Dances of India  
Concept of Nāyaka
in Bharata’s Natyaśastra

Bharata has categorized male and female characters into three types on the basis of their nature (Prakriti). The nature of a person could itself be divided into several categories.  Bharata talks about the Nāyaka in his chapter on Prakriti . Since the chapter is on Prakriti or the Nature of human beings or characters/pātra-s. He begins by laying them into three main categories.

1) Uttama
2) Madhyama
3) Adhama

A comparative study is being made by the following table which will give a clear and a distinctive sketch of the three prakriti-s. As this chapter only talks about Nāyaka , I am only taking into consideration the prakriti (nature) of the male/puruśa pātra-s/ characters. The attributes which cannot be compared have been laid down separately and those which can be compared have been listed in the same line.

Before beginning with the grouping , I would like to highlight Abhinavagupta’s concept of Guńa-s which he decides into Sahaja and Āhara . Abhinavagupta states that the Guńa-s which one is borne with are Sahaja Guńa-s one which he acquires through experience as Āhara Guńa-s.

Uttama

Has control over one’s senses
Intellectual
Nanasiplavichakshańa
Dexterous
disposed to enjoy legitimately.
philanthropist
well-versed in various sastra-s
having depth of character
magnanimous
patient
munificent

Madhyama

Wise
Silpasastravishārada
Good in communication skills
Sweetness of manners

It is interesting to note that Bharata gives vichakshana for Uttama characters and visharada for madhyama characters. So the uttama characters are supposed to be skilled to the extent that they have knowledge about it and the Madhyama characters are supposed to be proficient enough to make a professional use of it. Dr. Manmohan Ghosh also makes the same observation in his edited version of the Natyasastra.

The adhama characters possess qualities contradictory to the uttama character in its entirety . Thus he neither possesses sahaja as well as āhara guńa-s . In the characters of uttama variety , the sahaja guńa-s score over the āhara guńa-s , in the characters of madhyama variety the āhara guńa-s exceed the sahaja guńa-s.

Similar is the classification of the female characters . A significant point which I observed was that no where in the list of qualities of the superior female character, we find presence of – intellect , skillful , proficient in arts etc. This itself highlights their importance from the point of view of the plot of the Sanskrit play.

Then Bharata talks about characters of mixed nature . Bharata does not include the main ( hero or the heroine ) under this section. He includes maid- servants, hermaphrodites ( who has been specifically identified as a character of inferior kind) śakara and viţa ( attendants of the hero) . Bharata does not include the characters of uttama or madhyama variety . It seems he wants the uttama and madhyama characters to be well-defined and not of ambiguous nature.

Then Bharata goes on to talk about Nāyaka . The word Nāyaka in rhetoric means the hero of a poetic composition ( play or drama) . In the Nātyaśastra , Nāyaka has been defined as “One who relieves himself from any contingency and triumphs over all hurdles and appears to be the protagonist amongst all the other male characters of the play.”

Then Bharata goes on to mention the four types of Nāyaka. All the four nāyaka types have been identified amongst the uttama and madhyama variety. They have been divided into the following—

1) Dhirodhata- Brave and haughty
2) Dhiralalita- Brave and sportive
3) Dhirodāta – Brave and magnanimous
4) Dhiraprashānta – Brave and calm

One wonders as to what the word “dhira” could mean. It could mean brave, courageous, firm, resolute etc. Whatever the word “Dhira” means , it is to identify the nāyaka and highlight him in the play. Thus it is obvious from the definition that he does possess some special qualities and therefore the word dhira has been used to justify his uniqueness.

– Continued

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