Vol. 8, Issue 1, Part A (2022)

According to Indian tradition in Nāṭyaśāstra, drama was originated by Brahmā in Tretā Yuga. Brahma composed the fifth Veda in the form of Nāṭya-Veda by taking lessons from Rigveda, songs from Sāmaveda, acting from Yajurveda and Rasa from Atharvaveda. Brahmā also provided acting cues to Bharatamuni. Naṭaraj lord Śankara graced Nāṭya with tāṇdava and Pārvatī with Lāsya dance and the first performance of Nāṭya took place on the Indradhvaja festival on the land of India. In this way the Indian tradition considers the origin of drama to be a divine tradition.

The various signs of drama be they external or internal, be they slight, and they special, for all those for whom drama attains prominence, is the dramaturgy of drama. That is, it can be said that the drama obtains its complete form in the mixture of all the elements that is the dramaturgy of the drama. These dramaturgies are- Arthaprakr̥tis, Kāryāvasthas, the Sandhis and their subdivisions, Patākāsthānakas and Arthopakṣepakas, heroes, their types and qualities; heroines their types, sub types and other female characters, sūtradhāra, vidūsaka, ṣakāra, viṭa, vibhāvas (Determinants), anubhāvas (consequents), bhāvas (feelings), Vyābhicāri Bhāvas, Sthāyi Bhāvas and the sentiments in dramatic compositions.

The oldest dramatist in Sanskrit literature is Bharata and he elaborates on drama and dramaturgy in his book Nātyaśāstra and in this drama and dramaturgy Dhanañjaya completely follows Bharata and it is seen that Viśvanātha also follows Bharata and Dhanañjaya respectively but he never admits it.