Vṛtti (mode of conduct)—Introduction

The existence of a particular feeling in a human mind causes a change in the normal demeanur of a person. Mind pilots all the activities of man, and when it is influenced by a particular feeling or a sentiment, all the action of a man, his outward expressions on the face and even his mode of speech get influenced by the ruling sentiment. The mode of behavior of the principal character is called his bearing (Vṛtti), and varies with the nature of sentiment that has prepossessed his mind for the time being. Since the demeanurs of the principal character is the most conspicuous feature of the dramatic delineation, it is mostly his bearing^[1] that is characterised by the canonists and studied in its details. According to the Sāhitya-darpaṇa^[2] the demeanours of the heroine or the counter-hero, if equally conspicuous, may as well be considered under the heading of the Vṛttis^[3].

The demeanour of a character may be, in the first instance, of two kind: one pertaining to his actions and outward expression, which is called Arthavṛtti, and the other pertaining to his mode of speech which may be distinguished from the former as the Śabda-vṛtti. For sake of convenience of expression they may be termed respectively as the effective Bearing and the verbal Bearing.

The effective Bearing (artha-vṛtti) is of three kinds:

1. Kaiśikī^[4],
2. Sāttvatī, and
3. Ārabhaṭī.

The verbal Vṛtti is otherwise known as Bhāratī. The modes of Bearing are, in all, fourfold, out of which Kaiśikī prevails in the Erotic and the Comic sentiment and also in such pleasant moods as are presented by Bhaktibhāva, Śraddhā or Vātsalya as well Sāttvatī goes in the Heroic and the Marvellous sentiments, and sometimes, in its gentle form, with modest Śṛṅgāra as well Ārabhatī is the characteristic of the Furious and the Loathsome sentiments. The Bhāratī Vṛtti, can be freely used in case of all the sentiments29, but particularly when the Terrific and the Pathetic sentiments prevail, the form and tone of speech is the Bharati. Sūtradhāra as the actor-inchief is expected to adopt the Bhāratī Vṛtti in course of Induction. Moreover, by the method of residue Bhāratī Vṛtti also belongs inter alia to the Quietistic sentiments. In the opinion of a section of scholars who lay more stress on the emotion of tranquility as an independent sentiment and have a full sets of each manifesting agents, a separate Vṛtti is recognised for the Śānta-rasa inasmuch as the hero’s bearing named by them as the Brāhmi Vṛtti^[5].

The various Vṛttis, which are thus regulated in relation to respective sentiments, have some characteristics of their own. They are briefly stated below:

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bearing is the proper equivalent of Vṛtti inasmuch as the term is derived from the root √Vrt “to be”, I A, and it means the manner in which the hero behaves (=Vyavahara as Ānandavardhana calls it).

[2]:

Sāhityadarpaṇa VI-123b. As a matter of fact, the modus operandi of any character is included in Vṛtti, and so even the behaviour of the leaders of the Patākāand the Prakarī is within the connotation of the term.

[3]:

The term Vṛtti is used in other senses as well.

[4]:

It is spelt as Kausiki by some, but since it is derived from Kesa, the term, Kaiśikī is better.

[5]:

Haripala’s view quoted in the “Number of Rasas”—Page-51