SANSKRIT DRAMA ITS ORIGIN AND DECLINE

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

About the Book

The problems relating to birth and evolution of Sanskrit Drama, have been engaging attention of scholars in East and West over 75 years. Surprisingly, excepting a few casual observations the scholars and critics, by and large, only played to the gallery by dwelling extensively on the achievements of the leading dramatists, ignoring vital information on the possible causes that led to early decay of ancient drama. Perhaps, hypnotized by the all-round achievements of the Aryans, attention could rarely be focused on the role of non-Aryans and Dravidians in the evolution of dramatic and other allied arts of ancient India.

Shifting the emphasis from the fixed and traditional belief of Aryan Supremacy, the author seeks to spotlight the non-Aryan elements which may have contributed to the establishment of Sanskrit Drama. His penetrating study of the subject also brings into focus various factors, including the prejudices and evils of class-distinctions, which accelerated the pace of disintegration even before the drama was firmly rotted. Its is entirely a new yet uninhibited approach to the problem and when judged against the background of recent discoveries in the field of Indus Valley Civilization and other well preserved South Indian tradition, it offers an interesting study by casting a flood of light on the problem.

About the Author

Dr. Indu Shekhar had a brilliant academic career. He received education in the Universities of Banaras, Punjab and Calcutta. He has taught at St. Stephen's College, Delhi and Maharaja College, Jaipur. In 1956, he was appointed ICCR visiting Professor of Indology and Sanskrit toTehran University. He published Persian translation of few Sanskrit Classics. He also held diplomatic assignment at Indian Embassy, Nepal. On reversion from Nepal, he was again commissioned to organise Indian studies at Chiengmai University, Thailand.

As a leading journalist, poet, scholar and critic, Dr. Shekhar had varied experiences in India and abroad. The present treatise was submitted to the university of Utrecht, the Netherlands, as thesis for the D. Litt. Degree in 1960.

Foreword
List of Abbreviations
Introduction

1. A SURVEY OF CULTURAL AND SOCIAL TRADITIONS
   Early Studies of the Indian Dramatic Literature - Dialogue Hymns of the Rgveda - Glimpses of Social Life in Pre Aryan and Aryan India

    

2. CONFLUENCE OF THE ARYANS AND THE NON-ARYAN DRAVIDIANS
   The Aryan Immigration and Contact with the Indus Vally People - Anthropological Data - The Indus Valley Civilizations: Salient Features - The Aryan and the Dravidian Cults - The Importance of Tantric Traditions in the Evolution of Drama - The Aryan Advance in the South
3. THE TRADITIONAL DRAMATIC THEORY

   Origin of Drama: Traditional Theory - Identity of Bharata - Later Versions: Origin of Drama - Text and Date of Natyasastra - Efforts for Reconciliation - Patronage by Non-Aryans India - Evidence of Panini and Patanjali

    

4. ORIGIN OF SANSKRIT DRAMA: MAIN THEORIES
   Greek Influence on Sanskrit Plays - the Saka Influence - Tradition Theory of Rasa: the Sentiments - Drama: a Sub-Division of Kavya - Division of Dramatic Composition - Drama: on Urban Recreation.

    

5. PLOT AND CHARACTERS IN SANSKRIT DRAMA
   1. The Hero
   2. The Heroine
   3. Vidusaka
   4. Sutradhara
   5. The Role of the Nati
   6. The Position of Actors and Artistes in Ancient India

    

6. THE DANCE AND DRAMA TRADITIONS IN SOUTH INDIA Dance and Drama in Tamil Literature - Two Early Tamil Poems - Siva and Nataraja: Lord of Dance - Bharatanatyam and Devadasis - Cultural Tradition in South-East Asia

    

7. SOME IMPORTANT PROBLEMS RELATING TO INDIAN DRAMA
   1. Buddhist and Jain Tradition
   2. Sudraka: The Author of Mrcchakatika
   3. The Yatra Performance
   4. The Role of Prakrits in the Evolution of Sanskrit Drama

    

8. MALAISE: SYMPTOMS OF DECADENCE
   1. Dependence of Epics
   2. Identical Aims for Drama and Kavya
   3. Absence of Music and Songs
   4. Abundance of Verses
   5. Supernatural Element in Drama
   6. Absence of People's Stage and Theatre
   7. Place Patronage
   8. The Audience

    

9. Causes of Decadence
   Muslim Invasion - Multiplication of Manuals and Lack of Boldness -Lack of Humour - Role of Prakrits and Growth of Vernacular Literature - Recitation Versus staging of the Play - Philosophy of Life - Tragi-comedies and their Limitations

    

10. A RAPID SURVEY OF DECADENT FEATURE IN POST KALIDASAN DRAMAS
    1. Sri Harsa
    2. Bhattanarayana
    3. Bhavabhuti
    4. Murari
    5. Rajasekhara
    6. Krsnamisra

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX