Why in news?
In December 2025, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) hosted a programme at Delhi's Red Fort during UNESCO's 20th Session on Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Origins and Authorship
- Natyashastra is an ancient Sanskrit treatise attributed to sage Bharata Muni, serving as the foundational text for Indian classical performing arts, including drama, dance, music, and theater.
- Composed between 200 BCE and 200 CE, the Natyashastra emerges as the "fifth Veda," blending elements from the four Vedas: speech from Rigveda, music from Samaveda, acting from Yajurveda, and emotions from Atharvaveda.
Core Concepts
- Central to Natyashastra is the rasa theory, where eight primary rasas—such as love (srngara), mirth (hasya), and anger (roudra)—evoke transcendent emotional experiences in audiences via abhinaya (expression through body, speech, mind, and costume).
- Bhava (emotions) divides into sthayi (dominant), vyabhichari (transitory, 33 types), and sattvika (involuntary), supported by vibhava (causes) and anubhava (effects).
- Natya imitates life's joys and sorrows across gods, humans, and demons, aiming for spiritual reflection over mere entertainment.​
Influence on Arts
- This encyclopedic work systematizes music (gana), dance (nrtya), and drama, influencing traditions like Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, with rules for playhouses, regional styles (four types), and instruments.
- Its aesthetics shaped later scholars like Abhinavagupta and remain vital in Indian cultural policy and education.​
UNESCO Recognition
- The Natyashastra manuscripts, preserved by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, joined 74 new entries for their enduring philosophical and artistic impact.
- UNESCO added manuscripts of the Natyashastra, alongside the Bhagavad Gita, to its Memory of the World Register in 2025, celebrating India's ancient heritage.​
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