33. 30 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

30 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

edition, but it is possible that by oversight some mistakes occur for which indulgence is requested. The greatest divergence is in the vol. III. of G. O. S. ed. I Ātreya and other sages ask five questions of Bharata, viz. how the Natyaveda came into existence, for whose sake, what its angas (subsidiary matters). are, what are the means for arriving at sure conclusions, how it is to be represented on the stage (Abhinavagupta1 says these questions are not dealt with seriatim, but the answers are scattered over the whole work). The Vedas cannot be studied by śūdras and so Brahmā ordered Bharata to produce a fifth Veda meant for all varnas2; Bharata took the matter to be recited in dramas from the Rgveda, sing- ing from the Samaveda, the abhinayas (acting) from the Yajurveda and the Rasas from the Atharvaveda. Bharata taught Nātya- veda to his 100 sons (pupils): 2 Details of the construction of a theatre (nātya-mandapa, in verses 3 and 6, preksāgrha in v. 7)3; columns («) should be raised; the theatre should have two separate portions and should appear like a mountain cave; pictures should be drawn on the walls and seats for spectators should be made of bricks or wood; 3 worship of several deities such as महादेव, ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, वृहस्पति, गुह and seeking their blessings

I 'वयं तु ब्रम :- नात्र क्रम: कश्चित्। अपि तु यथावसरं महावाक्यात्मना षट्सहत्त्री- रूपंख प्रधानतया प्रश्नपञ्चकनिरुपणपरेण शास्त्रेय तत्त्वं निर्यीयते न तु क्रम: कश्चित। अभिनवभारती, I. p. 8. 2 न वेदव्यवहारोयं संश्राव्यः शूद्रजातिषु। तस्मात्सजापरं वेदं पञ्चमं सार्ववर्णिकम्। नाट्य. 1 12. 3 Vide Dr. Raghavan in 'Triveni' for 1931 on 'Theatre Architecture in Ancient India', last part, pp. 69-77 and vol. V. (for 1932-33) pp. 357-366 and Mr. D. R. Mankad in I. H. Q. vol. VIII. pp. 480-499 on 'The Hindu Theatre'. Acc. to नाटय. 2. 8-11 theatres were of three kinds : विकृष्ट (elongated i.e. rectangular), चतुरस्र (square) and त्रयस्त्र (triangular) and each of these was either ज्येष्ठ or मध्यम or भवर (of 108, 64 or 32 हस्तs or दएडs) and each was measured in हस्तs or दएड (दएड=four हस्तs). मध्यम is the proper one for men and 64 Fas in length and 32 in breadth, as otherwise the speeches will be indistinctly heard. शारदातनय, author of भावप्रकाशन, states that he was taught नाटयवेद by a brahmana दिवाकर who was नाट्यशालापति (भा. प्र. I. p. 2).