Natyashastra Ki Bhartiya Parampara Aur Dashroopak

The author of the Dasharupaka, a treatise on the Indian tradition of dramaturgy, is Vishnus son Dhananjaya, who was a member of the court of Munjaraja (974-995 AD). Finding Bharatas Natya Shastra too extensive, he condensed the useful points of dramaturgy in this text and wrote it in Karikas. With a few exceptions, most of the Karikas are written in the Anushtup meter. Due to the brevity, these Karikas became difficult to understand. Therefore, his brother Dhanik wrote a commentary on this text called Avalok to clarify the meaning of the Karikas. Without this commentary, Dhananjayas Karikas would have been difficult to understand. Therefore, the entire text should be understood as Karikas along with the Vritti. Both Dhananjaya and Dhanik are important. The twentieth chapter of Bharata Munis Natya Shastra is called Dasharupa-Vikalpana (20.1) or Dasharupa-Vidhan. Based on this, Dhananjaya named his book Dasharupaka. The ten forms prescribed in the Natya Shastra are: Nataka, Prakarana, Ank (Uttarpanka), Vyoga, Bhaana, Samavakar, Veethi, Prahasana, Dim, and Ishamriga. An eleventh form, Natika, is also discussed in Bharatas Natya Shastra and Dasharupaka, but it is not considered an independent form. Dhananjaya, following Bharata, mentions Natika but does not consider it an independent form. In addition to the Karikas written by Dhananjaya, Acharya Dwivedi has also added an essay of his own to introduce Dhanakars approach and the Indian tradition of Natya Shastra.