Dramaturgy in the Venisamhara
by Debi Prasad Namasudra | 2016 | 70,412 words
This page relates ‘Sattvati-vritti (noble qualities and righteousness)’ of the study dealing with the Venisamhara of Bhatta Narayana and its practical application of Sanskrit Dramaturgy. The Veni-Samhara is an extraordinary drama in Sanskrit literature which revolves around the great war of Mahabharata within six Acts. This study deals with the author, background and the technical aspects, reflecting the ancient Indian tradition of dramaturgy (Natya-Shastra).
Sāttvatī-vṛtti (noble qualities and righteousness)
That mode of bearing, which is characterised with noble qualities and righteousness and is free from grief, is called the Majestic one. It is also one, which presents joyous moods found mostly in the compassionate and upright states of mind. According to the Abhinava Bhāratī, it essentially pertains to the mental action (mano-vyāpāra) expressed by means of verbal expressions.[1] In the opinion of Bharata it belongs to Vīra, Raudra and Adbhūta rasas[2]. He does not allow feelings of discondency to go in with the Sāttvatī Vṛtti except to a small extent to which Karuṇa is allowed to prevail in course of it. So also Śṛṅgāra is but scantily allowed to go in with Sāttvatī.
It has four sub-division:
(i) Discourse (Saṃlāpaka) consists of a series of statements which are invariably of boisterous character.[3] They may be either simply boisterous, or full of threats.[4] the Daśarūpaka defines it as an exchange of serious expressions conveying diverse feelings and sentiments.[5]
(ii) Challenge (Utthāpaka) It is an invitation to the adversary to face the speaker and show him his might. It is mainly a combatant’s attitude.[6]
(iii) Disintegration (Saṅghātya): It is an attempt to break the alliance with the other. It includes that conduct also which makes a character disinterested even with his allies. Yet it generally pertains to those moves of his, which tend to cause friction among the allies of his opponent. Distengration may be caused by means of sweet words or expedient measures or mediation of friends in the latter case, whereas in the former, it may be the result of some stroke of ill-lick or one’s own blunder.[7]
(iv) Change of action (Parivartaka): When a character abruptly changes the course of his action due to the exigencies of circumstances, such a change of conduct persents the element of Parivartaka in him.[8] Sagaran Daṇḍīn adds that when Sāma, dāna and bheda have proved futile, hero’s resort to the expedient of daṇḍa amounts to Parivartaka.[9]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
A.B. Vol. III
[2]:
N. XX–37 seq.
[3]:
Sāhityadarpaṇa VI–131b.
[4]:
Nāṭyaśāstra XX-44; Nāṭaka-lakṣaṇa-Ratnakośa 1288
[5]:
Daśarūpaka II–84.
[6]:
Nāṭyaśāstra XX-41; Sāhityadarpaṇa VI-130; Rasārṇava-sudhākara I-265.
[7]:
Nāṭyaśāstra XX-45; Sāhityadarpaṇa VI-131a; Rasārṇava-sudhākara I-266; Nāṭaka-lakṣaṇa-Ratnakośa 1298.
[8]:
Nāṭyaśāstra XX-42; Sāhityadarpaṇa VI-132a; Rasārṇava-sudhākara I-267.
[9]:
Nāṭaka-lakṣaṇa-Ratnakośa 1281.