Origin of Sanskrit Drama

1.

In Sanskrit literature we have an important branch, i.e. Drama. Natya Sasthra

of Bharatha remains as the earliest source to get an idea on the origin of Sanskrit
Drama. Bharatha in his Natya Sasthra tells about the Vedic origin of Sanskrit
Drama. According to his account the Gods approached Brahma and requested him
to create an entertainment which please their eyes and ears simultaneously –

क्रीडनीयकमिच्छामः दृश्यं श्रव्यं च यत् भवेत्। Brahma accepted the request and
composed the fifth Veda called Natya Veda taking dialogue from Rig Veda, music
from Sama Veda, gestures from Yajur Veda and sentiments from Atharva Veda
and handed it over to Indra.

नाट्यवेदं ततश्चक्रे चतुर्वेदाङ्गसंभवम्। ।

जग्राह पाठ्यं ऋग्वेदात् सामभ्यो गीतमेव ।

यजुरवेदादभिनयान् रसानथर्वणादपि ।।

Indra pleaded inability of Devas to enact the play. The creator revealed the Natya
Veda to Bharatha who with his hundred sons brought it to the earth.

Kalidasa supports this version. He says in his Malavikagnimithram -

देवानामिदमामनन्ति मुनयः क्रान्तं क्रतुं चाक्षुषम्। While Bharatha equates

Natyasasthram with Veda, Kalidasa equates natyam with Vedic sacrifice and there
by suggests that Natya has a religious significance.

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 Some scholars trace the origin of dance to Tandava of Siva. Tradition
relates Sangitha to Rasaa dance of Lord Krishna and Gopikas. All these point to
the religious origin of Sanskrit drama.

11.

Apart from the traditions claiming divine origin, it is possible to trace

historically a religious, and to some extent a secular origin for Sanskrit drama.
There are references in Vedas to music and dance recital during religious
ceremonies. The Rig Veda contains dialogues such as those of Yama and Yami,
Sarama and PaNi, Urvasi and Pururavas. There is impersonation and gestures in
the Vedic rituals. The stories of the puraNas and the Ithihasas like Mahabharatha
and Ramayanam were narrated by professional story – tellers to entertain the
audiens. They must have used some gestures and music to make their narrations
impressive. Thus the origin of Sanskrit drama can be traced to be a happy
combination of music, dance, dialogues, gestures and stories employed both in
religious ceremonies and secular assemblies.

111.

There was a time when some western critics made an attempt to show that
Sanskrit drama had its origin from the Greek drama. Their arguments are based on
certain features such asintroduction of heroic and mythic figures, the division of
the play into acts, all actors leaving the stage at the end of an act, division of
characters into high, low and middle and the word Yavanika used for
curtain.They held that Greek dramas were staged in India after Alexander’s
invasion and that gave rise to Indian dramas.

The mention of the enactment of two plays – Kamsavadha and

Balibandhana – in Mahabhashya of Pathanjali and the fact that ten types of
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Sanskrit drama has been defined in Natyasasthra prove that drama existed in India
even before Alexander’s invasion. From careful examination it can be seen that
similarities are a few and differences are more. Absence of tragedy, non
observance of the unity of time and place etc. Shifting of scenes from earth to
heaven is often seen in Sanskrit drama. Purvaranga is an integral part of Sanskrit
plays. It is entirely different from Greek tragedies. The Greek play were intended
for masses and Sanskrit dramas were presented before men of literary taste and
scholarship. The aim of Sanskrit drama is realization of Rasa and attainment of
eternal bliss through three fold purusharthas i.e., dharma artha and kama. The
Yavanika is the material of curtain brought to India by merchants.

Yet another peculiarity is the length of Sanskrit plays. Chorus is seen in

Greek plays where as recitation of the verses is preferred in Sanskrit drama.
Sanskrit drama has given importance to dancing but Greek drama does not attach
much importance to dancing.

On the basis of above differences the theory of Greek influence can be

rejected altogether.

Elements of plot.

Plot, hero and emotions ( Vasthu, Netha and Rasa) are important
components of Sanskrit drama.

Vasthu, the Plot : The plot is of three types – prakhyatham, kalpitham and misram.
The plot can be drawn either from great narrations, popular stories is prakhyatha
and from the imaginations of the poet is kalpitham. Combination of both of these is
misram. Bharata adds that of rasa is the soul of drama, the plot constitutes its body.

इतिवृत्तं तु नाट्यस्य शरीरं परिकीर्तितम्.

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Netha, the Hero : The hero may be a God, demigod or a mortal. They are of four
kinds-
Dheerodaattha – brave and magnanimous
Dheeroddatha - brave but haughty
Dheera lalitha - brave and graceful
Dheera santha – brave and peaceful
Rasa , the Emotion (sentiment) : Rasa are generated from the bhavas. It is the
sthayibhavas are transformed in to rasa in combination with the vibhava-s
anubhava-s and sancaribhava-s.
There are nine senriments – Sringara, Hasya, KaruNa, Veera, Bhayanaka,
Bibhatsa, Adbhutha, Roudra, santha. Correspondingly there are nine basic
emotions – Rathi, Hasa, Soka, Uthsaha, Bhaya, Jugupsa, Vismaya, Krodha and
Sama. Among these nine , Sringara, Veera, Karuna and Santha – these four could
be developed as predominant sentiments.

Technical part of Sanskrit drama

The five elements (Arthaprakrithi) which constitute the plot are bija, bindu,
pathaka, prakari and karya. An activity is started with a special purpose is karya.
The beginning is bija, the seed , the circumstances from which the plot arises. The
same turns as object or phala at the end. Bindu links one part of the story to
another. Pathaka helps the main topic and prakari is episodical incident of a limited
duration and minor importance which also assists the progress of the plot. Karya is
the object realized at the end.

Arambha, yathna, prapthyasa, niyathapthi and phalagama are five stages

(karya avastha) of the action. The progress of the story is based on the five
components of the plot and five stages in the action. There are five sandhis which

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are performed by combining both( i.e. components of plot and stages in action).
They are mukha, prathimukha, garbha, avamarsha and nirvahana.

Arthaprakrithi + Karyavastha = Sandhi

Bija + Arambha = Mukha , the opening
Bindu + Yatna = Prathimukha, progression
Pathaka + Prapthyasa = Garbha, development
Prakari + Niyathapthi = Avamarsha, the pause
Karya + Phalagama = Nirvahana, the conclusion
In any Sanskrit drama these sansdhis are not seen evidently. They are
assumed and understood.

The following are the distinctive features of Sanskrit drama

1. In comparison with western drama, we can see the entire absence of tragedy.

Drama in Sanskrit has never a sad ending.

2. The lyrical stanza and prose dialogue appear in mixed style.

3. There is a use of Sanskrit for some characters and Prakrit for others.

4. The Vidushaka usually plays a prominent part, while the hero and heroine are

often in the depth of despair.

5. The emotions of terror, grief or pity inspire the audience. They are then

tranquilized by the happy termination of the story.

6. Sanskrit drama is divided into acts. But not into scenes.

7. The number of acts in a play varies from one to ten.

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8. Death is not allowed to be represented on the stage. So also degradation,

banishment, natural calamity, biting, scratching, kissing, eating and sleeping etc

cannot be performed on the stage.

Characteristics of Sanskrit drama

Nandi
All the Sanskrit dramas start a benetlictory verse called Naandi wherein the
dramatist invokes the blessings of his favourite deity. It is defined as

आशीर्वचनसंयुक्तं नित्यं यस्मात्प्रयुज्यते ।

देवद्विजनृपादीनां तस्मान्नान्दीति कीर्तिता।।

It is recited by the stage manager ( Suthradhara) for pleasing Gods and through
their favour, get all the impediments that may arise on the way of staging the

play removed. The word Nandi is derived from नन्दन्ति देवाः अस्यां प्रयुक्तायां

इति नान्दी। It is purely prayer and does not form part of the story. So Sutradhaara,
the stage manager leaves the stage after reciting the Nandi and enters again to
introduce the plot. According to Natyasasthra Nandi should contain benediction
and must mention moon.
Prasthavana
Sutradhara must know every aspect of drama and theatre and so also his
assistants, pariparsvikas. The introduction is of two kinds - Prarochana and
Amukha. If the Sutradhara himself conducts it, it is called prarochana. In amukhah,
he holds conversation with some other character like an actress(nati) or assistant
( Marisha) bearing on the subject to be introduced. In the prologue there should be
mention of Spring or Autumn seasons through which the predominate sentiment

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( Rasa) is indicated. If spring is mentioned the predominant sentiment is Shringara
and autumn is mentioned the predominant sentiment is Veera. The play begins
after the prologue.
Acts
Plot is divided into acts. An act must not be too long.
एकै कदिन संवृत्तं एकनेतृप्रयोजनम्।

बहुपात्रप्रवेशार्हं अङ्कं आसन्न नायकम्।।

The interlude is a
device which is used to communicate the audience certain past or
future events which have direct bearing to the plot. Its representation
on the stage may be unnecessay or sometimes difficult. The dramatist
gets it done through the conv~:rsation of some minor characters
between the acts and sometimt:~b efore the commencement of the
first act.