Gati in Theory and Practice
by Dr. Sujatha Mohan | 2015 | 88,445 words
This page relates ‘Justifications based on Abhinavabharati’ of the study on the Theory and Practice of Gati (“gait”) which refers to the “movement of a character on the stage”, commonly employed (as a Sanskrit technical term) in ancient Indian Theatrics and the Dramatic arts, also known as Natya-shastra. This thesis explores the history and evolution of Gati and also investigates how the various Gatis are employed in regional performance traditions.
Justifications based on Abhinavabhāratī
Karaṇas are movements, which can be used for the gait, which has to be performed on the stage.
Abhinavagupta says, karaṇa is that which leads a person to a place by a movement, gati.
pūrvakṣetrasamyogatyagena samucitakṣetrāntaraprāptiparyantatayā ekā kriyā tatkaraṇamityarthaḥ |[1]
He says, gati is not only the movement of the legs but, the upper part of the body, hands and face also play an important role in exhibiting the gait. The aṅgas and upāṅgas are integral part of gati.
Hence, gati can be explained as an action of the whole body.
ihāvasthanaṃ gatiśceti dvayanirvartyaṃ karaṇam tatrāvasthane karakāyopayogi sthanakam |
gatau tu cāryaḥ pūrvakāye tu gatau nṛttahastā dṛṣṭyaśca sthitau patākādyāḥ[2]
According to the commentator Abhinavagupta, karaṇa is action of dance (lustrous throw of limbs).
kriyākaraṇaṃ | kasya kriyā | nṛttasya | gātrāṇāṃ vilāsakṣepasya |
It is a simultaneous movement of pūrvakāya (limbs above the waist such as hands and eyes) and aparakāya or uttarakāya (limbs below the waist such as waist, thighs, knees and foot).
hasta upalakṣitasya pūrvakāyavarti sāṅgopāṅgādeḥ pādopalakṣitasyacāparakāyāgatapārśva kaṭyūrūjaṅghācaraṇādeḥ saṅgatatayā'truṭitatvena vṛttiyojane |[3]
Karaṇa is a combination of sthiti-sthānas tance followed by gati–cāri-movement. Yet, it does not mean that all the movements become the karaṇas. Then it becomes infinite. Karaṇas are 108, as specified by Bharata. These nṛttakaraṇas are the beautiful movements of the body. Abhinavagupta says, as Bhīmasena is called Bhīmā, nṛttakaraṇa is known as karaṇa. These nṛttakaraṇas are beautiful movements of the body.
Abhinavagupta states that, the karaṇas can be used to describe the dance after abhinaya.
Here he means that after performing the padārtha abhinaya through abhinaya hastas, the karaṇas are to be used for nṛtta (dancing).
abhinaye vastutvena yannṛttaṃ vakṣyate'bhinayāntarālavarticchidrapracchādnādetatprayujyate |[4]
He also says that, the karaṇas can be used for parivarta, or parikrama of different characters to explain the gait.
pṛthaktayā gatyadhyāya vakṣyamāṇāsu ca gatiṣu ye parikramāḥparikramaṇāni tatra pṛthak tena pṛthaktvena prayogadarśanādaṣṭottaraśatatvaṃ na nopayogi |[5]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid.IV.com.p.91.
[2]:
Ibid. IV.com. p.91
[3]:
Ibid. IV. com. p.91
[4]:
Ibid. IV. com. p.92
[5]:
Ibid. IV. com. p.95