Sanskrit Plays Used for Kutiyattam
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Paper: 2 Relationship Of Dance And Theatre, Study Of Rupaka And Uparupaka, Traditional Theatres Of India Module 13 Kudiyattam – 1 Kutiyattam / कु टीयाटम, the Sanskrit theatre form from Kerala, was recognised as ‘intangible cultural heritage’ by UNESCO in 2001. Dating back over 2000 years, this is one of the oldest living theatre traditions. Traditionally performed in Kuttampalams / कु त्त륍ऩऱम, which are theatres located in Hindu temples, it was reserved for a particular Brahmin caste, the Chakyars. Performed in Sanskrit, the Kuttiyattam performances would last for hours, and often go on all- night or for several nights. Today it has been adapted for the modern stage: plays have become shorter, the pace has been quickened. Kutiyattam has also faced its own challenges: rapid socio-economic changes have compromised its continuation in an unadulterated form. “Social changes happening everywhere affected Kutiyattam too,” explains K. K. Gopalakrishnan, director of the Centre for Kutiyattam in Trivandrum. “British rule was disastrous to cultural heritage, temples became poor and peoples’ priorities changed. Few people have the time to watch performances which last a full night and even whole days. Other factors which put the tradition at risk were the fading of the joint family system, changes in the class system, 1 population movement and opportunities for high-income employment. On the other side, temples became poor due to social changes and income from the performances declined. As a result, fewer people are committed to take up the art. But even then, a few gurus of each generation preserved the art and never allowed that fire to die. For example, in 1956 late guru Painkulam Ramachakyar / ऩैनकु ऱम रामचाक्या र took Kutiyattam outside the temple precincts amid strong opposition from his own clan and the orthodox and in 1965 the Kerala Kalamandalam institutionalised the training of Kutiyattam by starting a course for the first time outside the home of a Chakyar. In this way Painkulam was the first guru to train members of other communities to take up the art.” And has UNESCO status helped to preserve this ancient theatre form? Gopalakrishnan remains optimistic: “In the changing social scenario such recognition helps, for example, to get more outreach and funding and it also gives more global publicity to the form. But one should not forget that the system is sustained only through committed gurus and devoted disciples who are prepared to preserve the form at any cost and not only through any such mere recognition”. Kutiyattam is the traditional presentation of classical Sanskrit theatre on the Kerala stage. It is one of the oldest continuously performed theatre forms in India, and it may be the oldest surviving art form of the ancient world. Although the precise links between it and the ancient Sanskrit theatre have not yet been determined, Kutiyattam is probably a regional derivation of the pan-Indian classical tradition, a bridge between the past and present. 2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: No one knows exactly when Kutiyattam came into being but in Chilappatikaram / शिऱऩददकारम composed by Tamil poet Ilango Adigal / ईऱा車गो अडिगऱ , roughly 1800 years back, there is reference to the enactment of the story of the burning of Tripura (Tripuradahanam) by Parayur Kuttachakaiyan (Paravur Chakyar). Based on this, Kutiyattam is believed to date back to about two thousand years. However, Kutiyattam as it exists today was remodeled during the time of Kulasekhara / कु ऱसेखर, the author of Subhadradhananjaya and Taptisamvarana. This Kulasekhara seems to have been none other than Bhaskara Ravi Varma / भास्कर रवि िमाा who ruled from 978 to 1036 A.D. He also seems to have written Vyangyavyakhya / 핍य車ग्य핍याख्य, a critique, after seeing the stage production of both these plays. Kulsekhara, along with his friend Tolan, a vernacular poet who was a great humorist and a connoisseur of drama, thoroughly modified Kutiyattam. The innovations attributed to Tolan and Kulasekhara are mainly: (a) For the Vidushaka’s verbal narration, apart from Prakrit, Sanskrit words, Malayalam interpretation and counter verses to the hero’s slokas were introduced. (b) The addition of the humorous element by introducing extraneous matter such as the parody on the four Purusarthas. (c) The hero’s verses were codified, first by analyzing their word meanings, then elaborating them through angika and satvika abhinaya and re-enacting them in their sequential order. 3 (d) For elaborating the previous story, the convention of Nirvahanam / ननिााहणम was introduced. (e) For composing Attaprakara-s / अट्टाप्रकार and Kramdipika-s / क्रमदीवऩका; but it is clear that from time to time, many elements were added on them. During ancient times, Sanskrit plays were enacted as dance-dramas in many parts of India. Kutiyattam can be regarded as a regional adaptation. Many scholars have found a close similarity between Kutiyattam and the description of Damodar gupta’s production of th Ratnavali / रत्नािऱी in Kashmir in the 9 century A.D. THE PERFORMERS: The performers of Kutiyattam do not have the right to perform the most sacred and intimate scarifies close to the deity, as do the Namboodiri / ना륍बूददरी Brahmins, but they do have the right to perform plays as a “visual sacrifices” in honor of the deity. According to tradition, families of actors and musicians, belonging to particular castes of temple servants, hold the exclusive right to perform in the Kerala temples. The art of staging the Sanskrit plays in Kerala has been handed down from generation to generation as an exclusive hereditary profession by the Chakayars and the Nambiars. In some temples performers of one and only one family maintain the right to perform Kutiyattam. The real actors are the Chakayars, and the women of the Nambiar community called Nanyars. The Nambiar plays on the big drum called 4 Mizhavu with bare hands, hence he is called Panivada / ऩाननिाद. The Nambiar also narrates in the local Malayalam language the introductory stories; texts used for such explanations, called th Mardangika Tamil are referred to in the 15 century work Lilatilaka / शऱऱानतऱक, as belonging to the pure language different from the Manipraval. The Nanyar’s duty is not only to play the role of the female characters in the play wherever required, but also to sing songs/shlokas and to use the cymbals to keep the Tala. The women of the Chakayar community are called ‘Illottamma / इ쥍ऱोत्तम’; they have nothing to do on the stage. According to tradition, there were 18 Chakyar families, but now there are only six. (a) Ammannur / अ륍मानुर (b) Kitannur / ककतन्नुर (c) Kaippa / कैप्ऩ (Painkulam / ऩैनकु ऱम) (d) Maniyur/मननयूर (e) Kuttanceri / कु ट्टनचेरी (f) Potiyil / ऩोनतनयऱ There are many popular anecdotes about the sense of humor and the presence of mind as well as the power of acting of the Chakayars in ancient times. Among other well-known Kutiyattam exponents and teachers were Rama Chakayar of the Painkulam, Madhav Chakayar of the Maniyur family and Madhav Chakayar of the Ammannur family. SANSKRIT PLAYS USED FOR KUTIYATTAM: Though Kutiyattam is the enactment of Sanskrit plays, usually a full- length play is not taken; only an act from it is presented on the stage. 5 Even the enactments of individual scenes are adequate for aesthetic appeal, for each act has its own sthayi rasa. Thus, in Kutiyattam, a full play is not as relevant as its separate acts. The individual acts are treated as full-fledged plays in themselves, and given different names. The dramas presented on Kutiyattam stage are: (a) Plays ascribed to Bhasa: (1) Abhisheka (Valiya/Big Abhisheka)- Act I Balivadham Act II Hanumaddutam Act III Toranayuddham Act IV Samudrataranam Act V Mayasiras Act VI Prathamdvitiyankam Act VII Pattabhisekam (2) Pratima (Paduka Abhisheka)- Act I Vicchinnabhishekankam Act II Vilapankam Act III Pratimankam Act IV Atavyankam Act V Ravanankam Act VI Bharatankam Act VII Paduka Abhishekankam 6 (3) Swapnavasavadatta – Act I Brahmacharyankam Act II Pantattankam Act III Poothootankam Act IV Sephalikankam Act V Swapanankam Act VI Chitraphalakankam (4) Pratijnayaugandharayana –Mantrankam, Mahasenankam, Arattankam (5) Balacarita - Mallankam (6) Dutavakya (7) Karnabharam (8) Dutaghatotkacha (9) Charudatta - Vasantasenankam (10) Madhyamavyayoga (11) Pancharatra – Vettankam and Bhimadutankam (12) Avimaraka –Act I Anottankam Act II Dutankam Act III Abhisarikankam Act IV Parvankam Act V Matamettankam (b) Two farces/prahasanas: (1) Mattavilasa of the Pallava king Mahendra Vikramavarma (2) Bhagavadajjuka of Bodhayana 7 (c) Harsha’s Nagananda – Rantamankam, Parakkum Kuttu (d) Four Kerala dramas: (1) Subhadradhananjaya by Kulasekhara (2) Tapatisamvarana by Kulasekhar (3) Kalyanasaugandhika by Nilakanthakavi (4) Ascharyachudamani (Cheriya/Small Abhisheka) by Saktibhadra Act I Parnasalankam Act II Surpanakhankam Act III Mayasitankam Act IV Jatayuvadhankam Act V Asokavanikankam Act VI Anguliyankam Act VII Agnipravesankam (e) Plays of Kalidasa: (1) Shakuntala (2) Vikramorvasiya (first part) PERFORMANCE STYLE: Performance styles of the temple art form are called Kuttu/कु ट्टू, and there are 3 types of Kuttu: (1) Prabandha Kuttu/प्रब車ध कु ट्टू : Its gives emphasis to the verbal (vachika) mode of presentation. Here, Sanskrit narrative poems (prabandhas) are taken up and interpreted in detail, using a 8 simple yet metaphorical language imbued with humor, satire and double meaning, and interspersed with reference to topical events. In this, the Chakayar narrates the story, while the Nambiar plays on the mizhavu. (2) Nangiyar Kuttu / नान्न्गयर कु ट्टू : Its lays stress upon histrionic acting (angikabhinaya). Adapted from the introductory scene of Subhadradhananjaya, this art form presents the story of Krishna in the form of Nirvahanam enacted by the Nangiyar as a female attendant of Subhadra. There is no place for humor; the Nangiyar acts and the Nambiar plays on the mizhavu. (3) Kutiyattam: Kutiyattam is a combination of two Malayalam words, Kuti - to join and attam – acting.