SANSKRIT DRAMA BALIVADHAM ACT 1 OF BHASA’S ABHISEKANATAKA AND SHAKUNTALA BY KALIDASA

BALIVADHAM ACT 1 OF BHASA’S ABHISEKANATAKA 5 days to perform Balivadham Sequence of events according to the Ammanur Cakyar family: Day One: ”Sri Rama’s purappad. Sri Rama, after entering into a treaty with Sugriva, cuts down the seven sala trees on the way to kill Bali. In order to remove fear in the mind of Sugriva he converses with him. It is this portion that is done on the day of purappad. The day concludes with the nritya kriya dance.”

Day Two: “Sri Rama’s nirvahana. Sri Rama describes how he goes in search of Sita after she has been abducted by Ravana. He comes upon the bird Jatayu lying with his wings cut and on the verge of death. He learns from Jatayu that Ravana has abducted Sita and has carried her off to his palace in Lanka. He describes the conduct of the cremation of the body of Jatayu who seeks eternal salvation. He describes how Sri Rama continues his search for Sita. On the way he confronts and kills the demon Kabandha. He gives moksha (eternal salvation) to Sabari (a forest woman) and reaches the shores of the river Pampa. On the advice of the monkey Hanuman, Sri Rama enters into a treaty with Sugriva and in order to remove the fear in Sugriva’s mind he cuts down the seven sala trees and in this way he connects this portion up to the rest of the drama. This portion is rendered on the stage by the actor who has put on the costume of Sri Rama but tells the story by means of pakarnattam. That is when the actor playing Sri Rama plays all the other roles while wearing Rama’s costume. This material is acted in the course of three and a half hours.”

Day Three: “Sugriva’s purappad. Sugriva is happy on seeing the cutting down of the seven trees by Sri Rama and he praises him. That is the matter for presentation on this day. The way Sugriva interprets the meaning of the word “Deva” in four ways is very interesting. The actors concludes the day with a particular dance called nitya kriya and thus ends Sugriva’s entrance.”

Day Four: “Nirvahana of Sugriva. The actor who plays the role enacts the birth of the monkeys, the fight between Mayavi and Bali, the killing of Dundhabee, the fight between Bali and Sugriva, and the friendship with Sri Rama. This portion of the performance is suitable for excellent pakarnattam.”

Day Five: “Kutiyattam (drama portion). Kutiyattam is the acting of each character speaking the lines in the text in proper order and acting it. The portion where Sugriva sits in grief in Rishyamuka mountain lamenting his fate and trying to discover his future by astrological means by throwing a leaf into the air is very delectable. The incarnation of Narasimha in the course of the abhinaya of Bali is also very appealing to the audience. The enacting of the churning of the ocean and the death scene of Bali are all very popular. All the characters mentioned in the drama are not brought to the stage in these temple performances. Only Bali and Sugriva are seen on the stage. The difference in the way the angry Bali does the pakarnattam of Tara has to be seen to be believed. Though there are few characters in costumes what is achieved in these condensations is to demonstrate the possibilities of focusing on minute points that may be highlighted in the acting.

Abhijñānaśākuntalam Shakuntala BY KALIDASA Reputed to have been performed by the cakyars in kutiyattam but normally not regularly performed today in Kerala. Yet, it is considered the greatest of Sanskrit plays. Goethe honored it in with a verse at the beginning of Faust Note: on middle of p. 228 of your pdf of the play “Kanva” should read “Kama.” Kama is the god of love.

Kind of play of the 10 kinds Opening Prologue and its characteristics and the prologues of other acts Acts 1-3: Love, love in union, love in separation Act 4: Rasa/bhava?? Act 5: Rasa/bhava?? Act 6: “ Act 7: “ Final verse of the play

Nature and Man Dramatic action Rasa and bhava