18. NĀȚYASĀSTRA 15

NĀȚYASĀSTRA 15

given, if at all, his commentary in an Appendix at the end. On p. 10 of the Intro. to vol. I Mr. Kavi admits that he gave his own commentary in three other cases in the 4th chapter. This is most unfair. An unwary reader, if he has not gone carefully over the Introduction, would easily be misled. In the circumstances described above about the text of the Natyasāstra and of the Abhinavabharati thereon two questions, that are rather puzzling and difficult of solution, arise, viz. what is the original Natyasastra and who is the author. The striking features of the extant Natyasastra1 are: (1) There are prose passages in chapter 6th, 7th (very long ones in both), 14th (about 9 lines on gafa, K. M. chap. 13, p. 216), 15th (four lines on p. 170 on स्वर and व्यज्ञन, K. M. chap. 14 pp. 221-22), 19th (pp. 221-222, 224-25), 28th (several long passages on pp. 318-322 and 326, K. M. chap. 28, pp. 432-439), 33rd ( pp. 433-435, 436, 438-39 several passages of a few lines each, K, M. chap. 34, pp. 611 ff ); 35th ( p. 466 two lines on सूत्रधारगुय, K. M. chap. 24, p. 400). (2) There are at least 15 ślokas and 16 āryas described as ānuvamśya. (3) Several verses are introduced with the words सूत्रानुबद्धे आर्ये भवतः (4) About 100 verses are cited with nothing more than the words भवन्ति चात्र श्रोकाः, or अत्रार्ये भवतः, Or श्रत्र श्रोका: (5) There are over 5000 verses, most of which are in the śloka metre, a few being in other metres such as āryā or upajāti. Each of these features calls for some explanation. (1) The prose passages resemble passages of the Nirukta and are in the sūtra and bhāsya style. For example, the well- known Rasasutra passage in chap. VI may be cited here : 'faeTaT- नुभावव्यभिचारिसंयोगाद्रसनिष्पत्तिः । को वा दृष्टान्त इति चेत्, उच्यते। यथा नानाव्य- अनौषधि ... रसत्वमाप्नुवन्ति । ऋषय ऊचुः । रस इति कः पदार्थः । अत्रोच्यते। Raa I'. Here the first sentence looks like a stra and what follows has the appearance of a bhasya. To take another example: 'व्यभिचारिय इदानीं वच््यामः । अत्राह व्यमिचारिय इति कस्मादुच्यन्ते । वि अभि इत्येतावुपसगों। चर गती धातुः।' &c., chap. VII p.84. Such passages may be compared with the Nirukta (e.g. III. 1 अपत्यं कस्मात् अ्रपतत भवति नानेन पततीति वा ।) or with Sabara's bhasya on Jaimini's sutras I The references are throughout made to the Ch. edition except where it is expressly stated to the contrary.