12.1. Nāndī (opening verse) in the Hanumannāṭaka

While discussing the dramatic elements of the Hanumannāṭaka, it is to be mentioned that unlike most of the Sanskrit plays, this dramatic work has a different set up. Hence, many an elements present in an ideal Sanskrit drama, are wanting in the Hanumannāṭaka However, some dramatic ingrediants have been incorporated in different form with unconventional name.

Nāndī is a technical term applied to the opening verse of Sanskrit plays. It is the verse which expresses the sense of benediction. Hence it may be called a ‘benedictory verse’. The word ‘Nāndī’ is derived from that root nand, meaning ‘to be pleased’ or ‘satisfied’. The derivative sense of the term may be explained as: ‘anything by which (one) is pleased.^[1] Bharatamuni mentions that Nāndī is a verse which bears eulogy of the Gods (deva), Brāhmaṇa (dvija) and king containing benedictions or blessings etc.^[2] Viśvanātha also accepts this definition and he adds that it is composed of eight segments or twelve of a sentence with the use of devotional words like śaṃkhā, candra etc.^[3] Nāndī is recited by the Sūtradhāra in his modulated tone.^[4] Nāndī is an integral part of what is known in dramaturgy as Purvaraṅga.^[5] Nāndī verse is suggestive of the theme.^[6] All these observations are accepted in the Nāṭyapradīpa (Nāṭyapradipa) also.^[7] Nāndī is of four types.These are–āśīh, patrāvalī, namaskṛtiḥ and māṅgalikī.^[8]

Śrī Dāmodara Miśra starts his Hanumannāṭaka with four Nāndī verses. In all the four Nāndī verses Rāma is prayed. These benedictory verses clearly aim at eulogizing Lord Rāma. In these verses it is said that Rāma is adept in helping and fulfilling everyone’s wishes. In the first Nāndī it is said that Rāma may give wealth to people.^[9] In the second Nāndī^[10] verse it is said that Rāma helps the people from the Rākṣasas. In the third Nāndī verse^[11] it is said that Rāma fulfills everyone’s wishes and in the last Nāndī verse^[12] it is said that the author prays Lord Rāma every day.

In Kalidasa’s Abhijñanaśakuntalam there exists only one Nāndī verse which is expressive of the main events of the play. However, in many plays viz. those of Śrīharṣa, Śudraka etc., there are found more than one Nāndī. It is to be stated that in all the four Nāndī verses in the Hanumannāṭaka, the dramatist makes the readers/ audience aware of the superiority of Lord Rāma’s personality in all aspects, thereby suggesting an indication of the final events of the play. However, it is to be mentioned that the dramatist has not used the word nāndī. Instead, departing from the customs of a conventional Sanskrit playwright, he begins the play with these four verses termed as Maṅgalācaraṇa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

nandati anayā iti nāndiḥ Śabdakalpadruma, Vol. I, p. 860

[2]:

aśirvacanasaṃyuktā nityang yasmātprayujyate devadvijanṛpādīnāng tasmānnāndīti saṃñjitā// Nāṭyśāstra, V. 24

[3]:

āśirvacanasaṃyuktā stutiryasmātprayujyate devadvijanṛpādīnāng tasmānnāndīti saṃñjitā/
māngalyasaṃkhacandrābjakokairava saṃsinī padairyuktā dvādaśabhiraṣṭābhirbā padairuta// Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI. 24, 25

[4]:

(a) sūtradhārapathennāndī madhyamang svaramāśritya ibid., VI
(b) sūtradhāra pathettatra madhyamang svaramāśritya Nāṭyśāstra, V. 104

[5]:

tatra pūrvang purvarangaḥ subhāpujā tataḥ paraṃ Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI. 21

[6]:

‘kāvyārthasūcakā nāndī śabdato’rthato vāpi’

[7]:

nandati kāvyāni kavindravargaḥ kuśilavāḥ parisadāśca santah tasmādalang sujjunasindhusaṃsi tasmādīyang sa kathateha nāndī Nāṭyapradipa

[8]:

namaskṛtirmāngalikī āśīh patrāvalī tathā nāndī caturdhā nirdiṣṭa nāṭakādiṣu dhimata Abhijñānaśakuntala-I, p.9

[9]:

kalyāṇānāṃ nidhānaṃ kalimalamathanaṃ pāvanaṃ pāvanānāṃ pātheyaṃ yanmumukṣoaḥ sapadi parapadaprāptaye prasthitasya/
viśramasthānamekaṃ kavivaravacasāṃ jīvanaṃ sajjanānāṃ vījaṃ dharmadrumasya prabhavatu bhavatāṃ bhutaye rāmanāma// Hanumannāṭaka, I. 1

[10]:

pātu śrīstanapatrabhaṅgamakarīmudrāṅkitoraḥsthalo devaḥ sarvajagatpatirmadhuvadhūvakrābjacandrodayaḥ/
krīḍākroḍatanornavenduviśade daṅstrāṅkure yasya bhūrbhātisma pralayābdhipalvalatalotkhātaikamustākṛtiḥ// ibid., I. 2

[11]:

yaṃ śaivāḥ samupāsate śiva iti brahmeti vedantino bauddhā buddha iti pramāṇapaṭavaḥ karteti naiyāyikāḥ/
arhannityatha jainaśāsanaratāḥ karmeti mīmāṃsakāḥ so’yaṃ vo vidadhātu vāñchitaphalaṃ trailokyanātho hariḥ// ibid., I.3

[12]:

taṃ rāmaṃ rāvaṇāriṃdaśarathatanayaṃ lakṣmaṇāgrajyaṃ guṇāḍhyaṃ pūjyaṃ prājyaṃ pratāpāvalayitajaladhiṃ sarvasaubhāgyasiddhim/
vidyānandaikakandaṃ kalimalapataladhvaṃsinaṃ saumyadevaṃ sarvātmānaṃ namāmi tribhuvanaśaraṇaṃ pratyahaṃ niskalaṅkam// ibid., I. 4