Analysis of technical terms: Mārga and Deśī

Mārga and deśī are two broad divisions, particularly, in literary, and art forms. These terms are often quoted by the Sanskrit scholars who wrote works on dance and music. The common classical traditional path of nāṭya was derived by Bharata known as mārga. The respective regional styles followed by his contemporaries are named as deśī. The scholars accept the work of Bharata as mārga and the post Bharata works describing the regional varieties of music and dance as deśī. Thus, mārga is the classical type of dance as described in the Nāṭyaśāstra. Deśī is developed from mārga, adapting the regional style of dancing.

If the Nāṭyaśāstra is taken as mārga, and the other regional dance forms like Bharatanāṭya, Mohiniāṭṭa, Kūchipūdi, Oḍissi, Kathak and some folk arts, which still have some traces of the Nāṭyaśāstra tradition, can be taken as deśī dance forms. The development of different forms of dance and its variations could be easily understood, if we can relate them to linguistics. After classical Sanskrit, there were several prākṛts, which also became the medium of literary expression. During the course of time they too became sophisticated and standardised. Mārga, the structured form, and deśī, the regional practice, co-existed as the language Sanskrit and different dialects of prākrit were in the literary field. The same idea applies to the grammar of dance also. The mārga tradition co-existed with all the deśīs as a common rāṣṭrīya lakṣana (theoretical base) for respective lakṣya (practise)^[1]

So far, in the past 2000 years many works have been written on dance. Scholars have contributed enormously, from their point of view to preserve the tradition and provide the technical details of the regional dance forms. Though the evolution has taken place, many terms in the Nāṭyaśāstra are now preserved and practised in the present day dance forms. The post Bharata authors quote stanzas from Bharata, and refer to that as mārga and include their own interpretations for the prevalent art during their period as deśī.

Jāya says in his Nṛttaratnāvalī, mārga is that which has its root in nāṭyaveda and that, which has been perceived by Mahaṛṣis and deśī is the fruit of the elements of nāṭya and abhinaya, which is liked by the people of their own regions.

nāṭyavedapravṛttatvāt mārganāṭyānmahaṛṣibhiḥ |
sadbhissañcaritatvācca mārga imāhuridaṃ budhāḥ ||
nāṭyehyabhinaye chidra pracchādanaphalaṃ hi tat |
etaddeśī tu vikhyātaṃ tattaddeśajanīcchayā ||^[2]

At one period, only the mārga style was common for all and later deśī works started to appear. Bṛhaddeśī was one of the foremost works on deśī. Yet, during the period of Śārṅgadeva and Jāyana a few aspects of mārga were included along with their own deśī styles. Śārṅgadeva divides them as śuddha and deśāsta.

He says mārga is formulated by Bharata in front of Śiva and deśī is that which is based on the regional taste.

deśe deśe janānāṃ yadrucyā hṛdayarañjakam |^[3]

In later years, darpaṇa literature arose in music and dance mirroring the forgotten mārgi.^[4] However, the term mārga and deśī were misunderstood as classical and folk styles of dance and music in the later centuries.

 

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Natyasastra and National Unity–Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam. p.24.

[2]:

Nṛttaratnāvalī I.52, 54.

[3]:

Ibid.I.54

[4]:

Natyasastra and National Unity–Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam. p.28.