Natya Shastra · Chapter 37

iti bharatīye nāṭyaśāstre nāṭyaśāpo nāma ṣaṭtriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ
atha saptatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ
kasyacittvatha kālasya nahuṣo nāma pārthivaḥ /
prāptavān devarājyaṃ hi nayabuddhiparākramaḥ

praśaśāsa tadā rājyaṃ devairvyuṣṭimavāpnuvan /
gāndharvaṃ caia nāṭyaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā cintāmupāgamat

sa cintayitvā manasā kathameṣa gṛhe mama /
nāṭyaprayogo hi bhavediti sādara eva san

kṛtāñjaliḥ prayogārthaṃ proktavāṃstu surān nṛpaḥ /
apsarobhiridaṃ sārdhaṃ nāṭyaṃ bhavatu me gṛhe

pratyuktaśca tato devairbṛhaspatipurogamaiḥ /
divyāṅganānāṃ naiveha mānuṣaiḥ saha saṅgatiḥ

hitaṃ pathyaṃ ca vaktavyo bhavān svargādhipo hi yat /
ācāryāstatra gacchantu gatvā kurvantu te priyam

proktavāṃstu tato māṃ tu nṛpatiḥ sa kṛtāñjaliḥ /
idamicchāmi bhagavan nāṭyamurvyāṃ pratiṣṭhitam

pūrvamācāryakaṃ caiva bhavatā'bhihitaṃ śrutam /
vyaktabhāvātvidaṃ labdhaṃ tvatsakāśād dvijottama

pitāmahagṛhe 'smākaṃ tadantaḥpure jane /
pitāmahakriyāyukta murvaśyāṃ sampravartitam

tasyāḥ praṇāśaśokena unmādoparate nṛpe /
vipanne 'ntaḥpurajane punarnāśamupāgatam

prakāśametadicchāmo bhūyastat saṃprayojitam /
tithiyajñakriyāsvetad yathā syān maṅgalaiḥ śubhaiḥ

tasmin mama gṛhe baddhaṃ nānāprakṛtisaṃśrayam /
strīṇāṃ lalitavinyāsairyato naḥ prathayiṣyati

tathā'stviti mayā prokto nahuṣaḥ pārthivastadā /
sutāścāhūya samproktā sāmapūrvaṃ suraiḥ saha

ayaṃ hi nahuṣo rājā yācate naḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ /
gamyatāṃ sahitairbhūmiṃ prayoktuṃ nāṭyameva ca

kariṣyamaśca śāpāntamasmin samyak prayojite /
brāhmaṇānāṃ nṛpāṇāṃ ca bhaviṣyatha na kutsitāḥ

tatra gatvā prayujyantāṃ prayogān vasudhātale /
na śakyaṃ cānyathā kartuṃ vacanaṃ pārthivasya hi

asmākaṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ nahuṣasya mahātmanaḥ /
ātmopadeśasiddhaṃ hi nāṭyaṃ proktaṃ svayaṃbhuvā

śeṣamuttaratantreṇa kohalastu kariṣyati /
prayogaḥ kārikāścaiva niruktāni tathaiva ca

apsarobhiridaṃ sārdhaṃ krīḍanīyakahetukam /
adhiṣṭhitaṃ mayā svarge svātinā nāradena ca

tataśca vasudhāṃ gatvā nahuṣasya gṛhe dvijāḥ /
strīṇāṃ prayogaṃ bahudhā baddhavanto yathākramam

atropabhogataste tu mānuṣīṣu māmātmajāḥ /
baddhavanto 'dhikasnehaṃ tāsu tad dvijasattamāḥ

putrānutpādya vadhvā ca prayogaṃ ca yathākramam /
brahmaṇā samanujñātāḥ prāptāḥ svargaṃ punaḥ sutāḥ

evamurvītale nāṭyaṃ śiṣyaiḥ samavatāritam /
bharatānāṃ ca vaṃśo 'yaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ ca pravartitaḥ

kohalādibhirevaṃ tu vatsaśāṇḍilyadhūrtitaiḥ /
matyadharmakriyāyuktaiḥ kaścitkālamavasthitaiḥ

etacchātraṃ praṇītaṃ hi nārāṇāṃ buddhivardhanam /
trailokyasya kriyopetaṃ sarvaśāstranidarśanam /
maṅgalyaṃ lalitaṃ caiva brahmaṇo vadanodbhavam

ya idaṃ śruṇuyān nityaṃ proktaṃ cedaṃ svayambhuvā /
kuryāt prayogaṃ yaścaivamathavā'dhītavān naraḥ

yā gatirvedaviduṣāṃ yā gatiryajñakāriṇām /
yā gatirdānaśīlānāṃ tāṃ gatiṃ prāpnuyāddhi saḥ

dānadharmeṣu sarveṣu kīrtyate tu mahat phalam /
prekṣaṇīyapradānaṃ hi sarvadāneṣu śasyate

na tathā gandhamālyena devāstuṣyanti pūjitāḥ /
yathā nāṭyaprayogasthairnityaṃ tuṣyanti maṅgalaiḥ

gāndharvaṃ ceha nāṭyaṃ ca yaḥ samyak paripālayet /
sa īśvaragaṇeśānāṃ labhate sadgatiṃ parām

evaṃ nāṭyaprayoge bahuvidhivihitaṃ karmaśāstraṃ praṇītam |
noktaṃ yaccātra lokādanukṛtikaraṇāt |
saṃvibhāvyaṃ tu tajjñaiḥ ||
kiṃ cānyat samprapūrṇā bhavatu vasumatī naṣṭadurbhikṣarogā /
śāntirgobrāhmaṇānāṃ bhavatu narapatiḥ pātu pṛthvīṃ samagrām