When Stones Dance

WHEN STONES DANCE *

N. S. Krishna Murti, popularly known as N. S. K., is a multifaceted personality. A scholar, writer, critic and a con­noisseur with a rich heart, N. S. K. has devoted his life to the indepth study of arts and letters and the present volume is a creditable labour of love exuding pedagogy in addition to the above attributes.

It is said that the highest peak of Indian culture is Natya. This comprehensive art, Darsana to be apt, encompasses the major art forms like literature, music, sculpture and painting and what is more, there is not an art, a science, a craft and a pedagogy that is extraneous to Natya. The earlier part of the thesis is devoted to a pithy introduction of Natya. Various facets of Natya believed to have manifested through Bharata’s “Natyasastra” dealt in a sequential order provides a bird’s-eye-view of Natya to lay readers, non-Indians in particular. Having provided a ­ground, N. S. K. proceeds to discuss age-old riddles of “Natya­sastra” and offers authentic solutions. While doing so he draws freely from great commentators ranging from Abhinavaguptapaada of the East to critics like Favian Bowers and Kay Ambrose of the West, synthesises them and presents universally acceptable perspectives. During the course of his commentary on Kuchipudi, N. S. K. observes with strong commitment to the ultimate in Indian culture. “The dance display is considered as a form of worship. The actor forges his little self, the deep-rooted ego and steps out of the Upadhi, the caged existence of himself, and identifies himself with the spirit and essence of the ‘other mind’, a transcendental experience that could be achieved only by expertise, discipline and high cultural attainment.” (p. 40) He is one with Kay Ambrose who said “... and as she (India) absorbs everything in her philosophy. so she can show everything in her dance”. To know Indian dance is to know India. Lord Brahma created Natya taking the text from Rigveda, music from Sarna, gestures from Yajur and Rasa from Adharvana. This idea fortifies the traditional Indian belief that, after all, arts and pedagogy lead to self - realisation.

N. S. K. proceeds to discuss the specifics like Jarjara (Banner prop), its antiquity, historical changes, etc., and other concepts indepth. Thus taking a leap into the centre of the theme, i. e., the multiple accessories of Natya, the author discusses the descent of Natya, Natyasala (theatre), Poorvaranga (curtain raising process), aesthetics, Nritta (mute drama with crude movements), Nritya (dance), Natya (acting and Chaturvidhabhinaya), Hastabhinaya (gesticulations of hands), Charis and Gatis (movements). Natyadharmi and Lokadharmi (the real and artistic in dance and drama), Chaturvidhabhinayaas (four modes of acting and dance i.e., Angika-physical movement, Aharya-make-up, Vachika­-speech and Satvika-manifestation of feeling on the body) among other things with great scholastic elan. Good number of quota­tions from well-known authorities on the subject add to the critical tenor of the book. N. S. K. not only refers to many Indian writers on Natya from Bharata to the modern, but also touches the core of the relevant topic on hand thus providing the reader with a fish-eye perspective of many authorities on the subject, thus playing the role of an educator also.

However, N. S. K.’s forte lies in the fact that he attempts with rich success, a probing study of Andhra sculpture in relation to Natya. An accepted authority on sculpture as N. S. K. is, he discusses in minute detail the aesthetics, science and dynamics of many sculptural marvels of Andhra and interprets them as living monuments and chiselled expressions of subtle nuances of dance poses. The reader is treated to a fine analysis of both the words of Silpa and Natya. Starting with the three in Sthanaka pose and ending with the dance posture of Trivikrama, these 91 plates represent all that is best in Andhra sculpture and dance. The commentary on these poses combines great sculptural and Natyasastra knowledge on the part of the author.

To sum up, the earlier part of the treatise is an authentic commentary on “Natyasastra” with all its ramifications and the later part is the interpretation of its splendour in sculpture. The total experience is one of synthetic appreciation benefiting the connoisseur and laymen alike. All kudos to N. S. K. and his magnum-opus to date.

The plates of sculptures are given in a sequential bunch and the commentary on them is given separately, thus robbing the reader of a facility to a coordinated study. A single plate and relevant commentary on the same page would have been better. This apart, the A. P. Sangeeta Nataka Akademi and A. P. Lalitakala Akademi have rendered a great service to the reading public through the book.

* Andhra Dance Sculpture: By N. S. Krishna Murti. Published jointly by A. P. Sangeeta Nataka Akademi and A. P. Lalitakala Akademi. Price: Rs. 50.