Nataka, Naṭaka, Nāṭaka, Ñātaka: 22 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Natyashastra
2. Kosha
3. Purana
4. Arts
In Buddhism
1. Mahayana
Languages
1. Pali
2. Marathi
3. Sanskrit
4. Hindi
5. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Nataka means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Alternative spellings of this word include Natak.

In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

Nāṭaka (नाटक) refers to one of the “ten kinds of dramatic plays” (daśarūpa), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 20. These different types of dramas are considered to have originated from the various styles (vṛtti), which is discussed in chapter 22 of the same work. The Nāṭaka type of drama includes all styles: Verbal (bhāratī), Grand (sāttvatī), Graceful (kaiśikī) and Energetic (ārabhaṭī).

Source: archive.org: Natya Shastra

One of the Ten Types of Play (nāṭya).—Nāṭaka: the Nāṭaka is the most important of the ten kinds of play described in the Nāṭyaśāstra. The Nāṭaka is a play having for its subject-matter a well-known story and for its Hero a celebrated person of exalted nature. It describes the character of a person descending from a royal seer, the divine protection for him, and his many superhuman powers and exploits, such as success in different undertakings and amorous pastimes; and this play should have an appropriate number of Acts.

As the exploits of the Hero of the Nāṭaka have been restricted to his success in different undertakings including love-matters, it is a sort of ‘comedy’, and as such it can never permit the representation of the Hero’s defeat, flight or capture by the enemy or a treaty with him under compulsion. Such a representation would negative the subject of the play which is the triumph or the prosperity of the Hero. But all these except his (the Hero’s) death, could be reported in an Introductory Scene which may come before an Act. The presentation of the Hero’s death was for obvious reasons impossible in a comedy.

The first thing that attracts the attention of reader on opening a Nāṭaka, is its Prologue (stāpanā or prastavanā). But according to the Nāṭyaśāstra this was a part of the Preliminaries (pūrvaraṅga) and was outside the scope of the play proper. That famous playwrights like Bhāsa, Kālidāsa and others wrote it themselves and made it the formal beginning of their dramas, seems to show that they made in thios matter an innovation which as great creative geniuses they were fully entitled to.

Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (natya)

Nāṭaka (नाटक) refers to one of the twelve kinds of Rūpaka, which represents the dṛśyakāvya division of Kāvya (“poetry”), according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.—There are two broad divisions of kāvya (poetry) viz., dṛśyakāvya and śravyakāvya. Drama belongs to dṛśyakāvya variety, which is mainly divided into two groups, viz., rūpaka and uparūpaka. The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa accepts twelve types of rūpaka, e.g., nāṭaka.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

Kosha (encyclopedic lexicons)

Source: Google Books: Kalātattvakośa, volume 2

Nāṭaka (नाटक):—“Nāṭaka (drama) should be composed after observing the nature of people and the strength and weakness of men, as well as their enjoyment and usage.” (See the Nāṭyaśāstra XIX.149)

context information

Kosha (कोश, kośa) refers to Sanskrit lexicons intended to provide additional information regarding technical terms used in religion, philosophy and the various sciences (shastra). The oldest extant thesaurus (kosha) dates to the 4th century AD.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Nāṭaka (नाटक).—Connected with Vāgīśī.^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 37. 8.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)

Source: archive.org: Syainika Sastra of Rudradeva with English Translation (art)

Nāṭaka (नाटक) refers to “dramatic performances”, according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, “[...] It has been said that there are eighteen addictions. These are the outcome of the desire for earthly enjovments. [...] Disparagement means be-littling the merits of others and attributing demerits to them. It becomes enjoyable in a party when uttered by jesters and others. In dramas (nāṭaka), novels and other compositions it is extensively used, sometimes pithily and sometimes in a verbose and round-about way. [...]”.

context information

This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: Bulletin of the French School of the Far East (volume 5)

Naṭaka (नटक) is the name of a Kumbhāṇḍa appointed as one of the Divine protector deities of Kosala, according to chapter 17 of the Candragarbha: the 55th section of the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra, a large compilation of Sūtras (texts) in Mahāyāna Buddhism partly available in Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese.—In the Candragarbhasūtra, the Bhagavat invites all classes of Gods and Deities to protect the Law [dharma?] and the faithful in their respective kingdoms of Jambudvīpa [e.g., the Kumbhāṇḍa Naṭaka in Kosala], resembling the time of the past Buddhas.

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

ñātaka : (m.) a relation; kinsman.

-- or --

naṭaka : (m.) dancer; actor.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Nāṭaka, (Sk. nāṭaka; see naccati) 1. (m.) a dancer, actor, player J. I, 206; V, 373; DhA. III, 88; IV, 59, 130; nāṭakitthi a dancing-girl, nautch-girl DhA. III, 166; VvA. 131.—2. (nt.) a play, pantomime J. I, 59; V, 279, also used coll. =dancing-woman J. I, 59 (?) II. 395. (Page 349)

— or —

Naṭaka, (Sk. naṭaka)=naṭa Vin. IV, 285; Miln. 331; PvA. 3.—f. naṭikā DA. I, 239. (Page 345)

— or —

Ñātaka, (for *ñātika from ñāti) a relation, relative, kinsman Vin. II, 194; M. II, 67; Dh. 43; Sn. 263 (=KhA 140: ñāyante amhākaṃ ime ti ñātakā), 296, 579; Pv. II, 1⁴ (Minayeff, but Hardy °ika); PvA. 19, 21, 31, 62, 69; DA. I, 90. (Page 288)

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

nāṭaka (नाटक).—n m (S) A play or drama. 2 A measure of verse.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

nāṭaka (नाटक).—n A play or drama.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Naṭaka (नटक).—An actor.

Derivable forms: naṭakaḥ (नटकः).

--- OR ---

Nāṭaka (नाटक).—[naṭ-ṇvul]

1) A play, drama (in general).

2) The first of the 1 principal kinds of dramatic composition; for definition and other information see S. D.277, where 36 लक्षण (lakṣaṇa)s of a नाटक (nāṭaka) are given.

-kaḥ An actor, a dancer; वधूनाटकसंघैश्च संयुक्तां सर्वतः पुरीम् (vadhūnāṭakasaṃghaiśca saṃyuktāṃ sarvataḥ purīm) Rām. 1.5.12.

-kī The court of Indra.

Derivable forms: nāṭakam (नाटकम्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nāṭaka (नाटक).—mfn.

(-kaḥ-kī-kaṃ) An actor, acting, dancing, &c. m.

(-kaḥ) a play, a drama: the first of the ten species of dramatic compositions of the first order. f. (-kī) The court of Indra. E. naṭ to act or perform, ṇvul aff.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nāṭaka (नाटक).—i. e. naṭ + aka, I. m. A mime, [Rāmāyaṇa] 1, 5, 18. Ii. n. A drama, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 69, 4.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Naṭaka (नटक).—[masculine] naṭī [feminine] a dancer or mime (also as a caste).

--- OR ---

Nāṭaka (नाटक).—[masculine] actor, dancer, mime; [neuter] & [feminine] nāṭikā plays of a cert. kind.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Naṭaka (नटक):—[from naṭ] m. an actor, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

2) Nāṭaka (नाटक):—[from nāṭa] mf(ī)n. acting, dancing, [Horace H. Wilson]

3) [v.s. ...] m. an actor, dancer, mime, [Rāmāyaṇa]

4) [v.s. ...] Name of a mountain, [Kālikā-purāṇa]

5) [from nāṭa] n. any play or drama, [Harivaṃśa; Kāvya literature] etc. (personified as m., [Mahābhārata ii, 453])

6) [v.s. ...] n. a kind of play, the first of the Rūpakas or dramas of the first order, [Sāhitya-darpaṇa etc.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nāṭaka (नाटक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. A player; a drama. f. (kī) Indra's court.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Nāṭaka (नाटक) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Ṇāḍaga, Ṇāḍaya.

[Sanskrit to German]

Nataka in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Nāṭaka (नाटक) [Also spelled natak]:—(nm) a drama; play; ~[kāra] a dramatist, playwright; ~[śālā] a theatre; —[karanā] to stage a play; —[racanā] to create a (dramatic) scene; to author a play/drama; [nāṭakīkaraṇa] dramatization.

context information

...

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Naṭaka (ನಟಕ):—

1) [noun] = ನಟ - [nata -] 1, 2 & 3.

2) [noun] a peacock, the dancing bird.

--- OR ---

Nāṭaka (ನಾಟಕ):—

1) [noun] a literary composition that tells a story, usu. of human conflict, by means of dialogue and action, to be performed by actors; a play; a drama.

2) [noun] the art of dramatic presentation.

3) [noun] a man, who acts in plays; an actor.

4) [noun] a male dancer.

5) [noun] (fig.) a pretending to be what one is not or to feel what one does not feel for purpose of cheating others; sham; pretension; hypocrisy.

6) [noun] a person who pretends to be what he or she is not; a man or woman with deceptive appearance or hypocritical action; an hypocrite; a sham.

7) [noun] ನಾಟಕ ಆಡು [nataka adu] nāṭaka māḍu to exhibit a drama on a stage; to stage a play; 2. to pretend; to make believe; to put forth pretexts to hide one’s defects or to get undue gains.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 50 books and stories containing Nataka, Naṭaka, Nāṭaka, Ñātaka; (plurals include: Natakas, Naṭakas, Nāṭakas, Ñātakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Part 2: Varieties of Dṛśyakāvya < [Chapter 1]

Part 3: Specialities of Nāṭaka and Mahānāṭaka < [Chapter 1]

Part 1: Hanumannāṭaka: Title of the Play < [Chapter 3]

+ 21 more chapters / show preview

Introduction to the Nāṭaka type of Drama < [Chapter 1 - Nāṭaka (critical study)]

Indian classical dramatic tradition < [Introduction]

Chapter 1 - Nāṭaka (critical study)

+ 27 more chapters / show preview

Kuravañji Nāṭaka < [Chapter 4 - Practice of Gati]

Nṛtya Nāṭaka < [Chapter 4 - Practice of Gati]

Relevance of Gati in Rūpakas < [Chapter 3 - Application of gati in Dṛśya-kāvyas]

+ 14 more chapters / show preview