Natya Shastra – the great yogi treatise on authentic art and its means of expression

What’s the point of art?
In fact, does it make sense, does it have a search or does any human emotion triggered somehow mean art?
What is Beautiful?
Is there an “art of the ugly”?
Is it true that tastes are not discussed”?
What are the authentic aesthetic categories and what are the means of expression of art?
If an “opera” is masterfully performed – is it necessarily art or is there a criterion above the authority of ephemeral and opportunistic art critics?

Here are questions answered by the great treatise on Bharata’s aesthetics
and commented with unsurpassed wisdom by the yogi Master Casmirian Abhinavagupta.
Do we need this treaty?
We assure you that yes, because the media surrounds us and sometimes “gives straight” to our mind and soul.
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Natya Shastra is the oldest treatise belonging to Ancient India, which refers to art, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written approximately between 200 BC and 200 B.C., and its elaboration is attributed to the great playwright of ancient India, Bharata.

Through this complex work, Bharata describes in detail the Indian theatrical art, and its collateral aspects: music, scenography, dance, costumes and makeup, virtually every aspect of the staging of a theatrical play.

With such a kaleidoscopic approach, extremely generous, Natya Shastra has offered a remarkable dimension for the growth and development of classical Indian music, dance, theatre and the arts in general. It is therefore not an exaggeration to say that Natya Shastra is indeed the cornerstone of the arts in India.

One of the most authorized comments on this work belongs to the great Shivait master Abhinanagupta, in his writing called Abhinavabharati.

Abhinamabharyou cast a penetrating light on Bharata’s work, Nataya Shastra, and it is also the only pertinent comment made to her.

In this monumental work, Abhinanagupta explains the significance of Bharata’s race in consonance with the theory of expression (abhivyakti) found in the principles of the Pratyabhijna philosophy in Kashmir.

From Abhinanagupta’s perspective, art is a manifestation both external and inner consciousness, a deeply spiritual manifestation. He shows that the role of art is to awaken in our consciousness and in our heart a certain “ineffable flavor, a sublime feeling, a flavor clearly different from other ordinary human experiences. It has a general character, being a superindividual experience. Based on this intense emotion (joy, fear, anger, amazement, etc.), fully conscious and sublimated, art makes the transition from the individual (from ego) to universal.

The term Rasa, (taste or essence in literal terms) denotes the flavor that comes from the artistic act, aesthetics, perfume and emotion, in short the quality of the creative act

It can be best understood as an echo, or emotion that arises in the spectator audience, when it witnesses an artistic performance.

Thus, we can say that without the existence of Race, any art is incomplete. Without the artistic emotion that is transmitted through the creative act from actor/dancer/singer, to the spectator, we cannot have the subtle quality of his energy.

According to Abhinanagupta, aesthetic experience is the manifestation of the inner mood of the Self, expressed through emotions and represents the ecstatic INTREGION in the Self of man.

Written in limba Sanskrita, Natya Shastra is a text made up of 6000 sutras or stanzas, divided into 36de chapters. Some of the passages are written in prose.

Its title can be translated as “A Compendium of Theatre or Dramatic Arts”; natya or nataka translated through dramatic art. In modern language this term does not include dance or music but etymologically, the root of the word nat, refers to dance.

The work is composed in the form of a dialogue between Bharata and his disciples who ask him about the meaning of natyaveda (literally Natya = drama, performance and Veda = knowledge). The answer to this question represents the content of the work, in the form of a dialogue. Bharata says that all this knowledge is due to Brahma, and that it will be spread out in the world with the help of his 100 sons, which suggests that Bharata may have had a number of disciples whom he trained in this.
(will follow)