Natya Shastra- Natya DHarma & Lok Dharma

Natya Shastra- Natya dharma & Lok dharma: The Indian theatrical tradition forms a major heritage and source of Indian cinema in many respects. NatyaShastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. In theatre, songs of specific kinds are used. These are not imitations or reproductions of the music used in common situations of life. It is very important to the history of Indian classical music because it is the only text which gives such detail about the music and instruments of the period. Thus, an argument can be made that the Natya Shastra is the foundation of the fine arts in India. The most authoritative commentary on the NatyaShastra is Abhinavabharati by Abhinavagupta. The Natya Shastra ranges widely in scope, from issues of literary construction, to the structure of the stage or mandapa, to a detailed analysis of musical scales and movements (murchhanas), to an analysis of dance forms that considers several categories of body movements, and their impacts on the viewer. Theatre music was moreover used as integral to drama whereas music in real life, when accompanying the activities mentioned above, was only something that imposed a kind of auspiciousness to the occasion; it was nothing more – Abhinavagupta on Bharata’s Natyashastra. Natyadharmi theatre oriented Lokadharmi – life oriented.