Mythology Of Indian Dance :: essays research papers

Like many Indian arts, Indian dance also has its root in religion. Without the religious and cultural basis of India, the growth and beauty of Indian dance is not possible. In Natya Shastra, there is a small story about the origin of Indian dance. According to Hindoo mythology, dance first existed in heaven. There was always a constant conflict between the Asuras and the Devas for wealth and power. The Devas were tired of the Asuras greediness and jealousy.It was during this long period of ennui that all the Devas approached Lord Indra too find good ways and means of entertainment. Lord Indra, who was also tired of the Asuras, approached Lord Brahma (believed to be the creator of the Universe) and asked him to benefactor them. They made a request to Lord Brahma that this method of entertainment should be pleasing to both the eye as well as the ear, and that it should be enjoyed by the masses of both higher and lower classes. Lord Brahma gave a long thought to the request of Lord Indra and finally decided to friend them.Lord Brahma went into a state of deep meditation. He called to mind the four Vedas. Vedas are the earliest scriptures of the Hindus. He distilled the essence from each of the Vedas. From Rigveda, he derived the words, from Sama Veda, he derived the music, from Yojurve Veda, the code of gesture and from Atherva Veda, the element of sentiment or flavor. He blended all of these ingredients and added his own divine genious. Thus, he created an entirely new operation. Brahma named this activity Natya, which was later renamed Natya Veda.Brahma had simply created a technique, but someone was needed for putting it into practice. Lord Brahma sought the cooperation of Bharat, a trusted sage. Bharat, with the help of his sons, started working. Vishvakarma, the haughty architect of heaven, then created a splendid theater in the hall of Indias court for the performance.Bharat told Brahma that certain characters of the dance sequences could only be per formed by women. Brahma solved the problem by creating twenty-three beautiful Apsaras.All of the preparations were made accordingly, and for the very first time, the art of Natya was performed before an audience of Devas and Asuras. In this Natya, the Devas were visualized as victorious and the Asuras as losers. The Asuras (demons) got angry and rose in protest and threatened even worse consequences.