नाट्यस्य आस्वाद्यतमः अंशः
Aesthetic flavor or sentiment in performance
अभिनयेन प्रकटीकृताः मानसिकावस्थाः
Emotional states expressed through performance
नाट्ये अभिव्यञ्जनम्
Dramatic expression/acting
वाचिकाभिनयप्रधानः शैली
Verbal/elocutionary performance style
सात्त्विकाभिनयप्रधानः शैली
Heroic performance style
ललिताभिनयप्रधानः शैली
Graceful/delicate performance style
नाट्यशास्त्रम्
Natyashastra (Root: नाट्यशास्त्र)
Text
नाट्यविषयकं प्राचीनं भारतीयं शास्त्रम्। अत्र नृत्यं, गीतं, अभिनयः, रसाः, भावाः च विस्तारेण वर्णिताः।
Ancient Indian treatise on performing arts. It comprehensively describes dance, music, acting, emotions (rasa), and psychological states (bhava).
Contextual Note: Fundamental text of Indian performing arts, attributed to sage Bharata. Forms the foundation of classical Indian dance, drama, and music. The term is a compound of नाट्य (drama, theatrical performance) + शास्त्र (treatise, science, systematic knowledge).
by Rik Amrit
नाट्यशास्त्रस्य कर्ता
Author of Natyashastra
पञ्चमो वेदः
The fifth Veda (of performing arts)
प्रेक्षागृहम्
Theater Hall
रङ्गमण्डपः
नाट्यप्रदर्शनाय स्थानम्
Performance space for theater
आयताकारं नाट्यगृहम्
Rectangular theater
चतुरश्राकारं नाट्यगृहम्
Square theater
त्रिकोणाकारं नाट्यगृहम्
Triangular theater
नाट्यस्य निर्देशकः
Stage director/conductor of performance
नाट्यस्य प्रधानः पुरुषपात्रः
Main male character
नाट्यस्य प्रधाना स्त्रीपात्रः
Main female character
नाट्यस्य हास्यपात्रम्
Jester/comic character
नाट्यस्य रक्षार्थं स्थापितः दण्डः
Ritual staff for protection in theater
चतुष्पदी छन्दः, प्रत्येकं पादे अष्टाक्षराणि
A Vedic meter with 4 lines of 8 syllables each
देवौ
two gods/deities (Root: देव)
Deity
द्वौ देवौ - पितामहः (ब्रह्मा) महेश्वरः (शिवः) च। सृष्टिकर्ता च संहारकर्ता च।
Two deities - Pitamaha (Brahma, the creator) and Maheshvara (Shiva, the destroyer). The creator and destroyer aspects of divinity.
Contextual Note: Refers to Brahma and Shiva, representing the creative and transformative aspects of divine power. Dual form (देवौ) indicates exactly two deities. Brahma creates the Natyaveda, and Shiva contributes dance forms like Tandava. Their blessings are essential for expounding the Natyashastra.
पितामहमहेश्वरौ
Pitamaha-Maheshvara (Brahma-Shiva) (Root: पितामहमहेश्वर)
Deity
पितामहः सृष्टिकर्ता ब्रह्मा, चतुर्मुखः, वेदानां स्रष्टा। महेश्वरः शिवः नटराजः, नृत्यस्य आदिगुरुः, ताण्डवस्य स्रष्टा।
Pitamaha (Brahma), the four-faced creator deity and author of Vedas. Maheshvara (Shiva as Nataraja), the primordial teacher of dance and creator of cosmic Tandava.
Contextual Note: Compound word (पितामह + महेश्वर) in dual form. Pitamaha means 'great father' and Maheshvara means 'great lord'. Invoked together as divine sources of performing arts. Brahma represents the origin of Natyashastra, combining elements from all four Vedas. Shiva embodies the dynamic, transformative aspect through cosmic dance (Tandava).
प्रवक्ष्यामि
I shall expound/teach (Root: प्रवच्)
Verb
भरतमुनिः स्वयं नाट्यशास्त्रं प्रवक्ष्यति इति प्रतिज्ञा। गुरुशिष्यपरम्परायाः आरम्भः।
Bharata Muni's declaration that he will expound the Natyashastra. Beginning of the guru-disciple tradition in performing arts.
Contextual Note: Future tense, first person singular (I shall speak/expound). Formed from prefix प्र (forth, forward) + root वच् (to speak) + future tense marker स्य + first person ending आमि. Establishes Bharata's authoritative voice as the transmitter of divine knowledge received from Brahma.
ब्रह्मणा
by Brahma (Root: ब्रह्मन्)
Deity
सृष्टिकर्ता ब्रह्मणा उक्तं नाट्यशास्त्रम्। दिव्यज्ञानस्य मानुषलोके अवतरणम्।
The Natyashastra as spoken by Brahma the creator. Descent of divine knowledge into the human realm.
Contextual Note: Instrumental case form (by/through Brahma). The base word ब्रह्मन् takes the instrumental suffix आ. Emphasizes the divine origin and ultimate authority of the knowledge being transmitted through Bharata.
यदुदाहृतम्
that which is spoken/declared (Root: यद् + उदाहृ)
Compound
यद् ब्रह्मणा उच्चारितं कथितं च। पूर्वकाले दिव्यवाणी रूपेण प्रकटितं यत्।
That which is spoken or declared by Brahma. Divine revelation expressed in ancient times through sacred speech.
Contextual Note: Compound of relative pronoun यद् (which/that) + past participle उदाहृतम् (spoken/declared). The past participle is formed from उद् (up/forth) + आ (towards) + हृ (to take/speak) + त (past participle suffix). Denotes divine revelation, emphasizing the sacred and authoritative nature of the Natyashastra's origin.
पञ्चमवेदः
Fifth Veda (Natyaveda) (Root: पञ्चमवेद)
मूलग्रन्थः
ब्रह्मणा निर्मितः सार्ववर्णिकः नाट्यवेदः यः चतुर्वेदेभ्यः गृहीतः।
The Fifth Veda created by Brahma accessible to all social strata, combining elements from the four Vedas.
Contextual Note: Synthesizes pathya (recitation) from Rigveda, gana (music) from Samaveda, abhinaya (acting) from Yajurveda, and rasa (sentiment) from Atharvaveda.
सार्ववर्णिकम्
Universal / Accessible to All Varnas (Root: सार्ववर्णिक)
सिद्धान्तः
सर्वेषां वर्णानां कृते समानरूपेण उपलभ्यम्।
Universally accessible to all people without social or hierarchical exclusion.
Contextual Note: Fundamental egalitarian philosophical dimension of dramatic knowledge in Indian culture.
नाट्यगृहम्
Playhouse / Theater Architecture (Root: नाट्यगृह)
रङ्गमण्डपः
नाट्यप्रयोगार्थं निर्मितं विशिष्टं भवनम्।
Specially consecrated architectural edifice built for dramatic performance.
Contextual Note: Classified into Vikrista (rectangular), Chaturasra (square), and Tryasra (triangular) with Jyeshtha, Madhya, and Avara sizes.
हस्तः
Hasta / Cubit (Unit of Measurement) (Root: हस्त)
रङ्गमण्डपः
चतुर्विंशत्यङ्गुलात्मको मापविशेषः।
Standard ancient measurement unit equal to 24 angulas (approx. 18 inches / 45 cm).
Contextual Note: Used as the canonical metric for measuring theater dimensions in Chapter 2.
दण्डः
Danda (Measurement Unit) (Root: दण्ड)
रङ्गमण्डपः
चतुर्हस्तात्मको मापविशेषः।
Measurement unit equal to four Hastas (approx. 6 feet).
Contextual Note: Used for larger stage dimensions and hall perimeters.
स्थायिभावः
Permanent / Dominant Emotional State (Root: स्थायिभाव)
भावाः
चित्तवृत्तिरूपः स्थिरः भावः यः रसरूपेण परिणमते।
The foundational abiding emotional mood that culminates into aesthetic Rasa (Rati, Hasa, Shoka, Krodha, Utsaha, Bhaya, Jugupsa, Vismaya).
Contextual Note: Central pillar of Bharata and Abhinavagupta’s aesthetic psychology in Chapter 6.
रससूत्रम्
The Seminal Rasa Aphorism (Root: रससूत्र)
रसाः
विभावानुभावव्यभिचारिसंयोगाद्रसनिष्पत्तिः।
Out of the confluence of the determinants (vibhava), consequents (anubhava), and transitory emotional states (vyabhicaribhava), the aesthetic sentiment (rasa) is produced.
Contextual Note: The most famous and interpreted philosophical sentence in all of Sanskrit literary and performance theory.
