සංස්කෘත උපරූපක පිළිබඳ විචාරාත්මක අධ්‍යයනයක් A Critical Study of Sanskrit Uparūpaka

Abstract

Various names are used for Uparūpaka which was introduced by Viśvanātha in Sāhityadarpaṇa as a type of drama. It is not difficult to identify the roots of this drama genre, also known as nṛtya nātya, from the Nāṭyaśāstra and other drama theoretical books. However, Bharata, Abhinavagupta or Dhananjaya have not identified a drama genre called uparūpaka. Although it has not mentioned in their dramaturgic treatises (Siddānta texts) does not rule out the existence of such a drama genre. Since Bharata introduced a sub-genre called nātika, which is a mixture of nātaka and prakaraṇa, the history, content and utility of uparūpaka have been studied. The academic community has paid little attention to uparūpaka and considering a critical study of them as an academic necessity, the research problem here was to determine how important Uparūpaka are in the art of drama. This qualitative data-based research is conducted using primary and secondary sources, using a qualitative analytical methodology. The aim is to identify uparūpaka numerically and theoretically and to critique their literary value and utility. The highest opportunity for this drama tradition to grow numerically by embracing the audience anonymously is seen in the from Bhāvaprakāśa. Uparupaka, which can be considered a folk drama genre, represents a limited number of genres with storyline and no script. The use of two or three gestures and one or two junctures are its characteristics. Uparūpaka is a great opportunity for creators to create according to the amount of talent. It is an opportunity for the diversity of audience tastes. Uparūpaka can also be considered as a turning point of the course of boring drama. This research will provide a dose of light for researchers exploring the course of Sanskrit drama and drama theories, for Sanskrit drama audiences with diverse interests, and for those who are curious about Sanskrit drama.