Essay name: Hastalaksanadipika a critical edition and study
Author:
E. K. Sudha
Affiliation: Government Sanskrit College (Tripunithura) / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study on the Hastalaksanadipika—a manual depicting the Mudras (gestures) of the Kerala theatre. It is a very popular text supposedly dating to the 10th century A.D. This study also touches the subject of Krsnanattam, Kathakali and Kutiyattam—some of India's oldest theatrical traditions in Kerala.
Chapter 2 - Bharata’s Dramaturgy
48 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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a hairy skin type coat, and makes up his face as a monkey, but in a specific stylised pattern. At any rate the principle involved in stage production is, as Bharata says, that any intimation of objects existing in the world would be in order and may be an accessory in the performance of drama (). While certain things can be successfully produced on the stage, others cannot be. Therefore some accessories are realistic and others, conventional: 23 CONCLUSION
It could be concluded as follows:-
i)
Although a distinction exists between what is naturalistic and what
is purely artifical and adopted as an expedient, the basis of the
whole conduct of the theatre is mimetic fidelity or Lōkadharma.
The primary illusion of the stage subsists within the framework of
Lokadharmi, and theatrical conventions too must obey its laws.
Therefore, while Bharata says that a play should be produced with
due regard for Nātyadharmi ('नाट्यधर्मी प्रवृत्त� हि सद� नाट्यं प्रयोजयेत् [nāṭyadharmī pravṛtta� hi sadā nāṭya� prayojayet ] ') he
gives primacy to लोकप्रमाणं [ǰ첹ṇa� ] 24
AG comments that Natyadharmi must exist in close
correspondence with Lōkadharmi which is the ground on which the
entire superstructure of the drama rests: लोकधर्मलक्षण� [ǰ첹ṣaṇa�] 25 :
23.
24.
लोकधर्मी भवेत्त्वन्या नाट्यधर्मी तथापरा [lokadharmī bhavettvanyā nāṭyadharmī tathāparā ] NS XXIII 199
तस्माल्लोकपॢमाणं हि कर्तव्यं नाट्ययोक्तृभिः [tasmāllokapḷmāṇa� hi kartavya� nāṭyayoktṛbhi� ] NS XXVI 127
25.
लोकधर्मी उक्त� भित्तिस्थानीयत्वेन नाट्यधर्म्या� सहजसंवादिकर्मण� [lokadharmī ukto bhittisthānīyatvena nāṭyadharmyā� sahajasaṃvādikarmaṇa� ] NS XIV 84
80
