Abhinaya-darpana (English)
by Ananda Coomaraswamy | 1917 | 16,981 words | ISBN-13: 9788121500210
The English translation of the Abhinaya-darpana (鈥渢he mirror of gesture鈥�) by Nandikeshvara: an encyclopedic manual of the art of gesticulation. It belongs to a wide range of literature known as Natya-shastra: the ancient Indian art of dramatic performance, theatrics, dance and music. The Abhinaya Darpana is an abridgement of the Bharatarnava, a m...
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Invocation
MAY ALL BE WELL!
HAIL TO THE HOLY HAYAGR莫VA!
THE MIRROR OF GESTURE
DECLARED BY NANDIKE艢VARA
The movement of whose body is the world, whose speech the sum of all language,
Whose jewels are the moon and stars鈥攖o that pure Siva I bow![1]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
In this verse Siva is compared to an actor, whose means of expression (abhinaya) are gesture, voice, and costume. He reveals himself through the world, the speech of men, and the starry firmament. The image of Siva as dancer (Na峁璦r膩ja, Na峁璭艣a) and actor is everywhere conspicuous in 艢aiva literature (see 鈥淭he Dance of Siva鈥�, by A. K. Coomaraswamy, 鈥淪iddh膩nta D墨pika 鈥�, Vol. XIII, i).