Gati in Theory and Practice

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

This page relates ‘Gati used for the delineation of Bhava and Rasa’ 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.

Gati used for the delineation of Bhāva and Rasa

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-) yena ruṣṭena paśyāmi śatākīrṇamivāgrataḥ |
tataḥ praviśati dhanurbāṇapāṇirlakṣmaṇaḥ |^[1]

Gait of Lakṣmaṇa in anger is described by Rāma who tells that Lakṣmaṇa is coming in fury mutipled into hundred forms. Then Lakṣmaṇa enters with bow and arrow. His knitting eyebrows (bhrukuṭī) are explained as that which will burn the three worlds.

Here his gait should be in pārśvakrāntam karaṇa, which is performed for raudra gati along with facial expression with kruddha dṛṣṭi^[2] and bhrukuṭī is used in krodha.

krodhasthaneṣu dīpteṣu yojayet bhrukuṭī budhaḥ |^[3]

-) patatyuthāya cottthāya hā hetyuccairlapan muhuḥ |
diśaṃ paśyati tāmeva yayā yāto raghūdvahaḥ |^[4]

Gait of Daśaratha in śokha is described here.

“He gets up with effort but falls down helpless, starts crying loud often, all the time gazing at the direction by which Raghu had passed”

The gait in karuṇa can be with limbs suggesting extreme fatigue and weeping loudly.

bāṣpāmburuddhanayanaḥ sannagātrastathaiva ca |^[5]

-) kamapyarthaṃ ciraṃ dhyātvā vaktuṃ prasphuritādharāḥ |
bāṣpastambhitakaṇṭhatvādanuktvaiva vanaṃ gatāḥ ||^[6]

Gait of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā going to forest is described by Sumantra to Daśaratha. They are stuck in their gait collecting their thoughts to speak with trembling lips, throat choked with tears but without speaking anything they enter the woods. On hearing this king falls into a deep swoon. All the sāttvika bhāvas such as kampa, stambha, svarasāda, aśru, are perfomed here and Daśaratha should perform the act of pralaya the last sāttvika bhāva that means fainting. Bharata says sorrow should be represented change of voice, trembling lips, falling on the ground, and so on.^[7]

In the gait if karuṇa rasa one should walk adyarthikācārī.

gacchettathādhyardhikayā pratyagrāpriyasaṃśraye |^[8]

Which denotes a move of the legs backwards, i.e. which gives a picture of śoka due to which they are not able to walk forward.

savyasya pṛṣṭatovāścaraṇastu yadā bhavet |
tasyāpasarpaṇaṃ caiva jñeyā sādhyardhikābudhaiḥ ||^[9]

-) kiñcid gatvāvalokya.... praviśyāvalokya...^[10]

Gait of Bharata on seeing the pratīmā (statues) is to be performed here. Bharata enters the hall, takes a few steps and looks around in wonder.

The gait in wonder can be the leg thrown out in flourish.

vismaye caiva harṣe ca vikṣiptapadavikramā |^[11]

Abhinava says añcita karaṇa can be performed for the vākyārtha of wonder.

etasya... atiśayakautukapradhāna vākyārthe prayogaḥ |^[12]

-) ubhau niyuddhaṃ kurutaḥ |^[13]

Fight between Vālī and Sugrīva in anger is depicted here. Vālī rushing forth should be in fast tempo. (drutamupagamya) Both start fighting with their fists.

Rama says:

“Biting his lower lip his eyes bloodshot in fierce, with tight fists and teeth raised Vālī starts fighting.”

sandaṣṭoṣṭhaścaṇḍasaṃrakta netro

Here the anger is shown through facial expression.

Bharata says sandaṣṭaka action of lips and chin should be used in krodha.

sandaṣṭaṃ krodha karmasu |^[14]

The fighting with fists can be performed with pārśvajānu karaṇa.

ekaḥ samasthitaḥ pāda ūrupṛṣṭhe sthito'paraḥ |
muṣṭi hastaśca vakṣaḥ sthaḥ pārśvajānu taducyate ||^[15]

Rāma releases the arrow on Vālī and here pratyālīḍha and ālīḍha can be performed.

-) samāpatitasantāpaḥ prayāmi śithilakramaḥ |^[16]

Gait of Aṅgada in śoka (viṣāda) after hearing the news of Vālī’ s death is described as walking with tottering steps and falling down.

Bharata describes the gait as

vighūrṇitaśarīrā ca gatiścūrṇapadairatha |^[17]

-) tvaritamabhipatatyasau saroṣo |^[18]

Rāvaṇa enters in anger after seeing the forest destroyed by Hanuman, with fierce eyes, rushing forth in terrific rage. Here his gait should be in drutalaya along with mukhaja abhinaya.

-) kiṃ tvaṃ bhayena parivartitasaukumāryā nṛttepadeśaviśadau caraṇau kṣipantī udvignacañcalakaṭākṣaniviṣṭadṛṣṭiḥ... ||^[19]

You are graceful charm in fear your steps tripping though trained in the art of dancing why run like a gazelle chased by a tiger with frightened tremulous glances sideways. Here she can perform the bhaya gati with bhaya dṛṣṭi. The eḍakākrīḍita cārī can be performed for the faltering gait.

-) sāsūyyūyyam |^[20]

Queen Iravati, who stands in a hidden place, sees the king approaching Mālavikā and speaking to her. This creates envy in her. Then she suddenly approaches and starts finding fault with the king and finally walks out in anger.

Here the vyabhicāribhāva is asūyā (jealousy).

Bharata says,

“The transitory feeling called jealousy is generated by the vibhāvas such as offences, hatred, and the like, and it should be represented by the anubhāvas such as finding fault, showing disrespect, condemning, staring with envious looks, eyebrows suggesting ferocity, and so on.”

parasaubhāgayeśvaratāmedālīlāsamucchrayan dṛṣṭvā |
utpadyate hyasūyā kṛtāparādho bhavedyaśca ||
bhrukuṭīkuṭilotkaṭamukhaiḥ serṣyākrodhaparivṛttanetraiśca |
guṇanāśanavidveṣaistatrābhinayaḥ prayoktavyaḥ ||^[21]

This can be depicted through kuñcita and kruddhadṛṣṭi.

“The eyelashes, the eyelids and pupil of the eyes are contracted in this mode of glance called kuñcita.”

ānikuñcitapakṣmāgrā puṭairākuñcitaistathā |
sannikuñcitatārā ca kuñcitā dṛṣṭiriṣyate ||^[22]

“Kruddha, the angry glance is characterized by harsh and protruding eyelids, bulging pupils, bent and crooked brows.”

rūkṣā sthirodvṛttapuṭā niṣṭabdhodvṛttatārakā |
kuṭilabhrukuṭī dṛṣṭiḥ kru ddhā krodhe vidhīyate ||^[23]

“Knitting of the eyebrows should be done by the action called bhrukuṭi where both the brows are brought to the center of the forehead.”

bhruvormūlasamutkṣepāt bhrukuṭī parikīrtitā |^[24]

-) bhrūbhaṅgabhinnatilakaṃ sphuritādharoṣṭhaṃsāsūyamānanamitaḥ parivartayantyā |
kāntaparādhakupiteṣvanayā vinetuḥ saṃdarśiteva lalitābhinayasya śikṣā ||^[25]

“By her jealously turning away from the direction, her face, the frontal mark on which is furrowed by the knitting of the eye-brows and the lower lip of which is throbbing, was exhibited, as it were, the instruction received from her preceptor in graceful acting when under fits of anger at the fault of a lover.”

Here the vyabhicāri bhāva enacted is asūya (jealousy).^[26] This bhāva can be depicted through kuñcita and kruddha dṛṣṭi.^[27] Throbbing of lips can be depicted by kampana movement.^[28] Knitting of the eyebrows should be performed by bhrukuṭi.^[29] Her face is turned away in a movement known as vinivṛtta.

This action is employed in jealousy, anger, and the like.

vinivṛttamasūyāyāmīîryākopakṛteṣu ca ||^[30]

Here the stance of Mālavikā can be āyata.^[31]

-) iti savrīḍavadanā'ñjaliṃ karoti |^[32]

“She folds her hands in supplication, her face full of shy.”

The commentator says that vrīḍā can be taken as shyness. Here vrīḍā can also be considered as a vyabhicāribhāva as Bharata says,

“Doing what should not have been done is the basis of the feeling called shame.”

kiñcidakāryaṃ kurvan yo hi naro dṛśyate śucibhiranyaiḥ |
paścāttapena yuto vrīḍi ta iti veditavyo'sau ||^[33]

Kālidāsa says Mālavikā depicts añjalihasta. She also feels bad for showing jealousy towards the picture of the king. Here the karaṇa called līna can be performed.

Abhinavagupta recommends this karaṇa for depicting the vākyārtha abhinaya of ‘priyaprārthanā’.

“Placing both the hands on the chest in the pose called patāka. Holding the neck high and bending the shoulder a little is the karaṇa called līna.”

patākāñjalivakṣaḥsthaṃ prasāritaśirodharam |
pikuñcitāṃsakūṭaṃ ca tallīnaṃ karaṇaṃ smṛtam ||^[34]

Patāka is a single hand gesture. Añjali is a combined hand gesture where two patāka hands join.^[35]

-) rājñaḥ pūjāmabhinīya prāñjaliḥ praṇipatya |^[36]

“Gesticulates worshipping the king and bows with folded hands.”

Here she should perform the karaṇa called līna.^[37] Abhinavagupta notes that this karaṇa can be performed in prostrating to persons.

-) tataḥpraviśati rathārūḍho rājā sūtaśca citralekhāvalambitā bhayanimīlitākṣī corvaśī |^[38]

Ūrvaśī and Citralekha are rescued from the demon Keśin by the king Purūravas. Ūrvaśī, her eyes closed in terror is supported by her friend. She has not regained consciousness. Representation of the state of bhaya is defined by Bharata in many aspects. He says the feeling of bhaya (fear) is generally applicable to ladies and people of low type. Generally, he advises wide-open and tremulous eyes for fear, but also closed eyes in case of trāsa. Sañcāribhāva called trāsa (alarm) is produced by hearing terrible sound, and the like. It should be represented by closing of the eyes.”

-) iti kopaṃ nāṭayitvā prasthitā |^[39]

‘Gesticulating anger, she starts to go’. Here the queen is angry with the king, as she comes to know about the love affair with Ūrvaśī.

Bharata says, anger is of five types, one among them is originated due to love.

“Anger is earned by determinants like insult, dispute, and the like, and are to be represented by swelling of the nostrils, rolling of the eyes, biting of lips and throbbing of the cheeks.”

krodho nāma ādharṣaṇākru ṣṭakalahavivādapratikūlādibhirvibhāvaiḥ samutpadyate |
asya vikṛṣṭanāsāpuṭodvūttanayanasandaṣṭo'ṣṭhapuṭagaṇḍasphuraṇādibhiranubhāvaiḥ abhinayaḥ prayoktavyaḥ ||
ripujo gurujaścaiva praṇayaprabhavastathā |
bhṛtyajaḥ kṛtakaścaiva krodhaḥ pañcavidhaḥ smṛtaḥ ||^[40]

The bhāvadṛṣṭi called kruddha and rasadṛṣṭi called raudri, actions of eyebrows called utkṣepa and bhrukuṭi, actions of eyelids known as unmeṣa, nimeṣa and vivartita, actions of nose such as vikṛṣṭa (blown nasal lobes), sandaṣṭaka (biting of lips) and kampana (shaking) of cheeks are to be depicted in representation of krodha. So, here all the upāṅgas of the face are to be activated to bring out anger. After performing these facial actions the queen starts to move.

-) tiṣṭhetkopavaśātprabhāvapihitā dīrghaṃ na sā kupyati ||^[41]

Again the king is separated from Ūrvaśī and he roams about in search of her. Here the causes for separation are thought by the king. He did not know that she has been transformed into a creeper. He looks on all directions and sighs. In the course of his search, he passes through the garden. The beauty of various natural surroundings in the garden such as clouds, peacock, cuckoo, trees, lake, and swan are described, but they all become the cause for vipralambha śṛṅgāra of the king. Here many vyabhicāri bhāvas, such as nirveda, śaṅkhā, dainya, cintā, smṛti, viṣāda, autsukya, unmāda, vitarka, etc. are brought in. Finally, when he embraces a creeper, which transforms as Ūrvaśī, harṣa occurs. Both the vipralambha and sambhoga śṛṅgāra happens in this act.

All these vyabhicāribhāvas strengthen the sthāyibhāva called rati to bring out the rasa of śṛṅgāra. For this karaṇas like krānta, atikrānta, diksvastika, mattalli, ardhamattalli, skhalita, madaskhalita, sarpita, sambrānta, etc. can be used by the king to roam about in the garden with various thoughts brought out through facial expressions in search of Ūrvaśī. Then he can depict the gati of haṃsa, peacock, etc. to show the animals. Finally, svastikarecita can be performed for harṣa to show the happiness in union with Ūrvaśī.^[42]

-) grīvābhaṅgābhirāmaṃ muhuranupatati syandane dattadṛṣṭi ||^[43]

“Flinging a glance ever as anon at the pursuing chariot in a way graceful on account of the bending of his neck, having with the major portion of his hinder part entered the fore part of his body through the fear of the descent of an arrow and strewing his path with half-chewed darbha grass dropping from his mouth gapping through exhaustion, behold how he, on account of his lofty bounding, traverses more through the sky, and less on the ground.”

Kālidāsa describes in this verse the frightened gait of the deer when it is chased by Duṣyanta riding on the chariot. Here the deer looks back and forth at the chariot and the path, turning its neck. Major portion of its hinder part entering the fore part the deer is gasping due to fear and so traverses more through the sky and less through the ground.

Rāghavabhaṭṭa in his commentary says in this gait of deer, bhaya is the sthāyibhāva, deer looking at the chasing Duṣyanta is ālambanavibhāva, and shooting of arrows is uddhīpanavibhāva. Anubhāvas are bending of neck, dropping of grass from the mouth, dryness of lips and change of colour due to fright, contracting of limbs, and so on. Here the vyabhicāribhāvas are trāsa, śrama, śaṃkhā and āvega. Kampa is the sāttvikabhāva felt here. These bhāvas are combined together to bring out the bhayānakarasa.

The gait in the sentiment of bhayānaka as explained by Bharata is as follows; women and the people of lower caste, when they are frightened, their eyes become wide open and tremulous and they have furtive looks on both sides. They move around with unstable and jumping steps, their body starts quivering and their lips dry.

While this is presented on stage, a person has to take up the role of the deer. Here the actor can jump with hariṇaplutākaraṇa in which the feet is extended and then contracted.^[44] This makes the actor move in a faster pace, just as the frightened deer. Here the head should move in parāvṛtta along with the neck turning in vivṛtta looking back and forth with kampana of the body and prakampita uraḥ, which denotes gasping. Sāttvikabhāvas such as dryness of lips, change of colour of face and trembling of limbs should be felt and enacted. All these together would bring out the gait of frightened deer. Though Bharata has not mentioned any specific gait for the fright of animals, in general extended foot for moving quickly and trembling of the body goes with the gait of fear. Thus, the frightened gait of the deer can be enacted.

-) tataḥpraviśatyakāśayānena sānumatī nāmāpsarāḥ |
iti nāṭyenāvatīrya sthitāityud्bhrāntakena niṣkrāntā |^[45]

“Then enter by the heavenly path a nymph, Sānumati.”

Here her gait will be in vṛścikakaraṇa.

bāhuśīrṣāñcitau hastau pādaḥ pṛṣṭhāñcitastathā |
dūrasannapṛṣṭhaṃ ca vṛścikaṃ tat prakīrtitam ||^[46]

“Gesticulates descent.”

This can be depicted by latāvṛścika karaṇa.

“Exit with a jump in the sky.”

Jump in sky can be depicted beautifully by the vidyutbhrānta karaṇa.

pṛṣṭhato valitaṃ pādaṃ śirodhṛṣṭaṃ prasārayet |
sarvato maṇḍalāviddhaṃ vidyudbhrāntaṃ taducyate ||^[47]

-) iti bhramarabādhāṃ rūpayati |^[48]

“Gesticulates annoyance from a bee.”

Śakuntalā is frightened on seeing the bee, which springs out from a creeper due to the sprinkling of water. Rāghavabhaṭṭa, says,

“This can be enacted by performing the head movement called vidhuta, the throbbing lip movement, out turned patākahasta shivering in front of the face.”

Vidhuta is a movement of the head used for bhaya.

śītaṃgraste bhayārte ca trāsite jvarite tathā |
pītamātre tatā madye vidhutaṃ ca bhavecchiraḥ ||^[49]

Kampana is the throbbing of the lips.

vikūrṇitaṃ vivartastu vepanaṃ kampanaṃ smṛtam |^[50]

Patāka is the abhinaya hasta which can be used here.

calāpāṅgāṃ dṛṣṭiṃ spṛśasi bahuśo vepathumatīrahasyākhyāyīva svanasi mṛdu karṇāntikacaraḥ |
karau vyādhunvatyaḥpibasi ratisarvasvamadharaṃvayaṃ tattvānveṣānmadhukara hatāstvaṃ khalu kṛtī ||^[51]

Śakuntala’s movements are described here. The coquettish movements of the eyes can be due to love or fear. Now he feels a bit jealous. She tries to drive away the bee. This is described beautifully by the word ‘karauvyādhunvatyaḥ’. Rāghavabhaṭṭa comments that there is a reference in Kāmaśāstra in the context of kissing which says ‘karaudhunānānavapallavākṛti’.

So here the use of pallava nṛttahasta can be made use off.

“When two patākahastas are turned and crossed in the wrist it is pallavahasta.”^[52]

Duṣyanta while expressing his feelings in this verse says Śakuntalā moves her eyes tremulously due to fear and her body also trembles and in spite of waving her hands, the bee is trying to drink her lips. The actions of Śakuntalā will be trāsa dṛṣṭi, her eyes move in vilokita position and kampana of ūru.

Vepathu is the sāttvikabhāva to be experienced when the sthāyibhāva is fear.

“Moving a step and glancing.”

padāntare sthitvā | sadṛṣṭikṣepam |^[53]

Frightened by the sight of the bee she moves around with faltering steps.

This is advised by Bharata for the frightened gait and it should be performed with bhayānvitadṛṣṭi.

visphāritobhayapuṭā bhayakampita tārakā |
niṣkrāntamadhyā dṛṣṭistu bhayabhāve bhayānvitā ||^[54]

Looking on to the trouble created by the bee, Duṣyanta comes near Śakuntalā. He addresses Śakuntalā as a mugdhā, innocent girl. This shows that she is even more frightened as she is young, timid and innocent.

Along with the action of upāṅga and hasta, gati should be performed. Frightened by the sight of the bee she starts moving around. This can be performed by edakākrīḍita cārī with faltering steps as it is advised by Bharata for the frightened gait and vicyavā cāri. Looking on to the trouble created by the bee Duṣyanta comes near Śakuntalā. Duṣyanta who drives away the bee can take the ākṣipta cārī and move around in bhramarī karaṇa.

Here this movement can be beautifully performed by a karaṇa called bhramaraka.

ākṣiptaḥ svastikaḥ pādaḥ karau codveṣṭitau tathā |
trikasya valanāccaiva jñeyaṃ bhramarakaṃ tu tat ||^[55]

Hands used in this karaṇa are udveṣṭita hasta karaṇa,^[56] that have out-turned fingers with palm moving out of the body, so here his hands represent driving the bee.

The head should be rotated on all sides in search of bee in lolita śiras.

sarvato bhramaṇāccaiva śiraḥ syāt parilolitam |^[57]

The actor himself has to show the bee also, so here the bhramarī karaṇa that has quick whirling movements will be apt.

On seeing the king, all appear little agitated. sarvā rājānaṃ dṛṣṭvā kiṃ cidiva saṃbhrāntāḥ |^[58] Here the vyabhicāribhāva dṛṣṭi called vibhrānta should be used. In this glance the pupils are constantly on the move looking in different directions in a confused and agitated manner.

The eyes are fully blown and the pupils bulge out in the course of the glance.

anavasthitatārā ca vibhrāntākuladarśanā |
vistīrṇotphullamadhyā ca vibhrāntā dṛṣṭirucyate ||^[59]

On the sudden appearance of the king, Śakuntalā and her friends are agitated and dumb struck. Here, brānta and stambha are two vyabhicāribhāvas. Thus, the state of bhayānaka can be visualized in Śakuntalā’s action.

Duṣyanta approaches hastily.

satvaramupasṛtya |^[60]

Here the looks of the king can be in dṛptā as Bharata refers this glance as a courageous look with wide-open eyes and starring pupils for the mood of utsāha.^[61] Here the gait of the king can be sambrānta cārī, in which one can move in haste.

Abhinavagupta says this cārī should be used for the gait of moving around in haste.

saṃbhramaparikrama viṣayametat |

-) utpakṣmaṇornayanayoruparuddhavṛttiṃbāṣpaṃ kuru sthiratayā viratānubandham |
asminnalakṣitanatonnatabhūmibhāge mārge padāni khalu te viṣamībhavanti ||^[62]

Śakuntalā’s faltering gait and continuous tears in her eyes are the anubhāvas. The sthāyibhāvadṛṣṭi called dīna should be used here.

Bharata says,

“In this glance the upper lid of the eyes hang down, the pupil swimming in tears, move about gently suggesting the mood of śoka.”

For this the movement of the pupil will be pāta, letting it down, and the action of the eyelid will be nimeṣa or pihita, closing or concealing.^[63] The gait will be faltering and slow according to the mood of śoka.