Lecture on Bharata's Natyashastra and Dramatic Forms

Introduction

• The lecture covers 10 dramatic forms (Rupakas) mentioned in Bharata's Natyashastra.
• These forms are meant to be visual art forms.
• The 10 forms include:
  • Nataka
  • Prakarana
  • Bhaana
  • Vyayoga
  • Samavakara
  • Dima
  • Ehamrga
  • Anga
  • Veethi
  • Prahasana

Nataka

• Considered the highest form of drama.
• Based on well-known stories.
• Hero is often a great king, embodying virtues like beauty, nobility, courage, and power.
• Consists of 5 to 10 Ankas (acts).
• Features various Rasas (aesthetic emotions), with a dominant Rasa, often Sringara (erotic) or Veera (heroic).
• Exceptions: Karuna Rasa in some works.
• Subplots conclude before the main plot ends.
  • Metaphor: Tail of a cow.

Stages of a Hero's Journey in Nataka

1. Aramtha - Beginning
2. Yatna - Effort
3. Praptiyasa - Possibility of Success
4. Niyatapti - Certainty of Success
5. Palagama - Achievement of the Goal

Plot Structure (Santhis)

• Mukha - Opening
• Pradimukha - Development
• Garbha - Center
• Vimarsha - Struggle
• Nirvahana - Conclusion

Plot Elements

• Bija (Seed)
• Bindu (Drop)
• Karya (Result)
• Prakari and Pataka (Interludes)

Example: Abhijana Shakuntala by Kalidasa

• Bija: Act 1, verse 11 - Aim for a son who becomes a universal monarch.
• Bindu: Act 2 - Restores story flow.
• Karya: Act 5 - Discovery and recognition of the son.

Prakarana

• Commonplace topics, product of poetic imagination.
• Dominant Rasa: Sringara.
• Hero: Minister, Brahman or Merchant.
• Heroine: Libertine or Noble woman.
• Example: Sudraga's Mircha Kadiga.

Distinction between Nataka and Prakarana

• Nataka: Heroic ideal, focuses on kings and dharma.
• Prakarana: Mirror to the world, society's rank and file.
• Source: Ramayana and Mahabharata vs. Brihat Katha.

Bhaana

• Derived from "Paan," meaning to speak.
• Monologue by a single actor with various characters and situations.
• Only two Sandhis: Mukha and Nirvahana.
• Examples: Upaya Apisarika, Patma Prabhartaka, Dhurta Vitta Samvada.

Example: Dhurta Vitta Samvada

• Narrator spends wealth on gambling and liquor.
• Set in rainy season.
• Desires amusement, ends up in courtesans' street.
• Joins discussion on awkward problems of sex act.

Conclusion

• The lecture provides insight into the structure and themes of classical Indian drama as outlined by Bharata in the Natyashastra.