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Govardhan Panchal
Nirgrantha
Here, the Lokadharmi is definitely not to be mistaken for the straight realistic speech of every day. But some form of stylised speech might have been used, since the Sanskrit drama had nothing to do with the realism as understood today in west-oriented plays. The Caulukyan plays might have used some sort of poetic recitational form of speech. We have, unfortunately, no example to go by as in Kütiyaṭṭam, which is a living tradition, at least of a thousand year standing as earlier said.
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Some stage-directions also provide an indication of the equipment used on the stage. We have already mentioned pata, also called pați of apați by earlier playwrights like Bhāsa, and is mentioned by Bharata who has also indicated the circumstances under which it was to be used a character entering in anger, deep sadness, or in great joy, was to enter with a fling of the curtain. We have already mentioned above an example of paṭākṣepaentry.
Apart from this pata, there definitely was used another type of entry which indicated a different kind of curtain - a flexible one which could be moved on any part of the stage as it was held by two persons holding the upper ends. I have called this curtain "citrayavanika" after Bhavabhuti, who has named it so in his play, the Malati-Madhava. It is a small, colourful curtain and due to its flexibility, could be of considerable dramatic effect:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
It could suddenly reveal a character behind it by lowering it. It had the impact almost like that of a modern spot-light.
It could be trembled to show the fear in the character behind.
The two persons holding it could manipulate it to suggest water, flying, etc. Behind it could be made an entry, such as "Enters as Indicated" e.g. (: faifa.
f) found in many a Sanskrit plays including those of the Caulukyan period, such as the Nalaviläs, the Mallika-Makaranda, the Ullägha-Raghava, and the Prabuddharaulineya.
Thus, the two doors, with their apați-s, a citra-yavanikā, some asanas or seats, a throne, swords, bow and arrow, etc. were the only props necessary for the staging of these plays on the Caturasra-madhyama stage of that era. And the imagination of the audience did the rest.
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The Third Drama Tradition
Apart from these two dramatically different traditions mentioned by the Natyadarpana, one also sees the existence of a third popular drama tradition, which was less sophisticated than the other two and was for the enjoyment of the people of lower social strata. We know this from a work called the Laghuprabandha-sangraha of the 15th century, whose author's name is not known. This work mentions :
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