FROM MY YOUNGEST days, I have enjoyed reading poems and novels, and have relished plays, movies, and dance recitals. Like in the experience of avid readers, I have been able to vividly visualise characters, places, and situations while reading many works; however, there have been instances where the descriptions provided by the poet or the novelist have not created such concrete images in my mind. I have always wondered what makes a literary work render itself like a drama before the mind's eye and what kind of shortcomings deter it from providing such an ani-mated experience. Similarly, many solo dance performances and static paintings and sculptures provide a holistic theatrical experience, while a few others do not.
As a devoted student of the Sanskrit language and its literature, the works of Kalidasa have always had a profound effect on my personality. His epic poem Kumarasambhavam is layered with many aesthetic and philosophical nuances, and every verse is a treat to the heart of the connoisseur. The metaphors and symbolism at the micro and macro levels in the epic are unparalleled. Among other things, I was always fascinated by the dramatic effect of the Kumarasambhavam the epic is filled with action. As I studied many treatises connected with Indian aesthetics, constantly being guided by the stalwart satavadhani Dr. R Ganesh, I discovered that treatises such as the Natyasastra and Dhvanyaloka, amongst others, provide many nuanced tools to analyse and evaluate a work of art. These tools are, in fact, precise, powerful, and versatile. The ease with which one can apply these principles to all works of art - Indian or non-Indian is unprecedented.
The four modes of abhinaya succinctly delineated in the Natyasastra constitute the building blocks of audio-visual effects that a drama, dance, and poem should embody.
Upon going through the treatise as well as the commentary Abhinava-bharati in the relevant sections, I felt my quest to understand what constitutes the dramatic element could be answered by applying these principles of abhinaya. I made one such attempt by presenting a paper in January 2020 at a national conference in Jain University, Bangalore. I received encouraging feedback from the audience, which included Dr. R Ganesh and Dr. Shobha Shashikumar; the panel deemed it the best paper and gave me an award for the presentation. I briefly presented the topic in an online audio series hosted by the Noopura Bhramari, Bangalore and published it as a set of articles in the Prekshaa online journal. After sleeping over the topic for about five years, I have put together the articles and padded them with more mate-rial in the form of the current volume.
A reader who is experienced in reading classical Sanskrit literature and has been exposed to Indian aesthetics may easily be able to relate to the current work. If the reader has prior knowledge of the Kumārasambhavam and the Natyasastra, s/he will appreciate it even better, because the work assumes some background of the two.
N INDIA, BOTH kavya (classical poetry) and natya (theatre INI Iart), aim at telling stories that can enrapture the hearts of the connoisseur, elevate them to a state of über-worldly ecstasy, and thereby help positive values blossom in them. Both work as springboards - rooted in the earth but gently pushing the rasika to heights of great delight. Abhinava-gupta, in his Abhinava-bhārati, succinctly defines kavya as follows -
काव्ये तु गुणालङ्कारमनोहरशब्दार्थशरीरे लोकोत्तररसप्राणके
हृदयसंवादवशान्निमग्नाकारिका तावद्भवति चित्तवृत्तिः ।
Kavya has guna, alaṁkara and enrapturing śabda and artha for its body,and Rasa, which transcends the world for its breath.
Through these media, the kavya resonates with the connoisseur's heart and helps in immersing his emotional landscape in aesthetic pleasure.
Bhatta-tauta, who Abhinava-gupta reveres as his teacher, puts in a nutshell the nature of kāvya and natya
अनुभावविभावानां वर्णना काव्यमुच्यते ।
तेषामेव प्रयोगस्तु नाट्यं गीतादिरञ्जितम् ।।'
The creative (verbal) delineation of anubhavas and vibhavas constitutes a kavya. These very aspects, when put into practice through the audio-visual medium, and bolstered through gita (lyrical music), etc., result in natya. [The bolstering is not just through gita but also through vadya (instrumental music), nartana (dance), and many other subsidiary elements.
All three - kavya, natya, and gita, are charming modes of entertainment, in their own right, and possess features that are unique to the particular form and not translatable.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist