Natyashastra Analysis

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A Glimpse of Natya Shastra by Bharat Muni The Indian dramatic art is called natya in natyashatra. Shastra is the term accepted in Indian tradition for the holy writ dedicated to a particular field of knowledge. Natyashastra is a compilation of work by various sages but the tradition offers its authorship to sage Bharata. So it came to be called Bharatamuni s Natyashatra. Its date is not definitely known. It is taken as 200 B.C. to 200 A.D. It must have reached its present form sometime during this period. It is an encyclopedic work having 37 chapters and it deals with various topics, which are necessary for the production and presentation of the drama before the spectators. In its first chapter, Bharata gives account of its creation. It is in a mythical form. The natya was created by Brahma, the god of creation, to meet the demand of a plaything a source of pleasure to minds weary of strife, wants and miseries of daily existence. An art form like a drama does it very ably because it has a visual and aural appeal. Any piece of advice communicated through a visual-aural form has more impact on human mind than any other form. A drama, besides offering entertainment, can also influence and uplift the minds of spectators. The four vedas were created by Brahma, but the lower cast and ladies were not allowed to study them. So, the myth says, Brahma created the fifth veda called Natyaveda, i.e. the art of drama, which can be studied and practiced by everybody. While creating this natyaveda, Brahma adopted its constituents from four vedas. Recitation was adopted from Rigveda, music and song from Samaveda, histrionics from Yajurveda and sentiments from Atharvaveda. Subordinate vedas called Upavedas were also connected with natyaveda, e.g. Ayurveda was used to show expressions of diseases, their symptoms and certain mental moods etc. as explained by Charaka and

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