nA.tyasya mAtara.h

[RAH]

(I should have known better. One should always read the text all the way 
through before asking questions in public.)

The mothers, not only of nA.tya but of all kAvya, are four -- bhAratI 
sAttvatI Arabha.tI and kai"sikI -- according to NS 18.4. These are the 
v.rtti-s. The verse reads: 
	sarve.sAm eva kAvyAnAm mAt.rkA v.rttaya.h sm.rtA.h

The mothers cannot be SarasvatI, etc. because in the worship of the 
various pillars of the playhouse, those deities are to be worshipped 
elsewhere than the mothers. This, of course, all being according to the 
NS. Maybe other texts do it differently. I was only concerned with the 
meaning in the NS.

gotta run,
Bob Hueckstedt

Robert A. Hueckstedt, Associate Professor of Indic Languages
Asian Studies Centre, 328 Fletcher Argue, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/asian_studies
fax 1 204-275-5781 phones 1 204-474-8964, 1 204-488-4797