Sanskrit Drama Flashcards
natyasasha
- Treatise on Dramaturgy
- 36 chapters
- governs Sanskrit drama
- attributed to Bharata Mani
- 2nd c. BCE to 2nd c. CE
- written in verse
- there are 10 different types of plays mentioned
much ado about religion
- agama-dambara, where agama means something handed down by tradition and dambara means great noise or entanglement
- unique and doesn’t fit in any type
- 4 acts; each act has a prelude
- prologue is where we learn how unique this play is: director complains that he’s been ordered to conduct this play, although it doesn’t abide to any of the dramatic rules
- author: Bhatta Jayanata (commentator on Nyaya)
- based in time of King Sankaravarman (883-902 CE) of Kashmir
- lead character: Sankarsana (follower of Mimamsa)
monologue
- defined by Bhatta Jayanata
- must be acted by a single character and made up of 1 act
- 2 kinds: recounts one’s own experience, or with one describing someone else’s acts
- the latter kind is done by acted as if replying to imaginary person, include movement of limbs
- characters: rogues and parasites
why must specific metres be used?
to evoke specific sentiments
odious and pathetic sentiments
made up of mainly heavy syllables
heroic and furious sentiments
boldness should be in Arya metre with metaphor and condensed expression in it
erotic sentiments
gentle metre
Prakrit recitation
should be assigned to children, persons possessed of spirits of lower order, women in feminine character of persons of low birth, lunatics, and phallus-worshipers
sanskritic recitation
assigned to itinerant recluses, sages, Buddhists, pure Srotriyas, courtesans, female artists, and others who’ve received instructions and wear costumes suitable to their position
what do these recitations suggest?
Sanskrit drama is not free. many conventions must be adhered to
content of Much Ado About Religion
- 1st act: Vedic graduates unmarks follicles of Buddhism
- 2nd act “Lustful Ascetics”: discusses Jains and a religious order known as Black Blankets or Nilambaras
- also discusses Corvakas or Materialists
- about defeating opponents of the orthodox Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India, of brahamanical orthodoxy
- buddhists, Jains, and materialists deny the authority of the vedas (considered heterodox)
the kick
- dadataditaka
- playwright Arya Syamilaka
- setting: city of Ujjain, capital of Gupta empire; around 550 CE
- mentions many religious traditions, particularly Dindins
- important to note repeated use of phrase “what are you saying”: done to indicate switch of character for monologues
example of etic text about buddhism
much ado about religion
what are the 3 groups mentioned in much ado about religion?
buddhism, Jainism, mainstream
janisim
- around same time as Buddhism
- careful not to kill any animals or creatures (i.e., they practice Himsaya)
himsaya
doctrine of non-violence
materialists
- reject God and afterlife
- cantered around phenomena
- very different views from Buddhism
