Gati in Theory and Practice

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

This page relates ‘Reference to Natya, Nritta and Nritya Gati in Sanskrit dramas’ 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.

Reference to Nāṭya, Nṛtta and Nṛtya Gati in Sanskrit dramas

The three terms nāṭya, nṛtta and nṛtya were very prominently used in the subject of Sanskrit dramas. Kālidāsa is the author of the three famous dramas Mālavikāgnimitra, Vikramorvaśīya and Abhijñāna Śakuntala. During his time, nāṭya meant acting as well as dancing. He refers to nāṭya in various places through different characters in his work.

The divinity accredited to this art of nāṭya is reflected in this verse. He says that the sages consider this nāṭya as a beautiful offering to the gods and nāṭya has been divided in two different ways by Śiva in his body, which is blended with that of Umā, wherein the behavior of men arising from the three prime qualities and distinguished by various sentiments.

Nāṭya (scenic art, or dancing) is mostly the one chief amusement of the people of varied tastes.”

devānāmidamāmananti munayaḥ kāntaṃ kratuṃ cākṣuṣaṃrudreṇedamupākṛtavyatikare svāṅge vibhaktaṃdvidhā |
traiguṇyodbhavamatra lokacaritaṃ nānārasaṃ dṛśyate nāṭyaṃ bhinnarucerjanasya bahudhāpyekaṃ samārādhanam ||[1]

Lord Śiva, who has a passion for dancing and singing, in association with his consort Pārvatī represents two varieties of dance which is uddhata and sukumāra. Uddhata is the violent tāṇḍava of Śiva and sukumāra is the delicate lāsya of Pārvatī. Both these are combined in his own body which is in the form of Ardhanārīśvara.

Kāṭayavema in his commentary says, sages like Bharata, Mataṅga, and others refer nāṭya as a sacrifice to gods like Indra. This is considered because it is the essence of all the four Vedas.

He also quotes verses from the Nāṭyaśāstra, which says,

Nāṭya, is the fifth Veda which comprises of the essence of all scientific ideas and demonstrative of all arts and crafts besides embracing episodes.”

sarvaśāstrārthasampannaṃ sarvaśilyapravarttakam |
nāṭyākhyaṃ pañcamaṃ vedaṃ setihāsaṃ karomyaham ||[2]

Nāṭya entertains the people of varied tastes. This nāṭya, which starts with a worship to raṅga devatā, is a peaceful sacrifice devoid of animal killing and bloodshed. So it is equivalent to a yajña.[3] The performers, as well as the audience, attain the same position as a person who is well versed in the Vedas, who performs sacrifices, who offers charity and performing other dhārmic actions. The only difference between nāṭya and yajña is that the former is dṛṣṭaphala but the latter is adṛṣṭaphala.

Bharata says,

“The combination of song, instruments and dance is called prayoga.”[4]

Kālidāsa’s reverence to Bharata is known from this verse.

“The lord of the gods, with the guardians of the quarters, is desirous of seeing today the dramatic performance taught to you by the sage Bharata, which is the substratum of the eight sentiments, and wherein is charming acting.”

muninā bharatena yaḥ prayogo | bhavatīṣvaṣṭarasāśrayo niyuktaḥ ||
lalitābhinayaṃ tamadya bhartā | marutāṃ draṣṭumanāḥ salokapālaḥ ||[5]

In this drama, Kālidāsa refers to the art of dancing as taught by Bharata himself to the celestial damsels. The gods are eager to witness the play called ‘Lakṣmīsvayamvara’ which contains the eight rasas and which is to be gracefully enacted by Ūrvaśī and others in the heaven.

Kālidāsa refers to nāṭya as one that has practical application. He says,

“The science of nāṭya is known for its practical representation.”

prayogapradhānaṃ hi nāṭayaśāstram |[6]

Kālidāsa rightly points out that, abhinaya, which is the main element of nāṭya, is to be seen and judged when performed rather than questioning about it. This is how Kālidāsa conceives nāṭya in his works.

Kāṭayavema in his commentary adds, the practical representation is called abhinaya.

prayogo yastu nāṭyāderbhavedabhinayo hi saḥ |

Kālidāsa refers to a special kind of dance called calita, which is danced by Mālavikā.

deva catuṣpadodbhavaṃ calitaṃ duṣprayojyamudāharanti |[7]

Kāṭayavema in his commentary states,

“This is a kind of dance wherein the incident taken place earlier is exhibited by the dancer indicating her mind. Calita contains the four abhinayas and it is of jāti and svara comprising of śṛṅgāra and laya.”

tadevatacca(ccha)litaṃ nāma sākṣādyadabhinīyate |
vyapadiśya purāvṛttaṃ svābhiprāyaprakāśakam ||[8]

This dance is mainly of the śṛṃgāra rasa and is based on catuṣpada, a song consisting of four parts. This dance is considered the most difficult one to be enacted and what Mālavikā performs here is a catuṣpada calita. This calita has references in the uparūpakas as a dance.[9]

Bharata describes thus: catuṣpada is the dance, which begins with delicate movements and relates to the erotic sentiment and has been created by goddess Pārvatī. This should be performed by women, mostly in madhya laya.

A song with four vastus is a catuṣpada.

ekavastu dhruvā jñeyā dvivastu parigītikā |
trivastu madrakaṃ jñeyaṃ caturvastu catuṣpadā ||[10]

There are many references of dance performance in the prahasana. The Bhagavadajjukīya has two beautiful love songs rendered by the heroine who illustrates the lāsyāṅga called āsīnapāṭhya.[11] In the Dhūrtanartaka prahasana, the dance performance of Vasantavalli is described.

Bhāṇa is developed from the pantomime or the musical dance with lāsya is employed in it. The nartakī exhibits movements of the limbs. Abhinava classifies bhāṇikā as uddhāta, forceful. It is full of instrumental music.[12] As a dance it is vigorous, in contrast to the gentle or delicate manner of most of the dances.[13] This relates to tāṇḍava. Bhāṇa is uddhata when the plot is terrible, lalita when the plot is charming and lalithoddhata when the plot shows the element of both. This has the ten lāsyāṅgas and a little of kaiśikī style.[14] Gaits of animals are performed by the dancers.

During the madana festival, the maids sing a dvipadīkhaṇḍa song and dance a carcarī before the king who shows deep appreciation for it.[15] Udayana belonged to Dhīralalita type of hero who was skilled in arts.

In Mṛcchakaṭikā the heroine Vasantasena is referred to as a courtesan, pragalbhā nāyikā who is talented in fine arts. Her skill in dancing is known from the placing of her foot.[16] She is known as lāsika (dancer).[17] She has attained skill in the use of her voice by her acting (dancing) on the stage, by the training received in the arts and her cleverness in the art.[18]

Thus, the rūpaka and uparūpaka types of dramas are of nāṭya and nṛtya variety and there is ample scope for delineation of gati in these dramas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mālavikāgnimitra A-I. V-4

[2]:

Nāṭyaśāstra I. 15

[3]:

Ibid. I.124.

[4]:

Nāṭyaśāstra XXXII.378.

[5]:

Vik. A-II.V-18.

[6]:

Mālavikāgnimitra A-I.

[7]:

Ibid. A-I.

[8]:

Ibid. A.I. com.p.6.

[9]:

Mālavikāgnimitra A-I.

[10]:

Nāṭyaśāstra XXXII. 7.

[11]:

Bh.Ajj. V 28,29.

[12]:

Nāṭyaśāstra Vol I. com. p 166.

[13]:

Ibid.p 181.

[14]:

Sāhitya-darpaṇa VI.pp 333-335.

[15]:

Rat.I.16.

[16]:

Mric.I.17.

[17]:

Ibid I 23.

[18]:

Ibid I 42.

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