Natya Shastra · Chapter 25

ata ūrdhvaṃ pravakṣyāmi citrābhinayanaṃ punaḥ /
iti bhāratīye nāṭyaśāsre puṃstryupacāro nāmādhyāyaścaturviṃśaḥ
pañcaviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ
aṅgābhinayasyaiva yo viśeṣaḥ kvacit kvacit /
anukta ucyate citraḥ citrābhinayassmṛtaḥ

uttānau tu karau kṛtvā svastikau pārśvasaṃsthitau /
udvāhitena śirasā tathā cordhvanirīkṣaṇāt

prabhātaṃ gaganaṃ rātriḥ pradoṣaṃ divasaṃ tathā /
ṛtūn ghanān vanāntāṃśca vistīrṇāṃśca jalāśayān

diśo grahān sanakṣatrān kiñcit svasthaṃ ca yadbhavet /
tasya tvabhinayaḥ kāryo nānādṛṣṭisamanvitaḥ

ebhireva karairbhūyastenaiva śirasā punaḥ /
adho nirīkṣaṇenātha bhūmisthān saṃpradarśayet

sparśasya grahaṇenaiva tathollukasanena ca /
candrajyostnāṃ sukhaṃ vāyuṃ rasaṃ gandhaṃ ca nirdiśet

vastrāvakuṇṭhanātsūryaṃ rajodhūmānilāṃstathā /
bhūmitāpamathoṣṇaṃ ca kuryācchāyābhilāṣataḥ

ūrdhvākekaradṛṣṭistu madhyāhne sūryamādiśet /
udayāstagataṃ caiva vismayārthaiḥ pradarśayet

yāni saumyārthayuktāni susvabhāvakṛtāni ca /
gātrasparśaissaromāñcaisteṣāmabhinayo bhavet

yāni syustīkṣṇarūpāṇi tāni cābhinayetsudhīḥ /
asaṃsparśaistathodvegaistathā mukhavikuṇṭhanaiḥ

gambhīrodātasaṃyuktānarthānabhinayedbudhaḥ /
sāṭopaiśca sagarvaiśca gātraiḥ sauṣṭhavasaṃyutaiḥ

yajñopavītadeśasthamarālaṃ hāsamādiśet /
svastikau vicyutau hārasragdāmārthān nidarśayet

bhramaṇena pradarśinyā dṛṣṭeḥ parigamena ca /
alapadmakapīḍāyāḥ sarvārthagrahaṇaṃ bhavet

śravyaṃ śravaṇayogena dṛśyaṃ dṛṣṭivilokanaiḥ /
ātmasthaṃ parasaṃsthaṃ vā madhyasthaṃ vā vinirdiśet

vidyudulkāghanaravāviṣphuliṃgārciṣastathā /
trastāṃgākṣinimeṣaiśca te 'bhineyāḥ prayoktṛbhiḥ

udveṣṭitakarāvṛttau karau kṛtvā nataṃ śiraḥ /
asaṃsparśe tathāniṣṭe jihmadṛṣṭena kārayet

vāyumuṣṇaṃ tamastejo mukhapracchādanena ca /
reṇutoyapataṃgāṃśca bhramarāṃśca nivārayet

kṛtvā svastikasaṃsthānau padmakośāvadhomukhau /
siaṃharkṣavānaravyāghraśvāpadāṃśca nirūpayet

svastikau tripatākau tu gurūṇāṃ pādavandane /
khaṭakasvasthikau cāpi pratodagrahaṇe smṛtau

ekaṃ dvi trīṇi catvāri pañca ṣaṭ sapta cāṣṭadhā /
nava vā daśa vāpi syurgaṇanāṃgulibhirbhavet

daśākhyāśca śatākhyāśca sahasrākhyāstathaiva ca /
patākābhyāṃ tu hastābhyāṃ prayojyāstāḥ prayoktṛbhiḥ

daśākhyagaṇanāyāstu parato yā bhavediha /
vākyārthenaiva sādhyāsau parokṣābhinayena ca

chatradhvajapatākāśca nirdeśyā daṇḍadhāraṇāt /
nānāpraharaṇaṃ cātha nirdeśyaṃ dhāraṇāśrayam

ekacitto hyadhodṛṣṭiḥ kiñcinnataśirāstathā /
savyahastaśca saṃdaṃśaḥ smṛte dhyāne vitarkite

udvāhitaṃ śiraḥ kṛtvā haṃsapakṣau pradakṣiṇau /
apatyarūpaṇe kāryāvuchrayau ca prayoktṛbhiḥ

udvāhitaṃ śiraḥ kṛtvā haṃsavaktraṃ tathordhvagam /
prasādayacca yaṃ mānaṃ dīrghasatvaṃ ca nirdiśet

arālaṃ ca śirasthāne samudvāhya tu vāmakam /
gate nirvṛtte dhvaste ca śrāntavākye ca yojayet

sarvendriyasvasthatayā prasannavadanastathā /
vicitrabhūtalālokaiḥ śaradantu vinirdiśet

gātrasaṃkocanāccāpi sūryāgnipaṭusevanāt /
hemantastvabhinetavyaḥ puruṣairmadhyamādhamaiḥ

śirodantoṣṭhakampena gātrasaṃkocanena ca /
kūjitaiśca saśītkārairadhamaśśītamādiśet

avasthāntaramāsādya kadācittūttamarairapi /
śītābhinayanaṃ kūryāddevādvyasanasaṃbhavam

ṛtujānāṃ tu puṣpāṇāṃ gandhaghrāṇaistathaiva ca /
rūkṣasya vāyoḥ sparśācca śiśiraṃ rūpayedbudhaḥ

pramodajananāraṃbhairupabhogaiḥ pṛthagvidhiḥ /
vasantastvabhinetavyo nānāpuṣpapradarśanāt

sveda pramārjanaiścaiva bhūmitāpaiḥ savījanaiḥ /
uṣṇasya vāyoḥ sparśena grīṣmaṃ tvabhinayedbudhaḥ

kadambanīpakuṭapaiḥ śādvalaiḥ sendragopakaiḥ /
meghavātaiḥ sukhasparśaiḥ prāvṛṭkālaṃ pradarśayet

meghaughanādairgambhīrairdhārāprapatanaistadā /
vidyunnirghātaghoṣaiśca varṣārātraṃ samādiśet

yadyasya cihnaṃ veṣo vā karma vā rūpameva vā /
nirdeśyaḥ sa ṛtustena iṣṭāniṣṭārthadarśanāt

etānṛtūnarthavaśāddarśayeddhi rasānugān /
sukhinastu sukhopetān suḥkhārthān duḥkhasaṃyutān

yo yena bhāvenāviṣṭaḥ sukhadenetareana vā /
sa tadāhitasaṃkāraḥ sarvaṃ paśyati tanmayam

bhāvābhinayanaṃ kuryādvibhāvānāṃ nidarśanaiḥ /
tathaiva cānubhāvānāṃ bhāvasiddhiḥ pravartitā

vibhāvenāhṛtaṃ kāryamanubhāvena nīyate /
ātmānubhavanaṃ bhāvo vibhāvaḥ paradarśanam

gururmitraṃ sakhā snigdhaḥ saṃbandhī bandhureva vā /
āvedyate hi yaḥ prāptaḥ sa vibhāva iti smṛtaḥ

yattvasya saṃbhramotthānairarghyapādyāsanādibhiḥ /
pūjanaṃ kriyate bhaktyā so 'nubhāvaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

evamanyeṣvapi jñeyo nānākāryapradarśanāt /
vibhāvo vāpi bhāvo vā vijñeyo 'rthavaśādbudhaiḥ

yastvapi pratisaṃdeśo dūtasyeha pradīyate /
so 'nubhāva iti jñeyaḥ pratisandeśadarśitaḥ

evaṃ bhāvo vibhāvo vāpyanubhāvaśca kīrtitaḥ /
puruṣairabhineyaḥ syātpramadābhirathāpi vā

svabhāvābhinaye sthānaṃ puṃsāṃ kāryaṃ tu vaiṣṇavam /
āyataṃ vāvahitthaṃ vā strīṇāṃ kāryaṃ svabhāvataḥ

prayojanavaśāccaiva śeṣāṇyapi bhavanti hi /
nānābhavābhinayanaiḥ prayogaiśca pṛthagvidhaiḥ

dhairyalīlāṅgasaṃpannaṃ puruṣāṇāṃ viceṣṭitam /
mṛdulīlāṅgahāraiśca strīṇāṃ kāryaṃ tu ceṣṭitam

karapādāṅgasañcārāsstrīṇāṃ tu lalitāḥ smṛtāḥ /
sudhīraścoddhataścaiva puruṣāṇāṃ prayoktṛbhiḥ

yathā rasaṃ yathā bhāvaṃ strīṇāṃ bhāvapradarśanam /
narāṇāṃ pramadānāṃ ca bhāvābhinayanaṃ pṛthak

bhāvānubhāvanaṃ yuktaṃ vyākhyāsyāmyanupūrvaśaḥ /
āliṅganena gātrāṇāṃ sasmitena ca cakṣuṣā

tathollukasānaccāpi harṣaṃ saṃdarśayennaraḥ /
kṣiprasa!njātaromāñcāt bāṣpeṇāvṛtalocanā

kurvīta nartakī harṣaṃ prītyā vākyaiśca sasmitaiḥ /
udvṛttaraktanetraśca sandaṣṭādhara eva ca

niśvāsakaṃpitāṃgaśca krodhaṃ cābhinayennaraḥ /
netrābhyāṃ bāṣpapūrṇābhyāṃ cibukauṣṭhaprakaṃpanāt

śirasaḥ kaṃpanāccaiva bhrukuṭīkaraṇena ca /
maunenāṅgulibhaṅgena mālyābharaṇavarjanāt

āyatakasthānakakṣāyā īrṣyā krodhe bhavetstriyāḥ /
niśvāsocchvāsabahulairadhomukhavicintanaiḥ

ākāśavacanāccāpi duḥkhaṃ puṃsāṃ tu yojayet /
ruditaiḥ śvasitaiścaiva śirobhihananena ca

bhūmipātābhighātaiśca duḥkhaṃ strīṣu prayojayet /
ānandajaṃ cārtijaṃ vā īrṣyāsaṃbhūtameva vā

yatpūrvamuktaṃ ruditaṃ tatstrīnīceṣu yojayet /
saṃbhramāvegaceṣṭābhiśśastrasaṃpātanena ca

puruṣāṇāṃ bhayaṃ kāryaṃ dhairyāvegabalādibhiḥ /
calatārakanetratvādgātraiḥ sphuritakampitaiḥ

santrastahṛdayatvācca pārśvābhyāmavalokanaiḥ /
bhartṛranveṣaṇāccaivamuccairākrandanādapi

priyasyāliṃganāccaiva bhayaṃ kāryaṃ bhavetstriyāḥ /
madā ye 'bhihitāḥ pūrvaṃ te strīnīceṣu yojayet

mṛdubhiḥ skhalitairnityamākāśasyāvalaṃbanāt /
netrāvaghūrṇanaiścaiva sālasyaiḥ kathitaistathā

gātrāṇāṃ kaṃpanaiścaiva madaḥ kāryo bhavetstriyāḥ /
anena vidhinā kāryaḥ prayogāḥ kāraṇotthitāḥ

pauruṣaḥ strīkṛto vāpi bhāvā hyabhinayaṃ prati /
sarve salalitā bhāvāsstrībhiḥ kāryāḥ prayatnataḥ

dhairyamādhuryasaṃpannā bhāvāḥ kāryāstu pauruṣāḥ /
tripatākāṅgulībhyāṃ tu valitābhyāṃ prayojayet

śukāśca sārikāścaiva sūkṣmā ye cāpi pakṣiṇaḥ /
śikhisārasahaṃsādyāḥ sthūlā ye 'pi svabhāvataḥ

recakairaṅgahāraiśca teṣāmabhinayo bhavet /
kharoṣṭrāśvatarāsiṃhavyāghragomahiṣādaya

gatipracarairaṅgaiśca te 'bhineyāḥ prayoktṛbhiḥ /
bhūtāḥ piśācā yakṣāśca dānavāḥ saharākṣasaiḥ

aṅgahārairavinirdeśyā nāmasaṃkīrtanādapi /
aṅgahārairvinirdeśyā apratyakṣā bhavanti ye

pratyakṣāstvabhinetavyā bhayodvegaiḥ savismayaiḥ /
devāśca cihnaiśca praṇāmakaraṇairbhāvaiśca viceṣṭitaiḥ

abhineyo hyarthavaśādapratyakṣāḥ prayogajñaiḥ /
savyotthitena hastena hyarālena śiraḥ spṛśet

nare 'hyabhivādanaṃ hyetadapratyakṣe vidhīyate /
khaṭakāvardhamānena kapotākhyena vā punaḥ

daivatāni gurūṃścaiva pramadāścābhivādayet /
divaukasaśca ye pūjyāḥ pratyakṣāśca bhavanti ye

tān pramāṇaiḥ prabhāvaiśca gaṃbhīrārthaiśca yojayet /
mahājanaṃ sakhīvargaṃ viṭadhūrtajanaṃ tathā

parimaṇḍalasaṃsthena hastenābhinayenannaraḥ /
parvatān prāṃśuyogena vṛkṣāṃścaiva samucchritān

prasāritābhyāṃ bāhubhyāmutkṣiptābhyāṃ prayojayet /
samūhasāgaraṃ senā bahuvistīrṇameva ca

patākābhyāṃ tu hastābhyāmutkṣiptābhyāṃ pradarśayet /
śauryaṃ dhairyaṃ ca garvaṃ ca darpamaudāryamucchrayam

lalāṭadeśasthānena tvarālenābhidarśayet /
vakṣodeśādapāviddhau karau tu mṛgaśīrṣakau

vistīrṇapradrutotkṣepau yojyau yasyādapāvṛtam /
adhomukhottānatalau hastau kiñcitprasāritau

kṛtvā tvabhinayedvelāṃ biladvāraṃ gṛhaṃ guhān /
kāmaṃ śāpagrahagrastān jvaropahatacetasaḥ

eteṣāṃ ceṣṭitaṃ kuryādaṅgādyaiḥ sadṛśairbudhaiḥ /
dolābhinayanaṃ kuryāddolāyāstu vilokanaiḥ

saṃbhokṣeṇa ca gātrāṇāṃ rajvaśvāgrahaṇena ca /
yadā cāṅgavatī ḍolā pratyakṣā pustajā bhavet

āsaneṣu praviṣṭānāṃ kartavyaṃ tatra ḍolanam /
ākāśavacanānīha vakṣyāmyātmagatāni ca

apavāritakaṃ caiva janāntikamathāpi ca /
dūrasthābhāṣaṇaṃ yatsyādaśarīranivedanam

parokṣāntaritaṃ vākyamākāśavacanaṃ tu tat /
tatrottarakṛtairvākyaiḥ saṃlāpaṃ saṃprayojayet

nānākāraṇasaṃyuktaiḥ kāvyabhāvasamutthitaiḥ /
hṛdayasya vaco yattū tadātmagatamīṣyate

savitarkaṃ ca tadyojyaṃ prāyaśo nāṭakādiṣu /
nigūḍhabhāvasaṃyuktamapavāritakaṃ smṛtam

kāryavaśādaśravaṇaṃ pārśvagatairyajjanāntikaṃ tatsyāt /
hṛdayasthaṃ savikalpaṃ bhāvasthaṃ cātmagatameva

iti gūḍhārthayuktāni vacanānīha nāṭake /
janāntikāni karṇe tu tāni yojyāni yoktṛbhiḥ

pūrvavṛttaṃ tu yatkāryaṃ bhūyaḥ kathyaṃ tu kāraṇāt /
karṇapradeśe tadvācyaṃ māgāttatpunaruktatām

avyabhicāreṇa paṭhedākāśajanāntikātmagatapāṭhyam /
pratyakṣaparokṣakṛtānāmātmasamutthān parakṛtāṃśca

hastamantaritaṃ kṛtvā tripatākaṃ prayoktṛbhiḥ /
janāntikaṃ prayoktavyamapavāritakaṃ tathā

svapnāyitavākyārthaistvabhineyo na khalu hastasaṃcāraiḥ /
suptābhihitaireva tu vākyārthaiḥ so 'bhineyaḥ syāt

mandasvarasañcārairvyaktāvyaktaṃ punaruktavacanārtham /
pūrvānusmaraṇakṛtaṃ kāryaṃ svapnāñcite pāṭhyam

praśithilagurukaruṇākṣaraghaṇṭānusvaritavākyagadgadajaiḥ /
hikkāśvasopetāṃ kākuṃ kuryānmaraṇakāle

hikkāśvāsopetāṃ mūrcchopagame maraṇavatkathayet /
atimatteṣvapi kāryaṃ tadvatsvapnāyite yathā pāṭhyam

vṛddhānāṃ yojayetpāṭhyaṃ gadgadaskhalitākṣaram /
asamāptākṣaraṃ caiva bālānāṃ tu kalasvanam

nānābhāvopagataṃ maraṇābhinaye bahukīrtitaṃ tu /
vikṣiptahastapādairnibhṛtaiḥ sannaistathā kāryam

vyādhiplute ca maraṇaṃ niṣaṇṇagātraistu saṃprayoktavyam /
hikkāśvāsopetaṃ tathā parādhīnagātrasaṃcāram

viṣapīte 'pi ca maraṇaṃ kāryaṃ vikṣiptagātrakaracaraṇam /
viṣavegasaṃprayuktaṃ visphuritāṃgakriyopetam

pratheme vege kārśyaṃ tvabhineye vepathurdvitīye tu /
dāhastathā tṛtīye vilallikā syāccaturthe tu

phenastu pañcamasthe tu grīvā ṣaṣṭhe tu bhajyate /
jaḍatā saptame tu syānmaraṇaṃ tvaṣṭame bhavet

tatra prathamavege tu kṣāmavakrakapolatā /
kṛśatve 'bhinayaḥ kāryo vākyānāmalpabhāṣaṇam

sarvāṅgavepathuṃ ca kaṇḍūyanaṃ tathāṅgānām /
vikṣiptahastagātraṃ dāhaṃ caivāpyabhinayettu

udvṛttanimeṣatvādudgāracchardanaistathākṣepaiḥ /
avyaktākṣarakathanaiḥ vilallikāmabhinayedevam

udgāravamanayogaiḥ śirasaśca vilolanairanekavidhaiḥ /
phenastvabhinetavyo niḥsaṃjñatayā nimeṣaiśca

aṃsakapolasparśaḥ śiraso 'tha vināmanaṃ śiro 'pāṅgaḥ /
sarvendriayasaṃmohājjaḍatāmevaṃ tvabhinayettu

saṃmīlitanetratvāt vyādhivivṛddhau bhujaṅgadaśanādvā /
evaṃ hi nāṭyadharme maraṇāni budhaiḥ prayojyāni

saṃbhrameṣvatha roṣeṣu śokāveśakṛteṣu ca /
yāni vākyāni yujyante punaruktaṃ na teṣviha

sādhvaho māṃ ca heheti kiṃ tvaṃ māmāvadeti ca /
evaṃvidhāni kāryāṇi dvitrisaṃkhyāni kārayet

pratyaṅgahīnaṃ yatkāvyaṃ vikṛtaṃ ca prayujyate /
na lakṣaṇakṛtastatra kāryastvabhinayo budhaiḥ

bhāvo yatrottamānāṃ tu na taṃ madhyeṣu yojayet /
yo bhāvaścaiva madhyānāṃ na te nīceṣu yojayet

pṛthak pṛthagbhāvarasairātmaceṣṭāsamutthitaiḥ /
jyeṣṭhamadhyamanīceṣu nāṭyaṃ rāgaṃ hi gacchati

ete 'bhinayaviśeṣāḥ kartavyāḥ sattvabhāvasaṃyuktāḥ /
anye tu laukikā ye tu te sarve lokavatkāryāḥ

nānāvidhairyathā puṣpairmālāṃ grathnāti mālyakṛt /
aṃgopāṃgai rasairbhāvaistathā nāṭyaṃ prayojayet

yā yasya līlā niyatā gatiśca raṅgapraviṣṭasya nidhānayuktaḥ /
tāmeva kuryādavimuktasattvo yāvannaraṅgātpratinirvṛtaḥ syāt

evamete mayā proktā nāṭye cābhinayāḥ kramāt /
anye tu laukikā ye te lokādgrāhyāḥ sadā budhaiḥ

loko vedastathādhyātmaṃ pramāṇaṃ trividhaṃ smṛtam /
vedādhyātmapadārtheṣu prāyo nāṭyaṃ pratiṣṭhitam

vedādhyātmopapannaṃ tu śabdacchandassamanvitam /
lokasiddhaṃ bhavetsiddhaṃ nāṭyaṃ lokātmakaṃ tathā

na ca śakyaṃ hi lokasya sthāvarasya carasya ca /
śāstreṇa nirṇayaṃ kartuṃ bhāvaceṣṭāvidhiṃ prati

nānāśīlāḥ prakṛtayaḥ śīle nāṭyaṃ pratiṣṭhiatam /
tasmāllokapramāṇaṃ hi vijñeyaṃ nāṭyayoktṛbhiḥ

etān vidhīṃścābhinayasya samyagvijñāya raṅge manujaḥ prayuṅkte /
sa nāṭyatattvābhinayaprayoktā saṃmānamagryaṃ labhate hi loke

evamete hyabhinayā vāṅnepathyāṅgasaṃbhavāḥ /
prayogajñena kartavyā nāṭake siddhimicchatā