Drama and Dramaturgy (Nāṭya)
What the exam tests
Drama and Dramaturgy (Nāṭya) tests the Nāṭyaśāstra tradition, daśarūpaka, act structure, rasa–bhāva theory and conventions of Sanskrit theatre. Expect identification of play type, hero, rasa and dramatic juncture.
Core rules
- Bharata's Nāṭyaśāstra is the foundational treatise on dramaturgy, covering acting, music, rasa and theatre architecture.
- Nāṭaka usually has five to ten acts, a noble dhirodātta hero, and a principal rasa such as śṛṅgāra or vīra.
- Prakaraṇa is a play with an invented plot and a broader social setting.
- Rasa is relish produced by the combination of vibhāva, anubhāva and vyabhicāribhāva, not the raw emotion itself.
Worked example
Abhijñānaśākuntalam is a nāṭaka in seven acts. Its central sentiment is śṛṅgāra, developed through separation and reunion. Reason: the hero Duṣyanta is a noble king, the plot draws on legendary material, and the act structure matches nāṭaka convention. It is not a prakaraṇa because the plot is not an invented bourgeois story.
Traps
Do not say rasa is simply emotion. Do not confuse nāṭaka with prakaraṇa. Do not invent act counts for plays. In questions on sandhi, use the dramatic term (mukha, pratimukha, etc.) rather than the grammatical sandhi.