Spectrum of Sanskrit Drama by Dr Swati Joshi

 Broad-Spectrum of Sanskrit Drama 

Dr Swati Joshi 

Shrimad Rajchandra Vidyapeeth

 Dharampur

India has rich heritage of Sanskrit Literature, mainly drama which contains lengthy history. Poetry itself is a part of Drama. Sanskrit dramas are somewhere in unseen obscurity a dilemma where no one can give the authentic information about Sanskrit Literature as in form of drama. But it is believed that the dramatic performance was a part of early Vedic period.  References can be seen in festivals, religious process where the legends are seen in form of drama and mime. Sanskrit Dramas are not written for specific audience, time and places and it can be said that Sanskrit dramas has universal touch that talked about morals, personal and social ethics, principles of decorum and the message for living being that provide motivations for social customs and observances and the sanctioned and ethical rules of society by which people conduct their lives. Sanskrit dramas construct and encourage ethical values for the society and human beings. It shows the difference between virtue and vices and deals with social norms created to maintain harmony among social, religious, spiritual, cultural, and mythical inheritance of people. Sanskrit dramas are full of different emotions of human being. Sanskrit dramas were written and performed to explain the recognition and significance of artistic happiness. The aim of Sanskrit Drama is to attain synchronization out of the broad trap of commotion and to create tranquility out of disorder.  Sanskrit Dramas are like an art and the utility of art is not to create confusion for the spectators but to support to emerge from the stumbling block and to achieve serenity against communal, financial and biased belief.  It can be said that an art can be the soothing and remedial medication which is executed by Sanskrit Dramas.  Sanskrit Dramas are combination of dance, music, gesture, imitation and action which is the summit structure of art. Sanskrit dramas are countless and diverse having one act play to very full length play. Sanskrit Dramas contain best poetical composition. Even one can say that primitive stories are in form of a drama because we need intermediary to articulate something and drama is the most excellent approach at that time to convey the message.  

Daniel   H. H. Ingalls has written

“The Sanskrit play is not a drama, for the word drama means action and can only refer to a piece where action and the conflict (agonia) of character and principle are essential factors of the piece. The Sanskrit play has been described by those who best know it, as a Drsyakavya, a spectacle poem. Their text is lyric rather than dramatic and this text functions as an accompaniment to pantomime, dance and music. The object of this combination of arts is the unfolding of mood (rasa). Always it is mood rather than plot which determines the context and selection of a sanskrit play. The mood of love (srngara), for example, must be furnished in both major varieties as love- in- enjoyment (Sambhoga) and love in Separation (Vipralambha/Viraha)”1 

Professor Pischel was of the opinion that the puppet plays were the foundation of Sanskrit drama. It can be said that the root of drama is derived from dance. The Sanskrit word for drama is Nataka or Natya- perhaps a wider expression of the drama because it represents different situations in life. Nata means the actor and Natya means mimic. The word Nart resembles to dance. Natya is called Rupaka that means a subject matter which is represented by actors assuming meticulous disposition and which has Rasa and attitude for its substratum, is divided into ten classes and also called Rupa which means it has Drisyata or the capability of being seen.  Uparupakas means Minor Drama contain eighteen species and in that Natika, such as Ratnavali, Viddhaslabhanjika, Trotakas such as Vikramorvasiya is mainly essential. 

As Bharata’s saying that Drama arose out of the desire of the gods who prayed to Brahman in these terms -

“We want an object of diversion which must be audible as well as visible.”2 

The sagacious Bharata is the originator of the skill of music, dramaturgy and his work called the Natyasastra. Bharata believed in the Vedic origin of Sanskrit drama. King Indradev with other Gods called Brahama, the maker and requested him to organize a source of entertainment for all the social classes and Brahma has to create new Veda called Natyasastra with similar essential qualities from Vedas for all as well as for Sudras as they were not permitted to deal with Vedas.  Brahama composed the fifth Veda with the help of Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.  Brahma took dialogue from Rigveda, music from Samveda, the art of demonstration and simulation from Yajurveda and sentiments from Atharvaved and gave it to Indradev.  The maker then delivered the Natyasastra to Bharata who transported it to the earth with his hundred songs and for making it complete added Kaisiki Vratti, which were endorsed by Apasaras.  Afterward, they manufactured the Natyagrah and further the Rangapooja. 

As Bharata says,

“The poet should write plays that are well knit through the Junctures (sandhi) easily stage able, delightful, and full of mild words. The situation of man, arising out of pleasure and pain and related to many people should be there in the drama and again, ‘The presentation of human nature in its various conditions through histrionic devices is called drama.”