Chapter 341 - Description of the actions and movements of the limbs

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Fire-god said:

1. The exertion of the body is regarded as the particular gesture relating to the limbs and subordinate limbs and as their action. The former generally relates to women.

2-5a. It is (divided) into twelve^[1]—sportiveness, playful gesture, cessation (of care in dress etc.), amorous play or movement, amorous agitation consisting of laughter, weeping, etc., involuntary expression of affection towards the lover, repulse of lover’s caresses, indifference towards a beloved object (bibboka), that which arises from tenderness (lalita), affected by passion or emotion, pleasure-giving pastime and amorous sport. Sportiveness (is) the imitation of the gesture of the beloved person in a hidden abode. Playful gesture is said by good people as exhibiting some peculiarities a little. Kilakiñcita is the combination of laughter, weeping and the like. Bibboka is some kind of perturbation. Lalita arises from tenderness.

5b-6a. The head, hand, chest, side, loin and foot (are) successively. (known) as the limbs and the creeper-like (tender) eyebrows and the like as the minor limbs.

6b-7a. (There cannot be) the use of the limbs and minor limbs without the exertion born of effort. It is straight and indirect sometimes.

7b-9a. The head is known (to move) in thirteen ways—trembling, shaking, gentle shaking (dhūta), violent shaking (vidhūta), excessive movement (parivāhita), agitated, tossed, graceful, contracted, turned round, raised upwards, bent downwards and rolling.

9b. The movement of the eyebrow should be known as sevenfold (such as) lowering, knitting etc.

10. The glance (is said) to be threefold as being related to the sentiment, the permanent (feeling) and the transitory (feeling). It is divided into thirty-six kinds, among which eight arise from sentiments.

11. The function of the pupil is ninefold—moving, rolling and the like. (The actions of) the nose are known to be six. (Those of) respiration are said to be nine.

12. The actions of the lower lip are of six kinds. The actions of the chin are of seven kinds. Those of the face beginning with perturbation are of six kinds. (The actions of) the neck are known as of nine kinds.

13-19a. The hand is employed as unfolded and folded by the character. One banner, three banners, scissor-edge, halfmoon, opening up, parrot-beak, fist, pinnacle, wood-apple, club-edged (?), needle-pointed, lotus bud, snake-hood, deer-head, kāṅgulaka, alapadma, round pillow, bee, swan-mouth, swan-wing, pincers, blossom, spider and cock are the twenty-four of the unfolded hands. Those of the folded hands are thirteen—slightly folded or open pigeon, crab, svastika. kaṭakavardhamāna^[2], asaṅga^[3], niṣadha, swing, flower-casket, crocodile, elephant tusk, bahistambha^[4] and vardhamāna.

19b-20. The chest may be of five kinds, such asa little curved and straight^[5] etc. The belly is threefold—not very slender, slender^[6] and full. The actions of the sides are five. The actions of the shank are also five. The action of the feet in dance and the like in a drama is known to be manifold.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The text explains only five among these.

[2]:

The text reads kaṭaka and vardhamāna. Cf. NS IX. 8-10 reading these two as one.

[3]:

utsaṅga (lap). Cf. NS IX.

[4]:

Cf. NS IX. given as avahittha (dissemination of internal feeling).

[5]:

The text wrongly reads nartana. Cf. NS IX.

[6]:

The text reads khaṇḍa for khalla in NS X.