NatyaShastra

This PPT is only for educational purpose for the students belonging to BMM & FTNMP or other such Professional courses

1. Natya Shastra The Timeless Classic Notes By : Ashish Richhariya Course : FTNMP / BMM Designation : Faculty at Thakur College Of Science & Commerce Query : [email protected]

2. Introduction to Natyashastra The  Natyashastra combines the words  “Natya” , referring to the techniques of dancers/actors and the word  “ S hastra ” referring to science. The text contains elaborate details of acting techniques, costumes, music, musical instruments and make-up and is also the essential social and philosophical foundation of India’s traditional dance forms like the Bharatanatyam, Oddisi and Kuddiyatam . Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

3. Origin of Natyashastra The composition date of  Natyashastra  is unknown, it varies between 500 BCE to 500 CE. The author of the  Natya Shastra  is unknown, and the Hindu tradition attributes it to the  Rishi   Bharata . It may be the work of several authors, but scholars disagree . The word Bharat also means an actor, so some scholars are of the opinion that an unknown actor(s) may have been responsible for the creation of this text.  Written in Sanskrit, the Natyasastra is divided into 36 chapters and 6000 sutras. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

4. Mythological Connection The story goes that Brahma, the creator of the world asked Sage Bharata to write the  Natyashastra .  Bharata took the lyrics from the  'Rigveda , the music from the  Samaveda , the gestures from the  Yajurveda  and the aesthetics from  Atharvaveda  to create the  Natyashastra  which is often referred to as the fifth  Veda. The legend goes on to give an explanation of what happened next. Apparently a performance was created during the banner ceremony of the god Indra, ( Indrodhvaja) , and Bharata’s 100 sons were assigned roles. The female parts were given to the celestial nymphs or  apsaras . However as the performance showed the banner ceremony of Indra, the  asuras  were extremely agitated and created chaos during the show. Rigveda Samveda Natyashastra Samveda Yajurveda Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

5. (Contd.) Hence the show had to be transferred from the open air performance to a closed auditorium. In one way, this was the beginning and start of a proscenium (vertical plane or space) theatre. After this chaos, Bharata goes to explain that the purpose of theatre is to take into account both the evil and the good and it does not show exclusive representation of any one group and represents all groups such as sages, gods and demons alike. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce, Mumbai

6. Structure Of Natyashastra There are total 36 Chapters in the treatise explaining each and every aspect of performing arts. Originally containing 12,000 verses (believed by some scholars), the latest and most studied version consists of 6,000 poetic verses. Predominant number of its verses are in precise  Anustubh meter  (4x8, or exactly 32 syllables in every  shloka ), some verses are in Arya meter (a morae-based Sanskrit meter), and has some text that is in prose particularly in chapters 6, 7 and 28. The chapter division in the book is as follows: The outer and spatial aspects, such as the stage, the theatre building etc. are discussed in Chapters 1–5. Chapters 6–7 discuss the theory of  rasa , i.e. the crucial question as to how to evoke a mood, while Chapters 8–13 focus on the physical acting technique. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

7. (Contd.) The verbal aspect, such as speech and sound, is dealt with in Chapters 14–19, while Chapters 20–21 discuss the types and structure of drama. The outer aspects of acting, such as the costume and the make-up types, are dealt with in Chapters 22–26. More general aspects are touched upon in several chapters, while Chapters 28–33 focus on music. Aspects of the theatre troupe and the distribution of roles are then discussed, after which the focus returns to the very beginning, i.e. to the question of the divine origin of the art of the theatre . Lets see the basics covered in the treatise.   Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

8. Natyashastra Songs and Dance Drama Acting Techniques Music and Musical Instruments Spiritual Value Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

9. Songs And Dance Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

10. SONGS Natyasastra  discusses Vedic songs, and also dedicates over 130 verses to non-Vedic songs.  Chapter 17 of the text is entirely dedicated to poetry and the structure of a song, which it states is also the template for composing plays.  Its chapter 31 asserts that there are seven types of songs, which are   Mandraka ,  Aparantaka ,  Rovindaka ,  Prakari ,  Ullopyaka ,  Ovedaka   and  Uttara .  A song also has four basic architectural  varna  to empower its meaning, and these tone patterns are ascending line, steady line, descending line and the unsteady line .  It also elaborates on 33 melodic  alankaras  in songs. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

11. DANCE Lord Shiva’s ‘ Nataraj’ avatar is said to be the Lord of Dance In the  Natyashastra  the dance is divided into two basic categories; they are ‘ N rtta’  or the abstract, “pure” dance, which does not convey any story or specific mood, and ‘ N ritya’  or dance with  rasa  moods, often serving as a medium to convey a story.  Nritya  is also often called  A bhinaya  . The  nrtta  is constructed of the technique of rendering the rhythm ( tala ) through movements that do not have any specific meaning, and the skill of projecting frozen, sculptural poses within a given rhythmic cycle. In the present dance traditions a dance number or a whole recital often combine  nrtta  dances and  abhinaya  numbers.  Abhinaya  technique in itself is a complicated “science” of body language, hand gestures, and facial expressions culminating in the eye movements. The term  abhinaya  indicates all that which “brings the thing to the audience”. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

12. (Contd.) The Natyashastra defines the basic dance unit to be a  karana , which is a specific combination of the hands and feet integrated with specific body posture and gait ( sthana  and  chari  respectively ).  Chapter 4 describes 108  karanas  as the building blocks to the art of dance . The  Natyashastra  mentions two different dance styles. They are  lasya  and  tandava .  Tandava  is related to the powerful creative and destructive cosmic dance of God Shiva, while  lasya  is said to have been created by Shiva’s spouse, Goddess Parvati. Traditionally these terms are used to indicate the style of dance, i.e.  lasya  is a soft and graceful style, while  tandava  is strong, even aggressive, in style. Both styles can be performed by either male or female dancers . Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

13. Some photos of Lasya and Tandav by Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva Goddess Parvati performing Lasya Lord Shiva performing Tandav Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

14. Hasta Mudras mentioned in Natyashastra Hasta  means hand and  Mudra   means "seal", "mark", or "gesture”. Hasta Mudras are gestures performed with the hands and are used to convey various feelings, or expressions or meanings.  The Natya Shastra describes 24 mudras. In all the forms of Indian classical dance the mudras are similar, though the names and uses vary. There are 28 root mudras in Bharatanatyam dance, 24 in Kathakali dance and 20 in Odissi. These root mudras are combined in different ways, like with just one hand, or with two hands, arm movements, body and facial expressions to make hundreds of mudras . Each finger represents one of the five elements—the thumb is agni (fire), the forefinger is vayu (air), the middle finger is akash (ether), the ring finger is prithvi (earth) and the little finger is jal (water). Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

15. List of Mudras of mentioned in Natyashastra Mudras Mudras in Bharatnatyam Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

16. Music and Musical Instruments Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

17. MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Music has been an integral part of performance arts in the Hindu tradition since its Vedic times , and the theories of music found in the  Natyasastra  are also found in many  Puranas , such as the  Markandeya Purana . It is said that Natyashastra is  the oldest surviving text that systematically treats "the theory and instruments of Indian music”. The ancient Indian tradition, before the  Natyashastra  was finalized, classified musical instruments into four groups based on their acoustic principle (how they work, rather than the material they are made of ). The   Natyashastra  accepts these four categories as given, and dedicates four separate chapters to them, one each on stringed instruments (chordophones), hollow instruments (aerophones), solid instruments (idiophones), and covered instruments (membranophones). Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

18. Classification of Musical Instruments Type of Instrument Sanskrit Name English Name Example Stringed Tata Chordophones Veena Wind Blown (Hollow) Sushira Aerophones Flute Cymbals (Solid) Ghana Idiophones Ghanta(Bell) Percussion (Covered) Avanaddha Membranophones Tabla Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

19. Tata Vadya (Stringed) Sushir Vadya (Wind) Avanaddha Vadya (Percussion) Ghana Vadya (Cymbals) Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

20. Drama Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

21. DRAMA Bharata points out that the word or text is the basis of theatre. The  Natyashastra  thus gives much space to the construction of a play. Its chief protagonist is usually a hero, often a king or a prince, and the five stages of the play are seen from his point of view. They are ( 1) the beginning, ( 2) the effort, (3) the possibility of attainment, (4) the possibility of resolution still overshadowed by conflicts and/or obstacles and, finally, (5) the fruition. Drama in this ancient Sanskrit text, thus is an art to engage every aspect of life, in order to glorify and gift a state of joyful consciousness . It states that the playwright should know the  bhavas  (inner state of being) of all characters in the story, and it is these bhavas that the audience of that drama connects with. Beginning Effort Possibility of Attainment Resolutions with Conflicts Fruition Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

22. (Contd.) The hero is shown to be similar to everyone in some ways, trying to achieve the four goals: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha  of human life in Hindu philosophy, then the  vastu  (plot) emerges through the "representation of three worlds – the divine, the human, the demonic ". The best drama shows the good and the bad, actions and feelings, of each character, whether god or man . Drama represents the truths about life and worlds, through emotions and circumstances, to deliver entertainment, but more importantly ethos, questions, peace and happiness.The function of drama and the art of theatre, as envisioned in  Natyashastra is to restore the human potential, man's journey of "delight at a higher level of consciousness", and a life that is enlightened . Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

23. (Contd.) The audience tastes dominant states of a drama through expression of words, gestures and temperaments. These dominant states are love, mirth, sorrow, anger, energy, terror, disgust and astonishment. Further, there are 33 psychological states which are transitory such as discouragement, weakness, apprehension, intoxication, tiredness, anxiety, agitation, despair, impatience. There are eight temperamental states that a drama can deploy to carry its message .  The text describes four means of communication between the actors and the audience – words, gestures, dresses and  aharya  (make ups, cosmetics), all of which should be harmonious with the temperament envisioned in the drama . Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

24. RASA AND BHAVA Now lets see these 2 aspects which are important in Drama as well as Dance i.e. Rasa and Bhava . Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

25. Rasa A  R asa  ( Sanskrit :  रस) literally means "juice, essence or taste“.  It refers to the emotional flavors/essence crafted into the work by the writer and relished by a 'sensitive spectator' or  sahṛdaya ,  literally one who "has heart", and can connect to the work with emotion, without dryness . The  rasa  theory has a dedicated section (Chapter 6 )   Natya Shastra . However , its most complete exposition in drama, songs and other performance arts is found in the works of the Kashmiri  Shaivite  philosopher  Abhinavagupta  (c. 1000 CE ). There are in total 9 Rasa in Natyashastra. They are as follows: Shringar, Hasya, Raudra, Karuna, Bibhatsa, Bhayanak, Veera, Adbhuta and Shaant. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

26. English Name Sanskrit Name Emotions Expressed Deities Colours Shringar शृङ्गारः  Romance, Love, attractiveness Vishnu Green Hasya हास्य म् Laughter, mirth, comedy Ganesh White Raudra रौद्र म्  Fury Shiva (Rudra) Red Karuna कारुण्य म् Compassion, mercy, tragedy Yama Grey Bibhatsa बीभत्स म् Disgust Shiva Blue Bhayanak भयानक म् Horror, terror Yama or Kala Black Veera वीर म् Heroism Indra Saffron Adbhut अद्भुत म् Wonder, amazement Brahma Yellow Shaant शातम् Peace or Tranquility Vishnu Perpetual White Structure of Rasa Theory Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

27. Rasa theory Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

28. Rasa Theory for Millennials Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

29. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

30. Bhava Rasas are created by  bhavas : the state of mind . According to the  Natyashastra , bhavas are of three types: sthayi, sanchari, sattvika based on how they are developed or enacted during the aesthetic experience. This is seen in the following passage : पुनश्च भावान्वक्ष्यामि स्थायिसञ्चारिसत्त्वजान्॥६.१६ ॥ According to Bharat Muni, the realization of Rasa results from the union of Vibhavas or Sattvikbhaava, Anubhavas and Vyabhikaribhava or Sancharibahva. When Sthayeebhavas unite with others, the three Bhavas, one attains the quality of Rasa. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

31. Types of Bhava Vibhava They are the situations which are responsible to bring out Sthayeebhava. The person in whose mind Sthayeebhava run is known as Allambana Vibhavas. The moonlit, spring, soft breeze, fragrance of flowers are Uddipanana Vibhavas, in other words they are stimuli. Anubhava Their effect is seen upon the character after the emotions arise in the actor(s). They make the spectators feel or experience Abhinaya by words and gestures. Vyabhikari/Sanchari Bhava They are the transitory and temporary mental states. They strike the mind and become the cause of experiencing a permanent mood. They are 33 in numbers. Some of them are weakness, depression, anxiety, despair, etc. also the Sanskrit verse describing all 33 is given below: निर्वेदग्लानिशङ्काख्यास्तथासूया मदः श्रमः। आलस्यं चैव दैन्यं च चिन्तामोहः स्मृतिर्धृतिः॥१८॥ व्रीडा चपलता हर्ष आवेगो जडता तथा। गर्वो विषाद औत्सुक्यं निद्रापस्मार एव च॥१९॥ सुप्तं विबोधोऽमर्षश्चापि अवहित्थं अथोग्रता। मतिर्व्याधिस्तथा उन्मादस्तथा मरणमेव च॥२०॥ त्रासश्चैव वितर्कश्च विज्ञेया व्यभिचारिणः। त्रयस्त्रिंशदमी भावाः समाख्यातास्तु नामतः॥२१॥ Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

32. Types of Bhava - 2 Satvikbhava Physical expression of the feelings of the mind are called Sattvika . There are 8 types which are stated in the below Sanskrit verse: स्तम्भः स्वेदोऽथ रोमाञ्चः स्वरभेदोऽथ वेपथुः। वैवर्ण्यं अश्रु-प्रलय इत्यष्टौ सात्विकाः स्मृताः॥२२ ॥ The list above contains the following 8 feelings: Stambh, Swed, Romanch, Swar Bhed, Vaipathu, Vaivarna, Ashru Pralay. Sthayeebhava These are the permanent or dominant moods. The  Natyasastra  lists 8 bhavas  with eight corresponding  rasas : Rati  (Love) Hasya  (Mirth) Soka  (Sorrow) Krodha  (Anger) Utsaha  (Energy) Bhaya  (Terror) Jugupsa  (Disgust) Vismaya  (Astonishment) Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

33. English Name Sanskrit Name Emotions Expressed Bhavas Shringar शृङ्गारः  Romance, Love Rati Hasya हास्य म् Laughter, comedy Hasa Raudra रौद्र म्  Fury Krodh Karuna कारुण्य म् Compassion, mercy, tragedy Shoka Bibhatsa बीभत्स म् Disgust Jugupsa Bhayanak भयानक म् Horror, terror Bhaya Veera वीर म् Heroism Utsaha Adbhut अद्भुत म् Wonder, amazement Vismaya Shaant शातम् Peace Shaant Rasa and corresponding Bhava Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

34. Bhava Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

35. Acting Techniques Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

36. Basic of Acting Techniques The  Natyashastra  gives four different styles of  natya  or stylised acting: (1) the graceful, (2) the energetic, (3) the grand, and (4) the verbal. The last one is probably is the nearest equivalent to Western spoken theatre . Acting is more than physical techniques or rote recitation, it is communication through emotions and expression of embedded meaning and levels of consciousness in the underlying text . The actor, states the text, should understand the three  Gunas , that is  Sattva  (goodness, constructive, harmonious) ,   Rajas  (passion, active, confused) and  Tamas (darkness, destructive, chaotic) qualities, because human lives are an interplay of these. The actor must feel a specific state within, to express it without . The guidelines in  Natyasastra  employ the ideas in  Yoga  school of Hindu philosophy, with concepts mirroring  asanas ,  pranayama  and  dhyana , both for actor training and the expression of higher levels of consciousness . Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

37. (Contd.) Specific training on gestures and movements for actors, their performance and significance, are discussed in chapters 8 through 12 of the  Natyashastra . Chapter 24 is dedicated to females in performance arts, however other chapters on actor training include numerous verses that mention women along with men. The  Natyashastra  enshrines the male and female actors in any performance art to be the most important .  The brightness of performance, or its lack, impacts everything; a great play that is poorly performed confuses and loses the audience, while a play that is inferior in significance or meaning becomes beautiful to the audience when brilliantly performed, states  Natyashastra . Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

38. (Contd.) According to the  Natyashastra  the actor has four principal “toolboxes” to aid the acting process. They are aharya or costumes and make-up, vachika or spoken or sung words, angika or the various aspects of the actual body language, and sattvika or the expression of inner emotions. The  natya  acting technique described above relies thoroughly on the  angika  body language and the  aharya  expression of inner moods. This acting/dancing technique can be regarded as the  M argi  style, meaning the classical tradition, still represented by the present classical styles, such as  bharatanatyam ,  odissi, kutiyattan, kathakali  etc, all discussed later. The opposite to the  margi  style is the  D esi  style, indicating “regional” or “lesser” styles, not so closely connected to the  Natyashastra  tradition. This classification into the “classical” and “folk” styles is not found in the  Natyashastra  but was created later when several dance manuals concentrated on regional styles.

39. Ultimate Goal: Spiritual Values Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

40. VALUES The  Natyashastra  and other ancient Hindu texts  assert that arts and music are spiritual, with the power to guide one to  moksha , through empowering the concentration of mind for the liberation of the Self (soul, Atman ).  These arts are offered as alternate paths ( marga  or yoga), in strength similar to the knowledge of the  Srutis  (Vedas and Upanishads ).  Various medieval scholars , cite  Natyashastra  and Bharata in linking arts to spirituality, while the text itself asserts that beautiful songs are sacred and performance arts are holy . The goal of performance arts, states  Natyashastra  is ultimately to let the spectator experience his own consciousness, then evaluate and feel the spiritual values innate in him, and rise to a higher level of consciousness .  The playwright, the actors and the director (conductor) all aim to transport the spectator to an aesthetic experience within him to eternal universals, to emancipate him from the mundane to creative freedom within. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

41. Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai

42. By Krupa Dinesh Deshpande Class: SY. BA. FTNMP Div: A Roll no.: 18004 SUB: Drama Production Prof: Ashish Richariya Thakur College Of Science & Commerce,Mumbai