Gati in Theory and Practice

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

This page relates ‘Description of Gati as in Nrittaratnavali’ 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.

Description of Gati as in Nṛttaratnāvali

Jāyasenāpati, author of Nṛttaratnāvali deals with the lakṣaṇa of gati in a different manner. This is in the sixth chapter entitled—‘deśī pāṭha cārī lāsyāṅga lakṣaṇam’. He explains gati based on rhythmic patterns such as tāla and kāla.

In dance, the rhythmic patterns are of three kinds, druta, madhya and vilambita, slow, medium and fast tempos, respectively. All three exist in lengthy and short time measures. These are of śuddhagati and saṅkīrṇagati. If only one progression is sustained from the beginning through the end, then it is śuddha.

If it is combined with others then it is called saṅkīrṇa.

nartane gatayastisro drutamadhyavilaṃbitāḥ |
dīrghālpatālakāleṣu saṃbhavantyakhileṣvapi |
etāḥ śuddhāḥ punastāsāṃ saṃkīrṇāḥ saṃkarāt mithaḥ ||[1]

If the dancer takes two steps in his or her gait for one beat in the rhythmic cycle it is druta gati, if she takes one-step for one beat it is madhya gati and one-step for every two beats it is vilambita gati.

The three gatis are:

  1. druta,
  2. madhya,
  3. vilambita.

The three more progressions are:

  1. vilambita druta,
  2. madhya vilambita and
  3. druta madhya.

Other six progressions are:

  1. druta-druta,
  2. druta-vilambita,
  3. madhya-madhya,
  4. madhya-druta,
  5. vilambita-vilambita,
  6. vilambita madhya.

Finally, with one more progression it becomes nine:

  1. madhya-madhyādyanta,
  2. druta-drutādyanta,
  3. vilamba-vilambādyanta,
  4. drutamadhyama-vilambita,
  5. madhyadruta-vilambita,
  6. vilambadruta-madhyama,
  7. madhyavilambita-druta,
  8. vilambamadhya-druta and
  9. drutavilambita-madhya.

Thus, totally there are twentyone varieties.

The skilled dancer should perform for these rhythmic combinations in the prescribed rhythm, keeping the upper body-line erect. Āditāla, ekatāla, maṇṭhikā, and so on, are cyclic tālas. The couplets like pratitāladvitīya and nissāruka-tṛtīya are in concordance with a measure mutually.

Ekasara, dvisara and trisara, are the three progressions (gatis), which manifest in all the directions.

gatirekasarā'nyā tu dvisarā trisarā tataḥ |
tisrastu gatayo dikṣu saṃbhavanyakhilāsvapi ||[2]

If the step moves naturally in rhythm, it is ekasara. One foot is laid down, the other foot is rubbed on the floor by its side, and the former is moved ahead. When this is done on both sides consequently, it is dvisaragati. In the above, the former step is excuted thrice, the latter twice and proceeds as before, and then it is trisara.

The above progressions are executed forward, backward and in the six directions. When one foot is crossed and the other is released to move ahead then the progressions are svastika pūrvaka. Thus, the combination of cārīs, pāṭas and lāsyāṅgas are numerous in number.

Jāyana also adds some variety of deśī lasyāṅgas, which are like gaits. He says, the limbs are in consonance with the rhythm and they compete with each other in beauty during the gait, which is known as oyāraḥ. There is a similar gait called oyyāra naḍai in Bharatanāṭya. If the dancer presents elegant moves in the different fighting movements and in other dances, it is called aṃśagati. While dancing when the dancer performs the mnemonic notes in the instruments through the footwork it is called pādapāṭa. If nṛtta of mārga and deśī styles are performed in unison with the instruments and rhythm it is known as gatistha.

Jāyana says, “are not these gatis which are sportive movements, beautiful and pleasing, with sauṣṭava, eye movements, hand gestures and karaṇas most enjoyable?

salīlāḥ sauṣṭhavopetāḥ sollāsāḥ sākṣivibhramāḥ |
sahastakaraṇāḥ kasya gatayo na manoharāḥ ||[3]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Nṛttaratnāvalī VI. 171.

[2]:

Ibid.VI. 182.

[3]:

Ibid..VI. 188.

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