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Loading...Author: Sharmila Udupa, Bengaluru
Published as a part of Śāstra Raṅga-2023 Internship ; offered by NoopuraBhramari- IKS Centre. Article series No – 21
नाटकं सप्रकरणमङ्को व्यायोग एव च ।
भाणः समवकारश्च वीथी प्रहसनं डिमः ॥ २॥
ईहामृगश्च विज्ञेया दशेमे नाट्यलक्षणे ।
एतेषां लक्षणमहं व्याख्यास्याम्यनुपूर्वशः ॥ ३॥
The ten varieties of plays are
General meaning : mime, drama
प्रख्यातवस्तुविषयं प्रख्यातोदात्तनायकं चैव ।
राजर्षिवंश्यचरितं तथैव दिव्याश्रयोपेतम् ॥ १०॥
नानाविभूतिभिर्युतमृद्धिविलासादिभिर्गुणैश्चैव ।
अङ्कप्रवेशकाढ्यं भवति हि तन्नाटकं नाम ॥ ११॥
नृपतीनां यच्चरितं नानारसभावचेष्टितं बहुधा ।
सुखदुःखोत्पत्तिकृतं भवति हि तन्नाटकं नाम ॥ १२॥
The play which has a well-known story, (it must have occurred in some form in the Purāṇa or Itihāsa (eg. Rām. and Mbh.) for its Hero is a celebrated person of illustrious nature like (Rāma, Kṛṣṇa ) and which describes the character of a person born in the line of royal seers with divine protection, has many superhuman powers, successful, and adoring pastimes, and which has suitable number of Acts and Introductory Scenes is called a Nāṭaka. Behavior of kings due to their joys and sorrows, when revealed by means of acts expressing in varied ways the Psychological States carrying many Sentiments, is styled a Nāṭaka.
यदनार्षमथाहार्यं काव्यं प्रकरोत्यभूतगुणयुक्तम् ।
उत्पन्नबीजवस्तु प्रकरणमिति तदपि विज्ञेयम् ॥ ४६॥
यन्नाटके मयोक्तं वस्तु शरीरं च वृत्तिभेदाश्च ।
तत्प्रकरणेऽपि योज्यं सलक्षणं सर्वसन्धिषु तु ॥ ४७॥
विप्रवणिक्सचिवानां पुरोहितामात्यसार्थवाहानाम् ।
चरितं यन्नैकविधं ज्ञेयं तत्प्रकरणं नाम ॥ ४८॥
The play which is conceived by the writer or prakurute (devises) by his own imagination an original plot with its Hero and works up its elaboration and ornamentation (śarīra), is called the Prakaraṇa. When a playwright constructs a play of excellent qualities with an original idea or Seed, and a Hero is not coming out of saint’s works to carry on the action the same is also called the Prakaraṇa. Bhāsa’s Pratijñā , story of Mūladeva are a few examples. The plot and its elaboration as the basis of the Sentiments, which have been prescribed in case of the Nāṭaka are also to be applied to the Prakaraṇa. Only its plot should be newly composed.
प्रकरणनाटकलक्षणमुक्तं विप्रा मया समासेन ।
वक्ष्याम्यतः परमहं लक्षणं युक्त्या समवकारम् ॥ ६२॥
देवासुरबीजकृतः प्रख्यातोदात्तनायकश्चैव ।
त्र्यङ्कस्तथा त्रिकपटस्त्रिविद्रवः स्यात्त्रिशृङ्गारः ॥ ६३॥
द्वादशनायकबहुलो ह्यष्टादशनाडिकाप्रमाणश्च ।
It is the dramatic representation of some mythological story which relates to gods and some well-known demons. Samudra Manthana can be an example for this act. The subject matter must have three Ankas, three kapatas (deception), three Vidravas (flights), three Sringaras, 12 heroes and a duration of 18 Nāḍikās (seven hours and twelve minutes) for the whole action. Of these the first Act is to take twelve and the second four and the third two Nāḍikās only.
अङ्कोऽङ्कस्त्वन्यार्थः कर्तव्यः काव्यबन्धमासाद्य ।
अर्थं हि समवकारे ह्यप्रतिसम्बन्धमिच्छन्ति ॥ ६९॥
In a Samavakāra there should be mutual relation between the stories. The very name Samavakāra means “scattered over”.
General meaning – Īhāmṛga (ईहामृग).—m.(-gaḥ) 1. A wolf. 2. A division of the drama. E. īhā wish, and mṛga a deer.
दिव्यापुरुषाश्रयकृतो दिव्यस्त्रीकारणोपगतयुद्धः ।
सुविहितवस्तुनिबद्धो विप्रत्ययकारकश्चैव ॥ ७८॥
उद्धतपुरुषप्रायः स्त्रीरोषग्रथितकाव्यबन्धश्च ।
संक्षोभविद्रवकृतः सम्फेटकृतस्तथा चैव ॥ ७९॥
स्त्रीभेदनापहरणावमर्दनप्राप्तवस्तुशृङ्गारः ।
ईहामृगस्तु कार्यः सुसमाहितकाव्यबन्धश्च ॥ ८०॥
Īhāmṛga should be construed as a well-knit composition where the heroes should be celestial beings who are implicated in fights about celestial damsels. It should be constructed with a well-arranged plot and should be convincing. Having scope for misbelief, characters are mostly vehement (uddhata) Heroes and have its construction around feminine anger which is to give rise to commotion (saṃkṣobha) , excitement (vidrava) and angry conflict (saṃpheṭa). 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, kidnapping and oppressing the enemies.
General meaning – kind of mixed caste
प्रख्यातवस्तुविषयः प्रख्यातोदात्तनायकश्चैव ।
षड्रसलक्षणयुक्तश्चतुरङ्को वै डिमः कार्यः ॥ ८४॥
शृङ्गारहास्यवर्जं शेषैः सर्वै रसैः समायुक्तः ।
दीप्तरसकाव्ययोनिर्नानाभावोपसम्पन्नः ॥ ८५॥
निर्घातोल्कापातैरुपरागेणेन्दुसूर्ययोर्युक्तः ।
युद्धनियुद्धाधर्षणसम्फेटकृतश्च कर्तव्यः ॥ ८६॥
The Ḍima should be constructed with a well-known plot, and its Hero should be well-known and of the vehement (udātta) type. It is to contain the six Sentiments and to consist of four Acts only. It should contain all the Sentiments except the Erotic and the Comedy, a plot with exciting Sentiments and various Psychological States, and it is to include incidents such as an earthquake, fall of meteors, an eclipse of the sun or of the moon, fighting in battle and personal combat, and angry conflict.
AG points out that word Ḍima means fight or agitation. He also suggests an angry hero through the play
व्यायोगस्तु विधिज्ञैः कार्यः प्रख्यातनायकशरीरः ।
अल्पस्त्रीजनयुक्तस्त्वेकाहकृतस्तथा चैव ॥ ९०॥
बहवश्च तत्र पुरुषा व्यायच्छन्ते यथा समवकारे ।
न च दिव्यनायकयुक्तः कार्यस्त्वेकाङ्क एवायम् ॥ ९१॥
न च दिव्यनायककृतः कार्यो राजर्षिनायकनिबद्धः ।
युद्धनियुद्धाघर्षणसंघर्षकृतश्च कर्तव्यः ॥ ९२॥
एवंविधस्तु कार्यो व्यायोगो दीप्तकाव्यरसयोनिः ।
वक्ष्याम्यतः परमहं लक्षणमुत्सृष्टाङ्कस्य ॥ ९३॥
The Vyāyoga should be composed by experts having one well-known Hero as its basis, with a small number of women characters and duration of the event should be of one day only. Its length should be less than Samavakāra for it is to have only one Act. It should have a saintly king as its Hero and not a divine personage, and the incidents should include fight, wrestling, ,angry conflict and so on. Thus the Vyāyoga should be made with intense Sentiments as its basis. AG says Vyāyoga derives from the word Vyāyāma. Karna from Mahabharata can be considered as an example.
General meaning : utsRSTa – poured forth
प्रख्यातवस्तुविषयस्त्वप्रख्यातः कदाचिदेव स्यात् ।
दिव्यपुरुषैर्वियुक्तः शेषैर्युक्तो भवेत्पुंभिः ॥ ९४॥
करुणरसप्रायकृतो निवृत्तयुद्धोद्यतप्रहारश्च ।
स्त्रीपरिदेवितबहुलो निर्वेदितभाषितश्चैव ॥ ९५॥
नानाव्याकुलचेष्टः सात्वत्त्यारभटिकैशिकीहीनः ।
कार्यः काव्यविधिज्ञैः सततं ह्युत्सृष्टिकाङ्कस्तु ॥ ९६॥
The plot in it is usually well-known, and it is to be furnished with mortal male characters other than those who are divine. The Utsṛṣṭikāṅka should predominant with the Pathetic Sentiment; the wailing of women’s lamentations along with words of despair and disgust at a time when battle and violent fighting has ceased; it should include bewildered movements of mourners , imprisonment , killing and it must be devoid of the Grand, the Energetic and the Graceful Styles, and its plot should relate to one’s fall or end of the rise.
Bhāsa’s Ūrubhanga can be taken as example for this type of drama. It’s the aftermath of the violent war. (Succeeding the breaking of thighs). Tragic elements like lamenting of Kaurava women, the subject line talks about the mortal character Dhuryodhana, there was mourning all over, which led to the fall of kaurava dynasty are evident.
General meaning : Prahasana (प्रहसन):—[=pra-hasana] [from pra-has] n. laughter, mirth, mockery, derision
प्रहसनमपि विज्ञेयं द्विविधं शुद्धं तथा सङ्कीर्णम् ।
अङ्कस्य लक्षणमिदं व्याख्यातमशेषयोगमात्रगतम् ॥ १०१॥
प्रहसनमतः परं सलक्षणं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि ।
वक्ष्यामि तयोर्युक्त्या पृथग्पृथग्लक्षणविशेषम् ॥ १०२॥
भगवत्तापसविप्रैरन्यैरपि हास्यवादसम्बद्धम् ।
कापुरुषसम्प्रयुक्तं परिहासाभाषणप्रायम् ॥ १०३॥
अविकृतभाषाचारं विशेषभावोपपन्नचरितपदम् ।
नियतगतिवस्तुविषयं शुद्धं ज्ञेयं प्रहसनं तु ॥ १०४॥
The Prahasana should be known to be of two kinds: pure and mixed.
The pure Prahasana
The Prahasana is known as pure (śuddha) when it contains humorous conversations by Śaiva gurus (bhagavat), ascetics, Bhikṣus, Brahmins, and others, and indulge in jocular remarks by persons of low class; There should be derisive words words in planty but not vulgar. Transient feeling along with humour should find place with definite plan and purpose.
वेश्याचेटनपुंसकविटधूर्ता बन्धकी च यत्र स्युः ।
अनिभृतवेषपरिच्छदचेष्टितकरणैस्तु संकीर्णम् ॥ १०५॥
लोकोपचारयुक्ता या वार्ता यश्च दम्भसंयोगः ।
स प्रहसने प्रयोज्यो धूर्तप्रविवादसम्पन्नः ॥ १०६॥
वीथ्यङ्गैः संयुक्तं कर्तव्यं प्रहसनं यथायोग्यम् ।
भाणस्यापि तु लक्षणमतः परं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि ॥ १०७॥
The mixed Prahasana
That Prahasana is called mixed, in which courtesans, servants, eunuchs, and unchaste women appear with their immodest appearance, dress and movements. Some popular topic of scandal or incident of hypocrisy should be introduced in the Prahasana.
General meaning – recite, A sort of dramatic entertainment
आत्मानुभूतशंसी परसंश्रयवर्णनाविशेषस्तु ।
विविधाश्रयो हि भाणो विज्ञेयस्त्वेकहार्यश्च ॥ १०८॥
परवचनमात्मसंस्थं प्रतिवचनैरुत्तमोत्तमग्रथितैः ।
आकाशपुरुषकथितैरङ्गविकारैरभिनयैश्चैव ॥ १०९॥
धूर्तविटसम्प्रयोज्यो नानावस्थान्तरात्मकश्चैव ।
एकाङ्को बहुचेष्टः सततं कार्यो बुधैर्भाणः ॥ ११०॥
The Bhāṇa is to be played by a single character on stage, where he is recounting of his own feelings, as also describing someone else’s acts. The idea relates to different topics. Bhāṇa include words of others narrated in the form Question and answers, by aerial speech, movements of the limbs.
General meaning – Vīthi (वीथि).—f. (-thiḥ or thī) 1. A road. 2. A row, a line. 3. A terrace in front of a house. 4. A stall, a shop. 5. A sort of drama, in one act, and by one or by two performers.
सर्वरसलक्षणाढ्या युक्ता ह्यङ्गैस्त्रयोदशभिः ।
वीथी स्यादेकाङ्का तथैकहार्या द्विहार्या वा ॥ ११२॥
अधमोत्तममध्याभिर्युक्ता स्यात्प्रकृतिभिस्तिसृभिः ।
उद्धात्यकावलगितावस्पन्दितनाल्यसत्प्रलापाश्च ॥ ११३॥
वाक्केल्यथ प्रपञ्चो मृदवाधिबले छलं त्रिगतम् ।
व्याहारो गण्डश्च त्रयोदशाङ्गान्युदाहृतान्यस्याः ॥ ११४॥
अथ वीथी सम्प्रोक्ता लक्षणमेषां प्रवक्ष्यामि ।
पदानि त्वगतार्थानि ये नराः पुनरादरात् ॥ ११५॥
The Vīthi should have one or two characters . And it is to include characters of the superior, the middle or the inferior type, and it should contain all Eight Sentiments and 36 lakshanas, and there are 13 limbs of this type of drama.
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