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[Editor's
Note: Sangita Kala Acharya Sri. T. S. Parthasarathy, eminent
musicologist, researcher and writer is one of the senior most scholars in
the field of Music and related arts. He was also the Secretary of the
Music Academy, Chennai for many years. He is a source of guidance to all
musicians and a respected authority on music theory and history. Carnatica
is deeply honored to have him write a series of articles for us on
Classical Dances]
‘Bharatanatyam, the
most popular classical Indian dance form, has received universal
approbation as one of the subtlest expressions of Indian culture. Its
intimate connection with the temple, as a ritualistic art, mirroring the
imperceptible feelings of a devotee, reflects the inwardness of Hindu
culture” says a delightfully vague blurb in a prestigious publication on
Bharatanatyam, the price of which is beyond the reach of the common man.
In the same publication, a Punjabi writer in his introduction claims that
“it has survived for nearly 3000 years in our country, almost intact
etc”.
As a counterblast to this
Dr. P. S. R. Appa Rao, in his excellent monograph on Bharata’s Natya
Sastra, says “it is obvious that Natya is exclusively drama and not
dance. However, a confusion has been created in the minds of the public by
the word Bharatanatyam to mean one of the classical forms from Tanjore. It
is neither not its form has been originated by sage Bharata but only a
form of dance, which is 160 years old. Hence, Natya Sastra should not be
confused as the science of dance”.
I leave it to the
discerning student of Bharatanatyam to decide which of these diametrically
opposite views are acceptable. It is common knowledge that what we now
call ‘Bharatanatyam’ was called, say 60 years ago, as Sadir, Chinna
Melam and other names. The terms Bharatam, Natyam, Aadal, Kootthu, Natanam,
etc. were also being used in Tamil Nadu in a loose manner.
The Name
The word ‘Sadir’ was
term which was mostly common used. This is not a Tamil word; and in north
Indian languages like Hindi, Urdu, Marathi and Bengali it means the
‘highest court of law’. B.R. Rajam Iyer, in his Tamil novel Kamalambal
Charitram calls a dance performance of his time (end of 19th
century) as ‘Sadir’. Subramanya Bharati, in his article on
‘Abhinaya’ written about 75 years ago, calls dance as ‘Natyam’ and
‘Kootthu’ and a dancer as a ‘Kootthan’. It is to be noted that he
does not use the term ‘Bharatanatyam’.
In Telugu, however, the
word ‘Chaduru’ means a ‘Sabha’ and a ‘dance performance arranged
during occasions like weddings’. It is perhaps this word used during the
Nayak period that has come down to us as ‘Sadir’. Kshetragna uses the
word ‘Chaduru’ in his padam ‘Vedukato’ to mean a sabha or a court
of Tirumala Nayak of Madurai.
“Bharatanatyam”
It is not as if the name
‘Bharatanatyam’ has not been used before this century. Purandara Dasa
(1484 – 1564) in his song ‘Adidanu’ (Arabhi – Adi) says that
Rambha and Urvashi, the celestial dancers, danced the ‘Bharatanatyas’
(Rambhe urvashi ramaniyellaru chandade bharatnatyagala natise). The plural
should be noted and Purandara Dasa did not certainly mean the ‘Sadir’
of Tanjore.
Strangely enough, an
unknown commentator on the ‘Bharata Senapatiyam’, a Tamil work on
dance (not the work of the Sangam period) says that ‘the four abhinayas,
Angikam, Vachikam, Aharyam and Satvikam, constitute Bharatanatyam’. This
work was published by the Dr. Swaminatha Iyer Library in 1943 but the
author’s date is not known.
Different
Interpretations
Different interpretations
are given for the term “Bharatanatyam” which is claimed to be the
oldest form of codified dance in the world. According to some, it means
“The Dance of India” (Bharat), but defined it as “Natya in the style
laid down by Bharata Muni” but several other classical dance forms of
India follow the Natya Sastra in some way or the other. In fact, there is
no Indian classical dance that can claim complete freedom from the Natya
Sastra.
Others look askance at
this definition and assert that it refers only to the dances of the
courtesans of Tanjavur and had its origins in the temples and princely
courts of South India. It is performed solo and consists of Nritta (Pure
Dance) as well as Nritya (Expressional Dance) and its technique is largely
based on the Natya Sastra and Abhinaya Darpana.
Natya
connotes any one or all of the three allied performances viz., pure dance,
interpretative dance and dramatic representation. The dancer acts through
gestures, facial expressions and rhythmic movements. Dance speaks to us in
a language parallel to that of music or poetry. Classical dance keeps time
while a song is sung, describing a mood or story. Concurrently, the
meaning of the song appeals to the intellect, the music catches the ear
and the eyes feast upon the Abhinaya.
Part 2 - The Natya Sastra and Sadir
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