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After discussing the origin of drama, construction and concept of the play house (Mandapavidhana) worship of the deities of the stage (Rangadaivatapujavidhana), characteristics of Tandava dance (Tandavalaksana), Rites in the Prologue (Purvarangavidhana), emotions evolving appreciation (Rasavikalpa) and exposition of emotion (Bhavavyanjaka) in the chapters I to VII, Bharata deals with the use of head and face (Uttamangabhinaya) in Ch. VIII. When Bharata is asked by the sages what abhinaya is, and about the details of abhinaya, he starts an elaborate discussion on the same. In this discussion one could see a psychologist, a physiologist, a behavioural scientist, an anthropologist, a naturalist, an aesthetician and a dramatist all at the same time in Bharata. Bharata starts with the derivation of the word abhinaya. Here the stanza- abhipurvastu nin dhaturabhimukhyarthanirnaye | yasmat padarthan nayati tasmadabhinayah smrtah || It may be explained as - abhi is the prefix. The root nin means, obtaining or achieving something. According to the sutra '' the suffix '3' is to be added to abhi+ nin to obtain the form 'abhinaya'. The root nin with the prefix abhi means to bring forth. Since the poetic senses are brought forth to the spectators or since the objects are being carried towards this direction it is called abhinaya. Further, since the objects are represented by means of gestures of the torso and limbs - both main and 17

auxillary it is again designated as abhinaya. Bharata further delineates the four fold abhinaya - angiko vacikascaiva hyaharyah satvikastatha| jneyastvabhinayo viprascaturdha parikalpitah || The representation in a dramatic performance is of four kinds as Angika - gestural (conveyed by bodily actions), Vacika - vocal (conveyed through words), Aharya - costumes and make-up (conveyed by dress, ornaments, facial and body colouring and line making etc.) and related to the mind (by the mainfestations of the internal feelings such as stupifaction, unconsciousness, perspiration etc.) Satvika Bharata attaches great importance to the Satvika mode and deals with its detailed intricacies in chapters VI & VII. Expression of feeling is conveyed to a stranger only by gestures or through organs. Hence Angikabhinaya and mutual conduct or movements on the stage comes next and it is dealt with in chapters VIII to XIV. The mode of verbal delivery is then taken up which extends over chapters XV to XX. Then comes Aharya i.e. facial make-up, scenic appliances and props, discussed in Ch. XXIII. The musical auxillaries to intensify the emotional effects otherwise produced have been dealt with in chapters XXVIII to XXXII. 18

ANGIKABHINAYA Bharata says, Angikabhinaya is :. trividhastvangiko jneyah sariro mukhajastatha | tatha cestakrtascaiva sakhangopangasamyutah || sirohastakativaksah parsvapadasamanvitah | angapratyangasamyuktah sadango natyasamgrahah || tasya sirohastorah parsvakatipadatah sadangani || netrabhunasadharakapolacibukanyupangani || Natyashastra VIII 12-14 The gestural representation is of three kinds viz. Sarira (related to limbs) Mukhaja ( facial) and Cestakrta (by the movements of the entire body). This is in combination with sakhas (hand poses) angas ( major limbs) and upangas (minor limbs). In short Natya has six sub-divisions consisting of angas ( major limbs) like the head, the hands, the hip, the chest, the sides and the feet. For its representation these six major limbs along with the six minor limbs such as eyes, eyebrows, nose, lips, cheeks and chin are put to use. Sthana (The various body poses by virtue of the lower limb position) cari (movements of single foot) and mandalas (series of caris performed together) and gaits (gati) may be included in the Cestakrta. 'There are six kinds of Sarirabhinaya. They are Vakyam, Suca, Ankura, Sakha, Natyayitam and Nivytyankuram. Vakyam is Vacika, which 7. sadatmakastu sariro vakyam sucankarastatha | sakha natyayitam caiva nivrtyankura eva ca|| Natyashastra XXIV 40 19

20 20 consists of various sentiments, meanings mixed up with rhythmic poem and prose both in Sanskrit and Prakrt. The meaning of a word, which is conveyed by Satvika and Angika and is again expressed through words, is Suca. Ankura is that which a highly talented artist automatically brings forth as manodharma. (extempore innovation). Sakha is the elaboration of abhinaya involving head, face, ankle, thigh, hand and foot. Attributing something to a Natya by the hint of abhinaya is Natyayitam. It is a special aspect of time that will survive only till the entrance of the next character. Nivrtyankuram is the mode of acting by which a character is acting a sentence, which is said by another, through Suca, by relating it to himself. Bharata says: - asya sakha ca nrttam ca tathaivankura eva ca | vastunyabhinayasyeha vijneyani prayoktrbhih || angikastu bhavecchakha hyankarah sucana bhavet | angaharavinispannam nrttam tu karanasrayam || Natyashastra VIII 15-16 Angika has got sub-division as Sakha, Ankura and Nrtta. Sakha, as stated earlier, is the gesture, which consists of various poses and utilisation of arms, especially the palms, while Ankura is only an indication that is made on the basis of the meaning of the previous passages of the text. That which is accomplished through karanas and angaharas is Nrtta. The differentiation of Nrtya, Nrtta, and Natya is relevant here. That which demonstrates moods and meanings exclusively through the limbs (Angikabhinaya & Satvikabhinaya) is known as Nrtya. The movements

of the body devoid of all kinds of abhinayas (gestures) in the manner prescribed in connection with Angikabhinaya and do not convey any specific meaning are known as Nrtta. The Natya described by Bharata, consisting of the indication trough gestures of the sentence, meaning and the moods, is employed only in dramas. At present only Angikabhinya is being dealt with here. 21 GESTURE AS A LANGUAGE Each mode of communication has a language of its own. Alphabet is the basic element of a language. Even a single syllable can communicate ideas. But in some particular contexts ideas can be communicated without uttering even a single syllable. Or in other words, gesture begins when vocabulary ends. A gesture by head, hand, eye etc. can do this. People communicate ideas occasionally with the help of a series of gestures. But they do not have a refined style of communication using gestures. It comes only as a subsidiary to spoken language. If observed curiously, it could be found that a fine system of communication, which exceeds the spoken language, can be developed through gestures. Then it becomes an art. This is precisely what Bharata did in his work. Like every language, the 'gesture-language' also has its own alphabet. In a language a group of syllables makes a word; a group of words a sentence and so on. Thus they can give a comprehensive idea of any subject. The 'gesture language' also follows similar system. A single gesture can convey a meaningful idea and a group of gestures, which is

equivalent to a sentence, can be used to convey many ideas. Thus, anything in the world can be expressed by the wilful and systematic use of a group of gestures. According to Bharata all that happen on the stage is a dramatic expression of gesture. The movements of the limbs of the body chiefly eyes and hands interpret the Vacikabhinya performed by the vocalists prominently. Bharata in the Natyashastra developed the idea of gestures by any anga, upanga or pratyanga into a wonderful pattern. Thus, from the practical point of view, in the Natyashastra, the gestures come as a part of Sarirabhinaya. Hastabhinaya is also included in it. Bharata describes hastabhinaya in detail in chapter IX of the Natyashastra He terms the 'gesture by hand' as hasta. It is also called mudra. ufa sfa yer. That which gives pleasure is called mudra. modanat sarvadevanam dravanat papasantateh | * tasmat mudreti sa khyata sarvakamarthasadhini | During the earlier days mudras were connected with the act of worship. By pleasing all the gods and by destroying sins the mudras bring forth the four fold purusarthas. In aesthetic performances the artists contemplate God and try to please people by enacting a character's words or feelings through the mudras. It is believed that such an expression can accomplish the pleasure of Gods, men and even the joy of all the animals of the world. When used as a medium of communication in Natya and Nrtta, mudra is developed to the level of a highly communicable 8. Tantrasamuccaya Patala 10 22

language. Mudra is symbolic and significant when used aptly and effectively. The Natyashastra divides hastas into three types asamyuta, samyuta and nrtta hastas. The first is expressed by single hand while the second, by both the hands to express meaningful words. Nrttahasta is just to add aesthetic appeal to Suddhanrtta. Bharata enlisted 24 asamyutahastas 13 samyutahastas and 29 Nrtta hastas. asamyutamudrah- patakastripatakasca tatha vai kartarimukhah | ardhacandro hyaralasca sukatundastathaiva ca || mustisca sikharakhyasca kapitthah katakamukhah | | sucasyah padmakosah sarpasira mrgasirsakah | | kangulako'lapadmasca caturo bhramarastatha | hamsasyo hamsapaksasca sandamso mukulastatha || urnanabhastamracudascaturvimsatiriritah | Natyashastra IX 4-7 All Indian theatre forms in their essential aesthetic elucidation obey in fundamentals, the Natyashastra of Bharata. The introduction of the mudras into the stage business is a typical contribution of India. Hence Indian works on dramaturgy like the Natyashastra, Abhinayadarpana, Sangitaratnakara etc. seriously and elaborately discussed the structure and utility of the mudra. But many of the mudra used in Kerala theatre are different from those enlisted by Bharata. The Kerala theatre has its own way of expressing 23

the mudras. At the same time it follows the Natyashastra also. This may be because of the fact that they follow a text known as hastamudradipika (Which is popular as hastalaksanadipika ) for the delineation of the mudras. ( Some experts opine that the mudras used in Kerala theatre are codified and made into the form of a text, by an unknown author). This fact is clearly expressed through the performance of Kutiyattom, Kathakali etc.. Hastalaksanadipika is an ancient text depicting the mudras. Date of the text is supposed to be 10" century A.D.. The author, as already mentioned, is unknown. Most of the scholars believe that the author must be a Keralite. No serious study has yet been done on this work. The Hastalaksanadipika (Hasta-Lakshana-Deepika) enlists 24 mudras to be used by single hand (asamyuta) or both hands (samyuta). Most of the mudras bear names similar to those found in the Natyashastra But their applications (viniyogas) are entirely different. th According to the Hastalaksanadipika (Hasta-Lakshana-Deepika) the 24 mudras are. hastah patako mudrakhyah katako mustirityapi | kartarimukhasamjnasca sukatundah kapitthakah || hamsapaksasca sikharo hamsasyah punaranjalih | 24 ardhacandrasca mukuro bhramarassucikamukhah | pallavastripatakasca mrgasirsahvayastatha | punassarpasirassamjno vardhamanaka ityapi || arala urnanabhasca mukulah katakamukhah | caturvimsatirityete karassastrajnasammatah || Tiruvangattu Narayanam Nambisan I 2-5 A mudra has a beginning, a course and an end or fulfil ment.

While a Kutiyattom or Kathakali or any such art form is closely observed, one can undoubtedly feel and experience that a process of coding and decoding is taking place in all the cases. Padartha are coded into the mudras. E.g. lotus, Sun etc. During the performance, the mudras are decoded into the padartha In three ways a padartha can be coded into a mudra. Thus there can be three types of mudras. They are (i) Imitative (eg.lotus), (ii) Suggestive (eg. a bee on a flower) and (iii) Symbolic (eg. a demon, a female etc.) It could be seen that several art forms in the world theatre accepted body language as a strong medium of communication. But mudra as a powerful medium of communication cannot be conspicuously seen elsewhere other than in Indian theatre. It lends Indian theatre an independent and unique existence. It is an asset that Indian theatre ever possesses as far as Indian dramaturgy is concerned. Therefore serious studies and research in this field deserve more attention. 25