309. THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 343

THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 343

tuent elements of drama are given there in such details that it is really difficult to believe that such a scientific treatise could be written without any varied and sufficient material, the results of the analysis of which are contained in the work. It is as good as believing that Panini wrote his famous treatise on grammar long before the Sanskrit language, about the different aspects of which he lays down his rules, came into existence. On this point Abhinava is very clear. He draws a distinction between the crude drama and the refined one. The former he calls "Bhanda" and the latter "Naya"1. Similarly he distinguishes an actor in a refined drama from one who acts in what is crude. The former he calls "Mahanața" and the latter "Bhanda". Further, he very clearly says that from the time of Bharata to his days the line of succession of great actors was unbroken2.

The question will naturally arise : if Bharata does not lay down the rules for actors and dramatists, what does he do? Abhinava has answered this question in the very beginning of his commentary on the Natya Sastra. What he says may be put as follows : -

A genius, in order that he may produce finished pieces, requires special guidance on the right lines. The genius of to-day cannot be looked upon as the first of his kind. There have been geniuses and there will be. What a genius of a particular age does is to improve upon the earlier productions of geniuses in the light of the additional facts that have been brought to light. It is, therefore, necessary that a person, who is specially gifted for the production of dramatic literature, should know all currents of thought in the field of drama. He should know the

1. A. Bh., Vol. I. 3. 2. A. Bh., Vol. 1. 4.

344 CHAPTER VI lines, on which his predecessors in that particular field have worked. This kind of information has got the same value to a would-be dramatist as the information regarding all places of halt, men and material taken with, as also those, which were rejected at different stages, in short, the entire experience of the past expeditionists to the Nanga mountain, is necessary for all the future expeditionists to the same, whatever be their zeal, enthusiasm and earnest- ness about the task and howsoever well they may intellectually and physically be equipped for it. Such information will surely make their task easier up to the point, which was reached by their predecessors, and place the destination within easier reach. Thus, the Natya Sāstra is meant to give special instructions in the light of the experiences of the past geniuses to a person, who is really gifted and has particularly got the dramatist's inclination. Just as a special course of lectures to one, who is taking up a special line of research, does not stop him from showing his genius, rather, as experience tells us, considerably helps him in doing so, so does the instruction in dramaturgy.1 And it was with such a view that Bharata wrote his Sūtras. METHOD OF DRAMATISATION. Let us, therefore, see on what lines, he wants the would-be dramatists to be instructed. Suppose some one, specially gifted to write a drama discovers a story, histori- cal or otherwise, fit in every way for dramatic presentation. The question arises: what should he do to dramatise it ? Should he reproduce all the historical facts or should he modify them in some way ? If the latter be the case, on what lines should the modification proceed ? 1. A. Bh., Vol. I. 4.