1.3. Elements of Drama (e): Gatiprasāra (gait extension)

Gati i.e., gait^[1] and prasāra i.e., extension^[2] identify the special kind of Gait-sequence which are taken by the actors according to their needs in the stage. Some particular gaits as stated in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa are discussed here.

a Svābhāvika-gati:

The word svābhāvika means natural.^[3] So, the term svābhāvika gati denotes natural gait. According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, in natural gait the knees are lifted up to waist.^[4]

b Sthira-gati:

Sthira-gati denotes the steady movements. To show walking in fever, hunger, disease, tiredness due to penance, dissimulation, excitement, love and sorrow or ease, slow gait should be adopted by the artist.^[5] The lover who goes to meet his or her secret lover adopts the sthira-gati.^[6] In darkness or if a deformed creature is visible or if a person walks a long way, the gait of a person becomes automatically slow down.^[7]

c Śīghra-gati:

Śīghra-gati or quick gait^[8] should be adopted in fear, terror, anger, joy, rapid and urgent actions, on hearing distasteful information, on seeing unbelievable things, searching of crime factors etc.^[9] In the Mṛcchakaṭika of Śudraka, the heroin Vasantasenā was moving speedily in terror as she was followed by some cunning persons like Vīṭa, Ceṭa and Śakāra and her gait was crossing over the speed of wind^[10] . This can be taken as a menifstation of śīghra-gati.

d Skhalita-gati:

The word skhalita means stumbled.^[11] So, the term skhalitagati obviously denotes irregularity in walking. The movements of the drunken person and mad man are always irregular and unstable.^[12]

e Śṛṅgāriṇī-gati:

A person in elegant and stylish dress up walks in rhythmic footsteps with particular movements of arms along with the legs. One looks very graceful in it and it is generally adopted at the time of meeting with the beloved. That is why this type of gait is related to Śṛṅgāra i.e., love.^[13] Moreover, this type of gait is seen in the walking of dūtī i.e., female messenger^[14] .^[15]

Besides these three kinds of way of walking, in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, some particular gaits are recommended for some characters of Dramas. As for example: the gait of Vīṭa should be graceful and that of Kañcukī should be shaky and unstable.^[16] Again in the gait of Ceṭa, the eyes should be upward acting as thinking of something.^[17] Viduṣaka’s movement should be funny.^[18] In Sanskrit Dramas, the character of Viduṣaka is portrayed as a depicter of humour^[19] which demands a comical gait to make audience laugh. In the Abhijñānaśakuntala, to get respite from the stay in the hermitage, Viduṣaka was seen to adopt the gimmick of breaking down of his limbs^[20] which automatically looks funny and generates a lighter environment.

In the Abhinayadarpaṇa gaits are based on the movements of some living creatures viz.,

1. swan,
2. peacock,
3. deer,
4. eleaphant,
5. tortories,
6. lion,
7. serpent and
8. frog.^[21]

In the Abhinayadarpaṇa, gaits are explained along with some particular hand gestures. It shows that footsteps are to be followed by some hand postures. In the gait of swan i.e., haṃsa, the actor or dancer should place one foot after another. The distance between two feet should be half a cubit and the hands should be in kapitthahasta.^[22] The gait of mayura i.e., peacock steps can be made by standing on toes and moving both the knees alternately. In this gait the actor or dancer should hold kapitthahasta with both hands.^[23] The gait of mṛga itself identifies the footsteps of mṛga i.e., deer.^[24] To adopt this gait the actor or the dancer should run forward or sideways with tripatāka hands.^[25] The gait of gaja i.e., elephant is always noticed as slow gait.^[26] The Abhinayadarpaṇa suggests holding patāka hands in this gait.^[27] According to the Abhinayadarpaṇa, in the gait of turaṅga i.e horse, the śikhara and patāka hands should be hold with left and right hands respectively.^[28] In the gait of siṃha i.e., lion, the actor or dancer should stand on toes first and then jump forward speedily.^[29] The śikharahasta is adopted with both hands in this gait.^[30] Frog step is suggested to do exactly as the gait of siṃha in the Abhinayadarpaṇa.^[31]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.180

[2]:

Ibid., p.372

[3]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary,, p.633

[4]:

svabhāvenottuṅgagatau kāryaṃ jānukaṭīsamaṃ/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.29.1

[5]:

vikṛte cāvahitthe ca tathautsukyasamanvite/ śṛṅgāre caiva śoke ca svacchandagamane tathā// eteṣveva tu sarvatra sthirā kāryā gatirbudhaiḥ/ Ibid., 3.29.2

[6]:

Ibid.,3.29.9-10

[7]:

sattve tu vikṛte dṛṣṭe gatirvisphuritekṣaṇā/ …………mandāpyandhakāre gatirbhavet// dīrghādvani gatasyāpi śanairmandaparikramā/ Ibid., 3.29.18,19&30

[8]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.557

[9]:

Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.29.4-7

[10]:

kiṃ tvaṃ padairmama padā viśeṣayantī/
vyālīva yāsi patagendrabhayābhibhūtā//
vegādahaṃ pravisṛtaḥ pavanaṃ nirudhyāṃ/
tvannigrahe tu varagātri na me prayatnaḥ// Mṛcchakaṭikaṃ, 1.22

[11]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.618

[12]:

mattasya tu gatiḥ kāryā skhalitā pārśvayordvayoḥ/
unmattasyāpi kartavyā gatistvabhinayakramā/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.29.30-31.

[13]:

gatiḥ śṛṅgāriṇī kāryā svasthakāmitasambhave/ sasauṣṭhavasamāyuktairlayatālavaśonugaiḥ// Ibid., 3.29.7-8

[14]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.256

[15]:

dūtīdarśitamārgastu hṛdyaveśaparikrame/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.29.8

[16]:

viṭasyāpi tu kartavyā gatirlalitavikramā/ kañcukīyasya kartavyā kampitā skhalitā gatiḥ// Ibid., 3.29.28

[17]:

gatau rameta ceṣṭānāṃ dṛṣṭiścāryavicāriṇī/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.29.33

[18]:

vidūṣakasya kartavyā gatirhāsyapradā tathā/ Ibid., 3.29.34

[19]:

hāsyakaraḥ kalaharatirvidūṣakaḥ syāt/ Sāhityadarpaṇa, 3.42

[20]:

aṅgabhaṅgavikala iva bhūtvā sthāsyāmi/ Abhijñānaśakuntalaṃ, 2.p.55

[21]:

haṃsī mayūrī ca mṛgī gajalīlā turaṃgiṇī/ siṃhī bhujaṅgī maṇḍūkī gatiḥ/ Abhinayadarpaṇa, 309

[22]:

parivartyaṃ tanuṃ pārśvaṃ vitastyantaritaṃ śanaiḥ/
ekaikaṃ tat padaṃ nyasya kapitthaṃ karayorvaha//
haṃsavadgamanaṃ yattu sā haṃsī gatirītitā/ Ibid., 311

[23]:

prapadābhyāṃ bhūbi sthitvā kapitthaṃ karayorvahan/
ekaikajānucalanānmayūrī gatirīritā/ Ibid., 312

[24]:

mṛgavad gamanaṃ…../ Ibid.,313

[25]:

……………tripatākakarau vahan……………/ purataḥ pārśvayoścaiva yānaṃ mṛgagatirbhavet// Ibid., 313

[26]:

……gatirmandaṃ gajalīleti viśrutā/ Ibid., 315

[27]:

pārśvayostu patākābhyāṃ karābhyāṃ vicaraṃ stataḥ/ Ibid., 314

[28]:

vāmeṇa śikharaṃ dhṛtvā dakṣiṇena patākikāṃ…. turaṅgiṇī gatiḥ/ Ibid., 316

[29]:

pādāgrābhyāṃ bhuvi sthitvā pura utplutya vegataḥ……siṃhagatirbhavet/ Ibid., 317

[30]:

karābhyāṃ śikharaṃ dhṛtvā yānaṃ / Ibid., 319¹⁵⁸ karābhyāṃ śikharaṃ dhṛtvā kiñcit siṃhīsamā gatiḥ/ maṇḍūkī gatirityeṣā……// Ibid., 311¹⁵⁹ bhāratī sātvatī caiva kauśikyārabhaṭī tathā/ catastro vṛttayaḥ proktā….// Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.20. 56

[31]:

karābhyāṃ śikharaṃ dhṛtvā kiñcit siṃhīsamā gatiḥ/ maṇḍūkī gatirityeṣā……// Ibid., 311