2.6. Dṛṣṭi (sight or glance)

In Sanskrit the term dṛṣṭi is used to denote sight or glance.^[1] The proper accomplishment of glances is very important in a dance form. The appropriate movements of eyes, eyeballs and eyebrows of an artist make the performance more charming. There are thirty six kinds of glances accepted in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa. All these are taken under three categories. These are- rasadṛṣṭis, sthāyībhāvadṛṣṭis and the rest types are not fallen under any particular group in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa. But in the Nāṭyaśāstra the third category is named as sañcāriṇadṛṣṭis.^[2]

The rasadṛṣṭis like kāntā, bhayānakā, hāsyā, karuṇā, adbhutā, raudrā, vīrā, bibhatsā and śāntā show feeling of love, fear, laughter, elegiac, wonder, fierce, heroism, ghoulish and meditation respectively. Actually these ten kinds of glances are manifested in different modes which express different sentiments. As for example-to show the fear, the actor turns the eyelids upward and the tip of the eyelashes and the eyeballs move^[3] here and there to project the cause of fear. Again when prodigious thing comes under notice, the actor should contract the eyelashes and expand the pupils^[4] to express that he or she perceives that prodigious thing for the first time.

Again there are some sthāyībhāvadṛṣṭis like snigdhā, hṛṣṭā, jihmā, kruddhā, bhītā, lajjitā, dṛptā, vismitā and saumyā always express the durable psychological states of mind.^[5] As for example, the snigdhā glance refers to the action when eyes are widened in middle and it always expresses very sweet and charming smile.^[6] Moreover, in anger the eye-brows are crooked and in fear the eye-balls become motionless.^[7]

Again there are eighteen types of glances which fall under third category i.e., the sañcāriṇadṛṣṭis. These are—

1. malinā,
2. ākekarā,
3. śrāntā,
4. abhitaptā,
5. viplutā,
6. viṣaṇnā,
7. śankitā,
8. trastā,
9. śokā,
10. nimīlitā,
11. vibhrāntā,
12. kuñcitā,
13. śūṇyā,
14. mukulā,
15. vitarkitā,
16. madirā,
17. lalitā and
18. glānā.^[8]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Monier Monier Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 492

[2]:

sañcāriṇīnāṃ dṛṣṭināṃ saṃpravakṣāmi lakṣaṇaṃ/ Nāṭyaśāstra, 8.61

[3]:

[...] Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.25.5-6

[4]:

kiñcitkuñcitapak am gr kiñcidudv ttat rak / samā vikasitā caiva sādbhutā dṛṣṭiriṣyate/ Ibid., 3.25.7-8.

[5]:

snigdhā hṛṣṭā ca jihmā ca kruddhā bhītā ca lajjitā/ tṛptātha vismitā saumyā sthāyibhāveṣu dṛṣṭayaḥ// Ibid., 3.25.2

[6]:

vyākośamadhyā madhurā snigdhā prahsitā matā/ Ibid., 3.25.10

[7]:

bhrukuṭīkuṭilā kruddhā tathā niṣṭabdhatārakā/ ākuñcitapuṭā yā tu dṛṣṭirākekarā bhavet// Ibid., 3.25.12

[8]:

Ibid., 3.25.3-4