11/24/2014

Rupakas,TypesofSanskritDrama

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Home>Movies&Entertainment>IndianDrama&Theatre>RegionalTheatreinIndia>SanskritTheatre>TypesofSanskritDrama>Rupakas

Rupakas,TypesofSanskritDrama

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RupakasormajortypesofdramaareoftenkindsasprescribedbyBharatainhisNatyashastraandtheserequiresatvika

temperamentandotherabhinayas.

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RupakasormajortypesofSanskritdramawereintroducedby
BharataintheNatyashastra.Bharata`sclassificationofdramas
remainedauthoritativeforlatertheorists.Rupakadealswithsatvika
temperamentandotherabhinayas.Thoughthelatertheoristsstarted
allkindsofinnovationsleadingtofurtherdivisionsandsubdivisions
buthavenot,however,attemptedtomodifyanythingoftheten
RupakasdescribedbyBharata.Butthelaterkindsofdramawhichdid
notfitinwithBharata`sdescriptionofRupakasweretreatedand
systematisedasnewkindsofdrama.
Rupakasprimarilydealswithsatvikatemperamentandother
abhinayas.Bodilygesturesandmusicoccupyasecondarypositionin
Rupaka.TheBhavaprakasanaveryclearlystatesthatRupakaswere
rasatmakaorwhicharedependentonsentiment.Therearetentypes
ofRupakasnamely,Nataka,Prakarana,Samavakara,Thamrga,Dima,
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Rupakas,TypesofSanskritDrama

Vyayoga,Anka,Prahasana,BhanaandVithi.AccordingtoBharata,
whenthepeculiaritiesofsocietyweresoughttobeconnectedwith
certaingesturesorwhentheactionsofgods,rishis,kingsorofthe
membersofasocietywerecopied,theycametobecalledaNataka.In
aNatakaallvrittisshouldbeintheirproperplaceconsistingoffrom
fivetotenacts.AccordingtotheDasarupa,inaNatakathehero
shouldbeendowedwithstrikingqualitiesofthetypeknownasthe
selfcontrolledandexaltedandshouldbeglorious,desirousof
winningfame,fulloflife,apreserverofthethreeVedas,arulerofthe
world,ofwellknownlineageandaroyalseeroragod.Onesentiment,
eithertheheroicortheerotic,istobemadetheprincipalsentiment,all
othersbeingmadesubordinate.Themarvelloussentimentshouldbe
employedonlytowardstheend.
InthePrakaranaclassallthevrittiscanbeemployed.AccordingtotheDasarupa,theactionshouldbeinventedandshouldtakeplace
ontheearth.Aminister,aBrahmana,oramerchant,ofthetypeknownasselfcontrolledandcomposed,undergoinghardshipand
havingvirtues,thesearchforcontentmentandwealthbeinghischiefobjectsinlife,shouldbethehero.InaPrakaranatheheroine
maybeoftwokinds,thehighbornwifeoftheherooracourtesan.Insomeplays,thereisonlythehighbornwomaninsomeplays
onlythecourtesanandinsome,both.Highbornwomenremainindoors,thecourtesanoutside,andthetwoshouldnevermeet.There
arethreeclassificationsofheroinelikesuddha,withthewifeasheroinevikrita,withthecourtesanandsankirna,withboth.
IntheSamavakaraclassthecontentsareborrowedfromwellknownlegendsofgodsanddemons.Itistoconsistofthreeacts
presentingthethreekindsofdeception,thethreekindsofexcitementsorthethreekindsoflove.Thefirstactshouldlastfortwelve
natikasthesecond,forfourandthethird,fortwominutesanatikaisequaltotwentyfourminutes.Thiskindofdramaiscalled
Samavakarabecausevariousthemesarescatteredaboutinit.Itmayhaveasmanyastwelvecharacters.IntheThamrgadramasthe
storyisofamixedtype,partlylegendaryandpartlyinvented.Itisdividedintofouractswiththreestages.Theheroandhisadversary
mayeitherbehumanordivine,withoutrestrainttheyshouldbeprominentpersonsandofthetypeknownasselfcontrolledand
fervent,thelattercommittingimproperartsbymistake.Therearescenesofrageandwrathbutthecharactersarepreventedfrom
dashingintobattlebysomepretense.
IntheDimatypeofRupaka,thesubjectmattermustbewellidentifiedandallthestylesmaybeemployedinitexceptthegaystyle.Its
heroes,sixteeninnumber,shouldbegodsandgandharvas,allofthemvehement.Itcontainsallthesentimentsexceptthecomicand
erotic.AccordingtotheDasarupa,thenameDimaisequivalenttosahghata(injuring),inasmuchastheheroesalwayscometoblows
amongthemselves.Italsotocompriseincidentssuchasanearthquake,fallofmeteors,aneclipseofthesunorthemoon,encounter,
personalbattle,challengeandfumingconflict.TotheoldpopularstagealsobelongstheVyayogawhichderivesitsnamefromthefact
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Rupakas,TypesofSanskritDrama

thatinitmanymenopposeoneanother.Theplotdoesnotlastformorethanoneday,andthereisalotoffightinganddisagreement,
inwhich,however,womenplaynopart.Itisaoneactplay.
AnAnkaisaoneactdrama.Theplotinitisgenerallywellknown,butitmaysometimesbeotherwise.Itrelatestoone`sfallandisto
befurnishedwithmalecharactersotherthanthosewhoaredivine.Itaboundsinthepatheticsentimentandtreatsofwomen`s

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lamentationsanddespondentutterancesatatimeafterbattlesandviolentfightinghaveceasedtorage.Smallplaysinsertedinto
dramasareoftendesignatedasAnkas.ThePrahasana(farcicalcomedy)hasbeenborrowedfromthepopularstage.Thepoettakes
theplotfromdailylifeandsurroundsitwithallkindsofillusions,wordydisputesanddisagreementsbetweenroguesandinsignificant
persons.TherearetwokindsofPrahasana,thepure(suddha)andthemixed{sankirna).Inthesuddhatype,Shaivagurus(bhagavat),
Brahmanasandpersonsbelongingtovariousstrataofsocietyappear,eachonespeakinghisspecialdialectordevotinghimselftohis
specialcalling.InthesankirnaPrahasana,courtesans,slaves,eunuchs,parasites(vita)androguesappear.Accordingtothe
DasarupaandtheSahityadarpana,thereisyetathirdkindofPrahasana,thedistortedtype(vikrita),whereeunuchsandchamberlains
appearasgallants.
TheBhanahasalsoapopularsource.Thepieceisactedbyasingleactorwhoappearsasamanoftheworldandindeedasthechief
vita.Forthisreasonhedescribespartlyhisownadventuresandpartlythoseofothers.Heusesthemonologueandpretendstosee
andhearothers.Heacts,speaks,asksquestionsandanswersonbehalfofthemakebelievepersons.Hemakesappropriate
gestures.ItisclearthattheBhanahasdevelopedfromthepantomimeorthemusicaldanceandthisexplainswhylasyaisusedinit.It
isalsoaoneactplay.SimilartotheBhanawastheoneactVithi.TheVithiwasactedbytwoplayers.TheSahityadarpanaremarksthat
accordingtotheviewofanyanonymousauthority,threeactorsmayalsoappear,oneplayingtheroleofapersonplacedhighinlife
(uttama),anotherofthemiddlerank(madhyama)andathirdoneofthelowly(adhama).Inallcasestheconversationsarewith
imaginarypersons.
(LastUpdatedon:03/05/2010)

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