The Nayika Bhava

The Nayika Bhava



The shastras have classified the basic mental status of woman, the Nayika, into Eight divisions, called Ashtanayika bhavas. These divisions portray the heroine in different situations, express different feelings, sentiments & reactions.

The Ashtanayika bhava are

• Abhisarika
• Kalahantarika
• Khandita
• Proshitapathika
• Swadheenapathika
• Vasakasajjika
• Virahotkantita
• Vipralabda

Abhisarika - She is the one who boldly goes out to meet her lover.

Kalahantarika - She is the one who is repenting her hastiness in quarrelling with her lover, which has resulted in their separation.

Khandita - She is the one who is angry with her lover for causing disappointment.

Proshitapathika - She is the one who is suffering in the absence of her beloved, who is away on a long journey.

Swadheenapathika - She is the one who is proud of her husband's or beloved's love and loyalty.

Vasakasajjika - She is the one who is preparing for the arrival of her beloved, by decorating herself and her surroundings. to provide a pleasant welcome to her lover.

Virahotkantita - She is the one who is separated from her lover & is yearning for reunion.

Vipralabda - She is the one who is disappointed that her lover has not turned up at the tryst as he promised.



Other classifications of the Nayika bhava are

Mugdha - Inexperienced in love.

Madhya - Partly Experienced in love.

Pragalbha - Matured in the art of love.

This Pragalbha Nayika is further classified as

• Dheera
• Adheera
• Dheeraadheera

Sweeya - Married & faithful to her husband.

Parakeeya - Married but in love with another man.

Samanya - A free woman, who truly belongs to any man for a price.

Jyeshta - The preferred one.

Kanishta - The other woman.



Further classifications are

Uttama - Self-controlled & tolerant.

Madhyama - Literally the middle one, who gives as she gets.

Adhama - Literally the low one, who has no self restraint.



The Companion to the Nayika plays an important role in any padam, javali or Ashtapadi. This Companion is the one to whom the Nayika will convey her feelings, she is the one who will take the message,if any, from the nayika to the nayaka, she is the one who will sort out the differences between the nayika & the nayaka. This companion is usually a girl who is close to the Nayika.

The classification of the Companion is as follows.

• Daasi - Servant
• Sakhi - Friend
• Kaaroo - Woman from a lower caste
• Chatriya - Step Sister
• Prativamshini - Neighbor
• Lindini - Saint
• Shilpani - Artist
• Swaa - Nayika herself as a messenger

Aspects of Abhinaya

Aspects of Abhinaya

The expressions which are shown to express poetic meanings is Abinaya. Here the emphasis is more on facial expressions than rhythmic movements. The Abinaya is divided as

• Angikabhinaya
• Vachikabhinaya
• Aharyabhinaya
• Satvikabhinaya

Angikabhinaya : Expressing the meanings of lyrics using the body parts like Head, Hands, Legs etc. is Angikabhinaya. The Bhedas which i have explained above come under Angikabhinaya.

Vachikabhinaya : Expressing the Story using narrations in the dance drama is Vachikabhinaya.

Aharyabhinaya : Imitating the Costumes, Jewellary, Make-up etc. in a dance comes under Aharyabhinaya.

Satvikabhinaya : Showing the Bhava(moods) come under Satvikabhinaya.



Lord Shiva is praised as the embodiment of the above 4 types of abinaya in this following shloka.



Angikam bhuvanam yasya

Vachicam sarva vangmayam

Aharyam chandra taradi

tam vande satvikam shivam.



Meaning for the above shloka is



We bow to Him the benevolent One

Whose limbs are the world,

Whose song and poetry are the essence of all language,

Whose costume is the moon and the stars..."



In Lord Shiva's well-known pose of NATARAJA ,

his right hand holds the drum of creation - symbolizing a new awakening

his left hand holds fire - representing destruction of the old order

his other right hand is raised in blessing

the other left hand points to his left foot, which has crushed demon Muyalaka - representing ignorance.



There are nine main or primary emotions, Sthayibhava s. It is also termed as Rasa (Mood).

• Shringara - Love
• Hasya - Mirth
• Veera - Heroism
• Roudra - Anger
• Bhayanaka - Terror
• Bheebatsa - Disgust
• Adbhuta - Wonder
• Karuna - Compassion
• Shanta - Tranquility

Vatsalya(Parental fondling) rasa is also sometimes included as one of the stayibhava.

Vibhava (cause of emotion), Anubhava (effect of emotion) and Sanchari bhava (subordinate emotions) constitute the state of rasa.



Now i would like to talk about Nayika (the Heroine) and Nayaka (the Hero) bhavas.

Paadachari

Paadachari

There are 8 types of Paadachari. They are

• Chalanachaari - Walk casually
• Chankramanachaari - Walk while keeping the legs sideways
• Saranachaari - Walk while dragging one feet and bringing the other together without lifting the heel from the ground
• Veginichaari - Walk fast while changing alapadma & tripataka hasta alternatively
• Kuttanachaari - Walk while tapping the feet hard on the floor
• Lunthitachaari - Stand in Swastikamandala and perform kuttanachaari in the front leg
• Lolithachaari - Perform kuttanachaari in one leg and walk slowly with the other one
• Vishamachaari - Walk while the legs are twisted together

Gathibhedha

Gathibhedha

There are 10 unique ways of Gathibhedha(Gait). They are

• Hamseegathi - Walk while keeping one foot in front of the other and sway with each step, hold kapitha hasta in both hands. (Walk like a Swan)
• Mayooreegathi - Stand on the tip of toes, hold kapitha in both hands and fold up the legs for each step. (Walk like a Peacock)
• Mrugeegathi - Hold tripataka in both hands and run around like a Deer
• Gajagathi - Hold pataka hasta near the ears, walk very slowly with Samapaada
• Turangineegathi - Lift the right leg, hold shikhara in left hand and pataka in right hand and jump with the left leg.(Like a Horse)
• Simheegathi - Hold shikhara hasta in both hands, jump on the toes and move forward. (Like a Lion)
• Bhujangeegathi - Hold tripataka in both hands & walk as explained in simheegathi. (Like a Snake)
• Mandookeegathi - Like simheegathi.
• Veeragathi - Hold shikhara hasta in left hand, pataka in right and walk as though coming from far.
• Maanaveegathi - Keep the left hand on the waist, katakamukha in right and walk while turning around for each step.

Bhramari

Bhramari

There are 7 types of Bhramari. They are

• Utplutabhramari - With Samapaada Sthanaka, jump & turn around
• Chakrabhramari - Hold tripataka hasta in both the hands and turn around while dragging the legs on the floor
• Garudabhramari - Keep one of the knees on the ground, stretch the other leg and turn around
• Ekapaadabhramari - Stand on one leg and turn around with the other
• Kunchitabhramari - Jump and turn around folding the legs up
• Aakaashabhramari - Jump , spread the legs apart and turn around
• Angabhramari - Keep the legs 12 inch apart and turn the body around

Utplavana

Utplavana

There are 2 types of Utplavana. They are,

• Alaga - Hold Shikhara hasta on the waist and jump
• Kartaree - Hop on the toes, hold Kartareemukha hasta behind the left leg and hold shikhara hasta, upside down on the waist
• Ashvotplavana - Hop forward on one leg and bring the other leg together,hold tripataka hasta in both the hands
• Motita - Hold tripataka hasta in both the hands, jump like Kartaree Utplavana on both side
• Krupaalaga - Jump in such a way that the heel touches the back side

Mandala

Mandala

There are 10 categories in Mandala. They are

• Sthanaka - Stand Straight with Ardhachandra Hasta on the waist
• Aayata - Keep 12 inch distance between the feet and bending the knees a little.
• Aaleedha - Keep the right foot 3 feet in front of the left foot, holding shikhara hasta in the left and katakamukha hasta in right hand
• Prenkhana - Stand with one foot on the knee of the other and holding koorma hasta
• Prerita - Hit the floor hard with one leg, bend the knees, keep the other foot a little further, hold shikhara in one hand, near the chest and pataka in another, stretched away
• Pratyaleedha - Opposite of Aaleedha
• Swastika - Keep right leg across the left leg and right hand across the left hand
• Motita - Sit on toes, touch the ground with knees, alternatively
• Samasoochi - Touch the ground with toes & knees
• Paarshwasoochi - Sit on toes, touch the ground with one of the knees in one side

Sthanaka Mandala is further classified as

• Samapaada - Stand Straight. While worshipping the god this is used.
• Ekapaada - Stand with one foot on the knee of the other. To show a Saint in Penance this is used.
• Naagabandha - Twist one leg with the other & one hand with the other. To show a pair of snakes this is used.
• Aindra - Bend one of the legs little and lift the knee of the other and keep the hands as usual. To show Indra this is used.
• Garuda - Bend the left leg keeping the foot completely on the floor, bend the right leg and sit on the right leg. This is used to show the bird Garuda, Lord Vishnu's Vehicle.
• Brahma - Sit down, cross the feet like Padmasana. This is used to show meditation.