Sree Satyananda Devayatan, the spirituality-rooted cultural space of Kolkata, celebrated the birthday of Sree Archanapuri Maa with great reverence. There could not have been any better finale of this week-long festivity than the presentation of “Bhaanika” at Triguna Sen Hall (JU Campus) recently by Chidakash Kalalay under the guidance of eminent Natyashastra scholar and Guru Piyal Bhattacharya.
Prelude
His research based reconstructions of Natya (drama) commenced its journey with Maarga Sangeet that encapsulated the ancient form of vocal and instrumental music and also Nritta or pure dance. All these presentations were based on meticulously decoded scriptures and their commentaries that threw light on the mystery shrouded path of this backward journey towards the era of Natyashastra (200 BC). Bhattacharya's confident entry in the arena of ancient drama happened in 2016-17 when he staged the Uparupaka Bhaanak.
The word ‘Bhana’ in Sanskrit means ‘to state’, and Bhaanika stands for the female orator who speaks of the wisdom permeated in life and universe. Bhaanika falls in the category of Bhaanak and several similar minor dramatic features (Uparupakas) in the line of Bharatmuni’s Natya tradition. Natyashastra-commentator Acharya Abhinavagupta refers to these minor dramas as ‘Raga-kavya’ intertwined with music and pure dance though they are basically ‘abstract dance-poetry’. According to him, Bhaanak (male orators) elucidate the celestial incarnations through vigorous moves (Uddhat prayog). In Bhoja’s commentary, Bhaanika is a narrator of Hari-charita (praises of Lord Vishnu) who facilitates it delicately (Sukumar prayog). Music and dance play an important role in infusing an easy 'Rasa-nishpatti (emotional appeal). Due to this, they become wonderful vehicles to transmit social messages very aesthetically.
Based on these two prescriptions, Bhattacharya reconstructed Bhaanika as an enactment of Jayadeva's Dashaavatara (ten incarnations of Vishnu). Frankly this, as a theme of almost all classical dance forms, has reached saturation point. Also, usually 'Avatara' as a concept, now, often seems blurry and is generallry confined within religious or mythological purview only. But according to ancient Indian philosophy, Avatara is the manifestation of one's consciousness from the unfathomable depth of unconditioned consciousness.
Bhattacharya extracted this Avatara-tattva from the lineage of Vedic studies practised by Pandit Madhusudan Ojha (1866-1939) and merged with the Vajrayani Buddhists’ concept that sees Dashavatara as various evolutionary stages of human life. He sought guidance from several pundits for sources for the condensation of the theme after rationalised harmonious emulsification of Vaishnava and Buddhist world views, without the religious paraphernalia.
Then, aided by his worthy disciple Sayak Mitra (scriptwriter, music reconstructor plus singer-actor), Bhattacharya took it to on a different plane. As a result in their Bhaanika, Buddhism professes Dashavatara through the evolution-concept of human life and death while Vaishnavism professes the simultaneous manifestation of forces (Hladini, Samvit and Sandhini Shakti) through Rasa (Krishna incarnate).
The presentation
The Nata-Nati (performers) showcased a style which is obsolete now but extremely relevant to know the roots of all performing arts. The Kutapa (orchestra) included Gayak (Sayak Mitra), Gayika (Sheuli Chakraborty), Kachchhapi Veena (Abhijit Ray), Sushir Vadya (Paramananda Ray), Mardangika (Mithun Chakraborty) and ShriKhol (Joy Dalal). Bhaanika’s beauty lies in its subtle art of draping and ornamentation. Chhandak Jana designed this embellishing Aharya that were beautifully highlighted by Soumen Chakraborty's understated light-designing, of course under the direction of Natyacharya Piyal Bhattacharya.
Bhaanika began with the traditional Purva-ranga (precursor) in two parts: Nirgeeta Vidhi, and Mangalacharanam. Nirgeeta, based on syllables, was played by instruments of the kutap (orchestra), seated behind a semi-transparent curtain. Mangalacharanam (“Shrita Kamala” from Jayadeva’s GeetaGovinda) was composed in Gurjari Raga and Nissharuka Tala; and Dashavatara was composed in Malava Raga, as instructed by the poet. For this, the ragas are reconstructed by Bhattacharya’s team from musical treatises.
Eight female performers were the pillars of this Uparupaka who represented the ‘Ashta Prakriti’. Three amongst them - Samvit (energy of wisdom; by Rinki Mondal), Sandhini (cosmic-power of gnosis; by Manjira Dey), the combining force of this universe, and Hlaadini Shakti (cosmic-energy of eternal ecstasy; by Pinki Mondal) play the pivotal role in the manifestation of the creation of universe (Vaishnavite view). Other female performers represented the ‘Pancha Skanda’ (Buddhist view).
Adorned with delicately decorated costumes, intricately designed exquisite ornaments and flowers (especially lotus of varied colours that signify different persona of different characters) Bhaanika carried a social message having philosophical connotations and personified gati shakti (creative energy), the energy that manifests the palpable form of the universe. There were four male performers as well who sat with instruments in hand, representing four ‘Avyaya Purusha’ (Akash Mallik, Deep Ghosh, Shubhendu Ghosh and Chandak Jana).
The Kinnari Veena player (Sayak Mitra) represented Krishna the ‘Rasa-tattva’ and manifestation of a reality, nourishing every prana in this creation. Finally, all of them and everything merged within the unfathomable stretch of Rasa-tattva and spiritual bliss.
Social relevance
Based on the Natyashastra’s concept of selecting languages according to ‘Sthaan-kaala-paatra’, besides the original Sanskrit verses of Dashaavataara, Sandhini Shakti speaks in Brijbhasha, Samvit Shakti sings in Bangla Panchali style to express these illuminating concepts and Hladini Shakti expresses her thoughts through dainty movements.
Kinnari veena playing rasa or Krishna incarnate brings harmony to the whole theme that professes the road to liberation through various means.
The philosophical purview of Dashavataara extols that every individual is a conditioned embodiment of the unconditioned cosmic-consciousness, and by undertaking journeys through various stratum of society, we only perform that cosmic-play or leela with innate capability to reach and merge with that unconditioned blissful cosmic-being.
