The Role & Larger Meaning of Sakhi in Indian Dance
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Field: Dance and Dance Music -Bharata Natyam Period: January 2016 - December 2017. Name: Nandini Krishna Address: 55 Patrakar, Kalanagar, Bandra East, Mumbai 400 051 File No: CCRT/SF-3/100/2015. THE ROLE AND LARGER MEANING OF SAKHI IN INDIAN DANCE 2 Preface: While the sakhī has been a perennial presence right from the Sangam age and the Vedic age even, if we may say so; not much thought has been given to her vital presence or philosophical inferences, if any. Composers down the ages have generally couched deep significances of Indian philosophy and thought within poetic imagery. The sakhī comes out as a very interesting conundrum. How does one infer her presence. While many aver her to be in place of the Guru, many have also argued against that possibility saying then, she would need to be venerated. The prime and living characterisation of the sakhī was clearly seen in Kalidasa‟s „Shakuntala‟ where she assumed a highly important role and meaning. This study was to largely and generally look into the many facets associated with the sakhī. Understanding her presence and meaning through many compositions used in Bharata Natyam and other dance styles was one way that was adopted. While the aim was lofty, I still feel much more can be done to give a more clear analysis and philosophical meaning to her raison d‟etre of existence. This work can thus be deemed to be a starting point. It was a supposition to check whether the sakhī was merely an imaginative idea as conveyed through many dance compositions or whether she could be the mind or the heart or inner conscience. Interestingly many agreed to this idea saying that one could look at it as a possibile way. But yet again philosophy runs deep. So too give it a clarity one would need to delve into philosophy as a whole. Yet it was interesting to see how many senior dancers and Gurus, who had never considered the sakhī as heart or mind, briefly thought about it and said yes, that it could be a possibility. 3 Again there is a slight line of blurring in the dūtī and sakhī bhava. While most often a time the sakhī could be a dūtī , a dūtī need not necessarily be a sakhī. The Nātya Śāstra mentions the sakhī as one of the possible dūtīs without elucidating much more on the sakhī aspect. It is only in the Rasikapriya, 17th century, where Keshavadasa has devoted chapters about the duties and role of the sakhī. Also mention must be made of other works like Rasamanjari and the Kāma Sūtra where a chapter on go-between is mentioned. Viśvanātha in his Sāhitya Darpaṇa ( 14th century) briefly elucidates about the sakhī classifying her as uttama, madhyama and adhama which later is seen again in Akbar Shah‟s Shringara Manjari. One would have liked to find out examples of sakhīs who would fit into this classification but one could only fleetingly touch upon these rather than in-depth. The sakhī proves to be an enigmatic character. She is bold, wise, balanced and perhaps all the the nāyīkā may yearn to be even. She does come across as a more evolved personality specially since she is the one who instructs the nāyīkā and the nāyaka on the best approaches or rapprochement. She is well-versed in the arts, perhaps even the sixty-four, for in many compositions one finds the nāyīkā pleading with the sakhī to turn the mind of the nāyaka with sweet music. Often times she is seen not pampering the nāyīkā but maintaning an effective distance perhaps allowing the nāyīkā to mature and wait for the right moment. She is astute. Often she finds the remedies to calm and soothe the nāyīkā. This is almost the role of the present day counsellor and psycho-therapist. Thus when desire in general is thwarted or ambitions not achieved the mind and heart runs amok. It is here that a calming presence is required to bring balance to the aggrieved spirit. Thus it has been interesting to explore books and works to find out references and a more layered meaning for the sakhī. Later composers from North like Kabir, Vidyapati ( 14th century) also use the sakhī variously. Specially in Vidyapati‟s works one finds many verses addressed to the sakhī. 4 And among the interesting finds has been that the marriage ritual is consummated through the ritual of saptapadī wherein the last padī or step is the acceptance of the partner as a friend. In the Kumara Sambhavam, Kalidasa mentions how sakhī is the one who takes seven steps, the sapta padī. sakhā saptapadenam uchyate In fact, as per the vedas, the couple is said to be married only after completing the sapta padī ritual! When the seventh step is placed the girl is said to become the friend of the husband. Perhaps the meaning lies in her ability to became an alter-ego in a sense. Manu (8.227) says:– „The Vedic mantras recited in the marriage rite are a sure indication of wife-hood; but their completion should be understood by the wise as occurring on taking the seventh step‟. So it follows that the marriage becomes complete and irrevocable the moment the saptapadī rite is performed, but before that rite is gone through there is a locus or a right to revoke the commitment. Again in the work Thirukkural (literally Sacred Verses), dated variously from 300 BC to 7th century CE, one finds chapters about the the nāyīkā‟s state of torment, pangs of separation, sharing with the sakhī etc. What is interesting is to note is the presence of an exclusive chapter of the nāyīkā talking to her heart! This reiterates the basis and premise of this work where it was a supposition whether the sakhī could be postulated as the mind or heart. For in many later compositions and specially those used for dance we have seen the sakhī‟s role though perennial seems to be almost non-existent! This consolidates the fact that the mind or heart is the sakhī in later compositions, where the nāyīkā often is seen pouring out her woes as a soliloquy implying that the search for peace, contentment, balance lies within. It is only when the mind, body, spirit is in harmony can bliss be possible or attained. And since the summum bonum of life is the quest of this eternal bliss, the path is to therefore go within and 5 meet the sakhī who is the vital link between the material, finite form and the supra, infinite source. The sakhī stands at the centre. So she is a witness, a sākshī to all. At the right time when the seeking starts, when the spirit is defeated or losing ground in the material world, she becomes alive to throw light on the path to the Supreme. She is the care-taker, a friend in every sense. She is almost like the dwārapālakā who must be befriended to be allowed entry to the supra regions. The essence of sakhī bhava is trust or viśrambha which Jiva Goswami has further defined as meaning a feeling of mutual identity (Brs 3.3.106). In the Chaitanya tradition (15th century) all devotees as in the pushtī mārga are sakhīs. It is only in the form of the sakhīs that the devotee can express his love for Krishna by serving Radha. In the Gita Govinda tradition and in the later Chaitanya tradition, Radha is the supreme force of Krishna. She is the shakti of Krishna. And Krishna is under her sway! The devotees can love Krishna only through Radha. There is no sakhī in the Bhagavatha Purana. Viraha enables moving from śṛngāra to śṛngāra bhaktī, says eminent scholar, Shri Harsha Dehejia. It changes the way you look at the beloved at that point. Jayadeva brings in viraha on both sides. Chaitanya too picks up on the idea of viraha. The sakhī in the Gaudiya tradition because of the fact that she cannot enjoy Krishna as such but only through Radha, has an intense longing. And it is through this intense longing that śṛngāra is transformed to śṛngāra bhaktī, which characterizes the unique bhāva of the sakhī! The sakhī‟s message is not just for Krishna but equally for us, for Jayadeva points out in no uncertain terms that shrijayadeva bhanitam idam...sakhī vacanam pathaniyam - ( 4.9) If your heart hopes to dance to the haunting song of Jayadeva study what the sakhī said about Radha‘s suffering. 6 Sukanya Sarbadhikary in The Place of Devotion: Siting and Experiencing Divinity in Bengal Vaishnavism explains about sakhīs, „Sakhīs are the same age as Radha or older. Thus they have experienced sexual satisfaction. Mañjarīs are however all younger than Radha. They never desire any form of selfish sexual gratification. Vaishnavas argue that the complete lack of possibilities of sexual possession paradoxically multiplies the Mañjarī‟s sensory empathy while exemplifying the best case of ego effacement. Sakhīs have their households to look after while Mañjarīs stay with Radha all the time. Sakhīs arouse reverence and inhibition in Radha while Mañjarīs arouse pure unabashed affection. The counselor of today would do well to understand the role, person and characteristics of the sakhī in taking aggrieved spirits from a state of disconnect to a state of equanimity, balance and harmony. From ill-being to well-being! And this perhaps can be the larger thrust of this work. One with an assistant is capable of accomplishing the object beset with obstacles. One, even though possessed of eyes cannot perceive an object without the light of the lamp.