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930
uktam ca -
Rājānaka Ratnākara, in Hara-vijaya mentions this rāsaka or nātya-rāsaka as räsakánka, through śleṣa, at XVIII. 108. Alaka, the commentator explains that rāsakāńka is a type of dance described by Kohala in which eight, sixteen or thirtytwo nartakis participate and perform pindi-bandhas. He observes : "rāsakánkaś ca kohalókto natyaprakāraḥ
carcarī prākṛtaiḥ padaiḥ, carcari-chandasety ante krīḍātālena vety api. dhutta"di chandasā vā'sya
chandolakṣmoditā bhidāḥ." (S.R. IV. 292-3)
aṣṭau ṣoḍașa dvātrimśat yatra nṛtyanti gāyikāḥ, pinḍībandhánusāreņa
SAHṚDAYALOKA
tan nṛtyam rāsakam viduḥ."
In the Natya-darpaṇa, the anthors quote Bhejjala's 'rādhā-vipralambha' as a rāsakánka. Read ND I. (Sūtra 116, Kārikā 65) :
"evam angatrayeṇā'pi. yathā bhejjala-viracite rādhā-vipralambhe rāsakánke parikara-parinyāsayor-upaksepeṇaiva gatatvān na tan nibandhaḥ. evam parasparántarbhāve catur angópi kvä'pi sandhir bhavati."
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Abhinavagupta and Bhoja quote this work. Bhoja mentions it simply as a rāsakánka. It may be noted that this rāsakánka is different from the rāsaka dance, observes Dr. Raghavan (pp. 567, ibid)
We will now look into what Hemacandra, the ND., Śā., NLRK., Vāg. II and the S.D. have to say about this art-form.
Hemacandra has the following: (pp. 446, ibid)
"aneka-nartaki-yojyam citra-tāla-layánvitam,
a-catuḥ ṣasti-yugalāt
rāsakam masṛṇóddhatam."
This is from the Abh. (pp. 181, N.S. Vol. I. G.O.S. edn. ibid).
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