Essays on Natyasastra

May 29, 2025 · 1 min read

My Journey with Natyashastra (Part 1): A Personal Academic Exploration

A decade ago, in March 2013, I visited Manish Da’s (Manish Mitra, the director of the Kasba Arghya theatre group) home for the first time for a lu...

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May 29, 2025 · 1 min read

My Journey with Natyashastra (Part 2): Philosophy Beyond Performance

Natyashastra is not merely a handbook or manual for the art of Theatre; it is a philosophy that speaks of Purushartha (the four aims of human life) wi...

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May 29, 2025 · 1 min read

My Journey with Natyashastra (Part 3): The Complete Training Manual

Without further preamble, let us now consider the chapters and topics of the Natya Shastra. For until we know exactly which aspects are being discusse...

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May 29, 2025 · 1 min read

My Journey with Natyashastra (Part 4): The Sacred Purpose of Art

No matter how much Sri Krishna directs towards Brahmajnana in the Gita and advises against desiring the fruits of one’s actions, if Arjuna did not f...

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May 29, 2025 · 1 min read

Bharata’s Doctrine and the Eleven Elements of Natya: A Dive into the Essence of Indian Classical Theatre

The Nāṭyaśāstra stands as a seminal treatise on Indian classical theater, encapsulating a comprehensive framework known as the Eleven Nāṭya Sa...

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May 29, 2025 · 1 min read

Exploring the Vedic Basis of Bharata's Natyashastra

According to Bharata, the Nāṭyaveda was divinely revealed by Brahmā himself, compiling the essence of all four Vedas and serving as the quintessen...

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