The Natyasastra of Bharata is a well-known and unique treatise that comprises the whole realm of drama and dramaturgy. In its thirty-seven chapters, it deals with several dimensions of the script (samhita) and performance (prayoga) of drama. It also contains detailed information regarding the culture prevailing in ancient India, especially during the dramatist Bharata's age. This book on Natyasastra highlights various aspects such as mythology, rituals, beliefs, social institutions and norms, arts, and many other elements of social interactions in ancient India. It also highlights material aspects such as clothing, ornaments, hairstyles, toiletry, food, and drinks, as well as linguistic aspects such as norms and patterns of naming and different dialects spoken in ancient India.
Dr. Manjusha Dhananjay Gokhale is a well-known Sanskrit scholar and an authority on Alankarasastra. A gold medalist at the B.A. and M.A. levels, she received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Mumbai for her thesis titled 'Vakrokti-Concept and Evolution'. She worked as an associate professor and head of the Department of Sanskrit at Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai, for twenty-two years. She was a visiting faculty member at the Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai. At present, Dr. Gokhale is an adjunct professor and dean of the Faculty of Arts and Fine Arts at Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune.
Dr. Gokhale received honours and awards such as 'Best Teacher Award', 'Thane-Nagararatna Puraskara', 'Jñanavanta Puraskara', 'Sanskrit Sadhana Puraskara', Late Kamal Tambe Puraskara, Late Indirabai Behere Puraskara, etc. She has co-authored one book and a book in Marathi.
Bharata's Natyasastra reflects several aspects of society and culture in ancient India, and if looked at carefully, it can be treated as an important source of information regarding mythology, rituals, beliefs, social institutions, social norms, and the arts. Trained in various skills of Sanskrit language studies Manjusha Gokhale has been teaching Sanskrit for more than 25 years. She has co-authored a book dealing with the history of classical Sanskrit literature. She has taken up a research project with a view to looking at the Natyasastra for understanding various features of ancient Indian society. She has completed the project during her tenure of scholarship at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute under the Academic Development Programme supported by the Infosys Foundation. This book is an outcome of this thorough research based on sound methodology.
When one looks at ancient texts such as the Natyasastra it is obvious that they deal primarily with the subject of their focus, which is drama. Yet, one can inquire into other aspects that have been discussed indirectly. It is not an easy task since any culture has several interconnected dimensions. Manjusha Gokhale has felt the need to look at a few of these and bring to the forefront what can be done further. She has looked at concepts and myths regarding the deities, semi-divine beings, and spirits (mythology); beliefs, religious practises, and different religious sects; information about different kingdoms and tribes known to the Natyasastra from a geographical point of view; social structures, social practises, patterns of social behaviour, occupations, festivals, sports, and pastimes; the world of courtesans, their clients, and messengers; kings and their regimes; fine arts, performing arts, competitions of plays; purpose of dramatics; material aspects such as clothing, ornaments, toiletry, food, and drinks; and the linguistic aspects including the dialects.
I hope that this book will be an important asset for all students of Sanskrit in general and all those interested in ancient Indian drama in particular.
Bharata's Națyasastra is our precious and unparalleled inheritance. It is very well known as the unique and voluminous treatise comprising of all major and minor topics related to the drama. In its thirty-seven chapters, it deals with each and every aspect of the script (samhita), the performance (prayoga) and audience-response to drama. The Națyasastra has traditionally been ascribed to Bharata-muni. There are different opinions regarding the date of the Natyasastra, however, the fact cannot be denied that the Natyasastra is the oldest extant work on the theory and practice of drama. The Natyasastra not only reflects the genius and scholarship of Bharata, but also his astonishing ability of observation of life around him.
'Cultural studies' is a unique field of study in which culture is understood in the broader sense of a dynamic and complexly patterned way of life. It interprets a text to understand the culture reflected in that text, through practices and processes, beliefs and ideas, social institutions and values. Every literary composition tells us indirectly about the culture prevalent in its times. A cultural study is an important secondary source even for a historian, a sociologist, a linguist and a theologist.
This is a humble attempt towards a cultural study of the Națyasastra. The text of the Natyasastra provides ample data for such cultural study.
According to Bharata, drama is an artistic representation of the three worlds (trailokyasyasya sarvasya natam bhavanukīrtanam- NS. 1.107). Each and every scripture, art, activity, religious practice, sport, emotion, thought, incident etc. are involved in drama -
Na tajjñanam na tacchilpam na sa vidya na sa kala
Nasau yogo na tatkarma națye'smin yanna dṛsyate ||
Hence one would expect that the theory of drama, i.e., Natyasastra, should reflect all the aspects of society and culture in its age.
The Natyasastra meets this expectation. It is a highly significant document that contains detailed information regarding mythology, rituals, beliefs, social institutions and norms, arts and many other elements from which one may glean the culture prevailing in ancient India, especially in Bharata's age. Manomohan Ghosh rightly remarks in his introduction to the translation of the Natyasastra (p. XX) that "the study of the Națyasastra possesses a unique importance for an understanding of ancient India's culture".
A number of cultural studies on the Vedic literature, Ramayaņa, Sūtra-literature, Aşțadhyayī, classical Sanskrit literature are already available. The Natyasastra is also an encyclopaedic source of ancient Indian culture; but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be adequately explored so far.
There are ample editions of the Natyasastra that provide translation and explanatory notes. The Natyasastra has been studied to trace the history of Sanskrit Poetics, Drama and Dramaturgy by Syivain Levi, Keith, Sten Konow, S.K. De, P.V. Kane etc. The theory of aesthetic delight (rasa) in the Natyasastra has been discussed by V. Raghavan, A. Sankaran, R. P. Kangle etc. The detailed information provided by Bharata regarding dance and music is thoroughly explored by Kapila Vatsyayan, Projesh Banerji and other scholars. The scholars like G.K. Bhat, Govardhan Panchal etc. have pondered over Bharata's theatre from technical point of view. Despite this research on the Natyasastra, the cultural data in this voluminous work is yet to be fully explored. So, it is my humble attempt to present a culture study of the Natyasastra (henceforth NS.)
I am aware that I am not the pioneer in the field of cultural study of the NS. I found two books related to the cultural study of the NS. One is 'India in the Natyasastra of Bharata' by Dr. Dileep Kumar Kanjilal. The author has taken a broader view of different aspects of Indian culture that are reflected in the NS.; but it is noticed that he has not analysed all major and minor details provided by the text. The number of actual references given in the footnotes is very less and some facts referred to by the author are hardly found in the text.
Second book is 'A Historical and Cultural Study of the Natyasastra of Bharata' by Anupa Pande. The author has considered prominent details regarding different aspects of culture that are found in the text. She has also put forth her own perspective regarding those aspects which I felt praiseworthy. Ample references are also given in the endnotes. The author has focussed mainly on the theory and practice of drama, dance and music, as well as on Indian aesthetics. Mythological, religious, geographical, social, linguistic and material aspects of culture are given less prominence comparatively.
I felt a need to consider each detail provided by Bharata. There are ample details, though minor, which throw good light on one or the other aspect of culture; but they are not taken into account yet. The present research considers all aspects of culture equally and analyses one and all details (major as well as minor) that are given by Bharata. It mentions each and every detail with exact reference to the text and gives elaborate endnotes and pictures. It compares the information in the text to that put forth by other primary sources and also to that furnished by the sculptures and inscriptions. Thus, the present research puts forth a vivid picture of ancient Indian culture.
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