Natyashastra: A Connection between Art in Religion and CultureThe Natyashastra has been regarded as one of the oldest Hindu scriptures on the theory behind theatrics in ancient India. Written sometime between 200 BCE and 200 CE by the sage Bharata, this treatise has come to represent a “handbook” to the artistic realm of India. Bypassing a theoretical or philosophical perspective on art and aesthetics, the Natyashastra delineates methodology for theatre such as how to move the body, how to apply makeup, how to set up the stage, etc.
Initially used as a reference for the theatre arts, the Natyashastra’s application has been extended to include dance and music as well. “Natya” directly translates to drama, while “shastra” translates to a scripture dedicated to a field of knowledge in Hindu tradition. Bharata describes that natya was created by Lord Brahma as a source of pleasure during times of misery in daily life. Thus, Hindu deities are frequently represented as their performing forms; perhaps the most common is Shiva’s representation as Nataraja. Finally, a significant aspect of the Natyashastra is Rasa theory, or the categorization of human emotion into eight rasas. Each rasa is inspired in the audience upon viewing a performer’s facial expressions and gestures and is presided over by a Hindu deity. For example, Hasya rasa
represents laughter and comedy is presided over by Lord Ganesha. Rasa theory has not only pervaded most aspects of Indian art but Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have an overarching rasa. The incorporation of Natyashastra concepts show how closely related Indian culture and Hinduism are in their artistic realms. It is important to recognize that though modern Indian performance has evolved to global standards both in India and the United States, its origins involve a complex methodology at its foundation.
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