Composed over two thousand years ago by the sage Bharata Muni, the Natyashastra stands as the oldest surviving guide to the performing arts. Written in ancient Sanskrit, this foundational scripture unifies drama, dance, and music into a single artistic vision. It teaches how performers use gesture, voice, and emotion to evoke rasa—the aesthetic mood that deeply moves an audience. The text also covers stagecraft, including architecture, costumes, makeup, musical scales, and actor training. Though centuries old, its principles remain the living backbone of Indian classical theater. More than a technical manual, the Natyashastra is a timeless bridge between ancient wisdom and creative expression, reminding us that performance is a sacred conversation between the artist and the soul.
नाट्यशास्त्र
Natyashastra
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Distribution of verses across chapters
Chapters
अध्याय १
adhyAya 1
Origin of Drama
127 verses
अध्याय २
adhyAya 2
Description of the Playhouse
105 verses
अध्याय ३
adhyAya 3
Pūjā to the Gods of the Stage
102 verses
अध्याय ४
adhyAya 4
Description of the Class Dance
320 verses
अध्याय ५
adhyAya 5
Preliminaries of a Play
200 verses
अध्याय ६
adhyAya 6
Sentiments (rasa)
83 verses
अध्याय ७
adhyAya 7
Emotional and other States (bhāva)
121 verses
अध्याय ८
adhyAya 8
Gestures of Minor Limbs (upāṅga)
178 verses
अध्याय ९
adhyAya 9
Gestures of Major Limbs (aṅga)
284 verses
अध्याय १०
adhyAya 10
Cari Movements
103 verses
अध्याय ११
adhyAya 11
Maṇḍala movements
70 verses
अध्याय १२
adhyAya 12
Different Gaits (gati)
235 verses
अध्याय १३
adhyAya 13
Different Gaits (gati)
86 verses
अध्याय १४
adhyAya 14
Zones (kakṣyā) and Local Usages (pravṛtti)
130 verses
अध्याय १५
adhyAya 15
Verbal representation (vācika) and Prosody (chandaḥśāstra)
227 verses
अध्याय १६
adhyAya 16
Metrical Patterns (chandas)
172 verses
अध्याय १७
adhyAya 17
Diction of a Play (lakṣaṇa)
150 verses
अध्याय १८
adhyAya 18
Rules on the use of Languages (bhāṣā)
126 verses
अध्याय १९
adhyAya 19
Modes of Address (nāman) and Intonation (kāku)
154 verses
अध्याय २०
adhyAya 20
Ten Kinds of Play (daśarūpa)
77 verses
अध्याय २१
adhyAya 21
Limbs of Segments (sandhi)
227 verses
अध्याय २२
adhyAya 22
Styles (vṛtti)
332 verses
अध्याय २३
adhyAya 23
Costumes and Make-up (nepathya)
23 verses
अध्याय २४
adhyAya 24
Harmonious Representation (sāmānyābhinaya)
89 verses
अध्याय २५
adhyAya 25
Dealings with Courtezans (veśyā)
125 verses
अध्याय २६
adhyAya 26
Varied Representation (citrābhinaya)
38 verses
अध्याय २७
adhyAya 27
Success in Dramatic Production (siddhi)
104 verses
अध्याय २८
adhyAya 28
On the Instrumental Music (ātodya)
149 verses
अध्याय २९
adhyAya 29
On Stringed Instruments (tata)
119 verses
अध्याय ३०
adhyAya 30
On Hollow Instruments (suṣira)
12 verses
अध्यायः ३१
adhyAyaH 31
On the Time-measure (tāla)
339 verses
अध्यायः ३२
adhyAyaH 32
The Dhruvā Songs
400 verses
अध्यायः ३३
adhyAyaH 33
On Covered Instruments (avanaddha)
null verses
अध्याय ३४
adhyAya 34
Types of Characters (prakṛti)
null verses
अध्याय ३५
adhyAya 35
Distribution of Roles (bhūmikā)
41 verses
अध्याय ३६
adhyAya 36
Descent of Drama on the Earth
51 verses
अध्याय ३७
adhyAya 37
37
32 verses