5. HISTORY OF INDIAN ÆSTHETICS 3

HISTORY OF INDIAN ÆSTHETICS 3

because he recognises dance to be simply an embellishment of Drama.

There is another piece of evidence also in support of the view that Mahesvara was the originator of dance. For, Hindu religious tradition recognises him to be the greatest dancer. He is called Nataraja. And there is an ancient temple at Chidambaram in South India, where he is enshrined in the posture of the greatest dancer (Natarāja). And, as if it were, in recognition of him as originator of dance, the various rhythmical dance poses (Karanas) stand even to-day cut on rocks, with the appropriate verses from the Natya Sastra of Bharata inscribed underneath each posture in the compartments of the eastern and western Gopuras of the temple. Similarly Vișnu is recognised to be the originator of different styles of acting.

Further, Brahma,1 in originating the Natya Veda, is represented to have borrowed its various aspects from different Vedas and their subsidiary branches. Thus, he is said to have borrowed the art of effective speech from Rgveda, music from Samaveda, acting from Yajurveda and Rasas from Atharvaveda. And the treatise on Dramaturgy is called Natya Veda in order to give it the same status as that of the recognised four Vedas. It is called the fifth Veda and is meant not only for the privileged three castes, but also for the fourth caste. Sudra is as much entitled to study it as any Brāhmaņa.

THE QUESTIONS ATTEMPTED BY BHARATA IN HIS NATYA SASTRA

The following questions were put to Bharata by his

1. N.S., 2.

4 CHAPTER 1 pupils after they had witnessed the first drama staged by him :- 1. What1 were the circumstances, which led to creation of the fifth Veda; and for whom was it created ? The reason why they put this question may be stated as follows :- The pupils had witnessed the drama and they had analysed the effect that it had on them. They had realised that it brings about identification with the focus of the dramatic situation, to the effect that the audience realise through experience (because of identification) that the four recognised objects or goals of humanity, (1) Dharma (2) Artha (3) Kāma and (4) Moksa, ought to be pursued. Thus, they had known that it instructs and that, therefore, the work, dealing with the ways and means of presenting it, was rightly called the Veda. Hence the question arose in their minds "Why has the Natya Veda been created ?" For, its purpose to instruct people as regards2 the desirability of pursuing the well recognised goals of human life was already served by the existing four Vedas. Creation of the fifth Veda, therefore, seemed to them unnecessary. Therefore, they asked the question "why was the fifth Veda created ?" But if there be some, who cannot be instructed through the Veda, "who are they ?" Hence the subsidiary question "For whom is it created ?" 2. Into how many parts is this Natya Veda divided ? Are there so many parts that it cannot be fully grasped ? 3. What are the various arts, necessary for the presentation of drama ? Of how many parts is drama made ? Is it an organic whole or merely a jumble ? 1. N.S., 1. 2. A. Bh. Vol. I., 6.