1.3. Elements of Drama (a): Acting

There are various literary and material elements in Sanskrit dramas which have been discussed in different works in different ways. Basically, the Alaṃkāraśāstras of Sanskrit literature discuss different literary and material elements of Sanskrit dramas in a broad and systematic way. Those particular elements have established Sanskrit dramas more attractive and resourceful. The third part of the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa has also furnished a clear discussion regarding these elements of Sanskrit drama. Different elements of Sanskrit dramas like acting, costume and make up, bodily movements of the actors, dramatic postures, dramatic style, characters, expression of emotions and sentiments as found in the third part of Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa are discussed here.

The Sanskrit term used for acting is abhinaya. The word abhinaya is derived as abhi+nī+karaṇe ac.^[1] According to the Śabdakalpadruma, abhinaya is the way to convey or represent one’s emotion to others.^[2] Drama is the way to create the divine pleasure in connoisseurs’ mind through the representation of different sentiments and for these, it needs the help of abhinaya. Moreover, the scholars of nāṭya define it as the imitation of others.^[3]

Acting or abhinaya is of four varieties viz.,

1. āṅgika,
2. vācika,
3. āhārya, and
4. sātvika.^[4]

The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa also accepts this division.^[5] The āṅgikābhinaya represents the physical movements.^[6] This type of acting establishes the importance of gestures and postures in the path of acting. The second variety of acting which is called vācikābhinaya is that kind of acting which is expressed by words.^[7] The term vācika itself establishes the importance of conversation or utterance of words for the process of acting. Āhāryābhinaya is conveyed by decoration or ornamentation. In the Nāṭyaśāstra, it is said that the entire production of a play depends on āhāryābhinaya and the extraneous representation deals with the rules of costumes and make-up.^[8] Till today, this process is followed and the actors go for their make-up in the greenroom which is generally situated in the back stage.

The last variety is called sātvikābhinaya that deals with the feelings, emotions and expressions, conveyed by the actors. Flow of tears, horripilation, sweating, throbbing of heart and faultering speech come under the sātvikābhinaya.^[9] It is important to note here that in the Nāṭyaśāstra the word bhāvabyañjaka is used for the sātvikābhinaya. When the inner ideas of a dramatist are expressed by means of words, gestures, facial expressions and the representation of sattva, those are called bhāvas.^[10] In the Abhinavabhārati commentary, the word bhāva and sattva are established by Abhinavagupta in a similar sense through the term cittavṛtti i.e., the state of mind or feeling.^[11]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śabdakalpadruma, Vol.1, p.73

[2]:

abhinīyate hṛdgatakrodhādibhāvaḥ prakāśyate anena/ Ibid., Vol.1, p.73

[3]:

parasyānukṛtirnāṭya nāṭyajñaiḥ kathitaṃ nṛpaḥ/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.20.1

[4]:

Nāṭyaśāstra, 8.9

[5]:

Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.20.14-15.

[6]:

tatra āṅgiko’ṅgairnidarśitaḥ/ Abhinayadarpaṇa, 39

[7]:

vāciko vācayā proktaḥ…../ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.20.20

[8]:

āhāryābhinayo nāmaṃ jñeyo nepathyajo vidhiḥ/ Nāṭyaśāstra, 21.3

[9]:

aśruprapātaromāñasvedanaṃ spandanaṃ tathā/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.20.19

[10]:

vāgaṅgamukharāgaiśca satvenābhinayena ca/ kaverantargataṃ bhāvaṃ bhāvayan bhāva ucyate// Nāṭyaśāstra, 7.2

[11]:

[...] Abhinavabhāratī, Nāṭyaśāstra, p. 277