Woman, God’s most unique creation, is an exquisite combination of contradictions. With beautiful charm and grace, she does not hesitate to entice or enamour her lover; on the other hand, a woman scorned can be unpredictable and destructive. This enigmatic (split) persona has found a beautiful expression through dance. Dance - though often dramatic and exaggerative in nature and narrative - has portrayed well the beauty and darkness of a woman, as well as her strength and frailty. Through her dance a woman can express multiple emotions - of coyness, joy, love, despair, anger, hate - in both overt and covert terms. A woman dancer can raise many a man to ecstasy, and knock him down with similar ease. Writers and poets have equated the varied moods of a woman, comparing her to the sweetness of honey, the mildness of milk, the sourness of vinegar and the pulpiness of a fruit. ‘Ashta Nayika’ (Eight Heroines) has been an integral part of Indian dance folklore. Conceptualised by the sage Bharata in his treatise ‘Natyashastra’, which was written two millennia ago, the Ashta Nayika is a collective name for the different (eight) moods or stages of love of a maiden, depicted through dance. It has been refined over the ages. Of course Indian painting, literature and sculpture have also celebrated a maiden’s emotions. Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda, written in the twelfth century, converted the eight heroines (of Ashta Nayika) into one entity, showing the Nayika as Radha, the lover of Lord Krishna, who displays these moods for her beloved. Though a woman’s love for her beloved is pure, she is in fact, like the divine Radha, eight ‘emotional’ heroines rolled into one. Every dancer attempts a foray into Ashta Nayika, which is considered a challenge, since all these emotions are generally not expressed in modern day life. Each of the eight Nayikas is based on a nature of relationship that a woman shares with her beloved.
1. Vasakasajja Nayika -Vasakasajja is a Nayika who is decked up in ornate jewellery and clothes, in anticipation of the return of her lover from battle or from a long journey. She seeks to attract her weary lover to her bedroom, which is filled with colourful flowers and garlands. As she waits longingly for him to return, her mind races towards a union with him.
2. Svadhinabhartruka Nayika This Nayika subjugates her lover with her love and charm. Her pleasing beauty controls his actions. He is depicted as a man enamoured by her beauty, as he applies aromatic paste on her feet and vermillion on her forehead. Portraying this relationship, some scriptures have also depicted Radha commanding Krishna to rearrange her clothes and make-up after love-making.
3. Khandita Nayika - This Nayika is enraged and burning in anger, as her lover, who has promised to have a union with her, does not turn up. The beautiful Nayika waits all night only to discover that he has spent the night with another woman. She is deeply offended and reprimands her lover, accusing him of infidelity.
4. Kalahantarita Nayika She is a lover separated from her beloved, due to a silly quarrel that occurs out of her meaningless jealousy. As the hero tries to woo her, she refuses to accept his explanations and turns him away. However, after the man leaves her bed chamber in despair, she begins to repent. Her heart is thus pained by the separation caused by her folly.
5. Vipralabdha Nayika Similar to the situation that the Khandita Nayika faces, this Nayika’s lover also cheats on her. She is in deep agony while waiting for him in her chamber the whole night. In despair she finally removes her clothes, throws away her ornaments and rubs off her make-up.
6. Virahotkanthita Nayika She is also waiting, but not happily like Vasakasajja. The Virahotkanthita Nayika is distressed by the separation. This beautiful heroine, decked up like the Virahotkanthita Nayika, is pining for the return of her lover and standing in anticipation in the balcony or in her bed chamber – but is disappointed as her beloved does not turn up due to his preoccupation.
7. Proshtibhartuka Nayika She is a damsel in mourning, as her husband or lover has not returned to her from work. Her maids try to console her, but she refuses to accept their pleas. She weeps uncontrollably and lapses into deep mourning.
8. Abhisarika Nayika This damsel, deeply in love with her beloved, throws away her guarded feelings of modesty and lurks out of her house to meet her lover - who is waiting for her in the jungle. So much is her love for him that she braves the vagaries of nature, snakes and animals, and hurriedly runs into her lover’s arms.
The importance of the Nayaka (the invisible Hero), in the dancing portrayal of a Nayika, cannot be undermined. A Nayaka’s role can change the scope of the portrayal of a Nayika in dance. The moods and emotions of the Nayika are dependent on the character of her hero. A Nayaka like Lord Vishnu could take up the role of ‘Anukoola’, who is faithful to one woman (like Lord Rama) or ‘Shatha’, the deceitful lover who manipulates the emotions of his beloved (like Lord Krishna). The Dakshina Nayaka loves all his wives, like a Mahabharata prince (like Arjuna) and the Drishta Nayaka pleads and begs before his wife (like Vaali). Indian ‘shastras’ (scriptures) have gloriously depicted the beauty of the union of the Nayak and Nayika, and Indian dance has picked up these threads and subtly woven the gamut of feelings (especially of love) into an expressive fabric. Nayika, a unique concept that is etched in Indian classical culture through literature, sculpture and paintings, is incomplete without the exaggerative-yet-subtle and abstract depictions of love through Classical dance.υ
The Writer is a renowned Kuchipudi Danseuse and Choreographer
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