Hanuman Nataka (critical study)
by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words
This page relates ‘Prastavana (prologue) in the Hanumannataka’ of the English study on the Hanuman-nataka written by Shri Damodara Mishra in the 11th century. The Hanumannataka is a Mahanataka—a fourteen-act Sanskrit drama dealing with the story of Rama and Hanumat (Hanuman) and presents the events in the lifes of Rama, Sita, Ravana and Hanuman (the son of Anjana and Vayu—the God of the Winds) based on the Ramayana story.
12.2. Prastāvanā (prologue) in the Hanumannāṭaka
Prastāvanā is a dramatic component which is set at prior to the main story of a Sanskrit play. Hence Prastāvanā is named as Āmukha also. In the Nāṭyśāstra, Bharatamuni mentions that Sūtradhāra and Naṭī begin the drama through their own works, their own speech and by some witty statements and activities.[1] Viśvanātha Kavirāja also accepts this. According to him Naṭī, Vidūṣaka, Sūtradhāra and his followers (pāripārśvika) also can be present in the Prastāvanā.[2]
Prastāvanā is divided into five types, viz., udghātyaka, kathodghāta, prayogātiśaya, pravartaka and avalagita. This classification is done by both Viśvanātha[3] and Bharatamuni.[4]
But there is found no Prastāvanā in the Hanumannāṭaka of Śri Dāmodara Miśra. However, with three verses[5] termed collectively as “upakrama”, the dramatist has informed the background of the dramatic theme and indicates the entry of the characters.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
citrairvākyaiḥ svakārydthairvīrthyangairnyathāpi vā āmukhang tattu vijñeyang budhaih prastāvanāpi sā Nāṭyśāstra, XX. 31
[2]:
[3]:
uddhātyakaḥ kathoddhātaḥ prayogātiśayastathā /
pravartakāvalagite pañca prastāvanābhidāḥ // Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI. 33
[4]:
uddhātyakaḥ kathoddhātaḥ prayogātiśayastathā /
pravartakāvalagite pañcagānyamukhasya tu // Nāṭyśāstra, XX. 33
[5]:
(a) āsīdudbhaṭabhūpatipratibhatapronmāthivikrāntiko bhūpaḥ paṅktiratho vibhāvasukulaprakhyātaketurbalī/
urvībarbarbhuribhāraharaṇe bhūriśravāḥ putratāṃ yasyāra svamatho vidhāya mahitaḥ pūrṇaścaturdhā vibhuḥ// Hanumannāṭaka,I.5
(b) teṣāmīśvaratāguṇaihśca januṣā jyāyānabhūdrāghavo rāmaḥ so’pyatha kauśikena muninā rakṣobhayādyācitaḥ/
rājānaṃ sayaśodhano narapatiḥ prādātsutaṃ duḥkhita-stasmai so’pi tamanvagādanugataḥ saumitriṇoccairmudā// ibid., I.6
(c) sundastrīdamanapramodamuditādāsthāya vidyodayaṃ rāmaḥ satyavatisutādatha gatastasyaśramaṃ līlayā/
klṛpte kauśikanandanena ca makhe tatrāgatān rākṣasān hatvā’mūmucadāśu bhāvividasau mārīcamugrākṛtim// ibid., I.7