Natyashastra

Natyashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on performing arts, traditionally attributed to the sage Bharata Muni. Written in Sanskrit, it compiles a comprehensive theory of theatre, dance, music, and stagecraft, and is regarded as the foundational text of Indian dramaturgy. Most scholars date the work to the early centuries of the common era, typically between 200 BCE and 200 CE, though some propose later dates. The text is arranged in 36 chapters and roughly 6,000 verses, with various recensions differing in detail.

The Natyashastra covers dramaturgy, acting (abhinaya), dance (nritya) and (nritta), music, makeup, costumes, and stage design. It articulates the rasa theory: art should evoke nine rasas—shringara, hasya, karuna, raudra, vira, bhayanaka, bibhatsa, adbhuta, and shanta—through the interrelation of bhava (emotional states) and expression (angika, vacika, aharya). It also distinguishes natya (drama), nritya (expressive dance) and nritta (pure dance) and provides practical guidance on movement, gesture, rhythm, voice, and performance space.

Influence and legacy: The Natyashastra has deeply influenced Indian performing arts, shaping classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, and Kathakali, as well as dramaturgy and music theory. It has been studied, edited, and translated by scholars across centuries, and continues to be cited in analyses of Indian aesthetics and performance.