Bharatamuni, on whom Indian dramaturgy owes a great debt and whose monumental work is said to be the earliest one in Indian dramaturgy, didn’t leave many clues on his biography. He is considered to be a sage and is dated to be from 2nd BCE to 2nd CE by the modern scholars. But nothing is…
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Valitoruka This is third in the order. Nāṭya śāstra describes the karaṇa as follows. शुकतुण्डौ यदा हस्तौ व्यावृत्तपरिवर्त्तितौ। ऊरू च वलितौ यस्मिन् वलितोरुकमुच्यते।। The Karaṇa is called as “Valitoruka” where the śukatuṇḍa hastas are in Vyāvṛtta and Parivartita mode and thighs (ūrū) are in the valita position. Abhinava gupta further…
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VARTITA This Karaṇa is second in order. Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra defines this karaṇa as follows. कुञ्चितौ मणिबन्धे तु व्यावृत्तौ परिवर्त्तितौ। हस्तौ निपतितौ चोर्वोः वर्तितं करणं तु तत्।। Hands that are bent at the wrist should be rotated in Vyāvṛtta mode and again in Parivartita mode. Then they should be placed on the…
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Karaṇas, the most fascinating subject in the field of Indian dramaturgy, enjoy the attention of scholars. A karaṇa is described as the joined motion of hands and legs. (Hasta-pāda-samāyogaḥ Nṛttasya Karaṇam Bhavet) Such karaṇas are enlisted in the fourth chapter of Nāṭyaśāstra written by Bharatamuni and the chapter itself is named as Tāṇḍava lakṣaṇa….
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