Relevance of Gati in 搁奴辫补办补s

Gati in Theory and Practice

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

This page relates 鈥楻elevance of Gati in Rupakas鈥� of the study on the Theory and Practice of Gati (鈥済ait鈥�) which refers to the 鈥渕ovement of a character on the stage鈥�, 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.

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Relevance of Gati in 搁奴辫补办补s

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搁奴辫补办补 can be taken as a synonym of 苍腻峁瓂补. 狈腻峁瓂补 is called 谤奴辫补 as it can be seen and it is 谤奴辫补ka because the acting of actors is attributed to the states of the heroes such as 搁腻尘补.

谤奴辫补峁� 诲峁浥泍补迟补测辞肠测补迟别谤奴辫补ka峁� 迟补迟蝉补尘腻谤辞辫腻迟^[1]

The word 谤奴辫补ka is derived from the root 鈥�谤奴辫鈥�, meaning that which has a form. Bharata enumerates ten varieties of 谤奴辫补kas, which are the major forms of drama.

They are:

In the 谤奴辫补kas, all the four elements of abhinayas were given importance. Mainly 惫腻肠颈办补 abhinaya formed the base for the 腻峁単颈办补, 腻丑腻谤测补 and s膩ttvika abhinayas.

Without the dialogues nothing can be performed says Bharata.

迟补蝉尘腻诲惫腻肠补岣� 辫补谤补峁� 苍腻蝉迟颈 v膩g hi sarvasya k膩ra峁嘺m ||^[3]

The involuntary actions, called s膩ttvika bh膩vas, brought out the lokadharmi, the realistic mode. 痴峁泃迟颈蝉 (styles) such as 办补颈艣颈办墨 (graceful), 产丑腻谤补迟墨 (verbal), 腻谤补产丑补峁� (violent) and 蝉腻迟迟惫补迟墨 (grand) are the sources for all the dramas. 狈腻峁璦办补 and 辫谤补办补谤补峁嘺 are evolved from all the 惫峁泃迟颈蝉. The other eight varieties of 谤奴辫补kas should be composed without the use of 办补颈艣颈办墨惫峁泃迟颈. That means the graceful style, music and dance, will be omitted in the varieties. Even then, action of the body is to be performed, gait will be incorporated.

According to Bhoja, prabandhas are of two types, 辫谤别办峁补 and 艣谤补惫测补. 辫谤别办峁补 can be represented through abhinaya.

That which cannot be represented through abhinaya is 艣谤补惫测补.

辫谤补产补苍诲丑补艣肠别丑补诲惫颈惫颈诲丑补岣� | 辫谤别办峁补岣� 艣谤补惫测补艣ca |
tayorabhineya岣� 辫谤别办峁补岣� | anabhineya岣� 艣谤补惫测补岣� |

They are of 24 types, 谤奴辫补kas and upa谤奴辫补kas. 狈腻峁璦办补s should have great qualities, prosperity, happiness, mixture of prose and poetry, and all 补濒补峁卥腻谤补蝉 and 濒补办峁峁嘺蝉, strong entry of acts.^[4] He also adds the twelve 谤奴辫补kas are 惫腻办测腻谤迟丑补补产丑颈苍补测腻迟丑尘补办补 and the twelve upa谤奴辫补kas are 辫补诲腻谤迟丑补补产丑颈苍补测腻迟尘补办补.

顿丑补苍补帽箩补测补 says, these ten 谤奴辫补kas are 谤补蝉腻艣谤补测补.

da艣adhaiva谤补蝉腻艣谤补测补峁� |

He adds:

补苍测补诲产丑腻惫腻艣谤补测补峁� 苍峁泃测补峁� |^[5]

狈峁泃测补, which is 产丑补惫腻艣谤补测补, is different from 苍腻峁瓂补. It can also be taken, as the other varieties of drama that is upa谤奴辫补kas such as 苍腻峁璱办补 are 产丑补惫腻艣谤补测补 and 苍峁泃测补.

Rasa is the subject of 苍腻峁璦办补s says Dhanika.

n膩峁璦k膩di ca rasavi峁ya峁� |^[6]

Abhinavagupta also says drama is the best literature form, as rasa realization is possible only through that.^[7]

The two main varieties of dramas are 苍腻峁璦办补 and 辫谤补办补谤补峁嘺 that have evolved from all the 惫峁泃迟颈蝉. The other eight do not involve 办补颈艣颈办墨惫峁泃迟颈, which is predominant in music and dance. In 苍腻峁璦办补, the story is taken from ancient epics about kings and divine persons while in 辫谤补办补谤补峁嘺 the theme is taken from current stories, describing the ordinary citizens. These two types represent the classical dramas in Sanskrit. They are very popular among the scholars and dramatists in Sanskrit. Other than these, some prahasanas and 产丑腻峁嘺s were popular.

狈腻峁璦办补 is a kind of play in which the plot is well known and the hero belongs to the type of 顿丑墨谤辞诲腻迟迟补. The story deals with a saintly king and there are divine characters too. So, there is scope for the performance of gait of these characters throughout the play. Gracefulness and other qualities should embellish it. As there are several acts and interludes, the entry and exit of the characters are to be performed properly as mentioned in the 狈腻峁瓂补艣膩stra. In an act, all the characters on the stage should exit before it ends. The story will be full of moods, sentiments and actions representing them. 狈腻峁璦办补 should have adbhuta rasa in the last act. This gives more scope for 苍腻峁瓂补dharm墨 and unrealistic gaits such as flying in the sky or sudden appearance on the stage. The poet should compose a 苍腻峁璦办补 which is suitable for performance on stage, and capable of giving aesthetic pleasure.^[8] There should be a main plot and to it a sub plot can be added. Like in 搁腻尘腻测补苍补 story, the main plot is that of 搁腻尘补 and 厂墨迟腻 but the sub plot can be the story of Hanuman or 痴腻濒颈.

Many of the qualities of the dramas such as 惫峁泃迟颈, 驳耻峁嘺, 补濒补峁卥腻谤补, chandas or dhruva are based on the text and literature. However, Bharata has told 惫腻肠颈办补 is the foundation for dramas, and if it has to be presented as a visual entertainment, the basic thing to be understood is the gati of the actors. The movement of the character is based on the subject matter.

笔谤补办补谤补峁嘺 is related to merchants and courtesans and has 办补颈艣颈办墨惫峁泃迟颈. So, naturally 苍峁泃迟补驳补迟颈 can be depicted here, as the heroine is a courtesan she will be well versed in music and dance.^[9]

In 蝉补尘补惫补办腻谤补 the plot is related to gods, demons and their fights. War, flood, typhoon, and fire are seen in this type.^[10] Many male characters engage in agitation. Thus, the 肠腻谤墨蝉 and 尘补峁囜笉补濒补蝉 can be performed.

莫丑腻尘峁沢补 type of dramas should have heroes as celestial beings and the theme will be fight, agitation, encounter or kidnapping.

There are fights because of celestial damsels.

divyapuru峁Ｄ伵況ayak峁泃o divyastr墨k膩ra峁噊pagatayuddha岣� |^[11]

Here we can use divya肠腻谤墨蝉, gatis, 膩k膩艣a肠腻谤墨蝉, and 膩k膩艣a尘补峁囜笉补濒补蝉 for fights. 碍补谤补峁嘺蝉 like 濒补濒腻峁璦迟颈濒补办补, which is used for the gait of 惫颈诲测腻诲丑补谤补蝉 can be performed here.

岣宨尘补 involves more actions such as fighting, wrestling, attacking, and falling of meteors, thunder, illusion, excited movements of characters, who are 谤腻办峁蝉补蝉, 测补办峁蝉, 辫颈艣腻肠补蝉, sixteen heroes, and two 惫峁泃迟颈蝉-蝉腻迟迟惫补迟墨 and 腻谤补产丑补峁�.^[12] The two 惫峁泃迟颈蝉, 蝉腻迟迟惫补迟墨 and 腻谤补产丑补峁�, are connected with the concentration of the mind and the spectacular actions of the uddhata type of yuddha 肠腻谤墨蝉, which can be performed for the gait of the characters and 尘补峁囜笉补濒补蝉 can be used for depicting fighting sequences. Fighting and wrestling can be performed with yuddha 肠腻谤墨蝉 and niyuddha 办补谤补峁嘺蝉, like 辫腻谤艣惫补办谤腻苍迟补尘, 辫腻谤艣惫补箩腻苍耻. Falling of meteors can be depicted by the 惫颈诲测耻诲产谤腻苍迟补办补谤补峁嘺. Other than these many 办补谤补峁嘺蝉 like bhramaraka, 惫颈办峁辫迟补, etc. used for uddhata gati as given by Abhinava can be performed in this type.

痴测腻测辞驳补 should also have fights and combats and the yuddha 肠腻谤墨蝉, 办补谤补峁嘺蝉 like 辫腻谤艣惫补办谤腻苍迟补 and 尘补峁囜笉补濒补蝉 can be performed here.

鲍迟蝉谤峁ａ弓颈办腻峁卥补 is the variety of drama, where characters should be mortals and 办补谤耻峁嘺 rasa will predominate as the incidents are after effects of calamities sa峁僩r膩mabandhavadhayukta峁僺uch as wailings by women folk. Here the gati is in 办补谤耻峁嘺 rasa and 产墨产丑补迟蝉补 rasa can be performed.^[13]

Prahasana is a humorous play, where mixed varieties of characters, such as eunuchs, courtesans, 肠别峁璦 or 惫颈峁璦, are performing. Thus, the gaits found in this drama will pertain to 丑腻蝉测补 rasa.

叠丑腻峁嘺 is a type of play where only one character is performing, questions and answers in the form of aerial speech and actions are through movements of the limbs. In this, many gaits are employed as the character moves around the stage all by himself.

痴墨迟丑颈 has one or two characters and should have all the rasas.^[14]

Many verses describing the beauty of the nature, characters, their gaits, expressions and the like have been written by dramatists in simple and beautiful Sanskrit and Prakrit. All these can be enacted on stage only with a sound knowledge of 苍腻峁瓂补. Many works deal with the 濒补办峁峁嘺 of 苍腻峁瓂补 and 蝉补峁単墨迟补, which are the main elements of dramas. This makes one to understand that these dramas were properly enacted during those days and the staging of dramas was one of the enjoyable entertainments at the time. If these dances like 肠腻谤墨蝉, 办补谤补峁嘺蝉 and gatis are properly understood and presented, the traditional 苍腻峁瓂补 form of theatre can be revived. Though, many scholars opine that 碍奴岣峣腻峁弓补尘 is still a surviving 苍腻峁瓂补 form. However, 碍奴岣峣腻峁弓补尘 concentrates more on 惫腻肠颈办补 abhinaya and 腻峁単颈办补 abhinaya is restricted to just mukhaja and hasta abhinaya alone and does not bring in the gaits involving body and leg movements as given in the 狈腻峁瓂补艣膩stra.

Prayoga of these plays can be based on two types 蝉耻办耻尘腻谤补 (delicate) and 腻惫颈诲诲丑补 (aggressive). 苍腻峁璦办补, 辫谤补办补谤补峁嘺, 产丑腻峁嘺, 惫墨迟丑颈 and 补峁卥补 are termed as 蝉耻办耻尘腻谤补, because the characters in this are mainly human beings. 岣宨尘补, 蝉补尘补惫补办腻谤补, 惫测腻测辞驳补 and 墨丑腻尘峁沢补 are included in the category of 腻惫颈诲诲丑补 in which the characters are Gods, asuras, 谤腻办峁蝉补蝉, and so on.^[15] The 蝉耻办耻尘腻谤补 variety is based on 办补颈艣颈办墨惫峁泃迟颈 and 腻惫颈诲诲丑补 on 腻谤补产丑补峁�. Therefore, the presentation of gati should be subtle with grace in 蝉耻办耻尘腻谤补, energetic, and vigorous in 腻惫颈诲诲丑补. The 谤奴辫补kas are the dramas, which are to be elaborated with the help of the main sth膩y墨 bh膩va, which is enhanced through various other 惫颈产丑腻惫补, 补苍耻产丑腻惫补 and vyabhic膩ri bh膩vas in order to obtain a particular rasa. Therefore, the whole theme will be of a particular rasa. In the 苍腻峁璦办补 and 辫谤补办补谤补峁嘺 the gait can be performed more gracefully along with songs and dance, as it has the 办补颈艣颈办墨惫峁泃迟颈.^[16]

Bharata states one should compose words with short vowels in sentiments such as 惫墨谤补, raudra and adbhuta and long syllables in 产墨产丑补迟蝉补 and 办补谤耻峁嘺 and also in vira and raudra to denote pride.^[17] From this it can be understood that the usage of vowels also play an important role in the usage of gaits, which has to match the pace in 惫腻肠颈办补 seen in the text.

The three layas or tempo such as druta -fast, madhya -middle and vilambita -slow are very important factors, which determine the gaits. Bharata relates these to the rasas, for 办补谤耻峁嘺 it is slow, for 丑腻蝉测补 and 艣峁涐箙驳腻谤补 it is middle and for 惫墨谤补, raudra, adbhuta, 产墨产丑补迟蝉补 and 产丑补测腻苍补办补 it should be fast.^[18] The importance of pause is also to be noted. When in a performance of 腻峁単颈办补 abhinaya, in the case of gati, the actor should pause at times and then continue the gait, so that the audience can understand the representation.

Bharata says about 惫腻肠颈办补 thus,

鈥淥ne should always bestow effort in the matter of pause, since the meaning that is to be conveyed depends on it.鈥�

vir膩mo arth膩nudar艣ako bhavati^[19]

These da艣a谤奴辫补kas are embellished with svara, 办补濒腻, 迟腻濒补, and laya.^[20] These are important for the gatis that are to be practiced. As it was presented before the audience and thus gave a visual effect of the literary work it was called 谤奴辫补ka. According to Bharata, who was the first to talk about the treatise on dramaturgy, they were called as 谤奴辫补kas. The post-Bharata scholars introduced the varieties called the upa谤奴辫补kas. Gati, the gait or movement was one of the important elements in the performances of these dramas.

搁奴辫补办补s of the 狈腻峁瓂补艣膩stra have now taken the forms of terukk奴thu, bh膩gavatamela, k奴岣峣膩峁弓am, kathakali, yak峁g膩nam, gollabama 办补濒腻pam (Andhra), no峁囜笉i苍腻峁璦办补m, 膩峁卥ian膩t, and r膩ml墨l膩, which belong to the folk and classical dramatic dance forms of India. The characters dressed in specific costumes, some dialogues spoken along with body movements, gaits and songs sung and danced which evoke the appropriate rasas are all seen in the art forms.