W2.3 - Daśarūpaka: Ten dramatic forms - Part I -Exploring Bharata's Natyashastra and Drama Forms

Sep 4, 2024

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.