Knowledge of Nāṭyaśāstra in the Śiśupālavadha

Māgha is well versed in Nāṭyaśāstra. In Sanskrit literature nāṭya is the mimicry of actions of gods, sages, kings and house holders.

This is called Lokavṛtta. In this context Macdonel said—

“The words for actor (nata) and play (nātaka) are derived from the verb nat, the prakrit or vernacular form of the Sanskrit nṛt”, “to dance”. The name is familiar to English ears in the form of nautch. The Indian dancing the present day. The latter indeed probably represent the beginnings of the Indian drama”.^[1]

It is said in the first chapter of Nātyaśāstra about the origin of drama—

“jagrāha pāṭyamṛgvedāt sāmabhyogītameva ca |
yajurvedādabhinayān rasamātharvaṇādapi” || 1.17 ||^[2]

In the Vājasaneyī saṃhitā and the Taittirīya brāhmaṇa śailūṣa is used as a technical term in the Nātyaśāstra. In the Aṣṭādhyāyī of Pānini śilāli and kṛśāśva are mentioned (Paṇini, 4/3/110-111) Following dramaturgy (Nātyaśāstra) poet Māgha composed his epic.

He described the five sandhis of drama in the fortyforth verse of twentieth canto.

“daghatastanimānamānupūrcyā vabhurakṣiśravasomukhe viśālāḥ |
bharatajñākavipraṇīta kāvyagrathitāṅkā iva nāṭakaprapañcāḥ ||” 20.44 ||^[3]

In the Daśarūpaka (3/30) it is said about the characteristics of aṅka.

“pratyakṣaṇetṛcarito vindu vyāpti puraskṛtaḥ |
aṅko namānāprakārārtha sāṃvidhānarasāśrayaḥ ||” 3.30-31 ||^[4]

In this book (1/24) characteristics of sandhis are related:

mukhaṃ pratimukhe garbhaḥ sāvamarśopasaṃhṛtiḥ | 1.23 |^[5]

In the above mentioned verse of the Śiśupālavadha (20/44)

Mukhasandhi and other sandhis are discussed.

In the context of comparison between drama and sacrificial ceremony, the poet discussed about various aspects of the Nātyaśāstra in his epic. (14.50).

“svādayan rasamanekasaṃskṛta prākṛtairakṛtapatrasaṅkaraiḥ |
bhavaśuddhi sahitairmudaṃ jano nāṭakairiva vabhāra bhojanaiḥ ||”

To discuss various aspects of drama, poet Māgha said that Sanskrit and Prākṛt language would be used by actors and actress.

Use of four types of language are seen in Nātyaśāstra; (Nātyaśāstra, 17/25-26).

1. Atibhāṣā,
2. Āryabhāṣā,
3. Jātibhāṣā,
4. Jātyantarībhāṣā.

By the word bhāva (mood) Mallinātha meant permanent bhāva (mood). He quoted a verse about its characteristics.

“sajātīyairvijātīyairatiraskṛtamūrtimān |
yāvadrasaṃ vartamānaḥ sthayībhāva udāhṛtaḥ ||” (commemtary of the Śiśupālavadha 14/50)^[6]

Māgha has used the word purvaraṅga—

“bhavadgirāmavasarapradānāya vacāṃsi naḥ |
pūrvaraṅgaprasaṅgāya nāṭakīyasya vastunaḥ” || 2.8 ||^[7]

Pūrvaraṅga is called prastāvanā. It is said about pūrvaraṅga in the Sāhityadarpaṇa (sāhityadarpaṇa) |

“tatra pūrvaṃ pūrvaraṅgaḥ sabhāpujā tataḥ param |
kathanaṃ kavisaṃjñādernāṭakasyāpyathāmukham ||” 6.21 ||^[8]

Poet Māgha mentioned the actor and actress of drama as śailūṣa.

This is found in the sixtyninth verse of the first canto.

“athopapattiṃ chalanāparo'parāmavāpya śailūṣa ivaiṣa bhūmikāma |
tirohitakātmā śiśupālasaṃjhayā pratīyate samprati so'pyasaḥ paraiḥ ||” 1.69 ||^[9]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A. A, Macdonel: A History of Sanskrit literature, p. 292.

[2]:

Suresh Chandra Bandyopadhaya: Nātyaśāstra, p. 3.

[3]:

Haridasa Siddhantavagisha: Op.cit., p. 853.

[4]:

Sitanath Acharya & Debkumar Das: Daśarūpaka, p. 282.

[5]:

ibid., p.37.

[6]:

Haridasa Siddhantavagisha: Op.cit., p. 575.

[7]:

ibid., p.49.

[8]:

Bimalakanta Mukhopadhaya: Op.cit., p. 336.

[9]:

Haridasa Siddhantavagisha: Op.cit., p.40.