2.3. Standing Postures

In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa standing postures are determined separately for male and female. The defference of physical structure and way of standing position between male and female may be the reason behind this classification.

In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa six kinds of standing postures are discussed for men viz.,

1. vaiṣṇava,
2. samapāda,
3. vaiśākha,
4. maṇḍala,
5. āliḍha and
6. pratyāliḍha.

The Nāṭyaśāstra also accepts these varieties.^[1] Standing with easiness by keeping one foot in normal position and other places obliquely is called vaiṣṇava posture.^[2] The word sama denotes the equal position.^[3] In samapāda position, both the legs are placed at a distance of one tāla.^[4] This posture is seen in the auspicious performance of Brahmins.^[5] This posture is also used to denote jumping of birds and sitting in chariot or aeroplanes.^[6] In vaiśākha type of standing posture the gap between two feet should be two and half tālas, thighs should be inclining and feet are placed.^[7] This posture is used to show the carriage drawn by horses.^[8] In The student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary of V.S Apte, the vaiśākha posture is mentioned as a kind of attitude, mostly carried in shooting.^[9] In the maṇḍala posture the distance between two legs should be three tālas and it should be adopted to show the striking action with bow and thunderbolt.^[10]

According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the maṇḍala posture becomes āliḍha when the distance between two legs is five tālas.^[11] The Śabdakalpadruma states that in āliḍha posture the right leg should be extended and the left leg should be contracted.^[12] This position is used to denote furious things as well as taken at the time of fighting.^[13] Due to the edition of the prefix called prati which means opposite^[14] , pratyāliḍha posture denotes that posture which is totally the opposite of āliḍha posture. The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa also agrees on it and accepts pratyāliḍha posture as the reverse form of āliḍha posture.^[15] According to the Nāṭyaśāstra, the soldiers release the missiles from pratyāliḍha posture after taking an aim from āliḍha posture.^[16]

There are three types of standing postures of women viz.,

1. āyata,
2. āvahittha and
3. hayakrānta.

The āyata posture is used at the time of offering flowers by entering in the stage and āvahittha posture is used to show erotic gestures.^[17] The Nāṭyaśāstra does not talk about the stading postures of female. Point to be noted here is that the standing postures recommended for man in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa are also seen to adopt by the women in the classical dances of India. In the Abhinayadarpaṇa, standing postures adopted in dance are called as maṇḍala and there are ten kinds of standing postures are accepted in the Abhinayadarpaṇa.^[18]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Nāṭyaśāstra, 11.51

[2]:

kiñcidañcitajaṃghaśca vaiṣṇavaṃ sthānamucyate/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.23.2

[3]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.585

[4]:

samapādaṃ tu vijñeyaṃ samaistālāntaraiḥ padaiḥ/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.23.3

[5]:

[...] Ibid., 3.23.4

[6]:

[...] Ibid.,3.23.5

[7]:

[...] Ibid.,3.23.6-7 ś

[8]:

[...] Ibid.,3.23.7-8

[9]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.536

[10]:

maṇḍalaṃ syāttrīṃstālāntarameva ca/ dhanurvajraprahāraṇaṃ maṇḍalena prayojayet// Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.23.9-10

[11]:

ādau ca dakṣiṇaṃ pādaṃ pañcatālaṃ prasārayet/ Ibid.,3.23.11

[12]:

[...] Śabdakalpadruma, Vol.1, p. 192

[13]:

ālīḍhaṃ…….. saṃgrāmasya nirūpaṇaṃ// siṃhādyabhinayaṃ caiva śaktasandhānameva ca/ khaḍgayuddhe niyuddhe ca maṇḍalabhramaṇe tathā// Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.23.12-14

[14]:

[...] Śabdakalpadruma, Vol.3, 253

[15]:

[...] Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.23.16

[16]:

[...] Nāṭyaśāstra, 11.71

[17]:

[...] Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.23.20 & 22

[18]:

[...] Abhinayadarpaṇa, 260-261