Paper: 1 Detail Study Of Natyashastra, Specially Dance Related Chapters And Sangita Ratnakar MODULE 30 Lasyanga Sangita Ratnakar LASYANGA ‘Lasyanga’ is made of two words – ‘Lasya / ऱास्य’ and ‘Anga / अंग’. ‘Lasya’ means a tender or graceful dance. The main root of the word is ‘las’, ‘lasati’, ‘iti Lasya’. This means the one that is radiant, shining and feminine, that is lasya. In Indian music, rhythm is given unmatched importance. Rhythm or tala is made of two parts – ‘ta’ meaning tandava and ‘la’ meaning lasya. This means that tala is parented by Lord Shiva-Parvati themselves. It is believed that Tandava is the dance performed by Lord Shiva while Lasya is the dance performed Goddess Parvati. When Lord Shiva performed the Tandav, he felt that it lacked lusciousness and delicateness. He thus asked Goddess Parvati to perform a dance. To this, Goddess Parvati performed a very captivatingly beautiful dance that full of delicateness and beauty. It is believed that Lord Shiva was extremely impressed with Goddess Parvati’s dance and gave it the name of ‘Lasya’. The Natyotapti / नात्योत्ऩत्त्त also mentions a similar story. Goddess Parvati taught the dance that she had performed, to Usha, who was the daughter of the Great King Bana. Princess Usha then went on to teach the dance form to the gopis of Dwaraka Dwip. The gopis ended up teaching the dance to the entire Saurashtra. In this manner, the Lasya dance got spread in the entire India. The meaning of the word ‘Lasya’ is taken in three different ways – 1. Lasya – an expression, a style, a kind 2. Lasyam tu sukumaashandgah makardhvajavrdhanam / ऱास्यम त ु सकु ु मार शंदग: मकरध्वजवधधमान Thus, the body movements of the women who entice Madana or Lord Kama, is known as Lasya. 3. Lasyanga – A feminine, luscious dance. It also used as an exhibition to the public, like Margam in Bharatnatyam. Thus, just the way margam is organized in Bharatanatyam, Lasyanga is also performed publicly in the form of one dance sequence after another. 4. Lasyanga – In this drama, the female performer is a friend in one time, and the lead in one time. The Shringaar theme of expression is of utmost importance here. Lasyanga is used in this performance. From this we understand that when a dance is performed with lusciousness and delicateness, then it can be called as Lasya or Lasyanga. Lasya is a very delicate dance and yet it is very beautiful. The delicate movements of the female performers make the dance glamorous and elegant. It is also used in nritta, nritya and natya. The shringar rasa is principal in this. The Natyashastra mentions 12 types of Lasyanga. The Dasharupaka mentions 10 types of Lasyanga, viz. Geyapad / गेयपाद, Sthit-paathay / त्स्थत-ऩा腍य, Aasin / आसीन, Pushpagandika / ऩष्ु ऩगंडिक, Prachhedak / प्रछेदक, Trishul / त्रिशऱू , Saindhyavakhya / सैन्धध्यवाख्य, Dvighudhak Uttamottak / 饍ववघधु क् उत्तमोत्तक , Ukt-prayukt / उक्त-प्रयक्ु त. Natyashastra mentions two more types apart from the above ten, viz. Vichitrapad and Bhavit. It also describes two types. Apart from this, in Nrityaratnavali Jaya Senapati mentions 12 types of Lasyanga. In Sangita Ratnakar, Sharangadeva mentions 10 types of Lasyanga and also calls them as Desi Lasyanga / देशी ऱास्यांग. The seventh section of Sangit Ratnakar – Sangeet Ratnavali has 40 chapters, while in the 32nd section of Natyashastra has a detailed description of the application of Lasya. First we will talk about the description of Lasyanga given by the writer of Natyashastra – Bharat muni. The types of Lasyanga as mentioned by Bharat muni are as below – 1. Geyapad: The performer sits and sings a song while playing the veena 2. Sthitapathya: The performer reads as well as acts 3. Aasin: In this Lasyanga, the performer expresses the emotion of separation from a loved one. Instruments are not used in this performance. The song thus lacks an instrumental rhythm. 4. Pushpagandika: Here, the actress acts like a man and converses with her friend. This Lasyanga involves application of chari, angahaar, etc. 5. Prachhed: This is the song of separation. This Lasyanga describes the night scene. In the night, the actress feels sad and dejected, looking at the moon and the stars, this emotion is depicted in the performance. 6. Strigudh: In this Lasyanga performance, the actress praises the actor’s bravery and courage. Sometimes, this Lasyanga depicts anger too. 7. Saindhavakhya: This Lasyanga shows the betrayal of the actress. In this, the actor calls the actress at a point of rendezvous; however, he does not himself turn up at the same. This disappoints the actress as the actor does not keep his word that he had given to her. In this way, the actress feels betrayed and sad at being insulted and cheated, and this situation as well as her emotions is depicted in the Lasyanga. 8. Dvigudhak: This Lasyanga describes different auspicious occasions in a very detailed and interesting manner. 9. Uttamottama: In this Lasyanga, the actress sings a love song that describes Kama dev. This Lasyanga depicts the expressions of the different shades of love. 10. Vichitrapad: Here, the actress paints a picture of the actor, and feels sad looking at it. This expression is depicted in the vichitra pad Lasyanga. 11. Uttaprayukt: In this Lasyanga, the actor and the actress ask questions of each other and answer them. It is like a question-answer session. This Lasyanga expresses multiple emotions like joy, anger, argument, love, etc. 12. Bhaavit pad: The actress sees the actor in her dreams, and she tells the entire story to her friend. This entire situation is depicted in the Bhaavit pad. The role of the friend is essential in this Lasyanga. In Nrityashastra of Ashokmall / अशोकम쥍ऱ describes Lasyanga in a lot of detail. According to him, there are 12 Maargasthit Lasyanga / मागाधत्स्थत ऱास्यांग and 37 Desi Lasyanga / देशी ऱास्यांग. Types of MAARGASTHIT LASYANGA are described below: 1. Sthitpathya / त्स्थत्ऩाथ्य: When a sad actress stands up and speaks out the prose, expressing her feelings of sadness and disappointment, it is sthithpathya Lasyanga. 2. Aasin / आसीन: Here, the actress is broken with worry and dejection, and is devoid of any words and expressions. The intellectuals call this as aasin Lasyanga. 3. Saindhav / सधℂ व: Here the characters are unaware of the time, or acting and even words, and the language used is of Sindhu region. This Lasyanga is thus called Saindhav Lasyanga. 4. Pushpamandika / ऩष्ु ऩमंिीक: Here, the performers are devoid of any bodily, oral or any other organized movements; and their songs, instruments and dance is very strange. This is called pushpamandika. 5. Prachhedak / प्रछेदक: The dance performed to depict the women, give up all shame and go to their criminal beloveds in the bright moonlight, is called as prachhedak. 6. Sheshpad / शेशऩद: The Lasyanga in which the performers extremely good with instruments like the veena, sarangi, etc., sit in peace and sing, is called as Sheshpad. 7. Dvimudh / 饍ववमधु : When a sentence comprises of words with multiple meanings as well as much and pratimukh sandhi / प्रततमखु शंधध, it is called as dvimudh Lasyanga. 8. Trimudh / त्रिमधु : The one that is tied with ramniya and alphabets, and has a lot of expressions in it, completed with alankars / अऱंकार, and has the same vritti all over; is called as Trimudh Lasyanga. 9. Vaibhaavik / वैभाववक: When the actress sees her beloved in her dreams, and feels sexually aroused; and expresses a wide range of emotions, it is called as vaibhaavik Lasyanga. 10. Chitrapadh / धििऩध: Here, the actress sees her beloved in a picture and feels attracted to him, and breaks down in arousal. This Lasyanga is called as chitrapadh. 11. Uktaprayukt / उक्तप्रयक्ु त: When intellectuals use words that consist of alleging words that have multiple meanings, it is called as uktaprayukt Lasyanga. 12. Uttamottam / उत्तमोतम: The sequences that are full of different raasas and emotions, beauty and different types of expressions is called as uttamottam Lasyanga. It includes looking at each other with joy, embracing in fear, speaking in anger and breaking down into tears and crying; these are all expressions expressed in uttamottam Lasyanga. Types of DESI LASYANGA: Ashokmall discusses another 37 Desi Lasyangas in nrityaadhyaya. These are as below: 1. Chaali / िाऱी: When the arm, waist, thigh and foot are moved at the same time in a slow, not very fast speed with sweetness, expression, smoothness and irritation; then Ashokmall calls it as chaali Lasyanga. 2. Chaalivat / िालऱवत: Shaihyrahsaanmukhyabahuta saiv chaligate yatah / शह्ै यरह्सान्धमख्ु यबहुत सवै िलऱगत यत् When chaali Lasyanga incorporates speed and straightforwardness, then it became chaalivat Lasyanga. 3. Trik / ट्रिक: Drut mandavibhaaven chaalanam haavapurvakam | द्रतू माण्िवीभवेन िाऱनम हावऩवु कध म | Lalavantsamutamoh karnasostaka kamiritam || ऱा쥍वंत्समतु ामोह कनाधसोस्तक कलमररत ं || When the ears are devoid of all the ornaments obtained for the leela, and moved in a fast as well as a low pace, it is called as trika Lasyanga. 4. Mann / मन: When some incomplete element of the shringar rasa, which is extremely small but capable of being acted out, and be second only from the point of view of natyang, then the intellectuals have called it as man Lasyanga. 5. Lodhi / ऱोढ़ी: The synchronization of the arms and the waist, which is soft, sweet, slanted but full of expressions then it is called as the Lodhi lasyaang. Another set of experts are of the opinion that the one that is complete of the weight of beauty, which is vyutpann / व्यतु ऩन्धन from the sangeet sanyong, while being devoid of excessive happiness is known as lodhi lasyaang.