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
8 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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knowledgeable as Bharata. The actors should be competent like the disciples of Bharata and the actresses should be like the apsaras. The instrumentalists should have the qualities of Sage Narada and the gandharvas. The time of presenting a play should as auspicious, for example, as that of the festival of Indradhvaja and the production should start after worshipping the gods. The audience should be clam, respective and sympathetic. Bharata has classified emotions into three main categories- Sthāyi (the static), Sañcari or Vyabhicāri (the transitory) and Satvika (the responsive). The emotions, which are retained in the minds of the audience till rasa is created, are called sthayibhāvas or static emotions. The passing emotions contribute to the creation of rasa is classified as sañcaribhāvas (vyabhicāribhāvas). The physical involuntary expressions, which manifest themselves as a result of the intensity of emotions in the mental plane, are called sātvikabhāvas (responsive emotions). The responsive emotions may also be classified as anubhavas (the consequents) since they also follow the bhāvas or emotions. However, it may be noted that the responsive emotions are involuntary manifestations while the consequents are the results of voluntary expression. 40 Bharata has stated that a configuration of these forty-nine
emotions promotes the creation of rasa in the minds of the sympathetic
audience.
