Selected Terminologies from the Vṛttivikalpa (Chapter 20) of Nāṭyaśāstra

Published as a part of Śāstra Raṅga-2023 Internship ; offered by NoopuraBhramari-  IKS Centre.  Article series No – 12

 

Vṛttivikalpa is the twentieth chapter of Nāṭyaśāstra which throws light on the various dramatic styles, its mystic origin and categories. Few of the technical words of this chapter are given below:

1. Vṛtti

Dhātu : vṛt (vṛt+ktin) (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• Ūkhyā ūrujā aryā vaiśyā bhūmispṛśo viśaḥ |

            Ājīvo jīvikā vārtā vṛttirvartanajīvane || (Amarakośaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Synonyms of Vṛtti are profession, behaviour, conduct

• prakṛtiyornirliṁge ca kaiśikyādyāśca vṛttayaḥ |

sikatāḥ syurvalukāpi vede śravasi ca śrutiḥ || (Amarakośaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Meaning of Vṛtti-s – Kaiśiki and other Vṛtti-s, sand, found in Veda-s

• yogascittavṛttinirodhaḥ (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Yoga pacifies the state of the mind

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra

• yata uttamaprakṛtīnāṁ sauṣthavamaya eva sarvovyāpāraḥ, tadeva tadvṛtticatuṣṭayam (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 1 śloka 41)

The elegance arising from the natural actions (activities) is Vṛtti

• bhāvādiceceṣtāpradhānaṁ, tādṛśyaiva vṛttiḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Vṛtti primarily involves the different facets of Bhāva.

• 4 dramatic styles – graceful, speech, grand and energetic. All the vṛitti-s originated while Vịṣṇu fought with the two demons. Brahma gives appropriate names to each Vṛtti based on its characteristics.

 

2. Bhāratī

Dhātu : bhṛ (bhṛ+atac) (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• Brahmī tu bharatī bhaṣā gīrvāṇī sarasvatī (Amarakośaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Synonyms for the language Saṁsḳrta

• Bhāratī vṛttistu bhāratī saṁskṛtaprāyo vāg-vyāpāro narāśryaḥ (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Among the Vṛtti-s, Bhāratī Vṛtti relates to the Saṁskṛta speech

• Vākye tadadhi-devatāyāṁ (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Goddess of speech

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Bhāratī vāgvṛttiḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 8)

Bhāratī is a style of speech

• Vācikaprādhānye bhārativṛttiḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Speech is predominant in Bhāratī Vṛtti

• Pāṭyapradhānā bhāratī (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Recitation is of prime importance in Bhāratī Vṛtti

• Style of speech/recitation-Originated when the posture of Viṣṇu was a huge burden (bhāra) on the earth
• 4 types: Prarocanā, Āmukha, Vīthī, Prahasana

 

3. Kaiśikī

Dhātu : kaiśika+striyām ṅīp (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• nātaka-vṛittiviśeṣaḥ

Vṛtti is a type in Nāṭaka

• bhāratī sātvatī kaśikyā-rabhaṭyau ca vṛttayaḥ (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

One of the types of Vṛtti-s

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Keśāḥ kiñcidapyarthakriyājātakurvanto dehaśobhopayoginaḥ |

Tadvatsaundaryopayogī vyāpāraḥ kaiśikī vṛttiriti tāvanmukhyaḥ kramaḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 1 śloka 41)

Graceful posture of the body while tying one’s hair, action that magnifies beauty is the aim of Kaiśikī Vṛtti

• Gītavādyoparañjakapradhānā kaiśikīti (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Kaiśikī Vṛtti is primarily accompanied by music and musical instruments.

• Graceful style of dramatic presentation-Originated from the graceful style of tying the hair knot of Viṣṇu while fighting with Madhu and Kaiṭabha.
• 4 kinds: narma, narma-sphurja, narma-ṣphoṭa, narma-garbha

 

4. Sātvatī

Dhātu : tva (sātvata+aṇ ṅīp) (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• Abhineyaprakārāḥ syurbhāshāḥ ṣṭ saṁskṛtā-dikāḥ|

Bhāratī sātvatī kaiśikyārabhatyau ca vṛttayaḥ (Hemacandra – in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

One of the types of Vṛtti-s which involves Abhinaya

• Harṣapradhānādhikasatvavṛitti-styāgottarodāravacomanojñā |

Āścharyasaṁpatastubhagā ca yā syā-tasyā sātvatī matātra vṛttiḥ || (Hemacandra-  in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Sātvatī Vṛtti involves more of cheerfulness and wonder

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Abhinaya pradhāna sātvatī (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

In Sātvatī Vṛtti, Abhinaya is predominant.

• Sattvādhikauriti manovyāpārādhikye sātvatīvṛttiḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Sātvatī involves the essence of the activities of the heart

• Sātvato guṇaḥ mānaso vyāpāraḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Sātvatī is characterised by the activities of the heart

• Sātvikābhinayasyādhikāre ādhikyakriyayā sātvatīvṛttiḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

This type of Vṛtti is about the prime exposition of Sātvika Abhinaya.

• Grand style of dramatic presentation- Originated when the powerful Śārṅga rebound with sattva.
• 4 varieties: utthāpaka, parivartaka, saṃlāpaka, saṃghāta

 

5. Ārabhaṭī

Dhātu : rabha – ārabhyatēnayā ā+rabha+ati ṅīp (rabha- to act harshly) (Vācaspathyaṁ – in Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• Māyendrajālasaṁgrāmakrodhodbhāntādiceṣtihaiḥ

To display supernatural, illusional and magical acts

• Nātye arthaviśeṣayukte (Vācaspathyaṁ)

Has a special meaning in Drama

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Anubhāvādyaveśa samayarasapradhānārabhatī (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Rasa is predominant in Ārabhaṭī

• Dīptarasā raurdrādayaḥ uddhathaḥ ārabhatānām ye guṇaḥ (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 20)

Ārabhatī is characterized by stimulating Raudra rasa and Uddhatha (harsh movements)

 

• Ārabhatī kāyavṛttih. (Abhinavagupta-NS chapter 1)

Ārabhatī involves bodily movements

• Energetic style of dramatic presentation-Originated while Viṣṇu with full of energy and excitement fought with the Asura-s.
• 4 categories: sankṣiptaka, avapāta, vastūtthāpana, saṃpheṭa

 

6. Nyāya

Dhātu : ni (ni+iṇ) (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• Abhreṣanyāyakalpāstu deśarūpaṁ samañjasaṁ |

yuktamaupayikaṁ labhyaṁ bhajamānābhinītavat || (Amarakośaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Synonyms of Nyāya are manner, conduct, order, way, law

• Niyamena īyate iti (ni) (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Meaning of the Dhātu ni -That which involves rules

• Nyāyaḥ pañcaṁgamadhikaraṇam (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

5 parts of Nyāya (Paṭhaḥ, Vartin, Vādin, Vṛttaṁ, Śāstraṁ)

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Chapter 4 of NS, talks about 4 Nyāya-s – Way/method/manner in which the weapons have to be released and strike a specific part of the body in a dramatic presentation :
• Bhārata – waist
• Sāttvata – foot
• Vārṣagaṇya – breast
• Kaiśika – head

In these Nyāyas arising out of various Cārī-s, actors should walk about on the stage at the time of using weapons. The Nyāyas (way) are so called because fight sequences on the stage are nīyante (carried on) with the Aṅgahāra-s relating to the Nyāyas and arising out of them.

• Chapter 6 of NS mentions the association of Nyāya with Vṛtti.
• Nyāya involves Aṅgahāra-s and Cāri-s. Here, Vṛtti constitutes Nȳaya as part of a bodily movement.
• Names of Nyāya-s and Vṛtti-s are very similar.

 

7. Prarocanā

Dhātu : rūc (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• Prarocanā vimarṣye syāth (Vācaspathyaṁ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Prarocana is about illustrating

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Jayābhyudayinī caiva maṅgalyā vijayāvahā |

Sarvapāpapraśamanī pūrvaraṅge prarocanā || (NS chapter 20, śloka 28)

For the success of the performance, to remove obstacles and provide auspiciousness, Prarocanā is recited the preliminaries. Director also tells the audience the subject of the play.

• Sub-type of Bhāratī Vṛttī.

 

8. Āmukha/ Prastāvana

Dhātu : khaṅ (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)/ stu (pra+stu+ṇic) (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• Naṭī vidūṣakovāpi pāripārṣvika eva vā |

Sūtradhāreṇa sahitāḥ saṁlāpaṁ yatra kurvate |

Citrairvākyaiḥ svakāryyotthaiḥ prastutākśepibhirmitaḥ |

Āmukhaṁ tattu vigneyaṁ nāmnā prastāvanāpi sā ||

 (Vācaspathyaṁ in Aśṭādhyāyī app and NS)

As part of the drama, the actress, jester, or assistant talks to the Director about a topic relevant to the play. This is called Āmukha or Prastāvanā by few.

• Prastāvana- Sūtradhāreṇa saha natīvidūṣakādīnāṁ parasparavicitrabhāṣaṇaṁ tasya lakṣaṇaṁ (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Prastāvana- Director along with the actress and the jester converse interestingly about a topic.

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Āmukhā literally means introduction and Prastāvana is prologue to the play.
• Sub-type of Bhāratī Vṛttī.
• 5 varieties of Āmukha: udgbātyaka, kathodghātā, prayogātiśaya, praṿrttaka, avalagita.

 

9. Naṭi­̄

Dhātu : naṭ (naṭ+ac+ṅīṣ) (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Padaniṣpatti :

• naṭati nṛtyatīti (Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

actor or dancer

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Natī in an actress.
• Natī plays an important role in Āmukha.

 

• Sūtradhāra

Dhātu : dhṛu (dhṛu+ṇic)

Padaniṣpatti:

Nāṭyopakaraṇādīni sūtramityabhidhīyate |

Sūtraṁ dhāra-yatītyarthe sūtradha­̄ro matho budhaiḥ || (Vācaspathyaṁ in Aśṭādhyāyī app)

Sūtradhāra instructs on the rules (sūtra) of a play.

 

Meaning as per Nāṭyaśāstra :

• Sūtradhāra is the director of the theatre.
• He has a major role in the pūrvaraṅga.
• Director uses Bhāratī Vṛtti in Āmuka, prayogātiśaya, pravṛttaka.

 

References

1. Jha,Prof. Madanmohan. Śabdakalpadṛumaḥ mobile Application
2. Nagar, R.S. NĀṬYAŚĀSTRA OF BHARATAMUNI. PARIMAL PUBLICATIONS DELHI, 2012.
3. Ghosh, Manmohan. Nāṭyaśāstra. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office Varanasi, 2012.
4. Ashtadhyayi mobile Application