Bharata muni’s description on vasakasajja heroine is that she sighs, weeps and faints. So what stops her becoming a virahotkanthita? How do they differ? Let’s find out the key differences in Vasakasajja vs Virahotkanthita.
The answer matters for any dancer who has been told her waiting heroine looks too sad, or too happy. Vasakasajja and virahotkanthita share gestures and little else. We will make an attempt to explain how the texts divide them and how I keep them apart on stage.
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Why is there a confusion about this?
Bharata muni’s staging includes fear, anxiety, apprehension and the reading of omens. We saw this already in our previous article about vasakasajja abhinaya. The heroine is pained by separation while she waits for a lover who has not come.
A five-point comparison of Vasakasajja vs Virahotkanthita
| Question | Vasakasajja | Virahotkanthita |
|---|---|---|
| Is his arrival certain? | Yes, by sound or message | Uncertain or delayed |
| Base mood | Joy | Longing |
| Rasa | Sambhoga | Vipralambha |
| What does she do? | Prepares, adorns, watches | Pines, searches |
| What is anxiety? | A passing episode | The governing mood |
How to keep them apart on stage – Vasakasajja vs Virahotkanthita
I use three rules.
- Start in joy. The audience must believe that he is coming.
- Let doubt arrive late. It enters at the time signal or the doorway, never before.
- Choose your last image. A welcome keeps her in vasakasajja. A long sigh and a bowed head cross into virahotkanthita.
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Frequently asked questions
The vasakasajja is certain he is coming and starts in joy. The virahotkanthita is anxious and starts in longing.
Vasakasajja shows sambhoga shringara, and virahotkanthita shows vipralambha shringara.
Bharata’s staging for vasakasajja includes fear, anxiety and omen reading, which are acts of the virahotkanthita.
A late lover pushes her that way, and the Gitagovinda shows the blend.
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Final thoughts
The two nayikas share a doorway, a night and a worry. They differ in what the night promises. Keep that promise and the confusion mostly resolves itself!
References
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