Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)

by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words

This page relates ‘Characteristic Features of Sanskrit Drama’ of the study on the elements of Art and Architecture according to the Vishnudharmottara Purana: an ancient text whose third book deals with various artisan themes such as Architecture, Painting, Dance, Grammar, etc. Many chapters are devoted to Hindu Temple architecture and the iconography of Deities and their installation rites and ceremonies.

1.2. Characteristic Features of Sanskrit Drama

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Sanskrit dramas are distinguished from other drama in some prominent directions. These are noted in different books of Rhetorics. In this context the third part of the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa gives a brief but effective discussion. The characteristic features of Sanskrit drama as revealed in the third part of the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa are taken up here for discussion.

According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, in Sanskrit drama, the main plot is based on the review of Purāṇas in the light of history or the accounts of gods.^[1] Dramas are associated with vṛttis i.e., actions and rasas i.e., sentiments. Moreover, sometimes in Sanskrit dramas, kālas i.e., period of time indicates the era of the particular king of the concerned period.^[2] According to this source, Sanskrit drama consists of more than five acts but it should not cross ten acts.^[3] The Sāhityadarpaṇa also admits it.^[4]

The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa says that at the very beginning of the Sanskrit drama, praveśaka i.e., the introducer^[5] should introduce the plot of the drama that has been continuing for many days and this narration must be very brief.^[6] In the Sāhityadarpaṇa also, the description of those incidents which have already been happened are suggested in the very beginning of the Drama and the technical term of this part of a Drama is known as mukha or āmukha.^[7]

Accordig to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, disturbing incidents like death, dethronement, siege, fight etc. are totally abandoned in Sanskrit dramas.^[8] The Sāhityadarpaṇa also agrees on it.^[9] Drama should be performed under a maṇḍapa i.e., pavilion^[10].^[11]

According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the pavilion should be oblong or square. The square one should be thirty two hands and the oblong one should be double of it in size.^[12] In the beginning of the Drama the devatāpūjanaṃ should be done.^[13] A nāndīśloka i.e., a benedictory verse^[14] must be recited at the very beginning of a Drama for a successful ending.^[15] Viśvanātha Kavirāja also says that-to remove all kinds of obstacles and inauspiciousness, the recitation of nāndīśloka is very important.^[16] The nāndīśloka is recited by the sūtradhāra.^[17] This rule seems to be followed by each and every dramatist of the Sanskrit literature.

The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa says that at the end of the Drama, vāstupūjana i.e., the worship of vāstupuruṣa should be made by offering flowers.^[18] In the very beginning of the Drama each and every character should be introduced and that is why the presence of every character is made mandatory just after the unveiling of the curtain.^[19] This is to be noted here that in most of the dramas of Bhāsa, the names of the main characters are introduced through the very first verse of the drama and this is generally called the mudrālaṃkāra. Thus the Svapnavāsavadatta of Bhāsa opens with the verse where the characters Udayana, Vāsavadattā, Padmāvatī, Vasantaka are introduced before the audience.^[20]