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
5 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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4
. A comparison of the mythological elements of the NS with those in Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata shows that these are similar in nature. 37 5.
The author of the NS mentions an Arthasástra. Bhasa once
mentions the NS. M.M. Ghosh again discusses whether it should be
assigned to Maurya period (324 -336 B.C.), as the geographical data
seems to point in this direction. On the basis of areas mentioned
for the production of styles, he concludes it to be written in 500
B.C.. As it mentions Sakya-Sramanas it cannot be assigned to a
date much prior to the Mahāparinirvāṇa of Buddha. In the
opinion of "Keith it appears clearly to be based on the
examination of a dramatic literature, which has been lost, eclipsed
by the perfect dramas of Kāḷidāsa and successors. The Prākṛts
recognised by the NS are clearly later than those of Asvaghōṣa and
more akin to those found in Bhasa. The NS again recognises the
use of Ardhamâgadhi, found in these two dramatists but not later,
while like them he ignores the Mahārāṣtri of the later dramas. He
further points out that allusion to the NS by Bhasa" shows; it is
most probable that both he and Kāḷidāsa had knowledge of the proto-
type of the present text. Thus there is nothing to contradict about
the date thus vaguely indicated by Jacobi in his introduction
to Bhāvisaṭṭaka which is suggested to be in the 3rd century A.D.
A.B.Keith, SKD.OUP Reprint (1954), pp.291ff
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12.
Bhāsa Avimāraka Act II
