2. Nandi Shloka (auspicious verse)

Nandi shloka is used as an auspicious verse to remove the obstacles during the performance of a drama. It may contain four to twelve lines written by the dramatist as an admirer of his deity or the deity of the king or the patron.^[1] It also gratifies the audience with a keyword to the gem idea of the drama. In the fifth chapter of Natyashastra Bharata defines Nandi as follows:

[...]^[2]

The Nandi is must include the blessings of Gods, Brahmins or kings.

According to Sahityadarpana, the structure of Nandi is-

[...]^[3]

The Nandishloka of Annadatricarita is also follows the above mentioned rules. It is noted as follows:

 [...]^[4]

The virtue which is praised by the Smritikaras, the mimamsakas and devoted by the king of Vanci as their deity, that virtue may fulfil our wishes.

Here, the god of virtue (Dharma) is praised as the deity in Nandishloka. In this verse Dharma is referred as the deity of Vanci kings. From this, it can be assumes that the story is based on the concept of Dharma or maya story about the sagas of Vanci kings, for the reason that the motto of the Vanci kingdom is ‘Dharmosmadkuladaivatam’ (dharmo'smad kuladaivatam)

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sanskrit Play Production in Ancient India, By Tarla Mehta, p. 238.

[2]:

Natyashastra of Bharata with commentary Abhinavabharati, MadhusudanShastri M.A., (Varanasi: Banaras Hindu University, 1971), 521.

[3]:

Sahityadarpana of Vishvanathakaviraja, Ed. by AcharyaSheshraja Sharma Regmi, (Varanasi: ChowkhambaKrishnadas Academy, 2004), 265

[4]:

Annadatricarita, Prof. BalaramaPanicker K., (Thiruvananthapuram:published by the author, 1946), 1.