Natya Shastra · Chapter 18

iti bharatīye nāṭyaśāstre vāgabhinaye kāvyalakṣaṇo nāma ṣoḍaśo 'dhyāyaḥ
atha aṣṭādaśo 'dhyāyaḥ
varttayiṣyāmyahaṃ viprā daśarūpavikalpanam /
nāmataḥ karmataścaiva tathā caiva prayogataḥ

nāṭakaṃ saprakaraṇamaṅko vyāyoga eva ca /
bhāṇaḥ samavakāraśca vīthī prahasanaṃ ḍimaḥ

īhāmṛgaśca vijñeyā daśeme nāṭyalakṣaṇe /
eteṣāṃ lakṣaṇamahaṃ vyākhyāsyāmyanupūrvaśaḥ

sarveṣāmeva kāvyānāṃ mātṛkā vṛttayaḥ smṛtāḥ /
ābhyo vinisṛtaṃ hyetaddaśarūpaṃ prayogataḥ

jātibhiḥ śrutibhiścaiva svarā grāmatvamāgatāḥ /
yathā tathā vṛttibhedaiḥ kāvyabandhā bhavanti hi

grāmau pūrṇasvarau dvau tu yathā vai ṣaḍjamadhyamau /
sarvavṛttiviniṣpannau kāvyabandhau tathā tvimau

jñeyaṃ prakaraṇaṃ caiva tathā nāṭakameva ca /
sarvavṛttiviniṣpannaṃ nānābandhasamāśrayam

vīthī samavakāraśca tathehāmṛga eva ca /
utsṛṣṭikāṅko vyāyogo bhāṇaḥ prahasanaṃ ḍimaḥ

kaiśikīvṛttihīnāni rūpāṇyetāni kārayet /
ata ūrdhvaṃ pravakṣyāmi kāvyabandhavikalpanam

prakhyātavastuviṣayaṃ prakhyātodāttanāyakaṃ caiva /
rājarṣivaṃśyacaritaṃ tathaiva divyāśrayopetam

nānāvibhūtibhiryutamṛddhivilāsādibhirguṇaiścaiva /
aṅkapraveśakāḍhyaṃ bhavati hi tannāṭakaṃ nāma

nṛpatīnāṃ yaccaritaṃ nānārasabhāvaceṣṭitaṃ bahudhā /
sukhaduḥkhotpattikṛtaṃ bhavati hi tannāṭakaṃ nāma

asyāvasthopetaṃ kāryaṃ prasamīkṣya binduvistārāt /
kartavyo 'ṅkaḥ so 'pi tu guṇānvitaṃ nāṭyatattvajñaiḥ

aṅka iti rūḍhiśabdo bhāvaiśca rasaiśca rohayatyarthān /
nānāvidhānayukto yasmāttasmādbhavedaṅkaḥ

aṅkasamāptiḥ kāryā kāvyacchedena bījasaṃhāraḥ /
vastuvyāpī binduḥ kāvyasamuttho 'tra nityaṃ syāt

yatrārthasya samāptiryatra ca bījasya bhavati saṃhāraḥ /
kiñcidavalagnabinduḥ so 'ṅka iti sadāvagantavyaḥ

ye nāyakā nigaditāsteṣāṃ pratyakṣacaritasaṃyogaḥ /
nānāvasthopetaḥ kāryastvaṅko 'viprakṛṣṭastu

nāyakadevīgurujanapurohitāmātyasārthavāhānām /
naikarasāntaravihito hyaṅka iti sa veditavyastu

pañcākṣarā daśaparā hyaṅkāḥ syurnāṭake prakaraṇe ca /
niṣkrāmaḥ sarveṣāṃ yasminnaṅkaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ

krodhaprasādaśokāḥ śāpotsargo 'tha vidravodvāhau /
adbhutasambhavadarśanamaṅke pratyakṣajāni syuḥ

ekadivasapravṛttaḥ kāryastvaṅko 'rthabījamadhikṛtya /
āvaśyakakāryāṇāmavirodhena prayogeṣu

ekāṅkena kadācidbahūni kāryāṇi yojayeddhīmān /
āvaśyakāvirodhena tatra kāvyāni kāryāṇi

raṅgaṃ tu ye praviṣṭāḥ sarveṣāṃ bhavati tatra niṣkrāmaḥ /
bījārthayuktiyuktaṃ kṛtvā kāvyaṃ yathārtharasam

na bahūnīha kāryāṇi tvekāṅke viniyojayet /
āvaśyakānāṃ kāryāṇāṃ virodho hi tathā bhavet

jñātvā divasāvasthāṃ kṣaṇayāmamuhūrtalakṣaṇopetām /
vibhajetsarvamaśeṣaṃ pṛthakpṛthakkāvyamaṅkeṣu

divasāvasānakāryaṃ yadyaṅke nopapadyate sarvam /
aṅkacchedaṃ kṛtvā praveśakaistadvidhātavyam

viprakṛṣṭaṃ tu yo deśaṃ gacchetkāryavaśānugaḥ /
aṅkacchede 'tha saṃkṣepānnirdiśettaṃ praveśakaiḥ

sannihitanāyako 'ṅkaḥ kartavyo nāṭake prakaraṇe vā /
parijanakathānubandhaḥ praveśako nāma vijñeyaḥ

prakaraṇanāṭakaviṣaye pañcādyā daśaparā bhavantyaṅkāḥ /
aṅkāntarasandhiṣu ca praveśakāsteṣu tāvantaḥ

anayorantaravihitaḥ praveśako 'rthakriyāṃ samabhivīkṣya /
saṃkṣepārthaḥ sandhiṣvarthānāṃ saṃvidhātavyaḥ

aṅkacchedaṃ kṛtvā māsakṛtaṃ varṣasañcitaṃ vāpi /
tatsarvaṃ kartavyaṃ varṣādūrdhvaṃ na tu kadācit

yaḥ kaścitkāryavaśādgacchati puruṣaḥ prakṛṣṭamadhvānam /
tatrāpyaṅkacchedaḥ kartavyaḥ pūrvavattajñaiḥ

aṅkāntarānusārī saṃkṣepārthamadhikṛtya bindūnām /
prakaraṇanāṭakaviṣaye praveśakaḥ saṃvidhātavyaḥ

nottamamadhyamapuruṣairācarito nāpyudāttavacanakṛtaḥ /
prākṛtabhāṣācāraḥ prayogamāśritya kartavyaḥ

kālotthānagatirasau vyākhyāsaṃrambhakāryaviṣayāṇām /
arthābhidhānayuktaḥ praveśakaḥ syādanekārthaḥ

bahvāśrayamapi kāryaṃ praveśakaiḥ saṃkṣipecca sandhiṣu vā /
bahucūrṇapadairyuktaṃ janayati khedaṃ prayogasya

yatrārthasya samāptirna bhavatyaṅke prayogabāhulyāt /
vṛttāntasvalpakathaiḥ praveśakaiḥ so 'bhidhātavyaḥ

yuddhaṃ rājyabhraṃśo maraṇaṃ nagaroparodhanaṃ caiva /
pratyakṣāṇi tu nāṅke praveśakaiḥ saṃvidheyāni

aṅke praveśake ca prakaraṇamāśritya nāṭake vāpi /
na vadhaḥ kartavyaḥ syādyo 'bhyudayī nāyakaḥ khyātaḥ

apasaraṇameva kāryaṃ grahaṇaṃ vā sandhireva vā yojyaḥ /
kāvyaśleṣairbahubhiryathārasaṃ nāṭyatattvajñaiḥ

na mahājanaparivāraṃ kartavyaṃ nāṭakaṃ prakaraṇaṃ vā /
ye tatra kāryapuruṣāścatvāraḥ pañca vā te syuḥ

kāryaṃ gopucchāgraṃ kartavyaṃ kāvyabandhamāsādya /
ye codāttā bhāvāste sarve pṛṣṭhataḥ kāryāḥ

sarveṣāṃ kāvyānāṃ nānārasabhāvayuktiyuktānām /
nirvahaṇe kartavyo nityaṃ hi raso 'dbhutastajjñaiḥ

nāṭakalakṣaṇametanmayā samāsena kīrtitaṃ vidhivat /
prakaraṇamataḥ paramahaṃ lakṣaṇayuktyā pravakṣyāmi

yatra kavirātmaśaktyā vastu śarīraṃ ca nāyakaṃ caiva /
autpattikaṃ prakurute prakaraṇamiti tadbudhairjñeyam

yadanārṣamathāhāryaṃ kāvyaṃ prakarotyabhūtaguṇayuktam /
utpannabījavastu prakaraṇamiti tadapi vijñeyam

yannāṭake mayoktaṃ vastu śarīraṃ ca vṛttibhedāśca /
tatprakaraṇe 'pi yojyaṃ salakṣaṇaṃ sarvasandhiṣu tu

vipravaṇikṣacivānāṃ purohitāmātyasārthavāhānām /
caritaṃ yannaikavidhaṃ jñeyaṃ tatprakaraṇaṃ nāma

nodāttanāyakakṛtaṃ na divyacaritaṃ na rājasambhogam /
bāhyajanasaṃprayuktaṃ tajjñeyaṃ prakaraṇaṃ tajjñaiḥ

dāsaviṭaśreṣṭhiyutaṃ veśastryupacārakāraṇopetam /
mandakulastrīcaritaṃ kāvyaṃ kāryaṃ prakaraṇe tu

sacivaśreṣṭhibrāhmaṇapurohitāmātyasārthavāhānām /
gṛhavārtā yatra bhavenna tatra veśyāṅganā kāryā

yadi veśayuvatiyuktaṃ na kulastrī saṅgamo 'pi syāt /
atha kulajanaprayuktaṃ na veśayuvatirbhavettatra

yadi vā kāraṇayuktyā veśakulastrīkṛtopacāraḥ syāt /
avikṛtabhāṣācāraṃ tatra tu pāṭhyaṃ prayoktavyam

madhyamapuruṣairnityaṃ yojyo viṣkambhako 'tra tattvajjñaiḥ /
saṃskṛtavacanānugataḥ saṃkṣepārthaḥ praveśakavat

śuddhaḥ saṃkīrṇo vā dvividho viṣkambhako 'pi kartavyaḥ /
madhyamapātraḥ śuddhaḥ saṃkīrṇo nīcamadhyakṛtaḥ

aṅkāntarālavihitaḥ praveśako 'rthakriyāṃ samabhivīkṣya /
saṃkṣepātsandhīnāmarthānāṃ caiva kartavyaḥ

anayośca bandhayogādanyo bhedaḥ prayoktṛbhiḥ kāryaḥ /
prakhyātastvitaro vā nāṭakayoge prakaraṇe vā

prakaraṇanāṭakabhedādutpādyaṃ vastu nāyakaṃ nṛpatim /
antaḥpurasaṅgītakakanyāmadhikṛtya kartavyā

strīprāyā caturaṅkā lalitābhinayātmikā suvihitāṅgī /
bahunṛttagītapāṭhyā ratisambhogātmikā caiva

rājopacārayuktā prasādanakrodhadambhasaṃyuktā /
nāyakadevīdūtī saparijanā nāṭikā jñeyā

antarbhāvagatā hyeṣā bhāvayorubhayoryataḥ /
ata eva daśaitāni rūpāṇītyuditāni vai

prakaraṇanāṭakalakṣaṇamuktaṃ viprā mayā samāsena /
vakṣyāmyataḥ paramahaṃ lakṣaṇaṃ yuktyā samavakāram

devāsurabījakṛtaḥ prakhyātodāttanāyakaścaiva /
tryaṅkastathā trikapaṭastrividravaḥ syāttriśṛṅgāraḥ

dvādaśanāyakabahulo hyaṣṭādaśanāḍikāpramāṇaśca /
vakṣyāmyasyāṅkavidhiṃ yāvatyo nāḍikā yatra

aṅkastu saprahasanaḥ savidravaḥ sakapaṭaḥ savīthīkaḥ /
dvādaśanāḍīvihitaḥ prathamaḥ kāryaḥ kriyopetaḥ

kāryastathā dvitīyaḥ samāśrito nāḍikāścatasrastu /
vastusamāpanavihito dvināḍikaḥ syāttṛtīyastu

nāḍīsaṃjñā jñeyā mānaṃ kālasya yanmuhūrtārdham /
tannāḍikāpramāṇaṃ yathoktamaṅkeṣu saṃyojyam

yā nāḍiketi saṃjñā kālavibhāge kriyābhisaṃpannā /
kāryā ca sā prayatnādyathā krameṇaiva śāstroktā

aṅko 'ṅkastvanyārthaḥ kartavyaḥ kāvyabandhamāsādya /
arthaṃ hi samavakāre hyapratisambandhamicchanti

yuddhajalasambhavo vā vāyvagnigajendrasaṃbhramakṛto vā /
nagaroparodhajo vā vijñeyo vidravastrividhaḥ

vastugatakramavihito devavaśādvā paraprayukto vā /
sukhaduḥkhotpattikṛtastrividhaḥ kapaṭo 'tra vijñeyaḥ

trividhaścātra vidhijñaiḥ pṛthakpṛthakkāryavihitārthaḥ /
śṛṅgāraḥ kartavyo dharme cārthe ca kāme ca

yasmin dharmaprāpakamātmahitaṃ bhavati sādhanaṃ bahudhā /
vrataniyamatapoyukto jñeyo 'sau dharmaśṛṅgāraḥ

arthasyecchāyogādbahudhā caivārthato 'rthaśṛṅgāraḥ /
strīsaṃprayogaviṣayeṣvarthārthā vā ratiryatra

kanyāvilobhanakṛtaṃ prāptau strīpuṃsayostu ramyaṃ vā /
nibhṛtaṃ sāvegaṃ vā yasya bhavetkāmaśṛṅgāraḥ

uṣṇiggāyatryādīnyanyāni ca yāni bandhakuṭilāni /
vṛttāni samavakāre kavibhistāni prayojyāni

evaṃ kāryastajjñairnānārasasaṃśrayaḥ samavakāraḥ /
vakṣyāmyataḥ paramahaṃ lakṣaṇamīhāmṛgasyāpi

divyāpuruṣāśrayakṛto divyastrīkāraṇopagatayuddhaḥ /
suvihitavastunibaddho vipratyayakārakaścaiva

uddhatapuruṣaprāyaḥ strīroṣagrathitakāvyabandhaśca /
saṃkṣobhavidravakṛtaḥ saṃpheṭakṛtastathā caiva

strībhedanāpaharaṇāvamardanaprāptavastuśṛṅgāraḥ /
īhāmṛgastu kāryaḥ susamāhitakāvyabandhaśca

yadvyāyoge kāryaṃ ye puruṣā vṛttayo rasāścaiva /
īhāmṛge 'pi te syuḥ kevalamamarastriyā yogaḥ

yatra tu vadhepsitānāṃ vadho hyudagro bhaveddhi puruṣāṇām /
kiñcidvyājaṃ kṛtvā teṣāṃ yuddhaṃ śamayitavyam

īhāmṛgasya lakṣaṇamuktaṃ viprāḥ samāsayogena /
ḍimalakṣaṇaṃ tu bhūyo lakṣaṇayuktyā pravakṣyāmi

prakhyātavastuviṣayaḥ prakhyātodāttanāyakaścaiva /
ṣaḍrasalakṣaṇayuktaścaturaṅko vai ḍimaḥ kāryaḥ

śṛṅgārahāsyavarjaṃ śeṣaiḥ sarvai rasaiḥ samāyuktaḥ /
dīptarasakāvyayonirnānābhāvopasampannaḥ

nirghātolkāpātairuparāgeṇendusūryayoryuktaḥ /
yuddhaniyuddhādharṣaṇasaṃpheṭakṛtaśca kartavyaḥ

māyendrajālabahulo bahupustotthānayogayuktaśca /
devabhujagendrarākṣasayakṣapiśācāvakīrṇaśca

ṣoḍaśanāyakabahulaḥ sātvattyārabhaṭīvṛttisampannaḥ /
kāryo ḍimaḥ prayatnānnānāśrayabhāvasampannaḥ

ḍimalakṣaṇamityuktaṃ mayā samāsena lakṣaṇānugatam /
vyāyogasya tu lakṣaṇamataḥ paraṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi

vyāyogastu vidhijñaiḥ kāryaḥ prakhyātanāyakaśarīraḥ /
alpastrījanayuktastvekāhakṛtastathā caiva

bahavaśca tatra puruṣā vyāyacchante yathā samavakāre /
na ca divyanāyakayuktaḥ kāryastvekāṅka evāyam

na ca divyanāyakakṛtaḥ kāryo rājarṣināyakanibaddhaḥ /
yuddhaniyuddhāgharṣaṇasaṃgharṣakṛtaśca kartavyaḥ

evaṃvidhastu kāryo vyāyogo dīptakāvyarasayoniḥ /
vakṣyāmyataḥ paramahaṃ lakṣaṇamutsṛṣṭāṅkasya

prakhyātavastuviṣayastvaprakhyātaḥ kadācideva syāt /
divyapuruṣairviyuktaḥ śeṣairyukto bhavetpuṃbhiḥ

karuṇarasaprāyakṛto nivṛttayuddhodyataprahāraśca /
strīparidevitabahulo nirveditabhāṣitaścaiva

nānāvyākulaceṣṭaḥ sātvattyārabhaṭikaiśikīhīnaḥ /
kāryaḥ kāvyavidhijñaiḥ satataṃ hyutsṛṣṭikāṅkastu

yaddivyanāyakakṛtaṃ kāvyaṃ saṃgrāmabandhavadhayuktam /
tadbhārate tu varṣe kartavyaṃ kāvyabandheṣu

kasmādbhāratamiṣṭaṃ varṣeṣvanyeṣu devavihiteṣu /
hṛdyā sarvā bhūmiḥ śubhagandhā kāñcanī yasmāt

upavanagamanakrīḍā vihāranārīratipramodāḥ syuḥ /
teṣu hi varṣeṣu sadā na tatra duḥkhaṃ na vā śokaḥ

ye teṣāmadhivāsāḥ purāṇavādeṣu parvatāḥ proktāḥ /
sambhogasteṣu bhavetkarmārambho bhavedasmin

prahasanamapi vijñeyaṃ dvividhaṃ śuddhaṃ tathā saṅkīrṇam /
aṅkasya lakṣaṇamidaṃ vyākhyātamaśeṣayogamātragatam

prahasanamataḥ paraṃ salakṣaṇaṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi /
vakṣyāmi tayoryuktyā pṛthagpṛthaglakṣaṇaviśeṣam

bhagavattāpasaviprairanyairapi hāsyavādasambaddham /
kāpuruṣasaṃprayuktaṃ parihāsābhāṣaṇaprāyam

avikṛtabhāṣācāraṃ viśeṣabhāvopapannacaritapadam /
niyatagativastuviṣayaṃ śuddhaṃ jñeyaṃ prahasanaṃ tu

veśyāceṭanapuṃsakaviṭadhūrtā bandhakī ca yatra syuḥ /
anibhṛtaveṣaparicchadaceṣṭitakaraṇaistu saṃkīrṇam

lokopacārayuktā yā vārtā yaśca dambhasaṃyogaḥ /
sa prahasane prayojyo dhūrtapravivādasampannaḥ

vīthyaṅgaiḥ saṃyuktaṃ kartavyaṃ prahasanaṃ yathāyogyam /
bhāṇasyāpi tu lakṣaṇamataḥ paraṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi

ātmānubhūtaśaṃsī parasaṃśrayavarṇanāviśeṣastu /
vividhāśrayo hi bhāṇo vijñeyastvekahāryaśca

paravacanamātmasaṃsthaṃ prativacanairuttamottamagrathitaiḥ /
ākāśapuruṣakathitairaṅgavikārairabhinayaiścaiva

dhūrtaviṭasaṃprayojyo nānāvasthāntarātmakaścaiva /
ekāṅko bahuceṣṭaḥ satataṃ kāryo budhairbhāṇaḥ

bhāṇasyāpi hi nikhilaṃ lakṣaṇamuktaṃ tathāgamānugatam /
vīthyāḥ saṃprati nikhilaṃ kathayāmi yathākramaṃ viprāḥ

sarvarasalakṣaṇāḍhyā yuktā hyaṅgaistrayodaśabhiḥ /
vīthī syādekāṅkā tathaikahāryā dvihāryā vā

adhamottamamadhyābhiryuktā syātprakṛtibhistisṛbhiḥ /
uddhātyakāvalagitāvaspanditanālyasatpralāpāśca

vākkelyatha prapañco mṛdavādhibale chalaṃ trigatam /
vyāhāro gaṇḍaśca trayodaśāṅgānyudāhṛtānyasyāḥ

atha vīthī saṃproktā lakṣaṇameṣāṃ pravakṣyāmi /
padāni tvagatārthāni ye narāḥ punarādarāt

yojayanti padairanyaistaduddhātyakamucyate /
yatrānyasmin samāveśya kāryamanyatprasādhyate

taccāvalagitaṃ nāma vijñeyaṃ nāṭyayoktṛbhiḥ /
ākṣipte 'rthe tu kasmi.ṇścicchubhāśubhasamutthite

kauśalāducyate 'nyo 'rthastadavaspanditaṃ bhavet /
hāsyenopagatārthaprahelikā nāliketi vijñeyā

mūrkhajanasannikarṣe hitamapi yatra prabhāṣate vidvān /
na ca gṛhyate 'sya vacanaṃ vijñeyo 'satpralāpo 'sau

ekadviprativacanā vākkelī syātprayoge 'smin /
yadasadbhūtaṃ vacanaṃ saṃstavayuktaṃ dvayoḥ parasparaṃ yattu

ekasya cārthahetoḥ sa hāsyajananaḥ prapañcaḥ syāt /
yatkāraṇād guṇānāṃ doṣīkaraṇaṃ bhavedvivādakṛtam

doṣaguṇīkaraṇaṃ vā tanmṛdavaṃ nāma vijñeyam /
paravacanamātmanaścottarottarasamudbhavaṃ dvayoryatra

anyonyārthaviśeṣakamadhibalamiti tad budhairjñeyam /
anyārthameva vākyaṃ chalamabhisandhānahāsyaroṣakaram

śrutisārūpyādyasmin bahavo 'rthā yuktibhirniyujyante /
yaddhāsyamahāsyaṃ vā tattrigataṃ nāma vijñeyam

pratyakṣavṛttirukto vyāhāro hāsyaleśārthaḥ /
saṃrambhasaṃbhramayutaṃ vivādayuktaṃ tathāpavādakṛtam

bahuvacanākṣepakṛtaṃ gaṇḍaṃ pravadanti tattvajñāḥ |
iti daśarūpavidhānaṃ sarvaṃ proktaṃ mayā hi lakṣaṇataḥ /
punarasya śarīragataṃ sandhividhau lakṣaṇaṃ vakṣye