Editing Nīlakanṭha’s Sangītār̥ṇavacandrikā treatise (section)

=== Details of Dance and Abhinaya in the text ===
Moving on to the subjects like ''Nāṭya, Nṛtya'' and ''Nṛtta'', all these three could be either ''Mārga'' or ''Deśi''. ''Nṛtta'' is further classified as ''Viṣama (acrobatic), Vikaṭa (crooked in form, dress)'' and ''Laghu (graceful)''. Next, the author has given about ''Prākāra'' dance. The specific types of this are ''Kāṣṭhi Nṛtya, Jakkaḍi Nṛtya, Sāvari Nṛtya, Kuranjī Nṛtya'' and ''Mattāvalī Nṛtya''.

The author has given the method and technique of constructing play houses, its status-befitting seating arrangements specially on the occasion of a play, the president for the occasion and his qualifications, the suitable hours and duration of a play, the qualifications of the hero and the heroine of the play, qualifications of spectators, the qualifications of a good dancer, the body-building exercises so as to attain endurance, suppleness and tenacity, the qualifications of dance master and directors and so on.

Special emphasis is laid on the physical and also intellectual accomplishments of a danseuse who is always to be preferred to a male dancer. Young women are supposed to be the cause and root of ''Rasas''. So, the three stages of youth have also been described after specifying the merits and de-merits of ''pātras (characters)''.

The ''Jarjara Pūja (the puja offered to the danḍa/stick representing the presiding deity of the play house)'' indicates the starting of a performance, followed by the curtains of different colours. The usage of different colours indicates the predominant sentiment of the particular situation. Then comes the dressing up and decorating the danseuse from head to foot with befitting ornaments of various kinds, painting and annointing her with sandal paste, dyeing her feet with lacquer, her eyes with collyrium, etc.

The text prescribes the four-fold histrionic representation (''Abhinaya''), which is very important in dance. They are ''Āngika'' (body gestures)'', Vācika'' (speech)'', Āhārya'' (dress, make-up) ''and Sāttvika'' (natural, pure).

Dress, paint, beard, arms and ornaments, masks, etc , belonging to ''Āhārya'' ''abhinaya'', have to be used appropriately for the different characters according to their status, gender, profession, etc. different types of costume, ornaments, even garlands and flowers have been specified with meticulous care.

With respect to the ''Vācika'' ''Abhinaya'' the rules on the use of languages like ''Samskṛta'' and different types of ''Prākṛt'' such as ''Māgadhi, Āvanti'', etc, the appropriate language for the different characters of the play in keeping up with their social status, the different appropriate modes of address, the conventions of giving suitable names to the different types of characters, the four styles of Abhinaya (''Kaiśiki, Bhārati, Sāttvati and Ārabhaṭi'') and their origin, etc deserve attention.

The author has dealt with the three different grades of ''Pātras'' (dancers or actors) namely ''Uttama, Madhyama'' and ''Adhama''. This gradation is applicable to both genders.

The ceremonial entrance of the ''pātra'' to the stage from the greenroom is an important item because the first aesthetic impression of the ''pātra'' on the expectant spectators is of immense value. So, the text narrates with relevant quotations from ''Sangītaratnākara'' through ''Sangīta Nārāyaṇa''. The procedure involves consonant tuning of the musical instruments and playing of the instrumental compositions. At this juncture the ''pātra'' stands in a pose expressing ‘''Sauṣṭhava''’ (symmetry) with a handful of flowers (''puśpānjali''). 

After ''puśpānjali'' is offered, the ''pātra'' begins dancing to the ''prabandhas''.

With her major and minor limbs, with ''Rasa'' and ''Bhāva'' this danseuse is advised to build up a coordinated performance just as a garland maker prepares a well-knit garland with flowers of various hues and different shapes.

The next items for discussion are the actions to be avoided, in a show, the duration of performance and lastly, the spectators’ duty to cheer up the performer and not to expose the faults that might have come to their notice.

''Āngika abhinaya'' is discussed at the last. This type of representation depends on meaningful movements of different ''angas'' of the human body. The text talks about Head, shoulders, chest, sides, hasta, waist and feet as ''angas''. The ''pratyangas'' are neck, arms, wrists, back, belly, thighs, knees, ''Bhūṣaṇam (ornaments)''. The ''upāngas'' are sight, pupils, eyebrows, eye-lashes, mouth, nose, breath, chin, tongue, cheeks, teeth, lips, palms, fingers, heels, ankles, toes, soles, breasts. 

The text concludes by naming its author and the date on which the compilation of the text was completed.