Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)
by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words
This page relates ‘Karana (movements of legs and hands)’ 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2.5. Karaṇa (movements of legs and hands)
According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, karaṇas are the coordination of precise movements of legs and hands performed in a particular posture.[1] The Nāṭyaśāstra also gives its view point in the same spirit.[2] In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, one hundred and eight kinds of karaṇas are accepted.[3]
But the names of ninety types of karaṇas are mentioned here. These are—
- talapuṣpa,
- apaviddha,
- līna,
- svastikarecita,
- maṇḍalasvastika,
- urūvṛtta,
- nikuṭṭaka,
- sūcīviddha,
- kaṭicchina,
- ardharecita,
- vakṣaḥsvastika,
- unmatta,
- svastika,
- pṛṣṭhasvastika,
- diksvastika,
- amalā,
- ardhasūcī,
- kaṭisama,
- ākṣiptarecita,
- kṣipra,
- ardhasvastika,
- sañcita,
- bhujangatrāsita,
- ūrdhajānu,
- nikuñcita,
- ardhamatallī,
- recakanikuṇṭaka,
- pādaviddha,
- taḍidbhrānta,
- valita,
- ghūrṇita,
- lalita,
- daṇḍapakṣa,
- bhujaṅgatrastarecita,
- nūpura,
- recita,
- bhramara,
- catura,
- bhujaṅgāñcita,
- cchinna,
- vṛścikarecita,
- latāvṛścika,
- cchinnavṛścikarecita,
- vyaṃsitavṛścika,
- sūcīviddha,
- lalāṭtikala,
- kuñcita,
- cakramaṇḍala,
- uromaṇḍala,
- ākṣipta,
- latālasita,
- ārgala,
- vikṣipta,
- bhramita,
- vilāsa,
- vānarapluta,
- parivṛtta,
- nivṛtta,
- pārśvākrānta,
- nikuñcita,
- atikrānta,
- avakrānta,
- dolāpāda,
- vivartita,
- nāgaprakiḍita,
- vipluta,
- garuḍapluta,
- gaṇḍasūcī,
- parikṣipta,
- pārśvajānuka,
- gṛddhāvalīnaka,
- līna,
- viṣṇukrānta,
- ajāpluta,
- ākrānta,
- maṇḍita,
- mayūralasita,
- nata,
- sarpita,
- dolāpāda,
- hariṇapluta,
- preṅkhālita,
- nitamba,
- skhalita,
- parihasta,
- prasarpitatala,
- siṃhavikrīḍita,
- vṛṣabhakrīḍita,
- gaṅgāvataraṇa, etc.[4]
The names of eighteen types of karaṇas are totally absent in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa. Though the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa states only the names of the karaṇas and do not explain it elaborately, the Nāṭyaśāstra has a great discussion about hundred and eight types of karaṇas in the 4th chapter.[5]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
hastapādasamāyogo nṛttasya karaṇaṃ bhavet/ Nāṭyaśāstra, 4.30
[3]:
aṣṭottaraśataṃ caiva karaṇānāṃ prakīrtitam/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.20.54
[4]:
Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.20.40-53
[5]:
Nāṭyaśāstra¸ 4.34-173