Thread by @nirbhaavuka

Sharing a thread on the karaṇas depicted in the Mahānaṭa mūrti of Bādāmi mentioned in Bharata muni's naṭyaśāstra.

To preempt, as per āgamaśāstras and śilpaśāstras, this mūrti sculpted around 600CE (1400 years ago!) is not called as Naṭarāja but "Mahānaṭa" or "Nṛttamūrti".

The mūrti is shown with 18 arms (9 on each side), few holding astras, few holding musical instruments and few bare handed - combination of which depict specific karaṇas from the naṭyaśāstra.

The mūrti is categorised as "madhyama" with only partial gaṇas including Gaṇēśa are shown in the panel.

Mūrti is carved onto the cliff face outside Cave 1 in the complex. His jaṭāmukuṭa is spellbinding & the kaṭisūtra acting as plumb line symbolises the CG vector of mūrti.

The mūrti is shown with the right leg in pārśva posture, left leg in sūcī posture and the right part of the waist is lifted to depict the udvāhita kaṭi. Combined, these give a magnificent tribhaṅga posture to the overall mūrti.

I could easily collect that this mūrti depicts karaṇas (Thanks to Dr Padma Subrahmanyam's repertoire!) and @seetha_rao pointed me to an extensive research conducted by a bharatanāṭya exponent Dr Karuna Vijayendra at least a decade ago.

With 4 arms on each side, Śiva here is performing a total of 9 karaṇas. They are -

Apaviddha (4)
Nikuṭṭakaṁ (9)
Mattalli (27)
Ardhamattalli (28)
Rēcitanikuṭṭakaṁ (29)
Valitaṁ (31)
Bhujaṅgatrastarēcitaṁ (35)
Ākṣiptaṁ (55)
Sarpitaṁ (81)

Although not anywhere close to judging anyone's research work, I could find differences in the way a couple of these were depicted in the research as compared to how they are depicted at the Bharata Muni Koyil at Pattupulam near Mahabalipuram, I have used the latter as reference.

Apaviddha karaṇa

आवर्त्यशुकतुण्डाख्यमूरुपृष्ठेनिपातयेत्।
वामहस्तश्चवक्शस्स्थोप्यपविद्धंतुतद्भवेत्।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 64

Nikuṭṭaka karaṇa

निकुट्टितौयदाहस्तौ स्वबाहुशिरसोऽन्तरे।
पादौनिकुट्टितौचैव ज्ञेयंतत्तुनिकुट्टकं।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 69

Mattalli karaṇaa

वामदक्षिणपादाभ्यांघूर्णमानोपसर्पणैः।
उद्वेष्टितापविद्धैश्चहस्तैर्मत्तल्ल्युदाहृतं।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 87

Ardhamattalli karaṇa

स्खलितापसृतौपादौ वामहस्तश्च रेचितः।
सव्यहस्तःकटिस्थस्यादर्धमत्तल्लितत्स्मृतं।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 88

Rēcitanikuṭṭaka karaṇa

रेचितोदक्षिणोहस्तः पादःसव्योनिकुट्टितः।
दोलाचैवभवेद्वामस्तद्रेचितनिकुट्टितं।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 89

Valita karaṇa

अपविद्धोभवेद्धस्तःसूचीपादस्तथैवच।
तथात्रिकंविवृत्तंचवलितंनामतद्भवेत्।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 91

Bhujaṅgatrastarēcita karaṇa

भुजङ्गत्रासितंकृत्वायत्रोभावपिरेचितं।
वामपार्श्वस्थितौहस्तौभुजङ्गत्रस्तरेचितं।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 95

Ākṣipta karaṇa

आक्षिप्तंहस्तपादंचक्रियतेयत्रवेगतः।
आक्षिप्तंनामकरणंविज्ञेयंतद्विजोत्तमाः।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 115

Sarpita karaṇa

अञ्चितापसृतौपादौशिरश्चपरिवाहितं।
रेचितौचतथाहस्तौतत्सर्पितमुदाहृतं।।

नाट्यशास्त्रम् IV 141

It is to be noted that these *still postures* do not completely define the karaṇas, but only a momentary posture of the entire karaṇa. As said earlier, I have referred to the depictions at Pattipulam Alayam to arrive at these.

I'm grateful to my friend Shri Sharashchancdra for rendering line diagrams of each of these karaṇas.

Wishing everyone a very happy Mahāśivarātri! 🙏

ಹರ ನಮಃ ಪಾರ್ವತೀಪತಯೇ ಹರ ಹರ ಮಹಾದೇವ.
🙏