Dasarupaka (critical study)
by Anuru Ranjan Mishra | 2015 | 106,293 words
This page relates ‘Introduction to the Dima type of Drama’ of the English study of the Dasarupaka of Dhananjaya: an important work on Hindu dramaturgy (Natya-shastra) from the tenth century dealing with the ten divisions of Sanskrit drama (nata), describing their technical aspects and essential dramaturgical principals. These ten types of drama are categorised based on the plot (vastu), hero (neta) and sentiment (rasa)
Introduction to the Ḍima type of Drama
According to the Western tradition, drama is three fold, i.e.
- tragedy,
- comedy and
- satyr.
The tragedy is the best type of drama; the comedy has developed after the tragedy. The satyr is a mixed type, which is the combination of comedy and tragedy. This genre of drama is also called joking tragedy or humorous tragedy. Most of all these three genres are based on the mythology.
According to Indian classical drama, the drama is of ten types, i.e.
Ḍima is similar to Vyāyoga, Samavakāra and it is the representation of depressed characters, horrific events, illusions, sieges and battles. It is also a haughty type of drama with terrific sentiment and disorders of every sort. However, Ḍima is quite similar to Nāṭaka, with some differences in the junctures and sentiments. Ḍima has no place for erotic (śṛṅgāra) sentiment and laughter (hāsya) sentiments.
According to Abhinava Gupta, Ḍima is synonym to Ḍimba and Vidrava (Abhinavabhāratī.88). However, Dhanika states that the word “Ḍima is used in the sense of saṃghāte” or “injuring” (Daśarūpakāvaloka, III).
Manjul Gupta (1987, A Study of Abhinavabhāratī and Avaloka, p.68) states that:
“This type of play is called Ḍima because it involves the procedure of injuring on the part of the hero.”
However, it should be noted here that Ḍima is composed with the intention of injuring hero. However, A. B. Keith (1924, The Sanskrit Drama, p.347) does not agree with the view of Dhanika and states that “it is clear that Ḍima cannot be described adequately due to inadequate material; it may represent a popular form of entertainment which did not attain full recognition. The origin of the name is unknown, for no root “ḍim”, “to wound” is found in the language though Dhanika asserts its existence.”
Ḍima is not a popular type of drama. It is not used extensively either in ancient period or in medieval period or in modern period; but Bharata has given in the Nāṭyaśāstra (IV.10), the name Ḍima to such dramas as “Tripuradāha”, which has no existence perhaps in later period. The name got fame after Vatsarāja, a poet of 12th century A.D. composed Tripuradāha, which belongs to Ḍima type of drama. Further, Kṛṣṇavijaya and Manmathonmathanam by Veṅkaṭavarada and Rāma too belong to such type of drama.