Chapter VI: Conclusion

1. Major Observations and Suggestions on Variants and Interpretations:

Chapter no. Topic Word/Verse Suggestions/Remarks

Chapter 23: Aśvakrānta pādastulāṃcitaḥ pādastalāṃcitaḥ from MS

- Female B and C
Utsthi-sthānaka
sthānaka

Chapter 24: Ᾱkampita – a kampita bahuśaḥ Follows NS bahuśaścalitaṃ

Aṅgakarma type of śiraḥ kathitaṃ yacca tadā yacca tatkampitamihocyate
kampitamiṣyate

Same as above Kampita – a namannonamane Suggested in Cr. Ed.

type of uru pārantyormahipṛṣṭhebh pārṣṇyormahipṛṣṭhedrute
dute yadā | sthitvā
Our suggestion:
pādatalāgreṇa
pārantyormahipṛṣṭhedrute
kampitaṃ tu tadiṣyate

Same as above Usage of bhīmordhasaviṣādeṣu Suggested in Cr. Ed.

Stambhana – a stambhanaṃ hrīsādhvasaviṣādeṣu
type of uru saṃprayojayet
Our suggestion:
sādhvasa and bhīma similar
meaning.

Chapter 25: Valana and valanaṃ gamanaṃ Our suggestion: Should be

Upāngikādhyāya Gamana: tiryakcalanāccalanaṃ understood as given in the
bhavet NS:
Types of tārakā
valanaṃ gamanaṃ
tryaśraṃ and calanaṃ
kampanaṃ jñeyaḥ

Same as above Usage of natā tu rucite kāryā Originally it would have

Mandā: a type been rudite following the
of nāsikā MS ḍa of the NS.

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Chapter 26: Kartarīmukha: a kāryoyaṃ parivāreṣu Suggested by Shah:
single hand bhinnaśca pataneṣu ca pathicāreṣu.
Hastādhyāya
gesture
Our suggestion: based on
Kuṭṭanimata’s reference of
āpta and parivāra.

Chapter 32: Aniruddha’s kuñcitāṃgulirardhacan Our suggestion:

banner. draḥ | dṛśyaśikharau ṛṣyaśikharau
Rahasya mudrā
kanīyasyaṅgulyagralag kanīyasyaṅgulyagralagnau |
nau | saṃhatāguṣṭhaḥ Aniruddha’s banner.
śankhaḥ |

Chapter 33: Nyāsa gestures. Śikṣā mudrā Our suggestion: It should be

Śikhā based on the scheme
Nṛttaśāstra Hṛn, Śirah,
of mudras. Also the
mudrā Śikhā, Kavaca,
Venkteshvara Press edition
Netra and Astra.
notes Śikhā.

2. New Contributions Including Vaiṣṇava Elements (marked in bold):

Chapter Aspects
No.

20 Aṅgahāras: Talamanda, Vikṣipta, Udvartaka, Balāhaka, Ᾱngika, Ratikriḍa,

Saumya, Karita,Vilāpa.
Karaṇas: Bhramita, Vilāsa, Vānara-pluta, Nāga-prakīḍita, Vipluta, Parikṣipta,
Aja-pluta, Maṇḍita.

21 līlā-saṃveśana: the usage of Udvāhita laying down posture.

22 Seat for sāṃvatsara.

23 A new type of grīvā by the name Catura, Ṛju as the new mouth movement,
uddharaṇa as the use of Ᾱliḍha.

24 Abhigamana as the usage of Kuncita pāda.

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 25 Saumyā as the new sthāyi-dṛṣṭi, Lokita a new sight.

27 New information on skin colour combinations – various colours of śyāma and

śikhara/crests, cloths for courtesans.

29 Raudra gati: padmāntrāṅgadhara may have been written inspired by the form of
ferocious Narasiṃha.

30 Vairāgya as the sthāyi bhāva and Para-puruṣa as the deity of Śānta.

31 Krīḍā as new sancāri bhāva and the mention of Dayāvīra.

32 and 33 Rahasya mudrās and their possible association and interpretation with
reference to the Pratiṣṭhā chapters in the VDP khaṇḍa III, Pāñcarātra
scriptures and iconography.

34 Origin of nṛtta.

3. The VDP khaṇḍa III and the writing of the NrS show multiple triggers. First comes
from the on-going textual study and growing religious importance of NS, second from
the rising temple establishments and ritual activities inside the temples and third in
concurrence with the second, the writing of temple ritual manuals.

4. The dance matter in the VDP khaṇḍa III has been presented in two ways which
ultimately contributes in the spread of Pāñcarātra Vaiṣṇavism.
a. As one of the aspects in the series of disciplines that helps to understand the
nuances of image-making.
b. In the temple rituals.

5. The VDP khaṇḍa III is an attempt to present the otherwise homogenous theme of
the NS in a properly divided arrangement under the umbrella of one sect. As a result,
the focus has shifted from drama to religion. The VDP khaṇḍa III is the compilation
of such śāstras.

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6. The pedagogical linking gives appropriate access to fulfill the religious motive.
Once the promulgators agree to use the traditional knowledge for the cause, the need
to produce an altogether new content ends, and the task becomes easy. The Vaiṣṇavite
elements in the NrS are the results of this contemplation. Once the sectarian mark is
stamped on the adapted text, it remains forever in that structure whether in liturgy,
mythology or literature. Then the newly adapted sectarian form of that discipline
disconnects from its source and the original context, at least to some extent.

7. Studies of variants have shown that the NrS is most closely related to NS MSS ma
followed by bha, ḍa, and N.

8. It is also a question of whether the NrS could free itself from the context of drama
while writing about different aspects of nṛtta. From the analysis, particularly of the
chapters 20, 27, 28 and 30 it can be noted that the author/s of the NrS couldn’t detach
nṛtta from the NS tradition as they couldn’t leave the context of nāṭya entirely as it is
an inherent premise of the NS. But they certainly seem to have tried to connect many
aspects of it with nṛtta. The common conceptual threads between drama and dance
proved helpful here. Therefore, topics related to drama are also a part of this section.
Bringing entire theatrical tradition of Bharata into a Vaiṣṇava tradition of art is a part
of the broad goal.
However various references show that the creators of the VDP khaṇḍa III
fundamentally were intended to focus on the nṛtta. Simply because nāṭya is not the
part of temple ritual but nṛtta is, thus more important.

9. A clear connection between rasa and nṛtta is an important aspect of this text in
terms of the division and connotations attached with the concepts of nṛtta and nṛtya as
seen in the later tradition.

10. In addition to NS, the Bṛhatsaṃhitā and the Kāmasūtra have also been noted as
possible sources. Similarly, the potential gives and takes with Pāñcarātra and
Śaivāgamas have been noted in the discussion of mudrās.

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11. The chapters on the Rahasya and the Nṛttaśāstra mudrās are the significant
contribution of the VDP khaṇḍa III, which provides a distinct ritualistic connotation
to the NrS and connects dance with āgama methods of worship. The Rahasya and the
Nṛttaśāstra mudrās are rare examples of one of its kind in terms of their inclusion in
the dance text. These two chapters reflect crucial developmental stage in the
relationship between dance and tantra.

12. The texts like NS usually convey information in two ways: 1. systematic data
about technical aspects, rules and instructions, and 2. its mythology. It can be said that
the NrS is an instance recorded in a Vaiṣṇava purāṇa which shows how religious
aspiration shapes the tradition with the help of the established śāstras. It has been
done on same two levels as mentioned above.
1. By incorporating the religious elements in technical data.
2. Through mythology.
For pure śāstra texts probably it is difficult to do such alterations since
fundamentally and as generally believed they are or expected to be secular in nature.
But the purāṇas, as well as the āgamas can because they represent the theology and
ritual of a specific sect. Comparatively, āgamas are more tight and conservative, but
purāṇas are loose and comprehensive. Ᾱgamas are more evident in their religious
attribution. Since the objectives of purāṇas are different, such development can take
place in them relatively easily. Such is the case of the NrS.

13. Lastly it can be said that the inter-disciplinary references found in the text reflect a
thought, that once knowledge or discipline is associated with the worship of Viṣṇu, it
is uplifted to the highest level. It becomes as effective as the sacrifice and offers
salvation, and beneficial to the mortal life and life after death. So the purpose is to
make the branches of knowledge a part of Viṣṇu centric world and bring idolatry at
par with the sacrifice and the knowledge of Viṣṇu as imperative as the Vedas. It is an
integrated plan and traditional śāstras of nṛtta, gīta, citra etc. are the components of
it. Therefore, re-writing the NS was not the only objective of the NrS but bringing it
under the Vaiṣṇava sect was!

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VI.1. Scope for Further Research:
The next step in this study is to verify the information with dance texts other than NS.
It includes a large number of mediaeval texts.
Furthermore, the information in this thesis can be used to know the performing
aspect of the NrS. It can include both recreations of various movements and
verification concerning today's dance styles. Unfortunately, we do not find the
instructions of new karaṇas or aṅgahāras in this text, but if we do, it will shed light
on its performance aspect. Significant efforts have been made in modern times to
reconstruct karaṇas. This new information will undoubtedly be valuable in that
regard.
The Rahasya and the Nṛttaśāstra mudrās can be studied at various levels as
they hold great potential. Both of these can play an essential role in the study of the
relationship between dance and tantra. Apart from this, the relevance of these hand
gestures can also be examined in terms of iconography. Moreover, the execution of
these mudrās and their use in the rituals can be a separate topic of research.

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