Natya Shastra · Chapter 26

ṣaḍviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ
anurūpā virūpā ca tathā rūpānurūpiṇī /
triprakāreha pātrāṇāṃ prakṛtiśca vibhāvitā

nānāvasthākriyopetā bhūmikā prakṛtistathā /
bhṛśamudyotayennāṭyaṃ svabhāvakaraṇāśrayam

bahubāhūbahumukhāstathā ca vikṛtānanāḥ /
paśuśvāpadavaktrāśca kharoṣṭrāśca gajānanāḥ

ete cānye ca bahavo nānārūpā bhavanti ye /
ācāryeṇa tu te kāryā mṛtkāṣṭhajatucarmabhiḥ

svābhāvikena rūpena praviśedraṅgamaṇḍalam /
ātmarūpamavacchādya varṇakairbhūṣaṇairapi

yādṛśaṃ yasya yadrūpaṃ prakṛtyā tatra tādṛśam /
vayoveṣānurūpeṇa prayojyaṃ nāṭyakarmaṇi

yathā jīvatsvabhāvaṃ hi parityajyānyadehikam /
parabhāvaṃ prakurute parabhāvaṃ samāśritaḥ

evaṃ budhaḥ paraṃbhāvaṃ so 'smīti manasā smaran /
yeṣāṃ vāgaṅgalīlābhiśceṣṭābhistu samācaret

sukumāraprayogo yo rājñāmāmodasaṃbhavaḥ /
śṛṅgārarasamāsādya tannārīṣu prayojayet

yuddhoddhatāviddhakṛtā saṃraṃbhārabhaṭāśca ye /
na te strībhiḥ prayoktavyāḥ yoktavyāḥ puruṣeṣu te

anudbhaṭamasaṃbhrāntamanāviddhāṅgaceṣṭitam /
layatālakalāpātapramāṇaniyatākṣaram

suvibhaktapadālāpamaniṣṭhuramakāhalam /
īdṛśaṃ yadbhavennāṭyaṃ nārībhiśca prayojayet

evaṃ kāryaṃ prayogajñairbhūmikāviniveśanam /
striyo hi strīgato bhāvaḥ pauruṣaḥ puruṣasyaca

yathā vayo yathāvasthamanurūpeti sā smṛtā /
puruṣaḥ strīkṛtaṃ bhāvaṃ rūpātprakurute tu yaḥ

rūpānurūpā sā jñeyā prayoge prakṛtirbudhaḥ /
chandataḥ pauruṣīṃ bhūmiṃ strī kuryādanurūpataḥ

na parasparaceṣṭāsu kāryau sthavirabāliśau /
pāṭhyaprayoge puruṣāḥ prayoktavyā hi saṃskṛte

strīṇāṃ svabhāvamadhurāḥ kaṇṭhāḥ puṃsāṃ tu balavantaḥ /
yadyapi puruṣo vidyāt gītavidhānaṃ ca lakṣaṇopetam

mādhuryaguṇavihīnaṃ śobhāṃ janayenna tadgītam /
yatra strīṇāṃ pāṭhyādguṇairnarāṇāṃ ca kaṇṭhamādhuryam

prakṛtiviparyayajanitau vijñeyau tāvalaṅkārau /
prāyeṇa devapārthivasenāpatimukhyapuruṣabhavaneṣu

strījanakṛtāḥ prayogā bhavanti puruṣasvabhāvena /
rambhorvaśīprabhṛtiṣu svarge nāṭyaṃ pratiṣṭhitam

tathaiva mānuṣe loke rājñāmantaḥpureṣviha /
upadeṣṭavyamācāryaiḥ prayatnenāṅganājane

na svayaṃ bhūmikābhyāso budhaiḥ kāryastu nāṭake /
strīṣu yojyaḥ prayatnena prayogaḥ puruṣāśrayaḥ

yasmātsvabhāvopagato vilāsaḥ strīṣu vidyate /
tasmātsvabhāvamadhuramaṅgaṃ sulabhasauṣṭhavam

lalitaṃ sauṣṭhavaṃ yacca so 'laṅkāraḥ paro mataḥ /
prayogo dvividhaścaiva vijñeyo nāṭakāśrayaḥ

sukumārastathāviddho nānābhāvarasāśrayaḥ /
nāṭakaṃ saprakaraṇaṃ bhāṇo vīthyaṅka eva ca

jñeyāni sukumārāṇi mānuṣairāśritāni tu /
sukumāraprayogo 'yaṃ rājñāmāmodakārakaḥ

śṛṅgārasamāsādya strīṇāṃ tattu prayojayet /
yuddhoddhatāviddhakṛtāsaṃraṃbhārabhaṭāśca ye

na te strīṇāṃ prakartavyāḥ kartavyāḥ puruṣairhi te /
yathāviddhāṅgahāraṃ tu bhedyabhedyāhavātmakam

māyendrajālabahulaṃ pustanaipathyadīpitam /
puruṣaprāyasaṃcāramalpastrīkamathoddhatam

sātvatyārabhaṭīyuktaṃ nāṭyamāviddhasaṃjñitam /
ḍimaḥ samavakāraśca vyāyogehāmṛgau tathā

etānyāviddhasaṃjñāni vijñeyāni prayoktṛbhiḥ /
eṣāṃ prayogaḥ kartavyo devadānavarākṣasaiḥ

uddhatā ye ca puruṣāḥ śauryavīryasamanvitāḥ /
yogyaḥ sa ca prayatnaḥ kartavyaḥ satatapramādena

na hi yogyayā vinā bhavati ca bhāvarasasauṣṭhavaṃ kiṃcit /
saṃgītaparikleśo nityaṃ pramadājanasya guṇa eva

yanmadhurakarkaśatvaṃ labhate nāṭyaprayogeṇa /
pramadāḥ nāṭyavilāsairlabhate yat kusumairvicitralāvaṇyam /
kāmopacārakuśalā bhavanti ca kāmyā viśeṣeṇa

gītaṃ vṛttaṃ tathā vādyaṃ prastāragamanakriyā /
śiṣyaniṣpādanaṃ caiva ṣaḍācāryaguṇāḥ smṛtāḥ

etāni pañca yo vetti sa ācāryaḥ prakīrtitaḥ /
ūhāpohau matiścaiva smṛtirmedhā tathaiva ca

medhāsmṛtirguṇaślāghārāgaḥ saṃgharṣa eva ca /
utsāhaśca ṣaḍevaitān śiṣyasyāpi guṇān viduḥ

evaṃ kāryaṃ prayogajñairnānābhūmivikalpanam /
ata ūrdhvaṃ pravakṣyāmi siddhīnāmapi lakṣaṇam