46. NĀȚYASĀSTRA 43

NĀȚYASĀSTRA 43

The upper limit of the Natyasastra cannot be fixed with any certainty. We can only try to fix some probable limit. The नाट्यशास्त्र mentions विश्वकर्मा on architecture and house-building (2. 7 and 12), Purāņas (14. 46 and 27.59 in G. O. S.), Pūrvā- caryas (15. 22 on शब्दलक्षय), कामतन्त्र (23.37 and 52 of G.O.S.), बृहस्पति (24.88 of GOS and 34.79 on अर्थशास्त्र), नारद (32. 1 on ध्रुकाs and 32. 484 on गान्धर्व), तएड (4.17 on अकहारs), पाशुपत (in 13.85), शबर, आभीर and द्रविड (in 18. 36), शक (18. 40). But all these details cannot lead to any certain inference about the date of the नाट्यशास्त्र. They, however, make it probable that the present Nātyaśāstra is not much older than the beginning of the Christian era. The lower limit can be indicated with more assurance. The evidence for the lower limit may be briefly set out here : (a) Kālidāsa's verse in the Vikramorvaśīya (II. 18) already noticed (p. 11) leads to the inference that before 450 A. D. at the latest Bharata had been regarded as founder of the नाटयशास्त्र, had spoken of only eight rasasa and had performed a drama before the gods. So this vouches for the existence of the legend in the first chapter and the discussion about rasas in the 6th chap. In रघुवंश 19. 21 there is a reference to खसिंडता नायिका, which reminds us of the eight नाथिंकाs enumerated and defined in नाट्यशास्त्र 31. 109-110 and the following verses. Sim- ilarly, in रघुवंश 19. 36 (अङ्गसत्त्ववचनाश्रयं मिथः स्त्रीषु नृत्यमुपधाय दर्शनम) there is a conscious following of नाटयशास्त्र 24. 1 (सामान्याभिनयो नाम शयो वागङसत्त्वज:). (b) The कुट्टनीमत speaks of the नाटयशास्त्र as ब्रह्मोक्त (in v. 75), which is a reference to chapter one, and in verse 946 (Kaga- रुपदिष्टं क्ितिपतिनडडुषावरोधनारीणाम।) there is a clear reference to the legend in the last chapter (36. 48-61) about agT and the sons of भरत. In numerous other places the कुट्टनीमत refers to subjects that are dealt with in different chapters of the present aTTTET, e. g. verses 791-92 refer to ख़सिडता and कलहान्तरिता for which नाट्य- ₹TTE 22. 216-217 (in vol. III of GOS.) and the following verses may be compared. Verses 881 and 928 refer to the singing of Dhruva called Pravesiki when the Ha4t is to enter the stage and the नैष्क्रामिकी ध्रुवा when all characters left the stage at the end of the Ist Act of the Ratanavali. This is a pointed reference to chap. 32 verses 335 and 336 where both these occur and are des- cribed. Verse 805 of the कुट्टनीमत refers to स्रास्विकभावs (for which