Bharata Muni
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1/ Now I will tell about the distribution of roles in a play and about which people are to embody the various roles.
General principles of distribution
2/ Having considered collectively their gait, speech, and movements of limbs, as well as their strength and nature, the experts assign actors to various roles in the play.
3/ Therefore, the selection of actors should begin with ascertaining their merits. The director (i.e., the master) will not encounter difficulties in choosing if he follows this order.
4/ Having established the natural inclinations of the actors, he distributes roles among them.
The role of the gods
5-6/ People whose limbs are all intact, well-proportioned and strong, who have reached a mature age (vayo’nvita), are neither stout nor thin, neither tall nor large, who possess liveliness, a pleasant voice, and a handsome appearance, should be engaged for the roles of gods.
The role of rakṣasas and others
7-8/ People who are stout, with large bodies and voices like peals of thunder (clouds), with a fierce gaze and naturally furrowed brows, should be engaged for the roles of rākṣasas, dānavas, and daityas; for the performance of male actors should correspond to their limbs and movements.
The role of kings
9-11/ Actors of the finest caliber, who have beautiful eyes, eyebrows, forehead, nose, lips, cheeks, face, neck, and all other limbs of the body, who are tall in stature, possess a pleasant appearance, a dignified gait, are neither stout nor thin, who are virtuous, intelligent, and steady by nature, should be engaged to portray the roles of kings and princes (kumāra).
The role of military commanders and secretaries
12-13/ People with well-formed limbs, clear speech, neither too tall nor too stout, brave, able to distinguish arguments for and against, bold, eloquent, and resourceful, should be engaged to play the roles of military commanders (senāpati) and secretaries (amātya).
The role of the kañchukīs and śrotriyas
14/ People with brown eyes, a long nose, short or tall stature should be recruited for the roles of kañcukīs and śrotriyas.
The role of secondary characters
15/ In other cases, a similar theatrical rule applies: roles should be assigned with consideration for the age and physical condition of the actors.
16-17/ Thus, people who are slow, very short, hunchbacked, coarse, with strange faces and corpulent, who have inexpressive (i.e., motionless) eyes, one blind eye, a small chin and a flat nose, unattractive clothing, a bad disposition, a deformed body, and who bear the marks of a slave, should be engaged for the roles of servants.
The role of a tired person
18/ A person who is naturally thin should portray a tired character in the play.
The role of a healthy person
A stout person should portray a person not susceptible to illness.
Special cases of role distribution
19/ If, however, such people are absent, the leader (i.e., the master) must exercise discernment and engage someone, having examined his nature, movements, and the states to be portrayed.
20/ The natural movements of such people — whether good, bad, or mediocre — must be ordered in communication with the leader (i.e., the master), and then they will properly convey all states.
21/ In other cases, a similar theatrical rule applies, and roles should be distributed among people with consideration of their region of origin (deśa) and costume (veśa).
The role of a character with special and multiple body parts
22-24/ When a character has many hands, many heads, ugly faces, and animal muzzles, including those of beasts of prey, donkeys, camels, horses, and the like, the director (i.e., the master) should, at his discretion, make masks for them from clay, wood, lacquer, and leather.
Character’s exit
24/ One must not appear on stage in one’s natural form. One’s own body must be covered with paints and ornaments.
The result of embodiment
25/ In staging a play, a person in his natural bodily form should be engaged to take on a role according to his age and costume.
The method of correct embodiment
26-27/ Just as a person, renouncing his own nature together with his body, takes on another’s nature by entering a foreign body, so a wise actor, thinking to himself “I am he,” should convey the states of another person through speech, gait, gesture, and other movements.
Three kinds of embodiment
28/ Human characters as they appear on stage are divided into three classes: natural (anurūpa), unnatural (virūpa), and imitative (rūpānusāriṇī).
Natural embodiment
29/ When women embody female roles and men embody male ones, and their age matches that of the characters portrayed, such embodiment is called “natural” (anurūpa).
Unnatural embodiment
30/ When a boy takes on the role of an old man, or an old man takes on the role of a boy, and in the play discovers his own nature, such an embodiment is called “unnatural” (virūpa).
Imitative embodiment
31-32/ When a man takes on a female character, the best actors call such an embodiment imitative (rūpānusāriṇī). A woman may also, if she wishes, take on a male role in practice. However, an old man and a young man should not attempt to imitate each other’s manners.
The special suitability of men and women
33-34/ Brave men possessing heroism and strength should be engaged for recitatives, and women — for singing. The nature of women is most suited to singing, and the nature of men — to recitatives. For the voice of women is naturally sweet, and the voice of men — strong.
35-36/ Although men know the rules of singing in its traditional features, their singing, devoid of sweetness, does not create beauty.
Whenever dignity manifests in women’s recitation and sweetness in men’s voices, this should be regarded as a consequence of nature’s whims (i.e., perversion), and as such they should be considered an ornament.
Women in male roles
37/ In temples, palaces, and the homes of military commanders and other prominent people, dramatic performances (prayoga) are for the most part enacted by women in male roles.
The special virtue of women
38/ The role of the gentle character must always be performed by women. Therefore, in the case of women, as well as gods and people of gentle nature, it is women who should take on these roles.
39/ It was precisely for this reason that drama was established in heaven through Rambhā, Urvaśī, and similar nymphs. And the same was the case in the royal harems in this world.
Training women for various roles
40/ The leaders (i.e., masters) should instruct women according to the śāstras, but they themselves should not directly teach women their female roles.
41-42/ Male (i.e., dependent on men) roles should be carefully directed by them themselves. Since a natural amorous inclination is observed in women, their naturally graceful limbs readily yield to sauṣṭhava; and their playful nature will become an additional merit (i.e., ornament) for them when they assume a male role.
The result of the correct distribution of roles
43/ When the actors and the characters of the play have similar conditions and behavior, when they have natural bodily limbs and organs (karaṇa), they adorn the dramatic performance.
44/ The absence of fatigue in dance and music is always a quality of women, and a dramatic production partly acquires sweetness, partly strength precisely through this.
45/ A woman skilled in the art of love and able to portray love’s experiences appears in her graceful play on stage like a vine full of diverse charms thanks to the multitude of its flowers.
46/ Therefore, the director must invariably devote undivided attention to the exercises of women (yogya) in dance and music, for without this, the states, rasa, and sauṣṭhava cannot be conveyed by them in the slightest degree.
Types of dramatic production
47/ The staging of a drama that includes many states and rasas is of two kinds: tender (sukumāra) and energetic (aviddha).
The gentle form of staging
48/ Nāṭaka, Prakaraṇa, Bhāṇa, Vīthi and Aṅka belong to the tender type. For they are based on human beings.
49/ This tender type of production is pleasing to kings. Therefore, plays of this class, including śṛṅgāra-rasa, should be staged by women.
50/ A play in which fierce battles occur, great swiftness of movements, and intense excitement should not be performed by women, but by men.
51-52/ If a play includes ordinary (i.e., not elevated) events and requires neither hurried nor impetuous movements of the limbs, but requires observance of proper tempo, tāla, kāla, and orderly pronunciation of syllables, and has clearly separated words and a sufficient number of desired rasa, it should be staged by women.
Energetic style of production
53-54/ A play requiring the energetic (aviddha) type of aṅgahāras for depicting cutting, piercing, and battle, including the reproduction of magical acts and miracles, as well as artificial objects and costumes, and having among its dramatis personae many men and few women of quiet disposition, with the predominant use in its staging of the grand and energetic styles — such a play belongs to the energetic type.
55-56/ Dima, Samavakāra, Vyāyoga and Īhāmṛga are considered to be plays of an energetic type.
The staging of plays of this kind should be carried out through the embodiment of gods, dānavas, and rākṣasas.
56/ So, the various roles in a theatrical production should be distributed accordingly. Next, I will discuss how a play achieves excellence through costumes and makeup.
A typical embodiment of the king
57-59/ How can the qualities of a king be conveyed to an actor who has only a few articles of clothing? On this matter it has been said: when theatrical conventions came into use, I created plays furnished with all these (i.e., conventions).
In them the actor (naṭa), covered with paints and adorned with jewels, manifests the signs of royalty, assuming a majestic and dignified bearing, and then he alone becomes, as it were, the refuge of the seven great divisions (saptadvīpa) of the world.
60-61/ He should move his limbs only after being covered with paints. And, having been brought into proper appearance at the discretion of the director and having attained sauṣṭhava of the limbs, the actor becomes like a king, and a king thus adorned will likewise greatly resemble an actor.
61-63/ As is the actor, so is the king; as is the king, so is the actor.
Both will convey their states through similar manners and the sauṣṭhava of the limbs.
Just as an actor, properly following the director’s instructions, illuminates the stage, so too will a king always shine by nature.
His retinue will be like the retinue of divine characters. In the play, they should be introduced with appropriate costume, language, and age.
64/ The director must give the actor a natural appearance of the character, providing him with a suitable costume and an appropriate age through makeup.
65/ Thus should the selection of people for embodying royal manners be carried out. Next, I shall speak of the qualities of the director (sūtradhāra).
On this matter, I will speak about the qualities of a director. First of all, he must possess knowledge of the characteristics of everything pertaining to theatre, desirable refinement of speech, knowledge of the rules of tāla and the theory of notes and instruments in general.
66-71/ One who is skilled in playing four kinds of musical instruments, possesses diverse practical experience, is familiar with the practices of various religious sects, as well as with politics and the science of wealth (arthaśāstra), with the manners of courtesans and the erotic art, knows various conventional gāitas and movements, thoroughly understands all rasas and states, is skilled in staging plays, is informed in all arts and crafts, in words and the rules of prosody, is versed in all śāstras, in the science of stars and planets, and in the structure of the human body, knows the extent of the earth, its continents, divisions, mountains, and the people inhabiting them, as well as their customs, and the names of the descendants of royal lineages, and who hears of deeds prescribed by the śāstras, can understand this, put it into practice after understanding, and give instruction therein — that one should be appointed as teacher and director.
The natural qualities of a leader
72-74/ Now hear me speak of the natural qualities with which he must be endowed. He must be possessed of memory and intellect, be patient, generous, firm in his words, poetic, free from all ailments, pleasant in manner, indulgent, self-controlled, of sweet speech, free from anger, truthful, impartial, honest, and free from thirst for praise.
Characteristics of an executive assistant
74-75/ A person of average disposition, possessing a somewhat smaller number of qualities than those required of a leader, should be considered an assistant (pariparśvika) to the leader.
Characteristics of the actor
75-76/ The actor (naṭa) must be lively (i.e., vivid), have a good physique, be familiar with theatrical props and their use, be endowed with intelligence, be versed in the rules of theoretical practice, and be skilled in his craft.
Characteristics of the parasite (vita)
76-77/ Possessing all the qualities that a director should have with regard to a theatrical production, the parasite (vita) must be skilled in dealing with courtesans, pleasant in speech, impartial, poetic, versed in the meaning of the śāstras and in the knowledge of courtesans, able to see the positive and negative side of any argument, eloquent and adroit.
Characteristics of śakara
78/ Śakāra is one who wears garish (i.e., bright) clothing and ornaments and becomes angry without sufficient cause and likewise calms down without reason, who is a secondary character and speaks in Māgadhī and is subject to numerous changes in behavior.
Characteristics of the jester
79/ The clown (vidūṣaka) should be short in stature, have large teeth, be hunchbacked, bilingual, bald, and yellow-eyed.
Characteristics of the servant
80/ The servant (ceta) should be prone to quarrels, talkative, ugly in appearance, and serve in a dependent position, as well as know how to distinguish who should be shown respect and who should not.
Characteristics of the courtesan
81-83/ A woman constantly engaged in assisting the teacher (ācārya) in the application of various arts and crafts, endowed with amorous movements, emotion (hāva) and feeling (bhāva), temperament (sattva), discipline, sweetness of manners, knowledgeable in the sixty-four arts and crafts (kalā), skilled in dealing with the king, free from feminine ailments, with sweet and gentle words, distinct speech, dexterous and knowing no fatigue, is called a courtesan (gaṇikā).
Characteristics of a typical heroine
84-86/ A woman with the following qualities should receive the role of the heroine: she should possess a good bodily appearance, good qualities, character, and young age, have golden necklaces and garlands, be brilliant, affectionate, sweet, possess charming words with a beautiful voice, be steady (i.e., imperturbable) in practice (yogya), be knowledgeable in lāya and tāla and rasas, have all kinds of ornaments, and be adorned with garlands and fragrances.
Women not admitted to the role
86-87/ However, a woman should not be appointed as a heroine in any theatrical performance if she smiles at the wrong time, is rough in appearance, has an uneven gait and movements, unceasing anger, a miserable look, and is constantly arrogant and fickle. Such are the traits that producers of plays should know.
The composition of a typical theatre troupe
88-90/ Next, I will speak of the various members of a theatrical troupe (bharata). These are: the bharata (actor) who resorts to Bharata (i.e., his art), the jester (vidūṣaka), the musicians (tauripa), the actor-dancers (naṭa), the director (sūtradhāra), the playwright (nāṭyakāra), the maker of crowns (mukuṭakāraka), the maker of ornaments (ābharaṇakṛt) and garlands, the dyer (rajaka), the painter (citrakāra), other craftsmen and artisans (karu and śilpin), as well as kuśīlava and others, who should be known by name.
Characteristics of Bharata
91/ Since he alone directs the performance of a play as its leader, playing many roles, playing many instruments, and providing many accessories, he is called bharata.
Characteristics of the jester
92-93/ He who cares for people’s pleasure, knows how to imitate the manners of all people, resorts to various means and associates with women, is resourceful in revelations through the Jester or in Hidden Pleasure, and is clever, and knows how to give reproach with his words, should be known as the Jester (vidūṣaka).
Characteristics of the chief musician
94/ One who is skilled in playing the tura, feels an attraction to all instruments and is skilled in playing all of them, and possesses all kinds of musical instruments, is called a tauripa (chief musician).
The meaning of the word “nata”
95/ The meaning of the root naṭ is “to act” (i.e., it acts), and therefore, since it reproduces (nāṭayati) again and again the stories of people with rasas, states, and temperament, it is called (i.e., becomes) naṭa (the actor).
Blessing (Nandī)
96-97/ Since it delights the audience (i.e., people) with sweet words of benediction, it is called Nandī (Blessing). What is recited at the performance of a play to delight people in various ways, with Sanskrit and Prakrit recitatives, should be known as Nandī.
Definition of the leader
98/ One who knows, according to the teaching of scholars (śiṣṭa), the principles (sūtra) of applying songs, instrumental music, and recitatives in their unity is called Sūtradhāra (the Director).
Definition of a playwright
99/ Since he invests various rasas, states, and temperaments, according to the śāstra, in various characters, such a person is called a dramatist (nāṭyakāra).
Definition of the actor
100/ One who knows how to apply the music of four kinds of instruments and to stage a play according to the meaning of the śāstra and one’s own reasoning is called an actor (naṭa).
Definition of an actress
101/ A woman thoroughly skilled in drumming, laya (tempo) and tāla, versed in the rasas and beautiful in all her limbs, should be made an actress (nāṭakī).
The crown maker
102/ The one who makes masks and various special garments together with headdresses (śiroṣaka = pratiśiroṣa), suitable for various characters, is called a maker of crowns (mukuṭakāra).
Jewellery maker
103/ One who makes ornaments according to various rules is called an ornament-maker (ābharaṇakṛt), and each such master is named after the material he uses.
Garland maker
104/ The one who makes five kinds of garlands is called a garland-maker (mālyakṛt).
Veshakara
The one who knows about costuming is called veśakāra.
Artist, dyer, and craftsman
105/ The one who knows painting is an artist (citrakāra), and by his knowledge of dyeing (rañjana) fabrics such a person is called a dyer (rajaka). And the one who creates various objects from lac, stone, metal and wood is called a craftsman (kāru).
Kushilava
106/ One who knows how to apply the principles of instrumental music and is himself skilled in playing instruments is called a kuśilava because he is kuśala (skilful) and avadāta (refined) and free from excitement (avyāhita).
107/ A person who has chosen any art or craft (śilpa), profession or practice and independently achieved mastery in it is named after it.
108/ So much about the hereditary groups (jāti), known in connection with the rules of theatre as naṭas, pertaining to the various affiliations necessary for the staging of different kinds of plays.
109/ I have spoken about the distribution of roles and about the creators of drama according to their function, and I have set forth the Canons of Drama. Tell me now, O sages, what else remains to be related.
Here ends chapter XXXV of the Nāṭyaśāstra, treating of the distribution of roles.