Part 3-6 - Vyāyoga rules

The rules of the Nāṭyaśāstra:

The Nāṭyaśāstra (XX.87-90 and XXI.43) describes vyāyoga as follows:

1) It should have a well-known (prakhyāta) hero with less number of woman and it should continue only for a day.

2) Though it is a one-act play, there should be more characters like Samavakāra.

3) The saintly king should be the hero, but he should not be a divine being. The scenes like fighting, wrestling, altercation, pushing and pulling should be there.

4) It should consist of scenes with sentiments of excitement (dīptarasa).

5) It should contain three types of junctions (sandhis), i.e.

1. the opening (mukha),
2. the progression (pratimukha) and
3. conclusion (nirvahaṇa), but without graceful style (kaiśikīvṛtti).

Rules of the Daśarūpaka:

According to the Daśarūpaka (III.60-62),

1) the plot and hero should be well known and arrogant in the vyāyoga.

2) It should not contain the junctures like the development (garbha) and the pause (avamarśa). The excited sentiments (dīptarasa) are employed like in Ḍima. There should be fight but not because of woman as in the case of the victory of Jāmadagnya.

3) It should consist of one act and the theme of a single day, with many male characters.

Difference between the Daśarūpaka and the Nāṭyaśāstra:

1) The Nāṭyaśastra does not state that the subject matter should be well known (prakhyāta); however, it states that the hero should be well known. Whereas the Daśarūpaka states that, the subject matter and hero of vyāyoga should be well known (prakhyāta).

2) The Daśarūpaka does not state that there should be limited number of women in the vyāyoga, while stipulating that woman should not be the cause of the fighting, whereas the Nāṭyaśāstra states that, there should be limited women in vyāyoga.

3) Further, the Nāṭyaśāstra stipulates that the hero should not be a divine being but he should be a saintly king. However, the Daśarūpaka is silent about the nature of hero.

4) Bharata states that Vyāyoga should not contain graceful style, whereas Dhanañjaya is silent about it.

Rules followed by the play Dūtavākya:

1) According to the first rule, the vyāyoga should have a well known (prakhyāta) hero, limited number of women and the plot continued only for a day. The Dūtavākya of Bhāsa has a well known (prakhyāta) and saintly hero, i.e. Duryodhana. There is no woman character at all and the plot is very short.

2) The second rule states that there should be more male characters than female characters and with one act. The Dūtavākya of Bhāsa contains only male characters and it is in one act

3) The third rule states hero should be an arrogant. However, Bharata states that he should not be a divine being. There must be some scenes like fighting, wrestling and warfare. In the Dūtavākya, the hero is Duryodhana who is not a divine character, but he is an arrogant king. Further, it contains the scenes like altercation, fighting and abusive languages between Vāsudeva and Duryodhana and his men.

4) The fourth rule is that a vyāyoga should have sentiments of excitement (dīptarasa). The Dūtavākya of Bhāsa has the sentiments like heroic (vīra), furious (raudra) and marvelous (adbhuta), which are sentiments of excitement (dīptarasa). Bharata advocates not to use the gay style (kaiśikīvṛtti), but Dhanañjaya is silent; however, Dūtavākya has not applied gay style, it has used the styles like grand style, violent style and verbal style. Again, it consists of three junctures without development and pause junctures, which will be discussed later.