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What are the works on Natya on which
Ilankovadikal based his description of the stage?
Adiyarkkunallar, in the beginning of his commentary on the
poem, gives a list of nine works on dance, drama, and
music as authorities for the text of the Silappadikaram.
None of these works are available now. Ilankovadikal, in
his description of the stage, is very meagre, but still
this little section of nineteen lines (95-113) is very
valuable as being the only means of our having some clear
view of the stage in ancient India. (‘Theatre-Architecture in Ancient India’ by V. Raghavan) |
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For reconstructing the history of Kathak, 3
styles of miniature paintings provide valuable evidence.
One is the dance illustrations in the Jaina illustrations
and manuscripts, specially the Kalpa Sutra and Samghrani
Sutra. The second group of paintings is those commissioned
by the Mughal courts, like the Akbarnama and
Tarrikh-e-Timuria. The third group of paintings belongs to
the Rajasthan Pahari style of painting. (Kapila Vatsyayan, ‘Indian Classical Dance,’ chapter ‘Kathak’) |
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Ashtapadi means 8 couplets in one song. The
first Dasavatara varnana has 11 stanzas. Describing the 10
incarnations of Sri Krishna has become the most popular
song for naatya and sung and danced in umpteen ways. Each
couplet contains the story and philosophy of the
incarnation culminating with a concluding line addressing
each avatara. Sri Krishna is not included in the 10
incarnations; instead Jayadeva included Buddha as the
ninth avatara. He identifies Krishna and Vishnu as the
same, so Jayadeva addresses his oblations to Sri Krishna
or Keshava. (‘Gita Govinda’ by VP Dhananjayan, Nartanam, Aug-Oct 2007) |
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