Dombi/Dombika

[Mandakranta Bose]

Dombi, Dombika as a dramatic dance:

Abhinavagupta makes several references to a type of dance presentation
(nrtyakavya) called Dombi/Dombika, in his commentary on the Natyasastra
(vol. 1. pp. 166, 180-81 to cite a few).  He quotes ancient authorities
in describing this as a dance composition in four scenes, intended to
please the kings (Natyasastra, vol. 1.  pp. 175, 181, 188).
Abhinavagupta cites two examples of Dombi, Gunamala and Cudamani
(Natyasastra, vol. 1. pp. 171, 175; vol . 4. p. 271). The page references
are from the Gaekwad edition of the Natyasastra (1934-64).  The
Bhavaprakasa of Saradatanaya (p.257-58) repeats Abhinavagupta as do
Hemacandra and Vagbhata (Kavyanusasana of Hemacandra, pp 327-29 (Bombay,
Kavyamala, 71, 1901); (Kavyanusasana of Vagbhata, p. 18 (Kavyamala, 43,
1894) and Dhanika refers to it as a nrtyabheda without providing any
description (Dasarupaka, Adyar Library Series 97, 1969).  A detailed
discussion of this kind of uparupaka or dance drama appears in my book:
Movement and Mimesis: The Idea of Dance in the Sanskritic Tradition
Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991.  A. K. Warder has a detailed
discussion on Dombi as well (Indian Kavya Literature, Delhi, 1972: vol 1.
pp.156-57).


Mandakranta Bose
Director, Centre for India and South Asia Research
Institute of Asian Research
University of British Columbia
Vancouver B.C. V6T 1Z2
mbose at interchange.ubc.ca