The Natyasastra: English Translation with Critical Notes

by Adya Rangacharya

Considered the work of the Sage Bharatha, the Natyasastra speaks about many aspects of theatre. India has always treated theatre in a unique way, pairing music, classical Indian dance, and literature into its fold. It speaks of stages, their design and aspects of the play such as makeup and dance forms. It is the foundation of all the fine arts in India, and in over 6000 verses, it touches upon the ancient Gandharva Veda, an ancient lost text considered to give its readers the knowledge of the Apsaras of the God Indra s court. Learn how Indian artforms consider the mandapa a part of the play itself, and discover how the Rasas evolved. This authoritative translation and commentary gives readers comprehensive notes about the work, and teaches them its importance in the stage of life.

Genres: Theatre

416 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 1999

About the author

Adya Rangacharya, a novelist, scholar, actor, dramatist, director and a renowned scholar contributed his entire life to Kannada theatre, becoming a cultural icon of his times. Adya Rangacharya adopted the pseudonym of Sriranga for most of his plays and literary works.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adya_Ra...

Reviews

[Ramaprasad KV · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who want to read a concise translation of Bharata's NatyaShastra, this is highly recommended.

[Shruti Buddhavarapu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely despise the "professor" who "taught" this course, but he's absolved himself some points for introducing this brilliant treatise into my life.

It's actually a super approachable read - although I realise that the onslaught of sanskrit terms and concepts (very deftly explained and annotated) might make it a slower read for people who aren't familiar with smattering of Sanskrit. It became an overwhelming introduction into Ancient Indian Philosophy, and the trump card that the text holds is of course the philosophy of 'rasa'. When Umberto Eco came to JNU for a lecture, he said the best example of why an exact translation is never possible or successful is proven by the incapability to really translate the nuances of the word 'rasa'.

Just because it can't, however, doesn't mean you shouldn't. If you ever have a chance of picking up the book and even skimming through it, I don't suppose you'll be disappointed. Definitely recommended.

I'm still amazed by how the types of 'rasa' and 'bhava' are all encompassing. You'd be out of this world and living in a relatively bizzaro planet if you can come up with a 'rasa' or 'bhava' that Bharata may have missed out on. The anecdotal references to the manual like "directions" of costume, stage setting etc make it an enjoyable read. Not ignoring the fact that it was so easy for me to enter its world because of my familiarity with Hindu gods and somewhat of its bajillion philosophies - but read it.

[Maria Sri · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's all about spirit of art of south asia