Paper: 1

Detail Study Of Natyashastra, Specially Dance Related Chapters And

Sangita Ratnakar

Module 9 Preliminaries Of The Play: Purvarang And Nandi Their

Practice And Relevance In Today’s Dance And Drama

The preliminaries to a dramatic spectacle had a very old tradition,

almost co-terminus with the beginnings of natya. The Natya Shastra

devotes a whole chapter to the description of the purvaranga.The

items of purvaranga can be grouped in two parts: the first nine that

are supposed to be performed antar – yavanika, not before the

spectators; and the latter nine or ten which are presented bahir –

yavanika, directly to the spectators.

Preparatory items

Group I consists of the following items presented in due order:

1. Pratyahara: As per the Natya Shastra’s definition, this means

distribution of the musical instruments and seating

arrangement of musicians at the back of the stage. At the

beginning of the performance the musical instruments are

brought out on the stage and the musicians and singers take

their specially assigned seats. Their places are arranged near

the wall and between the two doors of the nepathyagruha.

This special arrangement of the musicians, their

instruments and the singers is called kutapasyavinyasa.

2 Avatarana: In the second item, avatarana, the singers,

especially the female singers, come out on the stage and

occupy their assigned places. In pratyãhãra, the musical

instruments are brought out and placed in their assigned places

by the musicians and, in avatarana, the vocal singers come out

on the stage to take their special places.

3 Arambha: This is commencement of the vocal exercise in

singing. The songs which are to be sung during the

performance are based on svara-patterns. The singers try out

these svaras in this item, apart from the words of the songs.

This svara-ãpa is àrambha.

4 Ashrãvanâ: It consists in adjusting the musical instruments for

playing them in due manner.

5 Vaktrapani: This is trying out the drum-beats in preparation of

the rhythm-patterns (tãla) to be used. Moving the fingers and

the palm of the hand over the surface of the drum (mrudañga)

to test its tuning and trying the rhythmic pattern is technically

what is called vaktrapàni.

6 Parighattana: Tuning the strings of the lute in order to bring it

in harmony with the music to be presented is done in this item.

7 Samghotana: In this item preparation is made for rehearsing

the different hand-poses to be used in marking time on the

percussion instruments.

8 Margasãrita: So far the different instruments are separately

set, tuned and tried. In this item, the drums and stringed

instruments are, for the first time, played together, both for

testing the musical harmony and also as a preparation of

musical rendering.

9 Asàrita: The definition says that this item is intended to show

the division of rhythmic beats in a measured portion of time.

But we can see that all the items so far indicate a musical

preparation and this is followed by gita-vidhi, presentation of a

song. Asãrita must therefore be regarded as the beginning of

the first full musical piece, vocal and instrumental, which

develops into gitaka.

Thus, the first group of the pürvarañgaangas is devoted to arranging

the instruments on the stage, tuning and adjusting them, trying them

out separately, and doing the preliminary vocal ãlãpa; with this

preparation done all the instruments can be played together; and

this would be followed by rendering a full musical piece comprising

singing of songs to the accompaniment of svara-vadyas and the tãla-

vädyas. This gita, fully rendered vocally and with instrumental

accompaniment, marked a hiatus between the two groups of

pürvarañga items. It is called nirgita and bahirgita.

Presented items

Group II of the pürvarañga items comprises nine angas and they are

intended to be presented before the spectators. These, in due order,

are:

(1) Utthãpanã: This anga is so called because the technical

preparations being over and full music being presented, the

performers are now ready to present the following añgaswith the

mode of drama, that is to say, using recitative portions and acting.

This is the base of play-production and since the purvarañga items

are now raised to the level of dramatic and representational

technique, the opening añga is rightly called utthapanã. It is an

establishment of the dramatic mode which will have to be used in

the entire play-production.

(2) Parivartana: Musically, parivarta is a round of four sannipãtas or

rhythmic beats, each having eight kalãsor mätras. As a performance,

the Sutradhara offers here salutations to the deities in the four

quarters as well as the principal deities of the nãtya by walking round

the stage with graceful dance-steps. The movements are connected

with the musical rhythmic beats. Four parivartas make up this item.

(i) The first parivarta is purely musical and is performed in slow

tempo (sthita or vilambitalaya); at the end of the third sannipãta,

the drums are played together.

(ii) The second parivarta is performed in middle tempo

(madhyalaya). At the end of the first and the beginning of the second

sannipãta, the Sutradhara enters the stage with his two assistants

(pãripãrshvika). The Sutradhãra carries the flowers, the assistants

hold a water-jar and the jarjara respectively. All are consecrated,

purified, clad in white garments; they hold the Vaishnava pose with

all the grace of the body, have a pleased look and the adbhuta

glance.

The Sutradhara then takes five steps forward, in measure with the

musical beat and using the dance mode, to approach the Brahma-

mandala located at the centre of the stage. He offers the flowers in

the mandala. Then he performs three salutations, apparently for

Brahma, Mahesh and Vishnu, the principal deities of the nãtya.

(iii) In the third parivarta, the Sutradhãra circumambulates the

Brahma-mandala. The walking round is done by using suchichari and

vedha, that is, a dance mode. Since the three vandanas are done by

touching the head and the joined knees on the ground, a ceremonial

purification is done calling the assistant holding the water-jar near,

by sipping water (ächamana), and sprinkling it on the body. The

Sutradhara then takes up the jarjara, at the exact moment when the

musical sannipata comes. The third parivarta is done in fast tempo

(drutalaya) and the performance here begins with pradakshina and

ends with jarjara-grahana.

(iv) The fourth parivarta is done in fast tempo. The Sutradhara holds

the jarjara like a balance and sacred formulas and verses are

addressed to itas part of ritual worship,

The Sutradhara then moves back towards the musical orchestra,

beginning the foot movement by lifting the left foot, followed by the

movement of the right foot, thus reaching back in five dance steps.

Like the jarjara, the kutapa also is offered ceremonial worship.

At this time, a parivartanidhruvã in atijagati metre is sung. The

Sutradhara follows the music and rhythm of the dhruv song to walk

with graceful dance steps in each direction in order to offer

salutations to the four guardian deities of the quarters: Indra (east).

Yama (south), Varuna (west) and Kubera (north). These salutations

are done by taking three steps, starting with the left and turning on

the right foot, towards a particular quarter. Isha or shiva is to be

saluted with ‘masculine’ (right) step forward, Janardana or Vishnu

with ‘feminine’ (left) and Brahrná with ‘neuter’ step (right foot not

much lifted up).

When the Sutradhara has finished this performance, a fourth man

(chaturthakära) enters the stage with flowers. He is to offer

ceremonial worship to the jarjara, to the musical orchestra and the

musicians and also to the Sutradhàra. The foot movements of the

fourth man during this worship have also to be arranged to

synchronize with the playing of the drums. No song is sung here; only

meaningless syllables are recited along with the instrumental music.

The fourth man makes his exit when he has completed the worship.

The performance is concluded by singing an avakrustädhruvà in

chaturasratãla and in slow tempo.

The parivarta uses a musical quartret. Each line is played in eight

kalãs, at the end of which comes the sannipãta (rhythmic clapping).

This means that the total duration of each parivarta is thirty-two

kalãs. It is within this musical time that the performances assigned to

each parivarta have to be completed.

(3) Nãndi: As per definition, the nãndi is a benediction, a verse

containing veneration and praise offered to gods, brahmins, king and

men connected with the playhouse, including the poet, producers

and spectators.

(4) Shushkãvakrstã: The singing of the nãndi is followed by a dhruvã

song. It is called Shushkãavakrushtrã; Shushkã or dry because it uses

meaningless syllables to sing the melody; avakrsta signifies a

particular class of metrical composition. The Text describes it with

some details. The main and only purpose of this dhruva seems to be

to lead musically to the next item, where verses in honour of the

jarjara are to be recited. This is the reason why it is described as

jarjara-shloka-darshikã in the Text.

(5) Rañga-dvara: This anga is called ‘a gateway to stage production’

for the obvious reason that the elements of histrionics pertaining to

recitation and body movements and gestures are, for the first time,

used while doing the performance. The item includes the following: a

verse recited in solemn tone in honor of the deity whose worship is

currently held; alternatively, a verse in praise of the deity

worshipped by the king of the place where the performance is held;

or it may be in praise of god Brahma. Then the verses for jarjara are

recited: one set from the earlier jarjara-püjàas a prelude to the next

item chari and another set of verses, similar in content though not

using the same words, as a part of rañgadvãra.

(6) Chari: It is essentially a foot-movement in dance technique and is

used here to evoke the sentiments of love and terror.

After addressing the verses of praise to the jarjara, the Sutradhara

bends it low. At this time the two assistants move back to the west.

This means that the chari (also the Mahãchãri) is to be presented by

the Sutradhara alone. Here additàdhruvã is sung, which apparently

was used for the làsya dance which Shiva performed with Uma. It is

to be understood that the poses and movements that the Sutradhara

uses in-the performance of the chari are feminine, graceful and

attuned to the sentiment of love.

(7) Mahachari: It is similarly performed by the Sutradhära alone. But

since it is to evoke the sentiment of fury, there is an appropriate

variation. The dhruva used here is caturashrã. It is presented in fast

tempo and the Sutradhara’s steps are accompanied by drum-beats.

He moves five steps forward as before, but the steps are wide.

Keeping his face towards east, he again takes three more steps, the

foot movement beginning with the left, followed by the right. Then

he is to recite a verse depicting the furious sentiment, as he brings

his feet together. After the recitation he moves back three steps, in

order to present the next item with the help of his assistants.

(8) Trigata: Literally it means, ‘what pertains to three’, the three

men’s talk. The Sütradhara and his two assistants enter into an

amusing conversation at this stage which suggestively leads to the

establishment of the dramatic theme and composition taken up for

production. The Vidushaka is for the first time mentioned here and,

obviously, he is one of the two assistants who has been present on

the stage all along with the Sutradhara but who now plays the role of

a jester.

The Vidushaka’s talk is full of inconsistent statements,

argumentative, using enigmatical or equivocal statements. He is also

to indulge in clapping of hands when he has asked a question or

made an argument.

The añgas of the pürvaranga, up to this stage, have been purely of

ritual and musical nature and aimed at entertainment. Trigata and

prarochanà that follows it have a different objective and directly

relate to the business of drama production. It is also to be presumed

that the trigata must have used some form of Prakrit or the spoken

language, at least for the Vidushaka.

(9) Prarocanà: This is, in fact, the last item of the pürvarañga. The

‘laudation’ or ‘pleasing appeal’ consists in the Sutradhara inviting the

spectators to witness the dramatic performance. In order to ensure

success for his production he hints, once again and directly, at the

plot of the play. He appeals to the audience; and if his word merely

were not enough, be would use proper reasoning and arguments to

justify the spectators, interest in and attention to the production.

Prarochanã, thus, consists of two parts: an invitation and appeal to

the audience, and a direct hint at the theme or content of the play. It

is possible to combine the two parts in one reasoned statement; but

the double function need not be ignored.

After this invitation and appeal, the Sutradhara returns to the

greenroom with his assistants after completing the pürvaranga, and

another member of the troupe, called Sthapaka, enters the stage to

introduce the play. This Sthapaka or Kvyaprastavaka as he is also

called, resembles the Sutradhara in all respects; that is to say, in

make-up, costume, movements and gaits, and in the manner of

delivering speeches, he imitates the Sutradhara. He enters the stage

to the tune of an appropriate praveshikidhruvã, sung in middle

tempo. He too performs the chari and recites verses in praise of gods

and brahmins, verses which are sweet and capable of conveying

varied sentiments; as part of the chari and mahãchãri, these are

expected to convey the emotions of love and heroism. It is possible

also that he sings a song to induce receptive mood in the heart of the

audience. This performance of pleasing the audience (ranga-

prasãdana) is similar to the prarochanà of the pürvaranga.

The Sthàpaka then turns to his main business of introducing the play

and the playwright : (1) He is to declare the name of the poet; (II)

then introduce the particular play in production, speaking about its

content and possibly of the characters that figure in it, as they

happen to be divine, human or mixed according to the theme; (iii) he

is, then, to open the play, that is, suggest the opening scene using

different devices for such a purpose, alluding to the ‘beginning’ and

the seed of the dramatic plot. When this is over he leaves the stage.

Varieties of Purvaranga

The Natya Shastra, first speaks of two varieties of Purvaranga,

Caturasra and Traysra. The angas and the prescribed musical

measures described so far refer to the caturasra variety. The angas

and their performance in the traysraa variety are similar. The

difference comes in the employment of the instruments,

movements, dhruva songs, tala or the musical measure and rhythm.

There is a shortening.

Two other varieties -- suddha and citra -- are mentioned and the

latter is described in detail. In the citra variety of purvaranga there is

considerable music and dance. The name citra is obviously due to the

picturesque appearance of celestial persons and the variety of song

and dance used in the performance.

The suddha variety naturally would not use such elaborate song and

dance; and this is what distinguishes it from the citrapurvaranga.

Apparently both tryasra and caturasra varieties may be presented as

‘pure’ or ‘picturesque’. But since tryasra uses abridged measures of

time, it appears that only the caturasra was treated as suddha and, if

time permitted as citra also.