THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF SANSKRIT DRAMAS

 

The dramatic representation ³naaT\yama\´ consists in the imitation of a condition or a state in life ‘AvasqaanauÌit: naaTyama\’ or of an occurrence happening in the world ‘laaokvaR<aanaukrNaM naaTyama\’. The purpose of such representation is set forth thus in Bharata’s NatyaSastra:

‘]<amaaQamamaQyamaanaaM naraNaaM kma-saMEayama\.      ihtaopdoSajananaM QaRitËIDasauKaidÌt\॥

du:Kaqaa-naaM Eamaaqaa-naaM Saaokata-naaM tpisvanaama\. ivaEaaintjananaM laaoko naaT\yamaptnmayaa Ìtma\ ॥

The dramatic representation is to be based on the activities of people of three types – high, middle and low. It must give people good instruction and provide them with cheer, pastime and pleasure. It must afford rest and diversion at the proper hour to those who are afflicted with misery and grief. All these show that the Sanskrit drama is based on actual life and has a realistic touch. When it is mentioned by Bharata that the dramatic representation is intended   to give good advice to people, to provide them with diversion, sports etc. it is suggested that people who witness a dramatic performance are to enjoy it. The individual who witnesses the drama has therefore an emotion aroused in him reaching to aesthetic pleasure.

            The theme ³[itvaR<ama\´ of a play may be based on the traditional source, on the imagination of the dramatist and on an admixture of both. The Epics and Upakhyanas have supplied much material for the dramatists. The Abhij`nanasakuntalam, Vikramorvasiyam, Venisamharam and others illustrate this. Malatimadhavam and Mrcchakatikam are social dramas. Mudrarakshasa is a political drama.

            Next to the plot, the characters come to occupy importance in the Sanskrit dramas. The division of the characters into male and female and into high, middle and low imparts reality to the plays. The heroes are of four types viz., Dhirodatta - ‘QaIraoda<a:’ Dhiroddhata - ‘QaIraowt:’ Dhiralalita - ‘QaIrlailat:’ Dhirasanta - ‘QaIrSaant:’. While heroism and fortitude are common to all, sublimity, amorous gaity, tranquillity and boisterousness are respectively their distinctive features. As lovers, they are of four types viz., Anukta, Dakshina, Dhrshta and Satha. Next to the hero, the Vidushaka plays a useful part in the drama. He is a Brahmin, foolish and is depicted as a minister of love affairs. He talks in Prakrtam. Among the women characters, the heroine occupies an important place. All women characters speak in Prakrtam.

            Next to the plot or Vastu and Neta or hero, Rasa or sentiment plays an important role in Sanskrit dramas. The sentiment of love is the subject of most of the Indian dramas and we very often find the repetition of the same dramatic motif and sometimes of the same dramatic situations in many plays. But the Indian dramatist is rarely excelled in the masterly manner in which he describes the intricate working of the lover’s heart. Rasa or sentiments are nine in number.

‘EaR=\gaarhasyakÉNaa raOd`vaIrBayaanaka:. baIBa%saad\BautSaantaSca rsaa: PaUvaO-Éda)ta:॥’

Sringara or the erotic, Vira or the heroic, Karuna or the pathos, Hasya or the comic, Raudra or the furious, Bhayanaka or the frightful, Bhibatsa or the loathsome, Adbhuta or the wonderful and Santa or the trsnquil are the nine rasas.Four different kinds of dramatic styles are prescribed in works of dramaturgy to suit the various sentiments and they are called Kaisiki, Arabhati,Satvati and Bharati. 

 

            A drama begins generally with a benediction called Nandi - ‘naandI’. The recitation of this marks the end of the observance of certain preliminary ceremonies called Purvaranga performed behind the curtain. The stage manager called Sutradhara enters the stage after Nandi is recited. In some plays he enters the stage and recites it. He then engages himself in a talk with his wife, Vidushaka or friend and makes references to the title and author of the drama. He leaves the stage with his members after announcing the arrival of a character on the stage. This portion is called Prastavana, Amuka or Sthapana. The scenes involving the presentation of death, fight etc. and those difficult and unnecessary in the context are avoided and the information about them is conveyed through five devices viz., Vishkambaka, Pravwsaka, Culika, Ankavatara and Ankasya. The first two are in the form of conversation between two or more characters. The first one is pure (Shuddha) when middle characters speaking Sanskrit take part and is mixed when low characters also speaking Prakrtam take part. The second device, which is not to be allowed in the first act of the play, is only in Prakrtam. The low characters take part in it. The Culika connects any two acts through a speech made behind the curtain. The Ankavatara is indicated by the absence of the characters at the beginning of an act thus showing it to be in continuation of the previous one. The Ankasya makes a reference to what follows in the succeeding act through the characters of the previous act.

            The Sanskrit drama does not observe the unities of time and place in the western sense. Some plays, for instance, Sakuntala cover the incident of several years. The scene of action also changes very radically sometimes from earth to heaven. The unity of action too is not observed in the strict Aristotelian sense that only one central action is to be depicted; for two or even three parallel plots are interwoven in the same play occasionally. Thus in many respects the Sanskrit drama bears greater resemblance to the Elizabethan plays than to the Greek comedy.