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NANDIKESVARA AND BALARAMA VARMA 26 THEIR VIEWS IN RELATION TO THE HASTALAKSANADIPIKA The presentation, transfer and transmission of knowledge in any branch of wisdom occur through a series of serious teachers and the pupils. In India the entire process is accepted as a divine one and is referred to as the gurusisyaparampara. When the gurusisyaparampara is analysed in large frames of time, one could find different sectors formed through specific periods. Each sector has its teacher and a series of followers. Such a sector develops even into a large school of thought. Later, when sub-sector develop further schools of thoughts are evolved. Each large school which followed a single teacher referred to him as acarya. An acarya's views are learnt by the ensuiving generations. Their views are analysed, interpreted at times rewritten in the light of the experience gained by a pupil or a school during a given period. This is essential, natural and also recommended by Bharata. When we consider the top layers among the disciples of Bharata, over a hundred names have been mentioned. Some authors, for example, P.V.Kane refers to hundred and five disciples as Bharataputras. This shows the intimacy built between the teachers and the taught. Hence it is necessary that a study on any subject must begin by realising the origin of the texts of the subject as originally viewed by acaryas. Among the immediate disciples of Bharata, Dattila and Kohala have written separate treatises. Dattila was a devout follower of Bharata

and never differed from him in his expositions, so that, when later writers wanted anything to support Bharata, they invariably invoked Dattila. Dattila's work embraced music and dancing and its merit is seen from the existence of a commentary on it called Prayogastabaka. Nandikesvara or Nandin was the first to receive the initiation into the science of music from Lord Siva. His views have been referred to by later writers as a school of musical thought alongside of Bharata. While Bharata confined himself to music in relation to drama, Nandikesvara stressed on the musical requisites for cermonials and festivals. Later writers have expressed that Nandikesvara differed widely from Bharata not only in his theories but also in the nomenclature. Abhinavagupta, for instance, quotes a verse as Nandimata in connection with mrdanga. In this discussion the views of Nandikesvara (Abhinaya-darpana) and Kartika Tiruna Balarama Varma (Balarama-bharata) have been considered along with those of Bharata, as the hastabhinaya mentioned in them lie very close to those mentioned in the Hastalaksanadipika (Hasta-Lakshana-Deepika) As the author of the Hastalaksanadipika (Hasta-Lakshana-Deepika) is unknown hitherto, probably an author-based reference could establish the relevance of the prayogas and, viniyogas specified in the Hastalaksanadipika (Hasta-Lakshana-Deepika) NANDIKESVARA AS IN ABHINAYADARPANA Abhinayadarpana is a work on dramarturgy written by Nandikesvara. The date of the Abhinaya-darpana is also under controversy. However, it 27

is assumed that the Abhinaya-darpana was written after Bharata's Natyashastra The Abhinaya-darpana treats in detail with the Angikabhinaya which includes gestures, postures and movements dependent on feet. The gestures include nine gestures of head, eight gestures of eyes and different types of hand gestures. The hand gestures include the gestures by both the hands (samyutahasta), gestures by single hand (asamyutahasta) gestures for representing different gods, the ten incarnations of Visnu, different castes, various relations, nine planetary deities and the method of moving hands in dance. After treating gestures, the Abhinaya-darpana treats postures and various movements of the body depending principally on feet. They are:i) Mandalas and sthanakas or sixteen modes of standing and resting ii) Utplavanas of five kinds or leaping movements iii) Bhramaris of seven kinds or flight movements iv) Caris, and gatis (eighteen kinds of gaits). One peculiarity is noticed in the treatment of the above items. Unlike that of the gesturers, in definitions of various postures (except in the case of sthanakas) the feet movements are not accompanied by their viniyoga (application). An explanation of this fact is available at the end. of the Abhinaya-darpana in the following terms:- 28

"Mandalas, utplavanas, bhramaris, caris and gatis according to their relation to one another, are endless in number and variety. Their uses in dance and drama are to be learnt from the sastra, tradition of the school and through the favour of good people and not otherwise." This probably shows that at a very early time when no work was complied, the uses already recorded in case of the above movements, depended solely on the principle known to teachers. THE ABHINAYADARPANA AND THE NATYASASTRA Bharata-Sastra has been many times referred to as an authentic in the Abhinaya-darpana, and it corroborates the essentials of the Natyashastra, chapters VIII to XI which treat Angikabhinaya in detail. Hence the comparison of the two works is necessary. (a) Head gestures - According to the Natyashastra (ch. VIII) there are thirteen gestures of head which Nandikesvara has only nine. Among them five gestures have common names in both the works; besides this, the names of two gestures agree partially. (b) Eye gestures According to the Natyashastra (ch. VIII), there are three classes of eye-gestures, such as (i) eyes for expressing eight rasas 29 9. manavi gatirityesa prasiddha purvasuribhih | mandalani prayuktani tathaivotplavanani ca || bhramaryascaiva caryasca gatayasca parasparam | ekaikabhedasambandhadanantani bhavanti hi || etasca nartanavidhau sastratah sampradayatah | satamanugrahenaiva vijneya nanyatha bhuvi || Abhinaya-darpana 322-324

(ii) eyes for expressing sthayibhavas, (uninterrupted psychological states) and (iii) eyes for expressing sancaribhavas (complementary psychological states). But the Abhinaya-darpana is not so elaborate in its classification. It enumerates only eight kinds of them. 30 (c) Neck-gestures - The Natyashastra (ch.VIII) enumerates nine kinds of these gestures while the Abhinaya-darpana gives four kinds of them. The two enumerations possess no common name. (d) Hand-gestures - Though the Natyashastra and the Abhinaya-darpana agree in classifying the hand-gestures into three classes, and these three classes possess many common names, they differ as regards the number in each class as well as in their definition and application. (e) Cari According to the Natyashastra, caris are thirty two in number and are divided into two classes; (i) earthly (bhauma) and (ii) aerial (akasagami). But the Abhinaya-darpana has only eight caris and they constitute only one class by themselves. The two works, have no common names in their mandalas. BALARAMA VARMA AS IN BALARAMABHARATA Balaramabharata is a treatise on histrionics, mainly dealing with Angikabhinaya and primarily based on Bharata's Natyashastra and Sarngadeva's Sangitaratnakara. Though the work is based on numerous previous works, it is also the result of the practical knowledge of the author about the Kerala-stage. The Balarama-bharata is, therefore, all the more important for those

interested in the field on Indian dramaturgy. The Balarama-bharata brings forward a general account of the various topics releating to the science of Natya and it presents a detailed analysis of the various techniques of Angikabhinaya. It is well known as the work of Kartika Tirunal Balarama Varma Maharaja of Travancore, popularly known as the Dharmaraja who ruled over the country for forty eventful years from 1758 to 1798 Abhinaya-darpana He was not only a strong benevolent ruler, but also a poet and an artist and a patron of art and literature. The text is not divided into chapters. It is an elaborate description of anga-upanga-pratyanga-abhinayas rasabhivyanjakatva and bhavasvarupa. based on The Balarama-bharata deviates from other texts on dramaturgy in several aspects. It describes 209 sirobhedas, 40 asamyutahastas, 27 samyutahastas, 7 vaksobhedas, 6 parsvabhedas and 9 katibhedas. Unlike the Natyashastra and other texts on dramaturgy it mentions about 14 sthirapadas, 16 asthirapadas and 204 sthirasthirapadas. It does not contain any eloborate description on rasa as Bharata did in the Natyashastra It is remarkble that the laksanas and viniyogas of anga, upanga and pratyanga are assessed based on rasa, sthayi and vibhava. Rasaviniyogacarca (discussion on the application of rasa) has also been done in this work. Netrabhinaya in relation to each sentiment is precisely 31

depicted. In the Balarama-bharata the author gives the definition of pratyanga as bhavarasarahitatvam pratyangatvam | "According to the Balarama-bharata the upangas expose the emotional status which the pratyangas elucidate the meaning with reference to the texual or interpretational contexts. The definitions are more practicalpriented, hence more functional. They do not convey the emotions or varying moods. The author depended on various texts for writing his book. It is sure that the Hastalaksanadipika (Hasta-Lakshana-Deepika) which was popular in his period was also been taken as a standard for his evaluation. What he did was that he accepted and rejected some gestures from the texts available in his time with profound discrimination and manifested new ones with his practical knowledge in the art forms of Kerala theatre. 32 10. upangasya laksanamaha - bhavarasabodhakatvamupangatvam| nayanadisvapyupangesu bhavarasabodhakatvasambhavat| pratyangasya laksanamaha - bhavarasavisesarahitatvam | pratyangesu grivadisu bhavarasavisesarahitatvasambhavat arthakriyamatrakaritvena pratyanganamangatvasambhavat |