School of Indian Aesthetics) Which Was Later Elaborately: ND ND

Natyashastra
Attributed to Bharata Muni

(2nd BCE to 2nd CE)
• The foundation of the Indian aesthetic theory can

be traced to Bharatamuni’s Natyashastra in which he
gives his theory of theory of Rasa(1st school of
Indian Aesthetics) which was later elaborately
developed by learned scholars.
• Natyashastra is the most detailed and elaborate

of all treatises on dramatic criticism and acting ever
written in any language and is regarded as the oldest
surviving text on stagecraft in the world. (2nd BCE to
2nd CE)
• Bharata muni in his Natyashastra demonstrates

every aspect of Indian drama , covering areas like
music, stage-design, make up, dance and virtually
every aspect of stagecraft.
• With its wider scope Natyashastra has offered a

remarkable dimension to growth and development of
Indian classical music, dance, drama and art. Hence it
is certainly not an overstatement to say that
Natyashastra indeed laid the cornerstone of the fine
arts in India. The commentaries on the Natyashastra
are known, dating from the sixth or seventh centuries.
• However Abhinavabharati (10th -11th CE) is

regarded as the most authoritative commentary on
Natyashastra as Abhinavagupta provides not only his
own illuminating interpretation of the Natyashastra,
but wide information about pre-Bharata traditions as
well as varied interpretations of the text offered by
his predecessors
• Written in Sanskrit, the vast treatise consists

6,000 sutras. The Natyashastra has been divided into
36 chapters, sometimes into 37 or 38 due to further
bifurcation of a chapter or chapters. The title can be
loosely translated as "A compendium of Theatre or a
A Manual of Dramatic Arts".
• Natyashastra consists of four elements namely

• pathya or text, including the art of recitation and
rendition in performance taken from the Rig Veda.
• The other one is gita or songs, including
instrumental music from the Sama Veda,
• abhinaya or acting, the technique of expressing
the poetic meaning of the text and communicating it
to the spectator from the Yajur Veda, and
• rasa or aesthetic experience from the Atharva
Veda.
• it is the anukirtana of bhava i.e `re-telling` of
emotive states in order to create a new world of
`imagination`.
• The background of Natyashastra is framed in a

situation where a number of munis approach Bharata
to know about the secrets of Natyaveda. The answer
to this question comprises the rest of the book. Quite
ideally therefore narratives, symbols and dialogues
are used in the methodology of Natyashastra.
• Natyashastra opens with the origin of theatre,

beginning with inquiries made by Bharata`s pupils,
which he answers by narrating the myth of its source
in Brahma. He also explains the very nature,
objective, and expanse of natya as a Veda through
this unique myth
• Brahama states, "Hence I have devised the
drama in which meet all the departments of
knowledge, different arts and various actions..."
• Bharata clearly states,

• Na ta gyaana na ta shilpa na sa vidya na sa
kala/
Na sa yogo na tat karma yan natyesmin na
drsyate // NS 1.116.
[There is no wise maxim, no learning, no art or craft,

no device,
no action that is not found/reflected in the drama.]
• In the history of Indián aesthetic thought, the

concept of rasa
is the oldest since Bharata himself gives in his
Natyasastra some cita-
tions from earlier works which already refer to rasa.
His greatness lay
in giving it a vítal and centrál place in his scheme of
tenfold plays and
explaining it in terms of vibhava, anubhava and
yyabhicaribhnva schemati-
cally.
• It appears that all the elements in a play, námely

plot, characterisation, style, setting and acting are
governed by the dictates of rasa.
• His famous rasa-sutra led to diverse explanations
at the hands of láte
philosophers, the chief of whom are Bhatta Lollata,
Sankuka, Bhatta Nayaka
and Abhinavagupta.
• The Other Four Schools of Indian Aesthetics

Dhwani School – Theory of Meaning
Alamkara School-
• Bahamana and the Alamkara Shastra
• Pure art of Poetics
• Stress on ornamentation of form
• Poetic Excess
• Riti
Vamana and Riti
Riti as the soul of Kavya
– Vaidharbi
– Panchali
– Gaudi
Auchitya
• Kshemendra and Auchitya School of Thought
• Inner harmony of a work of art
• Rule based aesthetics
• Inner formalism

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Natyashastra

Attributed to Bharata Muni

• The foundation of the Indian aesthetic theory can

• Natyashastra is the most detailed and elaborate

• Bharata muni in his Natyashastra demonstrates

• With its wider scope Natyashastra has offered a

• However Abhinavabharati (10th -11th CE) is

• Written in Sanskrit, the vast treatise consists

• Natyashastra consists of four elements namely

• The background of Natyashastra is framed in a

• Natyashastra opens with the origin of theatre,

• Bharata clearly states,

[There is no wise maxim, no learning, no art or craft,

• In the history of Indián aesthetic thought, the

• It appears that all the elements in a play, námely

• The Other Four Schools of Indian Aesthetics

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