Gati in Theory and Practice

by Dr. Sujatha Mohan | 2015 | 88,445 words

This page relates ‘Relevant Sthanas and Nyayas related to perform the Gati’ of the study on the Theory and Practice of Gati (“gait”) which refers to the “movement of a character on the stage”, commonly employed (as a Sanskrit technical term) in ancient Indian Theatrics and the Dramatic arts, also known as Natya-shastra. This thesis explores the history and evolution of Gati and also investigates how the various Gatis are employed in regional performance traditions.

Relevant Sthānas and Nyāyas related to perform the Gati

The basic beauty of the body is maintained through these positions that give raise to the movements. The rekha or the bodyline and aṅgaśuddha is to be maintained through these elements. As the stances give rise to the movements they should be properly maintained.

1. Sauṣṭhava

Those performing the exercises in aṅgahāras should take care of the sauṣṭhava, for the limbs without sauṣṭhava does not create beauty in drama or dance. The sauṣṭhava of limbs is to be presented by being still, unbent, at ease, neither upright nor much bent. When the waist and the ears as well as the elbow, the shoulder and their head are in their natural position and the chest is raised it will be the sauṣṭhava of the body. This gives beauty to the stance as well as to the movement.[1]

2. Caturaśra

Assuming the vaiṣṇava sthāna with one hand on the waist and another on the navel together with the chest raised, is called the caturaśra of the body.

kaṭīnābhicarau hastau vakṣaścaiva samunnatam |
vaiṣṇavaṃ sthanamityaṅgaṃ caturaśramudāhṛtam ||

3. Sthāna

Sthānas are postures of the body from which the gait or movements begin. The six sthānas for men are vaiṣṇava, samapāda, vaiśākha, maṇḍala, ālīḍha and prayālīḍha. They are to be used in the release of missiles. The sthānas or stances are the starting position for the cārīs, karaṇas and gatis. Therefore, the actor should possess the perfect sthāna before he starts his move.

3.1. Vaiṣṇava

In this sthāna the feet is two and a half tālas apart, one foot in the natural posture and another obliquely placed with toes pointing sideways and the shank bent and limbs with the sauṣṭhava. Viṣṇu is the presiding deity of this sthāna and his movement on Garuda can be understood here. The persons of the superior and the middling types should carry on their natural conversation in connection with the various duties standing in this sthāna. It should also be assumed in throwing a disc, holding a bow, moving majestically and showing anger. On being reversed, it is to be used in rebuke, love, distress, apprehension, envy, cruelty, assurance, and recollecting.

It is to be assumed when the erotic, the marvellous, the odious and the heroic sentiments are prominently introduced.

śṛṅgārādbhutabībhatsavīraprādhānyayojitaṃ |[2]

3.2. Samapāda

Braḥma is the presiding deity of this sthāna where the feet is in the natural posture, kept one tāla apart and the body with sauṣṭhava.

It should be assumed in accepting blessings, in depicting the birds, persons moving in the sky, chariot and the aerial car, devotees and persons practicing vows.

svasthanāṃ syandanasthanāṃ vimānasthayināmapi |[3]

3.3. Vaiśākha

In this sthāna the two feet three and a half tālas apart, the thighs without motion and the two feet to be obliquely placed pointing sideways. As Skanda is the presiding deity, his posture on the peacock can be identified with this sthāna. This sthāna is to be assumed in riding horses, and in exercise, exit from any place, portraying large birds, and practice of bending the bow and in the pāda recakas. This is the beginning stance for the gait in puṣpāñjali and pūrvaraṅga.[4]

3.4. Maṇḍala

In this sthāna the feet are four tālas apart and they are obliquely placed and turned sideways, the waist and the knees are in the natural position. Its presiding deity is Indra who rides the Iravata. The maṇḍala sthāna should be assumed in the use of weapons like the bow and the thunder bolt, riding of elephants, and large birds.

3.5. Prayālīḍha

When the right foot is bent and the left foot is put forward in the ālīḍha sthāna, the prayālīḍha sthāna will be produced. The missiles made ready for throwing from the ālīḍha sthāna are to be actually thrown from the prayālīḍha sthāna. The actor should use various weapons from this sthāna.

3.6. Ālīḍha

The right foot in the maṇḍala sthāna drawn five tālas apart from the other foot will make the ālīḍha sthāna. Rudra is its presiding deity. This sthāna should be assumed in all acts relating to the heroic and the furious sentiments, duel of wrestlers and in the representation of enemies, an attack on them, and release of missiles.

4. Nyāyas

Nyāyas are the different ways of releasing the missiles. They are of four types and in the bhārata nyāya the weapon should strike at the waist, in the sāttvata at the foot, in the vārṣagaṇya at the breast and in the kaiśika at the head. In these nyāyas, arising out of the various cāris, the actors should move about on the stage while using weapons.

The nyāyas are so called because fights on the stage are niyante—carried out with the aṅgahāras relating to the nyāyas and arising out of them.

ebhiḥ prayoktṛbhirnyāyairnānācārisamutthitaiḥ ||
pravicārāḥ prayoktavyā nānāśastravimokṣaṇe |
nyāyāśritairaṅgahārairnyāyāccaiva samutthitaiḥ ||
yasmādyuddhāni vartante tasminyāyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ |[5]

With these graceful movements of the limbs, weapons like the bow, the thunderbolt and sword are to be performed by the use of gestures and postures along with rhythm and tempo.

aṅgasauṣṭavasampannairaṅgahārairvibhūṣitam |
vyāyāmaṃ kārayet samyag layatālasamanvitam |[6]

All these can be performed with beautiful karavartanas and maṇḍalas.

5. Stances in gaits for women

Women have to assume certain stances in their movements like walking and in conversations. There are three such stances, for women are āyata, avahittha and aśvakrānta.[7]

5.1. Āyata

A natural stance with the palm of the left foot fully embedded on the ground. The other foot is placed at distance of one tāla in the tryaśra pose pressing with the big toe and raising the heel. The face should be pleasant and the breast should be in a level position. One hand hangs down at ease while the other is placed on the waist. This should be adopted by women in the preliminaries of a performance, offering of flowers, in anger due to love and envy, in warning others with movements of the index finger, in prohibition, in arrogance, in silence due to profundity, in surveying the horizon and during the first appearance on the stage for puṣpāñjali.

5.2. Avahittha

A foot is bent at the knee as a triangle and moved forward. The other foot in the sama posture is moved backwards at a distance of one tāla and placed there. The back of the hip is raised a little. One hand is suspended freely while the other is placed on the waist. Such a posture is called by the experts as avahittha. This is used in the amorous dalliances like vilāsa (sportiveness), līla (dalliance) and bimboka (indifferent through pride) and in the sentiment of sṛṅgara. It is also used in gazing at the road (in expectation of the arrival of the husband etc.).

5.3. Aśvakrānta

In Aśvakrānta one foot is kept raised in the sūcī position and the other is made to rest on its forepart. This is employed in the faltering of steps, whirling, holding on to the loincloth, which has slipped, plucking of a bunch of flowers, supporting oneself from falling down, threatening, and hanging on to the bough of a tree. The performer should assign these functions to the ladies who are to make use of this stance.

A stance has existence only up to the beginning of the action or a cārī. This is the rule applicable to men and women in regard to the stance. Bharata refers these gaits of men and says what has been not mentioned by him may be understood from the practice of the world. Thus, in many such instances Bharata makes such comments. This proves that the action of the loka—the lakṣya, is brought in the lakṣana grantha—the text.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid.X.91,92.

[2]:

Ibid.XI.58.

[3]:

Ibid.XI.60.

[4]:

Infra.2.3.2.

[5]:

Nāṭyaśāstra X.74,75.

[6]:

Ibid.88.

[7]:

Ibid.XII.160.

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