-XIX. 55 ] MODES OF ADDRESS AND INTONATION 349

The slow (vilambita) note preceeds from the throat register and is of slightly low pitch (mandra)$^8$ ; it is to be used in love$^9$, deliberation, discrimination, jealous anger, envy, saying something which cannot be expressed adequately, bashfulness, anxiety, threatening, surprise, censuring, prolonged sickness$^{10}$, squeezing and the like. [On this subject] there are the following traditional couplets :

46-48. To suit various Sentiments the intonation (kāku) should always be made high (ucca), excited (dīptā), and fast (druta) in a rejoinder, confusion, harsh reproach, representing sharpness and roughness, agitation, weeping, challenging one who is not present (lit. away from the view) threatening and terrifying [anyone], calling one who is at a distance, and rebuking [anyone].

49-50. Intonation should be made grave (mandra) and low (nīca) in sickness, fever, grief, hunger, thirst, observation of a lesser vow (niyama), deliberation, deep wound from a weapon, communicating confidential words, anxiety and state of austerities.

  1. Intonation should be made grave (mandra) and fast (druta) in women’s soothing children (lallā)$^1$, refusal to love’s overture (manmanā)$^2$, panic and attack of cold.

52-55. The intonation should be made slow (vilambita), excited (dīptā) and of low pitch (mandra) in following an object lost after being seen, hearing anything untoward about a desired object or person, communicating something desired, mental deliberation, lunacy, envy, censure, saying something which cannot be adequately expressed [by words], telling stories, rejoinder, confusion, an action involving excess, wounded$^1$ and diseased limb, misery, grief, surprise jealous anger, joy and lamentation.


$^8$ C. mandra for tanumandra. $^9$ B. reads karuṇa after śṛṅgāra.
$^{10}$ C. reads roṣa for roga.
46-48 (C.46-48; B.XVII. 115-117).
49-50 (C om. B.XVII. 118-119).
51 (C.49; B. XVII. 120). $^1$ C. malle ca mardane for lalle ca manmane. $^2$ See note 1.
51-55 (C. 50; 51a-53a, 51b, 53b, B.XVII.121-124). $^1$ Read vikṣate vyādhite tvaṅge.

350 THE NATYASASTRA [ XIX. 56-

56. Grave (mandra) and slow (vilambita) intonations have been prescribed for words containing pleasant sense and bringing in happiness¹.

57. Exited (dīpta) and high (ucca) intonations have been prescribed for words which express sharpness and roughness. Thus the Recitation should be made to have to different intonations (lit. shelter) by the producers¹.

Intonation in different Sentiments

58-59. Slow intonation is desired in the Comic, the Erotic, and the Pathetic Sentiments. In the Heroic, the Furious and the Marvellous Sentiments the excited intonation is praised. Fast and low intonations have been prescribed in the Terrible and the Odious Sentiments. Thus the intonation should be made to follow the States (bhāva) and the Sentiments.

Six limbs of enunciation

¹Now there are six limbs [of enunciation] such as Separation (viccheda), Presentation (arpaṇa), Closure (visarga), Continuity (anubandha), Brilliance (dīpana) and Calming (praśamana).

Of these, Separation (viccheda) is due to pause (virāma). Presentation (arpaṇa) means reciting something by filling up the auditorium with graceful modulation of voice². Closure (visarga) means the finishing of a sentence. Continuity (anubandha) means the absence of separation between words³ [in a sense group] or not taking breath while uttering them. Brilliance (dīpana) means the gradually augmented notes which proceed from the three voice registers (sthāna), and Calming (praśamana) means lowering the notes of high pitch (tāra) without making them discordant.

Now about their uses in connexion with different Sentiments.


56 (C.54; B.XVII.126). ¹ B. reads one additional couplet before this.
57 (C.55; B.XVII.127). ¹ C. reads three additional hemistiches after this.
58-59. (C.57b, 58; B.XVII. 128-131). ¹ The text from here till the beginning of 60 is in prose.
² B. līlāyamānamadhuravalguṇā for līlāvarṇa.
³ B. padāntareṣu vicchedaḥ for °ateṣvavicchedaḥ.

-XIX. 60 ] MODES OF ADDRESS AND INTONATION 351

In the Comic and the Erotic Sentiments⁴ the enunciation⁵ should include Presentation, Separation Brilliancee and Calming.

In the Pathetic Sentiment it should include Brilliance and Calming.

In the Heroic the Furious and the Marvellous Sentiments it should abound in Separation, Calming, Brilliance and Continuity.

In the Odious and the Terrible Sentiments it should include Closure and Seperation.

All these are to be applied through notes of high (tāra), low (mandra) and medium (madhya) pitch proceeding [from the three voice registers]. In addressing one at distance the notes should be made of high pitch (tāra) from the head ; the person addressed being not at a great distance the notes should be made of medium pitch (madhya) from the throat, and to speak to one at one's side notes should be made of low pitch (mandra) from the breast. But one should not proceed to the high pitch (tāra) from the low (mandra) one, and from the low pitch to the high one. The three kinds of tempo (laya) of these notes are to be utilised in different Sentiments. In the Comic and Erotic Sentiments the tempo should be medium, in the Pathetic it should be slow and in the Heroic, the Furious, the Marvellous, the Odious and Terrible Sentiments quick.

Pause defined

⁶Now, Pause (virāma) in connexion with enunciation is due to the completion of sense and is to depend on the situation (lit. practical), and not on metre. Why ? Because it is found in practice that there occurs pause even after one, two three or four syllables, e.g.

  1. kiṃ gaccha mā viśa sudurjana vāritô'si ।
    kāryaṃ tvayā nama ma sarva-janôpabhukta¹ ॥

What [is the matter] ? Be off. Don't enter. You are prohibited


⁴ B. adds ākāṅkṣāyām after hāsya-śṛṅgārayor.
⁵ C. vākyam for pāṭhyam.
⁶ The text here is in prose.
60 (C. 59; B.XVII. 132). ¹ B. bhuktam C. bhuktaḥ.

352 THE NATYASASTRA [XIX. 61-

[to enter], O very wicked man, the enjoyed-by-all, I have nothing to do with you².

Use of Pause

Thus in a play (lit. poetical composition) occur words containing small number of syllables in cases of Sūcā³ and Aṅkura⁴ [which are connected with Pause].

Hence, care should be taken about Pause. Why ? Because [an observation of] Pause clears the meaning. There is a couplet [on this subject] :

  1. In the [Verbal] Representation (abhinaya) the producers should always take care about Pause; for, on it depends the meaning [of words uttered].

Hands in connexion with Alaṃkāras and Pause

  1. Keeping the eyes fixed in the direction in which the two hands move one should make the Verbal Representation by observing proper Pauses for indicating the [intended] meaning.

63-64. In the Heroic and the Furious [Sentiments] the hands are mostly occupied with the weapons, in the Odious they are bent due to contempt, in the Comic they are to point to [something], in the Pathetic they are to hang down and in the Marvellous they are to remain motionless due to surprise.

  1. On similar other occasions ᵒtoo, the meaning should be made clear by means of Alaṃkāras and Pauses.

66-67. Pauses which are prescribed in a verse require Alaṃkāras. Pause should be observed after a word, when the meaning or the breath (prāṇa) requires it. And when words and syllables are combined into a [big] compound or [the utterance is] quick, or confusion about different meanings is liable to arise, Pause should be observed at the end of a foot or as required by the breath. In the remaining cases Pause should depend on the meaning.


² These are the words of a vipralabdhā Heroine.
³ See NŚ. XXIV. 43.
⁴ See NŚ. XXIV. 44.
61 (C.60; B.XVII. 133).
62 (C 61; B.XVII. 134).
63-64 (C.62-63; B.XVII. 135-136).
65 (C.64; B.XVII.137)
66-67 (C.65-67; B.XVII. 138-140a).

-XIX. 75 ] MODES AND ADDRESS AND INTONATION 353

¹Here one should know about Drawn-out Syllables (kṛṣyā-kṣara)² in connexion with the States and the Sentiments. e.g.

The Drawn-out Syllables and their use

68-69. The consonant ending in a long vowel like ā, e, ai, or au is known as a Drawn-out Syllable. In sadness, argumentation, questioning or indignation such a syllable should take (lit. be pronounced in) one Kalā time.

  1. As for the rest of the syllables they may be pronounced with Pause required by their meaning, and such a Pause may be one, two, three, four, five or six Kalās' duration.

  2. The Pause being of great duration (vilambita) the syllable pronounced will always¹ be [rendered] long. But its duration should not be more than six Kalās².

  3. Or, taking account of the practice as required by some cause, or of the act on one should observe Pause in a verse to suit the State or the Sentiment [involved].

73 In verse, Pauses arising from the foot-division [only] are recognized ; but the position of these may be varied [on the stage] by the experts to suit the meaning [of a passage].

  1. But [while observing Pause as directed above] one should not creat (lit. pronounce) ungrammatical words (apaśabda) or spoil the metre, and one should not pause too long except in places of caesura, and in [uttering words expressing] sorrow one should not make the intonation excited (dīpta)¹.

  2. One should recite a dramatic composition (kāvya) which is free from literary defects (kāvya-doṣa), possesses best characteristics and has [literary] qualities, and in such a Recitation


¹ The text here is in prose. We follow B.'s text.
² C. nikṛṣṭākṣara for kṛṣyākṣara.
68-69 (C. 68-69; B.XVII. 140-141). 70 (C.70; B.XVII. 142).
71 (C.71; B.XVII. 143). ¹ C. yadā for sadā.
² C. padānāṁ for kalānām.
72 (C. 71c-72a; B.XVII. 144) . 73 (72b-73a; B.XVII. 145).
74 (C.73b, 74a; B.XVII. 146). ¹ C. repeats 77a before this.
75 (C. 75; B.XVII. 147).
45

354 THE NATYASASTRA [ XIX, 76-

one should observe proper rules relating to the utterance of notes and their Alaṃkāras.

  1. Alaṃkāras and Pauses that have been prescribed in case of Sanskritic Recitation should all be observed in un-Sanskritic (Prakritic) Recitation of women as well.

  2. Thus in the representation of the ten kinds of dramatic works (rūpa) producers should prepare Recitation subject to an observance of proper notes, Kalā, time (tāla) and tempo (laya).

  3. Rules of intonation have been described [by me] in proper sequence. I shall describe hereafter the ten kinds of dramatic work.

Here ends Chapter XIX of Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra which treats of the Display of Intonation in Connexion with the Verbal Representation.


76 (C. 76; B.XVII. 148).
77 (C. 77; B.XVII.149).
78 (C. 78; B. XVII. 150)

Chapter 20: Ten Kinds of Play / Daśarūpaka (दशरूपविकल्पन)

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).

  1. 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.

  2. 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).

  3. 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.

  4. 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.


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.

356THE 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

  1. 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

  1. 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

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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.XX. 30 ] TEN KINDS OF PLAY 359

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  1. 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.

  2. [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

  3. 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.

  4. 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.


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


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

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  1. 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.

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.


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


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).