PEP a een tn en Enghsh- O-ART Gere — STU/SAT té! Sri Varalakshmi Academy Publication Series STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE ~ R. SATHYANARAYANA Professor of Musicology, ‘ Sri Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts, Mysore. | AC iH, NO.@S3=0-48T ; a cat nolo ls 6 - sru/ ber Fem SRI VARALAKSHMI ACADEMIES OF FINE ARTS MYSORE - veFirst Edition, 1970. All Rights Reserved, Price » Ca lic. Ordinary Rupees Fifteen en Printed byG HR 'Ysore P, ‘ama Rao at the rinting and Publishing House, Mysore, INTRODUCTION Sti Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts, Mysore wa, founded in 1945 by Natyasastrakovida, Bharatasastra praveena, Sangeetha Vidwan Sri R. Chandrsekhariah, the eldest of the Mysore Quartette of musicians, known of the Mysore Brothers _ and is named after their revered mother, Smt. Varalakshmi Ramaiah, herself a musician devoted to the cause of Indian culture in general and to the cause of music and musicians in particular. The objectives of the institution are i) to propagate music and other fine arts and to enhance their appreciation and appeal among the general public; ii) to promote international cultural contact and thus to contribute to world peace and harmony and iii) to revive and rejuvenate ancient Hindu culture. The institution is fulfilling these objectives through endeavour in the tutorial, technical, literary, demonstrative and research aspects of the art. Its work in the research and publica- tion departments is acknowledged both in India and abroad. Professor R. Sathyanarayana is the Hon. Secretary of the Board for Research in Music and Dance as well as the General Editor of the Varalakshmi Academy Publication Series which has brought out several works including critical and exegetical editions of rare, ancient and valuable texts. These are received with enthusiasm by scholars and lay public alike. The present volume is a collection of the research papers on various aspects of Indian dance read by the author at various seminars and conferences. The diversity in their subject matter has an underlying unity which is ably brought out in the author’s foreword. Each paper offers some new research material or a critical method which, I believe, enriches the study of Indian dance. Each page reveals profound, philosophical enquiry, painstaking and accurate scholarship, deep insight, sympathetic approach, intellectual integrity and commitment to the Indian ideals of art. Prof. Sathyanarayana is an acknowledged authority on Indian music and dance. He is widely known through his exteniv STUDIES IN DANCE His special Contribution to from Many adjacent disci- sive writings on these subjects asin musicology is extrapolation seman of cat cholate t retativ i meee Re ae generations ed isin ee ae get His latest works, the anatya: A Critica] Study are hailed T am confident that thi the discerning public, at this book will be war! tual criticism and He has a musical usical composer. Sangitaratnakara T. S, Shama Rao Independence Day, 197] President ysore, i Sri Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts. spire wis AUTHOR’S FOREWORD The present volume is a collection of the talks which the author gave at various conferences and seminars on Indian dance in the country. The penultimate contribution, “Introducing Indian Dance’? first appeared in the Weekly Magazine of the Deccan Herald, Bangalore. The final collection entitled “Spangles in the Sunbeam” was specially written for this volume. The first article, ‘‘The Soul of Indian Dance” is the presidential address delivered by my revered eldest brother, Natyasastrakovida, Bharatasastrapravina, Sangitavidvan Sri R. Chandrasekhariah at the twelfth Natyakala Conference, Madras. It is included here because of the partial contribution by the author. The various contributions are retained here without much change, providing only documentation and other reference facilities and a few minor editorial additions and subtractions. “‘Spangles in the Sunbeam” is a new experiment in the field and reflects a contemplative and critical mood of the author in contrast to the rest of the work; no resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, is intended therein. The author believes that a three-pronged approach to the study of contemporary Indian dance is necessary : i) Analysis and interpretation of the authentic tradion in both theory and practice of the art; reconstruction and resurrec- tion of beautiful dance forms which are now lost; bringing to light ancient and valuable texts in manuscript through competent textual criticism ; coordination of textual and oral traditions in the fourfold aspects of abhinaya. ii) Preservation and promotion of the various schools of Indian dance in their authentic forms; definitions of their distinguishing characteristics; systematization of technique, terminology and teaching methods; spreading a knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the various forms of Indian dance through popularisation media; betterment of current practice by addition and subtraction,Vi STUDIES IN INDIAN STUDIES iii) Self examination and evaluation by the artists and the community of any given age with regard to the spirit, ideology and functions of the art. ‘The present book is a humble attempt in this direction and Covers some aspects of this approach, The original title of this work was intended to be “The Soul of Indian Dance” and has been so referred to in two of the author's recent works : Sangitaratnakara, published by the Prasaranga, University of Myore, Mysore, 1968 (Pp: 14, 27) and Bharatanatya: A Critical Study, published in the Sti Varalakshmi Academy Publication Series, Mysore, 1969 (PP. 125, 137, 246). But it isnow more 8enerally entitled ‘“ Studies in Indian Dance”, The Publication of this work was promised Several years ago but has been delayed till now due to reasons over which the author had no control The delay in placing it before the public is regretted. —4 DEDICATED TO DR. (SMT.) KAPILA VATSYAYAN, M.A., PH.D.SCHEME OF TRANSLITERATION Samskrta alphabet: aadiiuirrie aioaumh k kh g gha ce ch j jh ai t th ddhn t thd dhn p ph b bhm yrlvsssh]lks Kannada alphabet: Ras, b=0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Grateful acknowledgement is made to Natyasastrakovida, Bharatasastrapravina, Sangitavidvan R. Chandrasekhariah for permission to include his “Soul of Indian Dance” ; The Editor, Souvenir of the thirteenth Natyakala Conference, Madras, 1960 for permission to include an extract on ‘‘Authenti- city of Nandikesvara’s Bharatarnava ” ; The Editor, Weekly Magazine, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore for permission to include “Introducing Indian Dance”; The authorities of the Oriental Research Institute, Maharaja’s Sanskrit College and Sri Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts in the City of Mysore for the use of their manuscripts libraries ; Sti G. H. Rama Rao, B.Sc., Proprietor, The Mysore Print- ing and Publishing House for the neat execution and get up of the book.CONTEN Introduction as Foreword Scheme of transli i se iteratio a Soul of Indian Dac Boe ance Traditions of K; ari The Connotations ane Reconstruction of The Ritual Genesi of the Terms Tandava an ava and La the Gaundali Dance = is of Dance— The Gondala Bharatarnava Authenticity of Nandikesvara’s Introducing Indian Dance Spangles in the Sunbeam Bibliography Index to Names Index to Works Cited Geographical Index — 4 The Soul of Indian Dance soa Prat Bat frarmeazeatl | areraren Taga aI ATTA Need for Conferences No apology is needed in these days of enlightened and critical enquiry for the holding of a conference on dance. While the empirical and synthetic approach to the fine arts is a basic methodological necessity, no single viewpoint, howeverimportant and fundamental, can give usa complete understanding of them. The modern analytical techniques applied in the domains of physiology, psychology, aesthetics, philosophy, sociology and ethics yield us immensely valuable data, which, assembled in an eclectic method, would help us understand a little better that wonderful unknown, Man, through the finearts. Therefore, these conferences are necessary gateways to human understanding, sympathetic confluence ofthoughtand feeling, and a consolida- tion of concerted expert effort. New Philosophical Approach to Dance It would be an unpardonable presumption on my part to discourse technically on dance to such a renowned body of experts who have dedicated all their lives to spread the sweetness * Presidential Address, delivered at the Twelfth Natyakala Conference at Madras by Napyagastra-kovida, Bharatasastra-pravina, Saigitavidvan R. CHANDRASEKHARIAH is inclued here with his kind permision. 1, Bharatamuni, Nay yasastra, i, 1, 2. Lacknowledge with pleasure the help I have derived from my brother Chi. R. Sathyanarayana in writing this section.5 i STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE cece art. But I will be failing in my duty if I did not Bie ahy or a ee I believe is a new approach to the Secu lance. Such a new philosophical vision is peor eu notably pioneered by such seers aS dee chea » Susanne Langer, Rudolf Carnap, Otto es, Re genstein, Cassirer and the great gestalt psycho- ae s, MW olfgang Kéhler and Max Wertheimer. This new Pp ilosophical method, based on a symbolistic key, may be applied to trace the origin of dance through the mists of Time. It Postulates symbolic transformation as an inherent, spontaneous and integral function of the human mind. In other words, our mind is capable of abstractive seeing, extracting only the form out of the mélange of the sensory data presented by the physical world of the sensory experience. Thus, it grasps a colour when the eye perceives only specific wavelengths of energy ; it distin- guishes dimensions, shapes, colours, smell and what not out of molecular aggregates. Each experience thus gained is transformed Into a concept, that is, a symbol for an experience, with general, permutable and universally recognized characteristics with Signific, denotative and connotative values. This, I repeat, is a natural function of the mind. In the light of this well supported theory, dance and song are the most natural prelinguistic activities of mankind ; dance is a logical herald for later discursively expressive functions of the mind ; it is the harbinger of language. To explain the origin of language, which is but the volitional act of fixing significant, denotative and connotative values to a symbol, one must go back to a mental state in man in which primitive symbolic activity such as dream, ritual and superstition would be vigorous, This condition would be the logical precursor to higher symbolic functions of the mind in a group in males Soni i het be characterized by a gradual liberation ‘om a muy cwel interests of a routine life, such as the four basic driving forces of life — food, fear, sleep and sex. Though such tendencies woud atise naturally out of the very acts of satisfying these needs, there ets a vigorous indulging in purely expressive acts, such as ritual gestures, dances etc., 4S distinguished from acts guided by practical needs or desires. Empirical verification of such a level —— THE SOUL OF INDIAN DANCE ) is to be found in the anthropological and psychological researches of Kéhler, Kellogg, Yerkes, Learned, Furness etc., on the- mentality of the simian primates such as the chimpanzee and ourang-outang. Kéhler, in particular, describes how, in the communal life of the chimpanzees, they mutually excited them- selves into astounding dance patterns of claborate gestures, footwork and rhythm. i From his simian cousins to man is but a single step. Donovan has shown, and the great philologist Prof. Jesperson has independently reached the same conclusion, that dance activity arose in the primitive human mind on occasions festive or otherwise exciting. The wild, spontaneous, excited or ecstatic gestures and physical movements born of such events would. induce themselves in the primitive community by association of imitation, thus culminating in pantomime. These in course of time would be ritualised and would form a means of linking the mind to the original occasion causing them. These gestures and movements would be ultimately formalized into specific patterns having conventional sanction by a process of experimentation and refinement. They acquire symbolic value through the gradual fixation of signific and connotative values. Thus we see the origin of the symbolic gesture, which is the basis of all dance: Parallel with such gestures would also be born syllables uttered in excitement, ecstacy or fear in the primitive community. Association and an inherent tendency to voice-play in the human beings fix these in thé mind, so that they too obtain specific forms and conventional sanction in course of time. The articulate syllables joined in rhythmic pattern would grow into the unit of abstraction, whereas some syllables would retain their purely expressive value by conditional association with physical movement. They would be ultimately codified into the non-sensic pataksaras. Dance and Language You will pardon me if I cannot resist the temptation of a brief comparison of this ancestor and the descendent: the dance and the language. Such a study is a logical sequel to our all too brief glimpse into the enchanting study of symbolistic philosophy. In the first place, language is discursive ; that is, its units, namelySTUDIES IN INDIAN DANC . : ; the words, occur in a linear, discrete dance is Presentational - Movements and emotive © any givensingle event, the relational order of thes order may be fixed, ae and successive order; but iS its units, namely gestures xXpressions occur simultaneously for In language, the Syntax determines symbols ; in dance, no such relational Wittgenstein has, on language : la Janguage Propositi __ existence of facts ii, the totality of true Science and iii. everything that can : everything that can i Xpression in dance, Symptomatic ; i i igi cee aun aesthetic, its vite oe ips Every language has ay, ak are words with fixed mea: Bray symbols with on the grammatical idi i a Reeete ae ecm Tules peculiar to th; facial expressions ete ai elements are Sestur Ce es ee ut these cannot be ae movements, convention —except pethay ee ao pees cx by limite enunciated by Bharata ae a Bee various raha As I have already saiq saat Tee of syntactical rules exce again. i » €nunciated three basic Propositions » is afactual - Ocabulary and mings. Out ot a Syntax ; its elements Se Peaiiees bonnie ene! can construct Pt when exigent to a Word theme, The t whi t t m THE SOUL OF INDIAN DANCE oF He then discoyered the reason and grew angry. Snatching the flagstaff of the Indradhvaja itself, he beat these evil spirits to a pulp (jarjara). The drama could now go on smoothly. Thus came the flagstaff to be called jarjaraand to be worshipped before enact- ing a drama or dance. Nandikesvara, probably the unacknowledged authority of Sarfgadeva, tells us how Bharata was instrumental in spreading dance among the mortals. When he and his troupe of gandharvas and apsaras performed before Siva and Parvati, the Lord remembered with pleasure His own Cosmic Danceand commanded the ganas to teach it to Bharata. The sages learnt the art from Bhatta Tandu and propagated it. This became the tandgava. Parvati taught the gentle lasya dance to Usa, daughter of the demon King Bana; she spread it among the gopis of Dvaraka. The gopis in turn taught the lasya to the women of Saurasira who finally spread it in the world. Thus in India dance and drama commenced their career as plays of the acts of gods and continued to be so for many centuries, The audiences were in this way presented with high and noble themes which provoked them to the fear of God or to the eleva- tion of spirit or urged them to duty, and at all events, to the living of a better and more useful life by emulation. We see the divine hand in everything connected with dance. The Indian concept is epitomised in Lord Nataraja, the Supreme Being who is the King of Dancers; creation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe are mere aspects of his cosmic dance, When creation was not and Time had not begun, the syllables emitted by the dhakka accompaniment to His dance formed language. The function of all art, and therefore of dance, is to evoke rasa inthe audience, for rasais Brahman: raso vai sah. What, therefore, is the modus operandi of this art? f Since the apprehension and conveyance of rasa, the aesthetic content or artistic value is to be achieved here through the human body, gestures, movements, rhythms and sentimental expressions found in life are taken, refined, disciplined and systematized so that each such element has a fixed signification; and a significa- tion and a significant form with fluid connotative value is beauty, is artistic value. In ancient Indian treatises on dance, especiallyIl _10 of all important, earlier treatises on the aaa ae of the head, 24 Single handed—, 30 Pane ries Senerally artistic combined—gestures, 5 gente seat Osom, Sof the sides, 5 of the waist, 5 of the taste ‘3 at yy neck; 16 of the arms, 4 of the belly, 5 of the Ti id ep foreleg, 7 of the knee, 5 of the wrist and 13 of + 0 minute and accurate is the analysis of the expressive n body made by our theorists that besides the of the Pratyanga, 36 rasadrstibhedas, 7 varieties ‘ovement, 6 of the eyelids, 9 of the eyeballs, 6 tongue, 8 of the chin, 5 of the ankle, 8 heel nger movements, 5 toe movements etc. are also ie Not to speak of of numerous poses, postures, ates ce erns, revolutions and spinnings etc. ! Truely, meet astered the techniques described in the Sangita: ae a S mastered the art of Indian dance. Out of these, the monte ‘8 Such clements as are relevant to the expression of rasa Fe < Siven, thematic or aesthetic context. Bien cede for 4 moment that a mere knowledge and Se of these is enough to become a real dancer, Our rg are claborately clear on the personal qualifications of artist. Listen to Saragadeva on this point : ates eqcrafeanetiediasaa | faneaaar farsa aleazraat Ul geqnsar Femarawarzat 1 WgaAaeqe Raat | agra tineaeraacar | maaataangiaamerat azar garaat af eH: greg aat: 1° wee is the prescription of the experts, Sarigadeva adds on his mM: movements, 7 fin described in Saits, 8. Sarigadeva, op. cit, vii, 1231-34, — THE SOUL OF INDIAN DANCE mee MAR: se: Reaew: | Gas: aaruoita sateasaaratat haaeat sigsigaaeaaad | guaida qa zaqtaat {aa Wagraase ates Beh: 4 The ten vital necessities of a dancer are.described’ by Nandi- keSvara as agility (javah), steadiness (sthiratvam), a sense of delineation or straight position of all the limbs (rekha@), practice in the bhramari movements, expressive glance, (drstik), endurance (asramah),-intelligence’ (medha), devotion to the art (sraddha), articulate verbal expression (vacah) and ability to sing (gitam). Then again, here is a memorable precept for the achievement of rasa, which is the ultimate aim of dance: , agasaag fa geatavinzaay | sanat Maia ngRat area: 11° and finally, wat geataat efeatat feeaat a: | aa HAeaaT Aa: Tat AIaEAaT Ta: 1"! Modern Trends Ladies and gentlemen, this is the theory and spirit of Indian dance. But what do we find in actual practice? Except in a few cases like the Indian Institute of Fine Arts and a few others, we find, particularly in large cities; what passes for dance is the preéminently sensuous, arbitrary movements. Excitement of the baser instincts of man, rather than the aesthetic rasa, appears to be the motivating force of these dances. Practically every person who knows barely the rudiments of gestures calls himself a professor and has a band of students. Only discernment in the public through proper education can check this onslaught on this noble and sacred art. This education can be imparted to the. public in two ways : i. more of our children must learn the genuine classical dance patiently and perseverently under real scholars and 9, Ibid. vii, 1234-36. 10, Nandikegvara, op. cit, 36, 11. Ibid. 3712 STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE d more and more with the great exponents. Scipline wrought by political are reflected in our attitude ii. Re Public should be familiarize a astric exposition of dance b tis obvious that the Hi and social upheavals j Sponse to dance was never so our dance has become like that dumb » Who, given s , Peech, Colbetonielecy became so garrulous that the large in the Past as lady of Bath pow? listener haq bu f peal as long as the Sealant more, the Merrier, it is true, + Being both a dy éyak of quality is uniformly main- art is int ation, it is an aes imately related to To the Performer a; thetic instrument, Society and the n, individuals, the individual, the nd the audience as , The outlook of the hus a sincere devotion to pea its duties efic: ral aspects of | i" oe dance, ust be purge nd expressiona| ts, is at one 1onal cultur, ife. If this art is to cages blemishes. E hae functional - eC Maintenance ke the other art mode of our nat aE eee THE SOUL Of INDIAN DANCE definition of every single word may be ultimately fixed in language because a word may be expressed in terms of a whole group of other words, as in the dictionary. Dance elements do not have this facility because they are beyond the realm of discursively semantic equation. Besides, certain elements, especially nanartha hastas as described by later theorists, have such a vast multiplicity of verbal and nominal equation that these gestures serve more as word equivalents than vice versa. Finally, the same meanings may be expressed in different parallel words and if this is systematically accomplished, the parallel words from different languages. Thus in language there is a fundamental facility of translation. In dance, however, this facility is conspicuously absent because it primarily confines itself to pure self-expression and, at best, to the conveyance of similar mood, feeling, emotion or aesthetic idea, rather than to translating them. So it is that even though language is a later evolutional state arising out of the earlier symbolific functions, it is distinct from them, This, however, does not imply that it is a higher or better functional form. While it is undoubtedly the greatest accomplishment of the mind of manin point of knowledge, it is only a complement to that aspect of mental activity which is a closed door to thought and reason. Put very simply, both the knowable and the unknowable come within the scope of modern semantics, the spontaneous apprehension of the unknow- able as in arts through presentational symbols being a necessary complement to the discursive understanding offered by language. Dance and Music are Twin Arts This brings me to the rather universal grouping together of song and dance, Like dance, the origin of song may also be traced to festal or otherwise exciting occasions in primitive human mbolic activity of the mind such as society. During vigorous syt I have already described, the physical acts would undoubtedly be accompanied by sound exclamations in a vocalising animal such as man. These would take fanciful forms such as wavering tone, echoing shouts and strings of syllables. Continuous response to such exciting, ecstatic or fearful stimulus would result in the gradual development of voice play and ultimate formalisationSTUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE fee Praia: | SedesRroe: 2 wag agaqi a eqaenisa area: Aastiag | seg aangy 43 gay maaan WW? Then Brahma said, Amen! And after meditation, He created the na@tyasastra from the four Vedas, conjoining stories from the best sciences. He then summoned it enacted, Apparently, we the ed with Stagefright and laziness. that the actors must be jitairamah Itihasa and the best of all the indra and asked him to get Mortals are nat unj and countered with the request t this Tesponsibility be shifted to the munis, who, after all, were i edas and were capable of actualising maintaining it, Moreover, they had earning the lines by rote and of (parisadi-abhiravan). Thus it came d the sinless Bharata to stage this ipt ready, orchestra and communicated Fequested for a gala °ccasion to put his show on boards. S Soon to be celebrated to commemorate the victory of the gods over the d €mons, was chosen, Thus the first dance drama the world had ever Seen was staged impressively ina gala opening in which all the actors were debutantes and a director entirely © hands were the inexperienced Accordingly, the Indradhvajotsaya (banner festival of Indra), which was new to the Profession and the Stag munis } Indra was puzzled at the actors who sud dumb: the trouble was 6) h denly were still and Vidently more serj, Ous than drying up. 1B Bharatamuni, OP. cit, i, 11-12, 13 THE SOUL OF INDIAN DANCE i individuality and urity of our culture, that is, eR ts Sea ae - le amongst the galaxy of Rane Ne scaee atames eae i intain our arts ‘ i i ae haa i eration tha’ ued ic eee J assert hipaa ee shaidalies eee hasee especially CoE ones Anche eeaaney nH ; i xecution. ms ae eta i shed its light ae: Pane sare of this deathless ese ele ott ath aca, an heart so i i a ts of the hum: : ae eae Rt anneal the world over, and thus bring ab hate and dis harmony and spiritual unity. Suggestions for Discussion a d to the bjects to be added : ; offer one or two su 4 is year’s 1 eae ie fete the Experts) Committee of this y: agenda pla i event conse eae natya has to retain its close alliance to oa a Bs possess thematic FOR SHAE connotations to cue rary equations for its uaa Mowedibyietnost Sree rt or Nandikesvara, who aay conditions have fate ce theorists, are Sa ee practicable, and, a : : ed. ally chang: anew at Bat ae practical exponents, to evolve ver, agi Pi se 2 moreo ‘aioe for various gestures ? Rsiettaueing nooded * i See problem is no less ia s rs of dance. What The s inted professo: 7 d self-appointed | the corn wnat ate a taken to help society to thresh out measures are 2 : roblem, from the ee x art suggested solution of the anor ten? Thirdly, am # eat be possible in a future Fete a such Sey actually in some See eal (such mass had participated a from diluting the quali flife. So far itude in the talented an early phase 0 if t the latent aptitude in 5 imply bring out th 5 the others). Ran haa Seite for the right mud otters of classical Hee ae eh be a staunch champion in the re Pe Mae ER ib would arate eee is: can an Se Been ertionall a io be taste ta aucor pena fe one level in our technique iring and deserving few, a’ A the desiring a subject toSTUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE solved at such short notice, jose. Schools ? If the question Cannot be re: @ seminar may be called for the Purp Suggestions for Implementation B 5 not indicates fae cette! WOU be fang in my duty if Tdi field of Thdt, a of the tasks awaiting accomplishment in the offered by it fina in addition to the Suggestions already T) . uaworthly occupying Predecessors whose chair I am so Ae Gw ate A Mewihae re Ee Dc Tecording and wide publication Blur, Halebig, Rae the sculptures in the temples at Cidambaram te omanathpur, and at the Brhadigvara and ©5 would be a great help to the student he Putvarangavidhis, pi ancient dance: Jakkini, he great pekkana (preikhana), be reconstructed ona | 3 : A han Pecial dance forms Peculiar to particul, Such as the Kicipudi, Bha , Bhagavats be preserved in thei | etlante as also the the ar parts of India $agana etc. may d. Special accent Ted and ritualistic - A rigor 2 insti aan ‘ous search may be Instituted to procure the still NS great treatises on d: ance a commentaries of Lollata, Mie Pinas Udbhata, Bhatta Nayaka eusn, Mattgupa, eae Kohala and Rahula. Many ie res ie gett, Works of Manuscripts of Such y, Nityanirtpana, Nartananirnaya, THE SOUL OF INDIAN DANCE é 15 nayamukura, Saigitamakaranda, Bharatacandrika, Bhara- tasarasafgraha, Sadasiva-bharata etc., etc. Thesemay be critically edited and published with illustrations. 6. Standard works such as the Natyasastra, Bharatarnava, Abhinayadarpana and Sangitaratnakara may be translated with annotations into all major Indian languages. f 7. A correlation of the provincial technical terminology in dance may be made at an early date to help coérdination and fluent exchange. ‘ 8. A comprehensive dictionary and an encyclopaedia on Indian dance may be published. y 9. Comparative dance studies may be included as a subject of study in the curricula of institutions devoted to the higher learning of the art, and 10. A Central Bureau of Research in Indian dance may be established. Conclusion , Friends, I have taken much of your time; you have listened to me out of the largeness of your heart and your great love for the art of dance. It only remains for me to thank the Indian Institute of Fine Arts for commanding me to talk to you this evening and to preside over the deliberations of this year’s conference and to thank you for your sympathetic audience. May the Goddess Sarasvati speak from the mouths of the experts ; may Brahmanaspati guide your deliberations to wisdom and truth; may Mitravaruna fill your hearts with Tasa and sahrdaya ; may the Lord Nataraja perform His blissful cosmic dance in the body of the Indian dancer so that qngaateianaaraaeataT | aaraaaagenare: Ray sata 1? 12. Abhinavagupta, Abhinavabharati, comm, Bharatamuni, op. cit. vol. iii, p. 264,2 Dance Traditions of Karnataka ‘ Mr. Presi dent, When I was commande: morning, I consented confidence in little of the h d to talk to this learned assembly this eae with some alactity, not because of any Petence, but to relieve myself at least a Somewhat humble Specimen, I come from nt land hoary with wisdom and ever fresh icate their great King of Dancers; the unquenchable outpouring of clevated and sanctified, The the sinner, the > Man and woman. eee ; many a great exponent in n leaf, metal ang Stone since places be ‘lebid, Somanathapur that I gs ion, ty Peak to you this ere is so much to DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 17 could be expressed or exemplified. I hope to do so in my subse- quent talks. I will now simply relate to you, with the voice of some of our greatest poets, how a dance recital was conducted in ancient and medieval Karnataka. I have deliberately chosen this method because this evidence is remarkably free from the fossilizing tendency of classical technical treatises on dance to retain the obsolete and the archaic. Our poets are great conno- isseurs of music and dance ; they are thoroughly conversant with the theory and practice of these sister arts, so much indeed that they often go out of their way to describe a music recital or dance sequence. As a matter of fact, a dance sequence by Indra, the god of gods, at the birth or emancipation ofajina tirthankara is an honoured and indispensable literary convention in jaina epic poetry in Karnataka. In the following treatment I will endeavor to offer free transla- tion of the kannada passages to be cited, or when convenience so demands, the gist of the text in english. I will read the original passages to you because of their great literary and phonetic beauty ; also, because of the considerable common origin of the roots of the corresponding terms in our two languages, you will probably not find it difficult to grasp their meaning. Prefatory Techniques It is common experience that before a dance recital commen- ces the orchestra, its conductor, the nattuva! etc. enter the stage and take up position in the proscenium. The instrumenta- lists tune their instruments and ‘warm up’ with some technique or other peculiar to their instrument. The conductor indicates the tempo and the orchestra usually entertains the waiting audience with an initial stuti? and then an overture. As long ago as nearly two thousand years, the meticulously accurate Bharata systematized this procedure in his Natyasastra with __ 1. The title of the person who beats time to the dancer with dance cym- bals and recites the natfuva-aagam, i.e., the text of the onomatopoeiac syllables which form the rhythmic framework to which the nytta is performed. 2. lit, a praise ; i,e,, a praise of God. This is traditionally held to be essential for the auspicious and smooth conduct of the performance on hand. 2.Way STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE astonishing correspondence to modern practice. In a chrono- logical order such Preliminary arrangements corciet of 1, pratyahara: arrangement of the kutapa (the collective name for the musical instruments of the orchestra) in __ Proper order ; i avatarana : the vocalists taking up positions ; iii. meee 5 Preliminary vocal exercises of the songster, el vane a sent of notice to the instrumentalists to get ready ; 3 cet tuning or otherwise adjusting the three kinds oe ere (wind), avanaddha (membratile), vaktra pani : Trecapitulating the hastakaranas (manual techniques) by these instrumentalists ; Parighattana ; tuning of strings (tata) 7 ae rehearsing manual techniques of sasabda ee Ses (unsounded) acts in the perfor- marga asarita: performan hte? eae ce of the tata and avanaddha ix. asarita : practising the duration of the kala> and pata x. gitavidhi : recapitulating the application of a particular kind of song or raga to a given dramatic situation.6 We obtain a clear picture of such preliminaries from Bahubali: cranes fate geet garq Asaqae aeg Rey 7 ; The mélakaras i.e., the performers of the tala, mardala, bagpipe and mukhavina enter the stage and arrange themsclyed This corresponds to pratyahara and ayatarana. : 3. Bharatamuni, op. cit., ¥, 8-11; 17-154, 4, Strings (tata) are not included here because the volume of the sound at this stage would betoo much for their delicate tuning ; they are giv a special opportunity for this purpose later in parighattana (vide hafhay. en 5, Kala is the measure of the unit of time adopted for the song or dance Thus tempo is also fixed at once. This argues the existence of a conduct, . leader who organized and led the orchestra into song. ‘Or or 6. For the description of the dhruvas to the liturgical theme Bharata, op. cit. xxxii; for the prescription of the guddha shane s vide xxxii, 435. agas, ibid. 7. Bahubali, Nagakumaracaritam, xxii, 60. DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 19 Nagacandra similarly describes : Raadakquagehes masathafeqeaa atteg age aiqaa > Candrakavi has similar passages? where he describes at length the entry and seating of the various musicians and also the tuning of their musical instruments. These include a vocalist, a cymbal player, a flautist, the four kinds of drummers", the four kinds of avujakaras!!, and the trumpeteers (kahalikas). 8. Nagacandra alias Abhinavapampa, Mallinathapuranam, Vii, 7. 9, Candrakavi, Pampasthanavarpanam, pp. 26, 27. 10. These are vadaka, mukhari, pratimukhari and gitanuga: (i) the vadaka is the highest type of creative artist who plays on the drum ina method called the vada; this consists of the instrumental compositions called the tratana, bodavada, ekasara takani and joda takani; he also sings a raga ex tempore in between his playing ; (ii) The mukhri can compose instrumen- tal compositions, is an expert teacher of dance, accompanies a song excellently, is artistically very satisfying, and accompanies a dance on drumas if he is half of the danseuse herself: he leads the other members of the orchestra. (iii) The pratimukhari has the same qualities but to a lesser degree. (iv) The gitanuga commences his accompaniment to a song with ta and ends it with rhom:; he is the accompaniment par excellence to a song ; he can play to the guddha or salaga types of songs composed in difficult, complex or soft melodic patterns, in a ‘straight’ or cross rhythm, in the bass, alto or soprano ranges and to mature, sweet song ; while playing for the salaga songs set to the nipsaru tala, he can introduce a variation of the caesural type called jakka in the attack (udgraha), cadence (abhoga) or the entire song in rhythmic temporal structures called anuloma and/or viloma. The anuloma consists in singing by changing the speeds of the song to a constant tempo of the tala; the viloma is its reverse, i.e., changing the tempo of the tala toa constant speed of singing. For details of these types vide, Saragadeva, Sanigitaratnakara, vi, 1039-1064. 11. The avaja (also avuja) is of four kinds: addavuja, pattavuja, skandhavuja (degenerated into kandavuja) and kudupavuja. Addavuja is the synonym for the desi pataha, an instrument structurally similar to the mydaaga but differing slightly in the sizes of the component parts. (Savigitaratnakara, vi, 818-821.) The skandhavuja is the equivalent name for the hudukka (ibid. vi, 1068-1077). It derives its name from the fact that it hangs from the shoulder while being performed, The pagtavuja is a kind of pataha described by by eo (Sangitaraja, extr. Ramakrishna Kavi, Bharatakosa, p. 348).20 a STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE en the chief vocalist adjusted hi i eas ijusted his voice to the drone unig afagarag faata sreng acq geass .. | ARS ff8A ae ? ip He also indicated the tala (and therefore the kala) (asarita) : : arabada afs 1 He indicated the various has; takaranas to the wi Produce the maximum aesthetic effect acetate sis ees arifiatg saistigaatiaes rz ; : a % weg frat’ amfinez qa Then followed an ensemble in uniso: Solid and membratile instruments in asarita) ; ‘ Raaaaarcarirartia = gag efamaarg sane aria . . WaindtaHeaea oezT aq qaqmeinaaaeeaa Ake 1 Similarly, in the Santipuraza : Safeg gnats tgs azasa y wr micurtfia qditadte!” aes qaihagysAfaag angeaq The preliminaries are neatly described by Kamalabhava th ; ii a us: oat ang ied gafisiagzadia qearteas (! arateaeqareg TraaTTBATTTS, ffrafiaarate : ee agtauaiaaqTagTars aaa ates a Tag faiatas, waaaPasaA fra Asad aasifafa sfaotswaafiag qatar ae m (sama) by the wind, a fast tempo (marga aesifqeaz-) aa faguarg- Aonegazatisaaih- TIBI, sks faa nanafe Re fRuSy 12, Nagacandra, op.cit. iix, 24, 13, Ibid. loc. cit. 14. Ibid. vii, 25, 15. Ibid. vii, 27-28. . Ponna, Santipuraga, vii, 32, DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 21 shaver Afaaa unas afas TS ftzg faagfad Baath generis afazaaate *7 So also with Aggala: qaanafed adg aeouemiiaagfaa Anawgrates aedtaat anfierarqaim tnisatia gaaamtisinbsiad zakatacTa meen, 18 While the audience is thus enjoying the overture, a different scene dominates the stage hid by the curtain ; these are the rites prescribed as purvarangavidhi of the Suddha and citra varieties by Bharata.'? They consist of the following : After the gitavidhi which is the praise of the gods, the reciters of benediction (nandipathakas) establish auspiciousness on the stage with holy rites and incantations (utthapana). Then they go round the stage making obeisance to the protector gods of the world (lokapalas) in the four quarters (parivartana). Then follows the nandi which is a benediction invoking the blessings of the gods, brahmanas and kings. Then the jarjara is worshipped®° in a suska-avakrsta dhruva. The stage entrance (raga dvara) is next worshipped; afterwards, an erotic song is danced to, in praise of the Lord and His Consort (cari). Finally, another song in the terrible (raudra) mood is danced to in a furious way (maha cari). At the commencement of the play or the dance recital, there is the trigata, i.e., a talk between the director, his assistant and the jester. Then the director introduces the theme and justifies its dramatic representation (prarocana). Listen, then, to Pampa on this point : ARaaITETY TTIAAITETS THA TUTIT ASTASTETSTgY TE: 17. Kamalabhava, santisvarapurana, xiv, 160 prose. 18. Aggala, op. cit. xii, 174. 19. Bharatamuni, op. cit, v, 79-179. 20, For the origin of the jarjara ptja, vide The Soul of Indian Dance, pp. 1-15, supra.22 " STUDIES IN INDIAN D. s ANCE ae ia sae eagetafeeasqmy ard at Sey Re ie Sahaim(! west)és arenfee avert Gunavarma ILhas a similar Praefaasqey ae rete tp m7, aetaRaafetas cease siete te ee Stee Sass In short, aff 9 ter the orch ten incarnatio chestral arran ms of _ gements ari ‘ Lord Visnu are displayed fa ae fe eau, the flagstaff is A worshipped. San (nandi » Sacrificial i ‘ 1) and other sacred tites are aD cats) initiation med. Passage : The chief 4 "WS ATEN Frelea ate cae) 9 rummer, m his instrument (astaveyay takes his cue from this and t of = fe : unes ae ace! eA RE afia faite abe MET ama fy 24 amamnay fz 21. Pam Pa, Adipuy 23 avatara scenes or Purana, vii, 115 a 5 tabl , 113, prose. Not: by benediction This aan, were put on the aaa ee that the daga- (mostly) of th “Hon is, curiously enough. i amet vidhi as 2 ined in the folk dances © operatic type. i, op. cit, xxii 24, Ibid. foe. ih cit, xxii, 61, retin oe 65. Note ho i ie me vant w these technical terms of 8e (tight vibratile membra; ie SAO ne), tattavadh; ana eda (left vibratile pi the drum), bana ©. and the method to ow "8 even more than 350 DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 23 He then plays a few ex tempore passages on the drum to recapi- tulate techniques for the dance elements of cari, baisike, néma etc. and for the varying emotive flux of the performance in terms of the sthayi, saficari etc., clearly asif the syllables were actually vocalised (konegolu) : aiftanacgafas enflasarfe geary Aras arg atfafa- aaa in araaag serrate qraARS aaa arafaa— ash afifaza an arafaetee ag * Little wonder, then, that the audience listened with their mouths open! At this point, the tala (dance cymbals), avuja, cangu, mukhavina and other instruments joined in with proper tattava- dhanas. Ratnakaravarni captures the beauty of this occasion in a wonderfully lucid passage, which is as remarkable for its graphic description as for the accuracy of its technical information. Some of the ragas employed for the occasion were ahiri, todi, nati, salanga, bangala and vasanta.2? Describing the same situation, Nagacandra points out that the flautists synchronized their finger techniques with the voice, revealing the purity of the raga and the affective highlights of the passage.?* Now the chief vocalist takes over; he is himself an expert in the twenty elements of orchestral texture and dynamics.” He indicates the tala to which the composition is set (asarita) and settles down his voice to the drone (arambha) : ame afa qed Rahtafa smergay qeamas aramaret aie, ates RA ag °° 25. Ibid. loc. cit. 66-67. 26. Ibid. loc. cit. 27, Ratnakara varni, Bharategavaibhava, porvanayaka sandhi, xii, xiii, Note that here the chief drummer was also the chief vocalist. 28, Nagacandra, op. cit. iix, 23, 27. 29, For a critical text of the definitions of these elements from Bharata (Nafyasastra, xxxiv), vide Cikkabhopala, Abhinava Bharatasara Sangraha, i, 710-792. 30, Nagacandra, op, cit. iix, 24-25,25 24 DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA STUDIES IN IN a aaa Hrefat area aaeazahay * Note that in medieval Karnataka the flute also provided the tonic of the musical scale in a concert programme anattae Then, the director explains in a few brief words the theme and functioned as a drone for the music. retires to the sidewings : aaafata Rreiadata ate © gag awa afafa qa seed Beh BAA *7 : : acfemna Saaaishes ® The vocalist instructs the bagpipes (upatiga) to display their a era qoqatemaa TaaasieTs learning in multiple ways aiming at maximum aestheti 1 When the chief vocalist sang the overture containing the (vaktra-pani).3! Then follows an overture of many cena verbal theme of the dance so excellently, the drummer at once songs in many ragas and intricate time measures and finally a gauged the quality of her principal, the danseuse, and determined compositon in fast tempo in unison by all the or h to bring out his best. The vocalist, on the other hand, seeing the asarita).% chestra (marga quality of the drummer and of the danseuse, planned the intro- duction of the theme to the best advantage. So is the artiste Introducing the Danseuse inspired to her best performance by the drummer: At the end of these preliminaries, the bharatika’ enters the matey eoefeat tag wats aeaerg arama wet Tf stage for the flower offering (puspaAjali), when the cu eae aa afanaaifaen Bat tung up. Pampa*# and Nagacandra%> prescribe tl ; pose for this in reverence to tradition. Look at Hie ana a8 sim aaa qaaa Aggmitaiskeg wakes aaa ATU! Puspafijali pose painted by Aggala: qal nag wea Tags ANG, Ezags At, garage Waa ane Reta When the auditorium is thus tense with the fever of pleasurable afate ae arqaeea mye anticipation, and the music is at a sudden crescendo in a A , denouement, the red curtain suddenly rises up : ; The great poet Candra limns the occasion in q few well words : chosen mega Res AAA “7 arses Sze seaeae aw faftz qeafea sahaetat aging yma 2 r neces fiaa(! aa)ae4 ef atafeay ara See aaraefaaniatag sama Basa 3° 31. Ibid. toe. cit, This 8 well corroborated by technical ei) hey chies danseuse has now taken up her os beautiful Tibeie also; ‘atises on puspafijali pose behind a thin transparent curtain; rows of 32, Ibid. ix, 26. This passage and others of its kindeg, torches on either side of the stage are shedding tantalizing Santisvarapuranam, xvi, 67 prose; Aggala, Op. cit, xv, 7 a} ‘amalabhava shadows ; the curtain looks like the ‘net the fisherman Cupid has here because of their length ; they are mines of invaluable inten omited ences muon tn dengan a oer e Wtalceca ne ale should be consulted by the interested musicologist, ‘ation and audience’s eye’. In her classical tribhaiga pose for puspafijali, 33, The bharatika (adj. of bharata, generally connoti, ; WAH ides ; : k t CAEN (ths Wireaueer, adidjor l/Gleector’ of rete te, dance and like the thrice bent rainbow of Indra’. The chief bharatika may be a man or woman ; somtimes, the pr tormance, The 37. Candragekhara, Pampasthanavarnanam, 86. 38, Bahubali, op. cit. xxii, 81-82, 84, 39, Nagacandra, op. cit. xii, 38, or herself fulfilled this pugpaniali duty of the bharatiga i"! Y°°alist himself 34, Pampa, op. cit. vii, 116 35. Nagacandra, ;, 36, For a description of this pose, vide, Siragadeya P-cit, xiii, 35, » °P.cit, vii, 1043-1045,26 Vocalist is accom; i Panying her Notes of the puspa - pa STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE large lute with the dulcet B Ajali song: th me Fi ina blaze of Majestic Ree eens ans moyen Now the final curtain Tings up. The Danseuse the dancer su lightning am a shower of |, ddenly moves on the Ong the inky clouds of Ustre with her eyes and Gis lays aa 3 maths 7 at aa Beene: WSRciifSa afeac§ dieqneatga Nagacandra makes his dancer’s ent th © flash of Cupia’s Sword from its tance equally dramatic: like Shining 5 sident, transpo come a of Karnataka 5 c 3 Our artiste ; # Solour scheme in agic wands veral centuries ago. Look at the make up and costume of os Faw ma frarhufia SATE Rosa taagizs asa Ta24 Free: Ae eae a, Shriateaetaga Rafa a: T3501 aftetfane eases Be ahs B Aaanaa haa : & ag veq aaah - a aft gfitteg stake z atateafare ae ey fix eq: This colo T sch Karnataka, eae ithe and costume are a hoa: re + she wore a oe Poets desctibe them in 'y tradition of embroidered yellow shore heath, daimond-studae? wentica! bells strung into an Shorts (called kage osu udded and gold of pearls with an ee silken anklet bate Solden dance necklaces studded wire ned Satland of thtes sen. Of # network ae with all the nine inating Strings of pearls, 40. Candragekfara, of gems, a sun shaped 41 Bahubali, o °P. cit. loc. eit, P. cit. xxii, 87-g9, DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 27 ear ornament, wristlet and bangles made of daimond dust etc., so that in the twilight red of the curtain and in the halo of the hairdressing in pearls, her face looked like the predawn full moon among the stars. And so the dance commences. y The aesthetic canon laid down by our poets for a dancer is: rhythm in the foot, meaning in the mudras, song content and affect in the organs of the body and aesthetic import (bhava) in the eyes: aatela sungig eeagiadaeaan fae | ciswataaTg wa- aqurang ae tea afefargy Again, the bhava blossomed up from the heart to her face and reached the eyes, coquetry and allure flashed from her eyes, feminine charm overflowed, amorous grace called forth from the eyebrows, the tinkle of the ankle bells accentuated the rhythmic structure of the song. What wonder, then, that the audience were hypnotized ! aa wagdcant gay Sad ed fastaaiy ga faeaate- fa gia fa fehohhag agar afa sasmacaEt waza aaNSeAaIA Bsaaeqar aaa aAaaa Still another precept for the ambitious artist : are aafaaaaagiz aBalsey TAGAAT ABRIL qe BastaaTaten aaanatstiags Tey “ Her dance is the throw of Cupid’s arrows, her glance and step, the trembling movement of the audience’s heart, her song the vast net of allure which attracted and captivated the preys of lustful men. 42. Ibid. xxii, 100. Compare with 43. Nagacandra, op, cit. iix, 47. 44. Ranna, Ajitatirthankarapuranatilakam, v, 42 areameaaga das 1A | * ; : Sarat GUAR qawat SAAT | Nandikeévara, Abhinayadarpanam, 36.28 STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCB The following is worthy of emulation by our young aspirants to art: Sey Fed aig TSASAL aa Gey oie atere TB gag SSI AGRA GAA aah © When even the competent drummer occasionally faltered in hand and stick, she guided him with the movement of her eyebrows 5 thus the eyebrows becoming the drum stick, she became the drummer to the audience besides being the dancer. I should not, however, mislead you into the impression that the drummer was see oe Senne Par excellence artists in theit profession ; in a dance recital, the dri > ii mind and the stick his tongue’so on Hoa 2 eA ecan aed ment to the dance was like a shadow; nay, in the far abler words of Nagacandra, the dance, the drum and the aon blended as smoothly and inextricably as smooth, fi her ne sand poured constantly thythmic accompani- ag Hareaafaenaanay as Fa aa’, aE 2 3 » BE ariwAar Taig wiles Ase ay Aas free gieaa shrgama fasa anfat- aires 1° Even though the kaisiki and arabha suit the affective requirements of th, Tecognized principle with our artists that the deepest satisfaction and aesthetic ecstacy leading to the perfect visranti could be attained from the sattvati vrtti alone and by the fortified sthayi bhavas rather than the derived emotive complements, Fs vibhava, anubhava and the vyabhicari bhava, for this % the nearest to the pure aesthetic content of art : {i vrttis were employed to e dance theme, it was a aeonarfiratergtats aiftagay *7 However, the artist was equal to the task when a full Play of th of the 43, Aggala, op. cit, ix, 32. 46. Nagacandra, op. cit, ix, 46. 47, Paimpa, op. cit. ix, 28, DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 29 emotions or sentiments was required; the bharati-vytti*® was then employed : aeqhaagis aavataaaacy area TE Our poets are always careful to distinguish between pure aesthetic experience (that is, the bhava or the artistic idea), aesthetic affect (rasa) and their behaviouristic manifestation (vrtti): Indra danced as if he were the personified foremost essay in the art of dance whence the bhava, rasa and the vytti could be individually recognized and differentiated : aga ee ta afee afeate aq carga fala qqamiad aze Barada qanificea °° Expertise of Kannada Poets That the kannada poets, let alone the Karnataka dancers, were profoundly familiar with the detailed technology of dance is very evident from their works. There is hardly a kannada poet of eminence—and he is legion,—who does not add to our knowledge of the bharatagama. I will briefly invoke here one of our early literary colossusses, Nagacandra, who mentions the wei 48. For explanation of the vyttis and the psychological analysis of aesthe- tic affect into bhava, anubhava, vibhava and the vyabhicari bhava, vide, garigadeva, op. cit. Vii, 1111-1127. A vztti is the behaviouristic manifestation of an activity of word, mind or body, It is of four kinds: i) the bharati, born of the Rgveda, consists predominantly of sarskyta passages, and largely employed in dramatic verbal situations: ii) the sattvati, born of the Yajur~ veda, is employed in the expression of rapture and valour but never for heroic’ terrible, wondrous, pitiful, erotic and discouraged moods ; iii) the arabhati, bo#n of the Atharvaveda, manifests in the body of the menial ete, ; it contains magic, jugglery, sorcery etc., and is employed in the expression of the terrible and wondrous moods ; it also encourages the display of spectacular wars ; iv) the kaisiki, born of the Samaveda, resides exclusively in beauty, is gentle and contains verbal and gestural representation besides stimulating music and dance ; it promotes the erotic mood. For components of the aesthetic affect, rasa, vide Bharata, op. cit. vi, 49, Aggala, op. cit. xii, 178 50, Ibid. xii, 18230 BES to “A STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCB cp pee cet 10 movements of the arms,$ 64 single Re aes fh 8estures,** many recakas (i.¢., combined Bee haste © neck, feet, waist and the hands), 5 movements oe cine? , ionements of the thighs,5° 5 of the leg ,57 the 108 a katanas® and the equally renowned 32 afgaharas.®° 52. Bharata, op, ci The latter describes 45 emo Not ten, of these major cate 53. Bharata, op, cis adds six more, aviddha | vii, 335-347, 54. These include mudras wi i (amyuta) and special or miscellaneous dag ans aseata), both ands Ux, 41-109 and Sarrigadeva, op. cit. vii, 377-432. tive variat; ; i Sai ions of a glance, but gives only eight ix, 221-22 il anal 2, describes ten of these whil igadeva ta, naira, sarala NG: » andolita and utsarita ; op. cil. has, in additio ae nd hence finds applica- ‘ cae ‘arata gives 23 asamyuta-, Be Ben aa IX. Sarigadeva gives the same dances ai? 23 samyuta., 16 devats-, 10 incarnate is, Stet hand gives ee-, and 9 planet hands. . + 16 miscellaneous, 5 55. Thirteen of the » and 33 nytta-hastas » thus totalling 67, no} 10 incarnation. : 3 two karanas are karanas in all their possibility ar Sache described. H, lowever, cs are aoe vii, 547-788) following him, deci aot tort73) and ig him, describe 108 of these units. also, Ranna, » Prose; Kamalabhava, op a iti, 102, prose; Aggala, 94, i . DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 31 Kamalabhava is indeed more detailed ; he counts 13 varieties of the head movements, 24 single handed-, 22 dance-, and 13 combined hand mudras, 108 karanas, 32 caris, 32 angaharas, 8 tasa drsti types, 8 bhava drstis, 20 saficari drstis, 9 movements of the eyeball, 8 looks, 9 movements of the sides, 7 of the eye- brow, 6 of the nose, 6 of the lips, 7 of the jaw, 9 of the neck, 5 of the thighs, 5 of the hips, 9 standing postures, 12 gaits, 6 graceful postures, 4 of the facial moods, etc., etc!** I will endeavour, Mr. President, to present before this learned body, a brief comparative study of the technical material in some of these literary monuments in the background of contemporary technical treatises on the subject, at the end of this talk ; it will necessarily be brief. I promise myself the pleasure of addressing your experts at some length on this subject in the future. It would appear that even the great contemporary authorities on dance were not as familiar with the technology or the terminology of dance as some of our poets. For, even the great, meticulously detailed and accurate Sarigadeva fails to mention the following technical terms that Kamalabhava, who was certainly his contemporary and who, there is reason enough to believe, was patronised by the same Yadava Simhana, employs: ripu, dhapane, tikavane, anke, rekhe, jhanke, dhala, dillayi, candane, calabalike and ullasa.** Adavu in Kannada Incidentally, 1 would now like to offer incontrovertible proof that the familiar term adayu® isfound clearly and unambiguously mentioned in its current connotation by our poets more than a thousand years ago, and hence probably earliest in Dravidian literature. Thus Ranna (950 A.C.) : ase eae afaaia aleve (fafagy aay cfeaaz oifinss a alge angie ceafraaaa ea aq afaata * 60, Kamalabhava, op. cit. xiv, 164, prose. 61. Ibid. xvi, 67, prose. 62. The adavu is roughly the vocalised rhythmic element of an angahara and denotes the latter. This term, originating in kannada was borrowed by Tamil also; Raghavan has drawn attention to some of these names in his Introductionn to the Saigita Saramyta, pp. XXxv-xl. 63. Ranna, op. cit. y, 39,32 STUDIES IN INDIAN DANCE The celestial professional dancers danced without a flaw, without distorting the adavus, without faltering in the gait and synchro- nized their finale exactly with the graha, i.e., the place of attack. Again, Nagacandra (1100 A.C.) : frcaaratalaegagsay marwargaifie The eminent linguist-poet Candragekhara (1430 A.C.) mentions the following difficult adavus by name: lavani, lagu, muruhu, guadala, laganulagu, karasgalu, bisugalu, disi, visama-disi, karana, pérane, dokkara, mandi, madi mandi etc.*® Some of these are mentioned by other kannada poets also. He also lists the tarahara, nissarane, ottumana, bettumana, tirupumana, keku, ajaku and osaram among the more beautiful adavus.66 We further hear of certain techniques of leg work in dance called odavu from him which are not described elsewhere : katara, sujuhu, mojakala sujuhu etc.68 : At this stage it would bea strong temptation to pause and analyse the great wealth of technical information offered by that incredibly versatile scholar, poet and Teligious leader, Somanatha of Halukuriki ;67 it would indeed be a feast to the interested scholar and artist. But I shall not indulge in such pleasure for two reasons: the data would form the Subject matter of a separate, lengthy discussion; though a kannadiga who has written many other works in kannada, he has written the Basavapuranam (in which the relevant passage Occurs) in telugu and I am confining this discussion to kannada poetical works alone. malaku, Dance Repertoire To return to our danseuse, whom we left at the end of the puspafijali: I can do no better than translate for you the vivid 64. Nagacandra, op. cit, xiii, 49 his) Siveore! ages oe me eg cane the Sarasvati Bhandara Ms, of Ga vata eee aaa) Klean, kena oe interesting technical terms: aadetsl: Moligeyyana-purana, iv, 148. Some of these fects Urupu, kattari 67. Somanatha, Panditaradhya Caritramy, explained 68. Damodara, Sarigitadar p peat nam, Vii, 162-175, Pt*karana, pp, 4571. DANCE TRADITIONS OF KARNATAKA 33, and adequate word picture painted by Candrasekhara : made up to suit the character she was to portray in the dance, the dancer fitted in many impromptu and complex adavus and performed several varieties of the dhvada dance. The dhvada is a desi dance which was very much in vogue in Karnataka and hence I should like to describe it to you briefly. Also called the utplutyadi-karana nrtya, it consisted, as the name suggests, of many upward leaps and karanas. It was set to tala. Thus it was composed of several aerial movements (akasa cari) and bends (tirupa). It was of twelve types :% 1. The /a@ga consists of an utpluti (leap) on a rope with a single leg and descending. Please note that Damodara who borrows it from Veda recognizes the kannada origin of the term laga and uses the kannada morphological form ‘sult,’ of the samskrta ‘sulba’, a rope. 2. The tiripa consists of standing on a single leg after two lagas. 3. The raya raigala (also called the raya bargala) consists of a repetition of the same with the other foot. 4. Adala is rising up a rope with both feet like a bird, spinning around and then descending to the ground. 5. Nihsanka is adala itself wherein the dancer jumps down to a point distant from the place of ascent. 6. Hurumayi consists of stamping the left foot on the ground and ascending on the rope with the aid of the kneepan of of the left leg. The right leg is stretched horizontally and the left leg describes a circle.5° 7. Addadindu: with one leg stretched out horizontally straight like a stick, leaping up (ascending) on the rope with the aid of the kneepan of the other leg, and spinning twice is called addadindu. Note that the two component words, adda and dindu are of pure kannada origin.” Damodara calls this the latghika jaighika, equally appropriately, 68. Damodara, op. cit. viii, 162-175, pp. 212-214. 5 69. Veda, Saigitamakaranda, extr. Ramakrishna Kavi, op. cit. p. 779. 70. Idem. op. cit. loc. cit. p. 9, 3