Arts

Art—kalā—is an adroit phenomenon^[1] that gives our mind the experience of some beauty or some grandeur or some profound thought through our eyes, ears, and other senses.

It is rather unlikely that experts in music and dance will find immense value in the episodes narrated here[1]. These have been written by an ordinary man who has no knowledge of the śāstras^[2] [related to art] nor the strength of rigorous practice but is merely a connoisseur of good music and dance.

One must be familiar with the language of the song for which the choreography of abhinaya is done, at least to the extent that the different shades of meaning and the possible interpretations of the lyrics can be imagined. One must also be conscious of the meter (chandas) of the song and ensure that the metrical melody of the lyrics blends well with the rhythmic pattern of the tāla.

Introduction

Composing verses on the fly in an incessant fashion and recalling them at will (dhārā and dhāraṇā) are two important aspects of Avadhānam. In Avadhānam, if impromptu poetry is Śiva, memory is Śakti. The former is forever crippled without the latter.[1]

Telugu literature is known for its dexterous use of Sanskrit. While the language of the gods is a brilliant but hard diamond for many, it becomes supremely malleable for Telugu poets who weave their lyrical magic in it. This deft use of Sanskrit extends even to Telugu movie songs whose lyricists are not mere commercial song writers but poets in the truest sense of the word.

ಅಭಿಜಾತನೃತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ

ಈ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಅಭಿಜಾತನೃತ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನದೊಡನೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿ ನೋಡಿದಾಗ, ಮಿಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲ ನೃತ್ಯಪದ್ಧತಿಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ಭಿನ್ನವಾಗಿ ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನವು ನಾಟ್ಯಪದ್ಧತಿಯಾಗಿ ತೋರುವುದು ಸುವೇದ್ಯ. ಈ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಲೋಕಧರ್ಮಿಯ ಪಾರಮ್ಯವಿರುತ್ತದೆ; ಮತ್ತಿದು ಸಮಸ್ತಜನರಿಗೂ ಸಂತೋಷವೀಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈಚೆಗೆ—ಅಂದರೆ, ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ದೂರದರ್ಶನಗಳ ಪ್ರಭಾವ ವ್ಯಾಪಕವಾಗುತ್ತ ಬಂದಂತೆ—ಇವುಗಳ ಲೋಕಧರ್ಮಿಯ ಪಾರಮ್ಯವು ಸಹಜವಾಗಿಯೇ ಮಿಗಿಲಾಗಿ ತೋರಿ, ಇವುಗಳ ಹೋಲಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನವು ನಾಟ್ಯಧರ್ಮಿಗೇ ನಿಕಟವೆನಿಸಿದೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿಯೇ ಸುಕುಮಾರಮತಿಗಳಾದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯರಿಗೆ ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ದೂರದರ್ಶನಗಳೇ ಹತ್ತಿರವಾಗಿವೆ.