Part 8 - Style (Vṛtti) in the Vīthī

According to the Nāṭyaśāstra, Vīthī should have the verbal style (bhāratīvṛtti). The verbal style (bhāratīvṛtti) consists of words which are in Sanskrit. The style (vṛtti) covers some part of the drama or the whole part of the drama.

The (vṛtti) has been divided into four parts, i.e.

1. propitiation (prarocanā),
2. preface (āmukha),
3. garland (vīthī) and
4. farce (prahasana).

The propitiation (prarocanā) is the preliminary work of the drama, which forms also the part of preface (āmukha). The preface (āmukha) is the prologue (prastāvanā) or the introductory part of the drama.

The propitiation (āmukha) is again divided into five parts, i.e.

1. abrupt dialogue (udghātaka),
2. story caught up (kathodghāta),
3. excess of representation (prayogātiśaya),
4. entrance (pravṛttaka) and
5. continuance (avalagita).

The Nāṭyaśāstra (XXII.35) states that every drama should consist of at least one of these ancillaries, because out of five ancillaries, two ancillaries i.e. udghātaka and avalagita are discussed in the ancillaries of vīthī. The farce (prahasana) is stated to be a separate type of drama. Therefore, the prologue of the Līlāvatīvīthī consists of the excess of representation (prayogātiśaya), which indicates the entrance of a character after the prologue (prastāvanā), through the observation of the stage manager (sūtradhāra). Here in the Līlāvatīvīthī, Sūtradhāra and Naṭī discuss as to how Raṅgalakṣmī, the daughter of Raṅgamallī, who is the sister of the Naṭī, loves and wants to marry an already married dancer named Saṅgītamalla. The first wife of Saṅgītamalla becomes jealous, when she comes to know the second marriage. Vidūṣaka enters after the prologue and justifies the fact that the king of Kuntala loves and wants to marry Līlāvatī, the daughter of the king of Karnātaka. When queen comes to know about it, she becomes jealous and angry with the king. However, Vidūṣaka tries to calm the queen and unites the king with Līlāvatī.

Again, according to Bharata, the verbal style (bhāratīvṛtti) becomes the dominant style when the sentiments like odious (bibhatsa) and pathetic (karuṇa) are employed in the drama (Nāṭyaśāstra.XXII.64). In the Līlāvatī vīthī, the pathetic sentiment is employed but odious (bibhatsa) sentiment is not employed. However, Dhanañjaya states vīthī should have gay style (kaiśikīvṛtti). The gay style (kaiśikīvṛtti) is employed when the sentiments like laughter (hāsya) and erotic (śṛṅgāra) are applied (Nāṭyaśāstra. XXII.63). One of these sentiments should be the principal sentiment in the drama. In the Līlāvatīvīthī, the main sentiment is erotic (śṛṅgāra) with other sentiments like pathetic (karuṇa), heroic (vīra), terrible (bhayānaka) and marvellous (adbhuta). Hence, Līlāvatīvīthī is the admixture of the verbal style (bhāratīvṛtti) and gay style (kaiśikīvṛtti).