Bharata Muni
Let there be beauty. Thus, the 37th chapter of the Nāṭya Śāstra, as told by the sage Bharata.
1/ Once a king named Nahuṣa, endowed with life-wisdom and strength of spirit, attained the kingdom of the gods.
2/ Having seen the performances of Nāṭya and Gandharva there, he began to reflect:
3/ “How wonderful it would be if one could see this Nāṭya in my earthly palace!”
4/ And, folding his palms in reverence, he addressed the gods: “Let this Nāṭya, together with the apsaras, be in my home.”
5/ And the gods, led by Bṛhaspati, answered him: “the celestial maidens cannot be united with maidens born of men.”
6/ But happiness and good fortune must be yours, O conqueror of the heavens. Therefore, let the teachers of Nāṭya descend to the earth and there accomplish what is desired for you.
7/ Then, having come to me with palms joined in humility and having praised me, King Nahuṣa said: “O Lord, I wish to establish this Nāṭya on earth.”
8/ O best of the twice-born, may this blessed knowledge received from you be revealed, foremost, guiding onto the path.
9/ In our grandfather’s house, among the inhabitants of the harem, that Nāṭya, created by Pitāmaha, was performed while Urvaśī lived among them.
10/ But Urvaśī died, and the king, mad with grief, died too, and then all the women of the palace died of longing, and with them the art of Nāṭya vanished.
11/ I want to bring back this light again. I will perform the rituals on the corresponding lunar days with blessings and offerings.
12/ Let it flourish there, in my home, among people, this gathering of many characters, feminine grace, and wondrous tales.
13/ Then I said: “So be it, O king of the Earth.” And my sons appeared, equal in antiquity to the gods.
14/ This very king Nahuṣa respectfully asks us to go together with him to the Earth, in order to establish Nāṭya there.
15/ This will put an end to your curse, if everything is done correctly, and you will not be insulted by kings or brahmans.
16/ Having found yourself there, on the surface of the Earth, show the art of stage performance. For it is impossible not to fulfill the king’s request.
17/ And it is precisely Nāṭya, proclaimed by the Self-Existent One, that will enable both all of us and King Nahuṣa to attain their goals through the realization of the self.
18/ The rest, however, Kohala will complete in the “Uttaratantra,” also composing it in the form of kārikā and nirukta.
19/ And the apsaras, as the source of play and music, will remain with me, Svati, and Narada in the celestial world.
20/ Then, having found themselves in the domains of Nahuṣa, in his palace, my twice-born sons took earthly women as wives.
21/ There they delighted, the best of the twice-born, in human form, filled with great love for their wives.
22/ Having produced offspring and taught them their art, my sons, forgiven by Brahmā, again attained the heavens.
23/ Thus on the surface of the earth, the knowledge of Nāṭya will remain in the lineage of Bharata after the descent of my children.
24/ With them, for some time yet, will remain Kohala, Vatsa, and Śāṇḍilya until the complete purification from the results of their unlawful thoughts and inappropriate actions.
25/ This science, originating from the sacred rituals performed in all three worlds, containing within itself all other sciences, blessed, playful, is necessary precisely for people, for the growth of their consciousness, since it arose from the mouth of Brahmā.
26/ The person who performs Nāṭya and lives it himself, or the one who merely listens to it, which always bestows knowledge, is like a scholar,
27/ and attains the position of those who have known the Vedas, who perform sacrifices and give generous gifts.
28/ Of all riches, the opportunity to witness a performance is extolled, yielding a fruit that is the best of all possible fruits.
29/ A beneficent performance satisfies the gods more than offerings of wonderfully fragrant flower garlands.
30/ He who rightly understands Nāṭya attains the virtuous worlds of Īśvara and Gaṇeśa.
31/ Thus, the science of the rules for performing the Nāṭya ritual has been expounded, various recommendations have been given, and what is not indicated here may be added later, based on human experience, and should be approved by knowledgeable people.
What else can be added beyond that?
May the Earth be free from poverty and disease.
May brahmins and cows be serene.
May there be kings who protect the Earth.
Thus in the Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharata is the 37th chapter, which tells of the secret.
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