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Classification of Poetry
Rāsa, Rāsaka and Natyarāsaka. Rāsaka is read in Bhamaha, A.bhā., Kumārila, Dhananjaya, Bhoja, Hemacandra, N.D., Śā; NLRK. Vāg. II, and the S.D.
We have seen the quotations from the A.bh. above and also looked into what Kohala had to say about various art-forms.
The Abh. defines rāsaka (pp. 181, ibid) as:
"aneka-nartaki-yojyam citra-tāla-layánvitam, a-catuḥ-sasti-yugalād
rāsakam masṛṇóddhatam."
Thus according to the A.bh., the Cirantanas took rāsaka as an art-form which is of the form of a dance in various tālas, which is delicate (masṛṇa) and also forceful (uddhata) and which is performed by many ladies. There are 64 pairs in it.
Dhananjaya simply names it. Bhoja defines Rāsaka as - (pp. 468, ibid)
ṣodaśa dvādaśāṣṭau vā yasmin nṛtyanti nāyikāḥ, pindibandhā"di vinyāsaiḥ rāsakam tad udāhṛtam. Natyā-rāsaka is defined as, pinḍanāt tu bhavet pindi, gumphanāc chankhala bhavet, bhedena bhedyako jāto latā-jālápanodanaḥ.
ete nṛttā❞tmnā kāryā nātyavantaḥ kriyāvidhau
sukumāróddhatair angair
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