Gaits according to characters

The three types of characters in a dramatic performance are divya-divine, divya mānuṣas emi-divine and mānuṣa-human.

iha prakṛtayo divyā divyamānuṣya eva ca |
mānuṣya iti vijñeyā nāṭyanṛttakriyāṃ prati ||^[1]

The nature of gods is of divine, that of kings is semi-divine and for others it is human. The kings mentioned in Vedas and the Upanishads, are of divine origin and so sometimes their gait can be similar to that of Gods.

When same type of persons move along with each other, the pace should be of four kalās, two kalās and one kalā according to the inclination. But, when superior persons move about with middle and lower type characters, the superior character should adopt the gait of four kalās and the others two and one respectively. Devas, asuras, yakṣas, rājās, nāgās and rākṣasas should adopt a pace with distance of four tālas. Generally, all celestials should move in a medium gait two tālas, but the haughty types among them should follow the gait of gods, four tālas.

Abhinava says,

sarvāsāṃ prakṛtīnāṃ, gatiriti kalālayatālāśritā |^[2]

When different characters move together they can move according to their gaits. Therefore, gait depends on kalā, laya and tāla. All these together form the gati. When uttama is four, madyama is two and adhama one, when uttama is two, madyama is one and adhama half. These characters can be classified as uttama, madhyama and adhama varieties. Bharata describes the stance of the character and their gait according to kalā, tāla and laya, i.e. time, distance and tempo respectively.

The characters belonging to the types of superior and middling classes should assume the stance called vaiṣṇava while entering the stage.

sthanaṃ tu vaiṣṇavaṃ kṛtvā hyuttame madhyame tathā |
sammunnataṃ samaṃ caiva caturasramurastathā ||^[3]

Vaiṣṇava sthāna should be done with one foot is placed in the normal position and the other is turned a little and made into a triangle. The chest should be in the caturaśra position without protruding too much and without bending in front. The shoulders should hang down at ease without any stiffness and the neck should be held high like a peacock with a raised head. There should be a distance of eight aṅgulas between the earlobes and shoulders and a distance of four aṅgulas between the chin and the chest.

Abhinava says,

sthanamiti tryaśre'rdhadvikatālabhāgiti vaiṣṇavaṃ samamanyat samunnatam |^[4]

The left hand should be placed at the hip and the right hand at the navel. This is the stance of the superior - uttama and middle - madhyama type of characters. This is similar to the kaṭīsamam karaṇa given by Bharata.^[5] Vaiṣnava sthāna is to be assumed by the sūtradhāra while invoking the jarjara in the pūrvaraṅga.

The normal distance between the feet should be two and a half tālas. One tāla refers to the distance between the pointing finger and the thumb. This is similar to the vaiṣṇava sthāna.^[6] The height of putting down a step should be according to one’s own stature. Generally, the measurements are four tālas; two tālas and one tāla.

For gods and kings it is four tālas; for characters of middle type it is two tālas and for women and characters of the low type it is one tāla.

catustālo dvitālaścāpyekatālastathaiva ca |
catustālastu devānāṃ pārthivānāṃ tathaiva ca ||
dvitālaścaiva madhyānāṃ tālaḥ strīnīcaliṅginām |^[7]

The time taken for placing the steps is specified as four, two and one kalā for superior type, middling and low types of persons respectively.

One should adopt three types of layas (tempo) like vilambita (slow), madhya (middle) and druta (rapid) in regard to gaits depending upon the nature of characters.

sthitaṃ madhyaṃ drutaṃ caiva samavekṣya layatrayam |
yathāprakṛtināṭyajño gatimevaṃ prayojayet ||^[8]

Abhinava adds vilambita, madhya and druta should be used by uttama, madhyama and nīca characters respectively.

The superior characters should adopt vilamba gati suggestive of their boldness while the middle type should take to a madhya gati. Inferior’s characters should adopt druta gati, which is rapid in nature. The three tempos should be appropriate with the gait of the three types of persons. This is also referred by Bharata in dhruvās.^[9]

Abhinava says entry is to be done with the sthāna and after that gati should be performed according to the situation, kāla, desa and characters. Sometimes it may change if a King or deva does any nīca actions or nīca does any uttama action. Both kāla and kalā are same.

Abhinava adds that kings are treated as devas. Females are treated as inferior characters, not because of their gender but due to their common traits. Uttama characters take four kalās to keep the raised foot on the ground, two kalās for madhyama and one kalā for nīca characters. The sāmānya lakṣaṇa of kalā is nimeṣa, i.e. five mātras.

Kohala states Uttama can move in dvipadī, which has four gurus, and for which going up and down will take each two kalās.

syāduttamānāṃ dvipadī caturgurusamanvitā |
tatrotkṣepanipātābhyāṃ yasmātpādadvayaṃ bhavet ||^[10]

Dhairya and gambhīra qualities take vilambita laya. Viduṣaka though a Brahmin has druta laya. Cittavṛtti is less for nīca characters but even for them if it is śoka they have vilambita. Tāla should go along with gati. Manthara gati is of four tālas, svabhāva is three tālas and dīpta is five tālas.^[11] These are lakṣana of gati in dhruvas. In pārśvakrānta cāri, the knee should be in line with the waist for normal and superior characters in vīra. In yuddha, knee should be in line with the chest.

In the natural gait of the superior type of persons, the knee should be lifted up to the level of the hip. However, in the gait at the time of battle, the knee should raise to the level of breast.

The character should proceed to the corner of the stage in the cāri called pārśvakrānta dragging five steps with graceful movements to the accompaniment of the musical instruments.

svabhāvāttūttamagatau kāryaṃ jānukaṭīsamam |
yuddhacārīprayogeṣu jānustanasamaṃ nyaset ||
pārśvakrāntaiḥ salalitaiḥ pādairvādyānvitairatha |
raṅgakoṇonmukhaṃ gacchet samyak pañcapadāni ca ||^[12]

Then putting the left foot inwards in vāmaveda (which refers to sūci pada or pointing the foot inside)^[13] and whirling the right foot, he should turn about and move to the second corner (located at south-west) placing five steps. Then again, he should put his left foot inwards and move forward with a flourish of the right foot to the place where the instruments are arranged. Here he is to put five steps in his movement.

Thus, he should move about to and from and tread about twenty-one steps. Again, he is to place his left foot backwards and move the right foot forward with a stretch.

1. Gait of merchants and ministers

Gaits of merchants and ministers may be represented as natural. Brahmins should move about lifting their bent foot and placing it two tālas apart.

atikrāntaiḥ padairviprā dvitālāntaragāmibhiḥ |^[14]

They should place their left hand with an upward palm near the navel in the hasta called Kaṭakāmukha while their right hand with an open palm should be kept firmly before their breast in the hasta called arāla. Their body should not be bent, protruded, or made stiff in their movements.

2. Gait of ascetics and Buddhist mendicants.

Ascetics, Buddhists mendicants, persons engaged in penance, as also those who take the vow of celibacy should adopt a suitable gait. In general, they should look toward to a distance of two yugas (a distance of four hastas), show a sense of recollection and keep the whole body on the move. They should proceed with a firm and fixed mind, wearing the marks belonging to their sect and put on modest cloths such as saffron-colored cloth. First, they assume the samapāda posture and extent one hand with grace.

Their face should be pleasant and appropriate to the context of representation and they should move forward without bending their body and with long strides.

aniṣaṇṇena gātreṇa gatiṃ gacched vyatikramāt |^[15]

What has been already narrated is the gait of superior ascetics who perform great vows. For others these gaits should be used with diverse characteristics as applicable to them. In the case of other ascetics, too the gait should be suitable to their sect. It could be confused, stately, confused but concealed as needed.

The gait of the pāśupatas should suggest haughtiness and the feet should be bent as in śakatāsya and raised to make long strides with force.

śakaṭāsyasthitaiḥ pādairatikrāntaistathaiva ca |^[16]

3. Gait of lame, cripple and dwarf.

Three kinds of gaits should be assigned to Khañja (one who could not set his heals on the ground on account natural lameness or due to the piercing of a thorn on his foot). paṅgu (one who walks with a lameness on account of one leg being shorter than the other or due to the curved shape of shanks) and vāmana (one who is a dwarf in all his limbs). In the case of all the three, they should represent the deformity of the limbs. In the gait of khañja, one leg should always be stiff and motionless. This can be performed by sthambhana ūru. The forepart of the other foot alone could be pressed to the ground.

Bharata describes this as agratalasañcāra pāda.

ekaḥ khañjagatau nityaṃ stabdhau vai caraṇo bhavet ||
tathā dvitīyaḥ kāryastu pādo'gratalasañcaraḥ ||^[17]

He should have his body heaved up and down as in prakampita uraḥ by the force of the stiff foot. While he moves with the other foot, he should bend down almost into a sitting position as in nata jaṃghā. The gait of lame person should show an up and down movement of the body as a whole. This gait should be adopted in case a thorn is stuck into the palm of the foot or injured due to other cause also. The gait of crippled person is by placing the front foot on the ground with a slant and with the body pressed down and shanks bent down. This can be performed by sūcī and nata jaṃghā. The dwarf moves about with the contraction of the various limbs. He should not lift his foot nor should whirl his feet in front. He could jump up and down and move forward with a ludicrous gait. For this, he can adopt elakākrīḍitā cārī.^[18]

4. Gait of Vidūṣaka

The gait of the Vidūṣaka should be laughter provoking in three different ways. They are called:

1. aṅgaja—provoked by limbs,
2. kāvyaja or vākyaja—provoked by words and
3. nepathyaja—provoked by the costume.

If he is represented with protruding teeth, baldhead, a hunchback, lameness and distorted face, it is called aṅgaja.

If one appears like a stork looking up and down with a slant head while moving forward with long strides, which also becomes aṅga hāsya.

yadā tu bakavat gacchedullokitavilokitaiḥ |
anyāyatapadatvācca aṅgahāsyo bhavetsatu ||^[19]

This has to be performed with ākampita and añcita śira along with ullokita and vilokita dṛṣṭi.

Vākyaja consists of incoherent talk, meaningless and unconnected speech and mannerisms. It also includes the uses of obscure words. Nepathyaja is due to the humors appearance with tattered tags or cloths of bark or leather. He is also ludicrous because of the smearing of his body with lamp-black, ashes and yellow ochre.

The laughter-provoking gait of the Vidūṣaka is to be carefully adopted considering the character (hero and heroines) he has to contend with the situations. Thus, he has to assume one or more of states. In his natural role, he is to hold a long staff with a crooked handle in his left hand and walk about whirling the right hand with a flourish. In his gait, one of the limbs like the side, head, hand or leg should bent down with the rhythm of the movement. This is the natural gait of the Vidūṣaka. There is a different gait when he is emotional. When happens to get such food and dress which are not usually available to him he assumes a gait of pride.

5. Gait of Viṭa and Kañcukī

The gait of Viṭa-a lecherous person may be shown as coquettish and graceful at a distance of one tāla. In tune with the steps, one should show gestures of hand in kaṭakāvardhamanaka with equal charm.

The gait of Kañcuki–a chamberlain should be represented in accordance his age and other conditions. If he is not old, the actor should represent as it follows: the feet are to be kept raised at a height of half a tāla. It should like as if the body is carried forward by someone. The feet should appear slow, as if they are struck in mud. In the case of an old (Chamberlain) fellow, he should move about with shivering limbs performed by kampana movement and tottering steps performed by elakākrīḍitā cari leaning heavily on a long staff. The feet should be raised and put down in his slow movement. In the representation of a lean person, a slow movement and holding of a staff is necessary. His stomach should be empty and shown as emaciated through the movement of khalvam udara with hollow cheeks and tired eyes. Hands and legs should be raised slowly and his limbs should always tremble, suggesting extreme difficulty in gait.

6. Gait of low characters

Different gaits should be adopted in the case of low characters like ceṭa and others who are classified as adhamas. They have different characteristics, which are peculiar to them. In the gait of ceṭa, one of the limbs like the hip or side, head, hand or foot should be held in a lower position. Nata pārśva, añcita śiras, and udvāhita kaṭī can be performed here. Their look also should be furtive and extending to half the usual distance. The gait of śakara should be haughty and quick in strides. This can be done with elakākrīḍita and janitā cari. He should always be fondling the tips of his cloths and ornaments. He should move his limbs with an emotional fervor.

Persons of inferior type and low caste should move about cautiously looking around keeping away their limbs from the contact of other people by shrinking and contracting their body. Ābhugna uraḥ can be performed here. In the case of the members of the Mleccha tributes Pulindas and Śabaras, they should be made to adopt the movements befitting the customs and manners in their regions.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid.XII.26

[2]:

Ibid.XII.com.p.100

[3]:

Ibid.XII.4

[4]:

Ibid.XII.com.p.94

[5]:

Ibid.IV.80.

[6]:

Supra Chapter 2.4.3.1.

[7]:

Nāṭyaśāstra:XII.9,10

[8]:

Ibid.XII.12

[9]:

Ibid.XXII.368.

[10]:

Ibid.XII.com.p.96

[11]:

Ibid.XII.com.p.97

[12]:

Ibid.XII.15,16

[13]:

Ibid.XII.com.p.98

[14]:

Ibid.XII.79

[15]:

Ibid.XII.84

[16]:

Ibid.XII.86

[17]:

Ibid.XII.133

[18]:

Ibid.X.20.

[19]:

Ibid.XII.140.