On the Origin of the Hindu Drama

This article surveys the complex problem of how classical Sanskrit drama evolved. The author groups the evidence into several categories: dialogue hymns of the Vedas, Vedic ritual, non-Vedic literature, the religious and secular aspects of drama, possible foreign influences and the evidence of Prakrit. He argues that scholarly debate has often focused on minutiae rather than the fundamental questions of whether the earliest Indian drama was religious or secular and who its progenitors were. Drawing on anthropological parallels, the article posits that drama likely emerged from ritual dance and song associated with religious rites. Texts such as the Katyayana Srautasutra (c. 600 B.C.) describe dance and musical performances within sacrificial ceremonies. Special attention is given to the Natyasastra, the encyclopaedic treatise attributed to Bharata Muni (200 B.C.–200 A.D.), which explains that theatre was created by the gods to combine dance, music and poetry. The Natyasastra sets out rules for staging, acting and music and introduces the doctrine of rasa. The article cautions that its mythological origin story is symbolic and should not be read as factual history. Other evidence, including plays by Bhāsa and Kālidāsa, shows the maturity of dramatic conventions by the early centuries A.D. Comparative sections assess claims of foreign influence, such as similarities between Greek theatre and Sanskrit drama, and conclude that Indian drama was largely indigenous. The author concludes that classical Indian drama evolved gradually from ritualised performance and storytelling traditions. He stresses that further research should integrate philological, archaeological and anthropological data to understand the social contexts that shaped early Indian theatre.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.