Sutradhara, Sūtradhāra, Sutra-dhara, Sūtradhara: 14 definitions
Introduction:
Sutradhara means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. 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.
In Hinduism
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstraSūtradhāra (सूत्रधार) refers to the “director” of a dramatic play (nāṭya), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 35. Accordingly, “The qualities of a Director.—First of all, he should possess knowledge of characteristics of everything concerning the theatre, desirable refinement of speech, knowledge of the rules of tāla and theory of notes and instruments in general”.
(Characteristics of a sūtradhāra or director): “He should be possessed of memory and intelligence, and should be patient, liberal, firm in his words, poetical, free from any disease, sweet in his manners, forbearing, self-possessed, sweet-tongued, free from anger, truthful, impartial, honest, and free from greed for praise”.
According to verse 35.98, “definition of a director (sūtradhāra).—One who knows from the teaching of the learned (śiṣṭa) the principles (sūtra) of applying songs, instrumental music and recitatives in their unity, is called a sūtradhāra (director)”

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., 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) and poetic works (kavya).
Vastushastra (architecture)
Source: McGill: The architectural theory of the MānasāraSūtradhāra (सूत्रधार).—Chapter II of the Nāṭyasastra is dedicated entirely to outhning the procedures of making theatres. The initial procedures of site-clearance, soil-examination, disposition of plots and laying of foundation are conducted by the sūtradhāra, who is the maker of stage-sets (as well as director of plays).

Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossarySūtradhāra.—(EI 24; CII 4; BL), a mason; an artisan; an epithet generally applied to the engravers of stone inscriptions of the medieval period. See Sūtrabhṛt, Sūtradhṛt, Sūtradhārin. Note: sūtradhāra is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarysūtradhāra (सूत्रधार).—m (S) The principal actor or manager of a company of players, and chief interlocutor in the prologue or prelude to a drama. 2 The holder and manager of the strings or wires (of puppets &c. in puppet-shows). 3 The managing, guiding, or leading man (of a company or body generally).
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishsūtradhāra (सूत्रधार).—m The principal actor of a com- pany of players. The leading man.
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 dictionarySūtradhara (सूत्रधर) or Sūtradhāra (सूत्रधार).—
1) 'the threadholder', a stage-manager, the principal actor who arranges the cast of characters and instructs them, and takes a prominent part in the Prastāvanā or prelude; he is thus defined:-नाट्यस्य यदनुष्ठानं तत् सूत्रं स्यात् सबीजकम् । रङ्गदैवतपूजाकृत् सूत्रधार इति स्मृतः (nāṭyasya yadanuṣṭhānaṃ tat sūtraṃ syāt sabījakam | raṅgadaivatapūjākṛt sūtradhāra iti smṛtaḥ) ||
2) a carpenter, an artisan.
3) the author of a set of aphorisms.
4) an epithet of Indra.
Derivable forms: sūtradharaḥ (सूत्रधरः), sūtradhāraḥ (सूत्रधारः).
Sūtradhara is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sūtra and dhara (धर).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionarySūtradhara (सूत्रधर).—m. (= Pali suttadhara, Childers), a master of the sūtras (q.v.), one who controls them: Mahāvyutpatti 5141.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionarySūtradhara (सूत्रधर).—m.
(-raḥ) A stage-manager: see the next.
--- OR ---
Sūtradhāra (सूत्रधार).—m.
(-raḥ) 1. The principal actor or manager of a company, and chief interlocutor in the prologue or prelude to a drama. 2. A carpenter. 3. The author of a set of rules or axioms. 4. Indra. E. sūtra a rule, &c., and dhāra who holds; also sūtradhara and sūtrabhṛt .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionarySūtradhāra (सूत्रधार).—[sūtra-dhāra], m. 1. A carpenter, [Hitopadeśa] 49, 12. 2. The manager or principal actor of a company [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] 3, 12. 3. The author of a set of rules. 4. Indra.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionarySūtradhāra (सूत्रधार).—[masculine] thread-holder, carpenter or stagemanager, director ([feminine] rī).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Sūtradhara (सूत्रधर):—[=sūtra-dhara] [from sūtra > sūtr] mfn. wearing a string of ([compound]), [Mahābhārata]
2) [v.s. ...] m. one versed in the Sūtras, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] = next, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) Sūtradhāra (सूत्रधार):—[=sūtra-dhāra] [from sūtra > sūtr] m. ‘rule or thread-holder’, an architect, carpenter, [Mahābhārata; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
4) [v.s. ...] a stage-manager (or principal actor who superintends the whole performance; [according to] to some he was originally so called from holding the strings of puppets; his assistants are the pāripārśvika and sthāpaka, qq.vv.), [Bharata-nāṭya-śāstra; Sāhitya-darpaṇa] etc.
5) [v.s. ...] Name of Indra, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) [=sūtra-dhāra] [from sūtra > sūtr] mf(ī)n. being the chief or leading person at any performance ([compound]), [Bālarāmāyaṇa]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionarySūtradhāra (सूत्रधार):—[sūtra-dhāra] (raḥ) 1. m. Indra; a carpenter; chief actor; author of rules.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusSūtradhara (ಸೂತ್ರಧರ):—[noun] = ಸೂತ್ರಧಾರ [sutradhara].
--- OR ---
Sūtradhāra (ಸೂತ್ರಧಾರ):—
1) [noun] a man who directs or plays a key role in, a play, cinema.
2) [noun] a man who plays from behind puppets by pulling the strings tied to them; a puppeteer.
3) [noun] the chief architect who plans the construction and structure of a temple and other buildings.
4) [noun] Indra, the lord of ods.
5) [noun] (fig.) a man who directs others' action.
6) [noun] the Supreme Being, who is the prime cause for the actions of all beings in this world.
7) [noun] (fig.) a man who instigates another or others to commit a crime or crimes.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Dhara, Sutra.
Starts with: Sutradhara-pitamaha, Sutradharaka, Sutradharamandana.
Ends with: Akshasutradhara, Samaranganasutradhara.
Full-text (+38): Sutrabhrit, Sutradhari, Takshaka, Kathodghata, Gajadhara, Sthapaka, Sutrika, Sutradharaka, Prenkhana, Sutradharamandana, Sutradhrik, Sutradhara-pitamaha, Pariparshvaka, Devatamurtiprakarana, Natavara, Sutrin, Sutradhrit, Ekanata, Sutradharin, Kshaya.
Relevant text
Search found 15 books and stories containing Sutradhara, Sūtradhāra, Sutra-dhara, Sūtra-dhāra, Sūtradhara, Sūtra-dhara; (plurals include: Sutradharas, Sūtradhāras, dharas, dhāras, Sūtradharas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Dasarupaka (critical study) (by Anuru Ranjan Mishra)
Part 7 - Characters of the drama (Mattavilāsa Prahasana) < [Chapter 3 - Prahasana (critical study)]
Part 8 - Styles (vṛttis) of the Nāṭaka < [Chapter 1 - Nāṭaka (critical study)]
Part 8 - Styles (vṛtti) of the Prakaraṇa < [Chapter 10 - Prakaraṇa (critical study)]
Chaitanya Bhagavata (by Bhumipati Dāsa)
Verse 1.9.160 < [Chapter 9 - Nityānanda’s Childhood Pastimes and Travels to Holy Places]
Samarangana-sutradhara (Summary) (by D. N. Shukla)
Chapter 65 - The Vāvāṭa Style (Digbhadra Prāsāda)
Chapter 61 - The twenty Nagara Temples (Mervādi-viṃśikā-nāgara-prāsāda)
Vastu-shastra (1): Canons of Architecture (by D. N. Shukla)
(ii) Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra < [Chapter 5 - Study of Hindu Science of Architecture]
Introduction (A Study of Representative or Principal Texts) < [Chapter 5 - Study of Hindu Science of Architecture]
Indian English Drama Models and Techniques < [July – September, 1987]
On Ancient Greek and Ancient Indian Drama < [January – March, 1990]
Viswamitra-Ahalya < [April – June and July – September, 1996]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
First aṅga (member): Sūtra < [Part 2 - Hearing the twelve-membered speech of the Buddha]