365bet

Gati in Theory and Practice

by Dr. Sujatha Mohan | 2015 | 88,445 words

This page relates ‘Description of Gati in Abhinayadarpana� of the study on the Theory and Practice of Gati (“gait�) which refers to the “movement of a character on the stage�, commonly employed (as a Sanskrit technical term) in ancient Indian Theatrics and the Dramatic arts, also known as Natya-shastra. This thesis explores the history and evolution of Gati and also investigates how the various Gatis are employed in regional performance traditions.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Description of Gati in 󾱲Բⲹ岹貹ṇa

Ի徱ś, author of 󾱲Բⲹ岹貹ṇa, which is comparatively a later text, deals with varieties of gaits based on the movements of birds, animals and human. The gatis are almost different from those of ṭyśٰ. The author has written nearly sixty-five verses based on the feet movements along with their uses. He classifies them as ṇḍ, utplavana, ī and 岹ī. Ѳṇḍ are ten in number and some of these such as ٳԲ첹, īḍh and prayīḍh are similar to the ٳԲ of the ṭyśٰ. However, they are not connected with the ṇḍ of the ṭyśٰ that are used as gait in fighting sequences. He again classifies the simple standing postures called ٳԲ첹 as six namely , 첹岹, 岵Ի, aindra, ḍa and brahma. Except for others are different from the ٳԲ given in ṭyśٰ.

Utplavana is defined as leaps and is of five types. Here the author has described some leaps such as that of horse - śdzٱԲ and alagotplavana. ī is the whirling movement and it is of seven varieties. Floor and air related spiral movements are described where ḍa ī is explained by the author as one variety. Other than these, all are beautiful bouncing (utplavana) and spiral (ī) movements can be employed in ṛtٲپ i.e. the movement or gait in dance.

岹ī첹 is a variety where the author brings in various ī and gati movements. These movements can be used for walking in dance and drama.

These are of eight varieties.

ādautucalana� proktaṃpaścācṅkṇa� tathā |
ṇa� 𲵾ī ṭṭԲ� ca tataḥparam ||
ṻٲ� DZٲ� caiva tatoṣañ� |
ībhedā'mīaṣṭauproktābharatavedibhi� ||[1]

Calanaī

Walking normally, taking a foot from its natural place and keeping it forward is calana.

svasthanāt svasya pādasya calanāccalana� bhavet ||[2]

Caṅkramaṇaī

A gait made by two feet carefully raised up and thrown sideways alternately, as a leap is ṅkṇa.

Sāraṇaī

Moving like leeches by joining one heel with another at every step holding 貹첹 hands is ṇa.

Veginīī

Walking swiftly, running on the heels, toes or by the entire sole, and holding alapadma and tri貹첹 hands alternatively is 𲵾ī.

Kuṭṭanaī

Pounding or striking the earth with the heel or the forepart of a foot or the entire sole, is called ṭṭԲ.

Luṭhitaī

Performing ṭṭԲ or pounding with the legs crossed in svastika posture is called ṻٲ.

Lolitaī

After performing ṭṭԲ if a foot slowly moved without touching the earth it is called lolita.

Viṣamasañcaraī

Keeping the left foot to the right side of the right one, and the right foot to the left side of the left one alternately while walking it is called ṣañ�.

ṣṭ⾱ٱ 岹ṣiṇeԲ 峾� vāmena dakṣiṇam |
ṇa 岹� vinyasya bhaved ṣañ� ||[3]

Here it has to be understood that the ī is a method of moving which is to be performed in general and gati describes the gait of a particular bird, animal or human. So, these īs can be used for depicting the gati. For example, ṇa ī can be used for bhujaṅgī gati. These īs can also be identified in ḍaܲ of 󲹰ٲṭy.

ٳٰپ� ṣaṇa� vakṣyate kramāt |
ṃsīmayūrī ca ṛgīgajalīlāturaṅgiṇ� ||
siṃhībhujaṅgīmaṇḍū kīgatirvīrā ca Բī |
daśautā gatayo jñeyā nāṭyaśāstraviśāradai� ||[4]

Haṃsī gati

One foot should be placed after another slowly at a distance of half a cubit and bending on both the sides alternatively and carrying kapittha with both hands, will resemble the gait of a female swan.

parivartya ٲԳ� ś� ٲٲⲹԳٲٲ� śԲ� |
첹첹� tat 貹岹� nyasa 첹辱ٳٳ� karayorvahan |
ṃsvadԲ� yattu sā ṃsī gatirīritā ||[5]

Though the author has enlisted the ṃyܳٲ abhinaya hasta for ṃs like ṃsⲹ and ṃspakṣa he doesn’t use those gestures here.

Mayūrī gati

The gait of a peacock is to be performed by standing on toes with kapittha in both the hands and to move both the knees alternately. This again does not mention the use of ū hasta that had been given by the author himself as a hand gesture depicting peacock.

Mṛgī gati

Running forward or sideward like a deer with tri貹첹 on both hands will be known as the gait of a deer.

ṛg Բ� vegāt tripapākakarau vahan |
purata� pārśvayoścaiva Բ� ṛggatirbhavet ||[6]

Ի徱ś has also given an abhinaya hasta called ṛgśīṣa, which denotes the head of a deer, but that is not used here. From this, it is understood that the ṛgī is shown with ṛgśīṣahasta but when ṛg or deer is to be acted by an actor he should jump with two tri貹첹 hastas as horns.

Gajalīlā gati

To walk slowly with feet with hands holding 貹첹 on both sides is to be the gait of an elephant.This 貹첹hasta can be used to depict the ears of the elephant.

Turaṅgiṇ� gati

Right foot should be raised and jumps should be made in quick succession and left hand ś󲹰 and right 貹첹 are the gestures to be used in the gait of a horse. Generally, in practice this gait is done with two 貹첹 hastas.

Siṃhī gati

Standing on toes and jumping forward swiftly with ś󲹰 held in both the hands will be the gait of a lion. Here the author had not suggested the ṃhܰ hasta.

pādāgrābhyā� bhuvi sthitvā pura utplutya vegata� |
첹� ś󲹰� dhṛtvā Բ� ṛggatirbhavet ||[7]

Bhujaṅgī gati

Tri貹첹hasta should be held on both the sides and the gait should be as in ṃh gati and it is said to be the movement of a snake. Here if it is taken as moving forward swiftly, then it should be understood in connection with the forward plunge of the snake.

Maṇḍūkī gati

If one holds ś󲹰 with both hands and steps almost like a lion, it is said to be gait of a frog.

Vīrā gati

Coming from a distance holding ś󲹰 with the left hand and 貹첹 with the right one will be called the heroic gait.

Բīپ

When the left hand is on the waist and the right holds 첹ṭa峾ܰ in a circular movement it is called the human gait.

It can be understood that the abhinaya hastas, which are used to depict these animals and birds, are not used here and instead the actual movements are performed with the whole body. For example, ṛgīgati does not use the ṛgśīṣa hasta instead, the jumps are performed with tri貹첹 hasta, which resembles the horns of the deer. Thus, these gaits can be utilized in dance and dramas accordingly, based on the explanations given in the śٰ.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[2]:

Ibid. 301

[3]:

Ibid. 308

[4]:

Ibid. 384�385

[5]:

Ibid. 311.

[6]:

Ibid. 313.

[7]:

Ibid. 317.

Let's grow together!

I humbly request your help to keep doing what I do best: provide the world with unbiased sources, definitions and images. Your donation direclty influences the quality and quantity of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight the world is exposed to.

Let's make the world a better place together!

Like what you read? Help to become even better: