Gati in Theory and Practice
by Dr. Sujatha Mohan | 2015 | 88,445 words
This page relates ‘Gati pertaining to conditions and situations� 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.
Gati pertaining to conditions and situations
-) ٲٲ� praviśati kandukena īḍa Գī 貹峾屹ī saparivārā vāsavadattayā saha |[1]
In Բ岹ٳٲ 岹ٳ ʲ峾屹ī and their friends are playing with the ball. ṛtٲٲ屹ī refers to a dance called kanduka ṛtٲ. ⲹ says delicate ī, gatis, 岹 and ⲹṅg are seen in this dance. Movements like lotus, wavy line, snake, wheel, etc. and gaits like utplavana are performed.
-) mālavikāracitapallavāvataṃsā salīlamaśokāya 岹� ṇoپ |[2]
puts forth her foot to strike the tree. This can be performed by the 첹ṇa called ṣiṣiٲ첹.
“T 첹ṇa called ṣiṣiٲ첹 consists of throwing or stretching the hands and legs forward and backward with a flourish.�
ṣiٲ� hasta岹� ca tasyaivākṣepaṇa� puna� |
yatra tat 첹ṇa� ñⲹ� ṣiṣiٲ첹� 屹� ||[3]kisalamṛdorvilāsini kaṭhine nihitasya pādapaskandhe |
caraṇasya na te ṃpپ vāmasya vāmoru ||[4]
The king asks if her foot hurts because she kicked the śǰ첹 tree. Here, can stand in the pose called śԳٲ.
śԳ one foot is kept raised in the ūī position and the other is made to rest on its forepart.
pādaḥsamutthitaścaikaekaścāgratalāñcita� |
ūīviddhamaviddha� vā tadśԳٲmucyate ||[5]
-) iti parijanasahitā latāgṛha� parikrāmati |[7]
The queen moves around in the garden.
This can be gesticulated by the 첹ṇa called 貹ṛtٲ.
“T 첹ṇa is known as ʲṛtٲ in which hands are raised high entwined together and held in the reverse direction, sacrum is turned round and feet transposed resting on the toe.�
ūrdhvāpaveṣṭitau hastau ūīpādo'pavartita� |
貹ṛtٲ� ٰ첹� caiva 貹ṛtٲ� taducyate ||[8]
This movement can be performed by the queen to move about gently in the garden.
-) priyamācarita� late tvayā me gamane'syā� kṣaṇavighnamācarantyā |
yadiya� punarapyapāṅganetrā 貹ṛtٲrdhamukhī 'dya ṛṣṭ� ||[9]
When Ūśī delays her exit in the pretext of disentangling her pearl necklace from the creeper, the king describes her beauty. Āṅgika abhinaya of Ūśī can be with her head movement 貹屹ṛtٲ, and eye movements such as 峦ī and vivartana. Bharata refers to a variety of actions of the head called 貹屹ṛtٲ.[10] He also refers to the kinds of looks called 峦ī (sideways), in which the look askance when the pupils are in a triangular form coming within the eyelashes.[11] He refers to the movement of pupils. The movement called vivartana (turning sideways) is the sidelong glance and it should be used in śṛṅ.[12]
-) sarve sopānārohaṇa� nāṭayanti |[13]
“All are ascending the stairs.� Bharata describes the movement of ascending and descending palaces, uneven places, and stairs and so on.
He says,
“While ascending a mansion the feet should be lifted up and the body should be held straight in the course of negotiating the steps of the stairs.�
This can be performed with ܻ屹ٲ uras.
prasādārohaṇa� kāryamatikrāntai� padairatha |
ܻ岹ⲹ ٰ� 岹� ca nyaset sopānapaṅktiṣu ||[14]
-) ٲٲ� praviśatyunmattaka� |[15]
The entry of a mad man is referred. The author says he comes rushing like the rain water, speeding down in the street. He can enter performing the gaṅgāvataraṇam 첹ṇa.[16]
-) ٳṛśa� parikramya |[17]
屹پ is in the state of intoxication. After walking around, she says that due to condition she cannot move her feet further.
Bharata says,
the case of intoxicated person, whose state of inebriatedness is slight or medium a staggering step with the feet swerving now and then should be adopted. The left and right foot should move in the opposite direction. When the intoxication is less the feet should falter and the body swerves.�
mattanā� tu پ� made taruṇamadhyame |
vāmadakṣiṇapādābhyā� dhūrṇamānāpasarpaṇai� ||
apakṛṣṭe made caiva hyanavasthitapādikā |
vighūrṇitaśarīrā ca padai� praskhalitaistathā ||[18]
Here, her gait can be in the 첹ṇa called mattalli.
“Extend the left and right legs forward in a circular motion and draw them back and hold them together. Move hands entwined and extended across in the 첹ṇa called mattalli.�
vāmadakṣiṇapādābhyā� ghūrṇamānopasarpaṇai� |
udveṣṭitāpavidvaiśca hastairmattallayudāhṛtam ||[19]
Abhinavagupta recommends this 첹ṇa to represent the intoxicated gait.
Then she turns to all the directions in search of the king. So, when she moves around, the 첹ṇa called diksvastika can be performed.
“Transposing of hands and legs over each other to form svastika and doing it turning on all sides is the 첹ṇa called diksvastika.�
pārśvayoragrataścaiva yatra śliṣṭakṛto bhavet |
svastikohastapādābhyā� tad dik svastikamucyate ||[20]
Abhinavagupta recommends this 첹ṇa for gati parivarta.
While she is struck and cannot move further the ardhamattallī 첹ṇa, in which the leg moves in a slow motion, can be performed.
“Keep apart the legs and slide in slowly. Hold the left hand extended across and the right hand is to be held at ease on the hip. This is how the 첹ṇa ardhamattallī is conceived.�
skhalitāpasṛtau pādau vāmahastaśca ٲ� |
ⲹٲ� 첹ṭiٳ� syādardhamattalli smṛtam ||[21]
Abhinavagupta recommends this 첹ṇa for semi intoxication.
-) ٲٲ� praviśatyunmattaveṣo |[22]
The king enters like a mad man. Ūśī had left him and so he is in a state of intoxication. Bharata describes the gait for a mad man.
the gait of a lunatic the steps should be irregular. He should move about in different ī.�
ܲԳٳٲ辱 첹ٲ gatistvaniyatakramā |
bahuīamāyuktālokānukaraṇāśrayā ||[23]
Here, 첹ṇas such as unmatta and madaskhalita can be used.
the 첹ṇa called unmatta the foot is out-turned (ñٲ) and dropped in a particular stance and hands stretched forward on both the sides.�
añcitena tu pādena recitau tu karau yadā |
ܲԳٳٲ� 첹ṇa� tattu viñⲹ� nāṭyakovidai� ||[24]the 첹ṇa known as madaskalitaka both the hands should be kept hanging down, head turned round and feet bent and entwined or transposed.�
karau pralambitau kāryau śiraśca parivāhitam |
pādau ca valitāviddhau madaskhalitake屹� ||[25]
-) ٲٲ� praviśati yuktamadā 屹ī ṭ� ca |[26]
屹ī enters the stage in the state of intoxication along with her ṭ�. Bharata says mada should be related to women and lower characters.
The representation of inebriation of women should be made by the gentle faltering of steps, hanging on to the sky, rolling the eye balls, incoherent speech and shivering of the limbs.
'� ū� tān strīnīceṣu yojayet |
mṛdubhi� skhalitairnityamākāśasyāvalambanāt ||
netrāvadhūrṇanaiścaiva vilagnai� kathitaistathā |
gātrāṇāṃ kampanaiścaiva 岹� kāryo bhavet ٰ� ||[27]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
SV.II.p.148
[4]:
gnimitra A-III. V-18.
[5]:
ṭyśٰ XIII 167.
[6]:
Infra.Ref.221.
[7]:
Vik. A-II.
[8]:
ṭyśٰ IV.131.
[9]:
Vik. A-I.V-16.
[10]:
ṭyśٰ VIII.33.
[11]:
Ibid.VIII.107.
[12]:
Ibid.VIII.100, 104.
[13]:
Vik. A-III.
[14]:
ṭyśٰ XIII. 96.
[15]:
PY.III.p.67.
[16]:
ṭyśٰ IV.168.
[17]:
gnimitra A-III
[18]:
ṭyśٰ XIII. 120,121.
[19]:
Ibid. IV. 86.
[20]:
Ibid. IV. 76.
[21]:
Ibid. IV. 87.
[22]:
Vik. A-IV.
[23]:
ṭyśٰ XIII. 122.
[24]:
Ibid.IV.73.
[25]:
Ibid.IV.158.
[26]:
gnimitra A-III.
[27]:
ṭyśٰ XXVI. 62,63.