Types of Nayikas (Heroines) in Kathak/Indian Dance

The Natyashastra refers to the ten stages of love, which are shown by a dancer portraying the Nayika in love. Read more... 

Since most of the songs, thumris and ghazals dwell on the state of a Nayika, they depict the yearnings of nayikas and their state of mind vis-à-vis their lovers. The Natyashastra refers to the ten stages of love, which are shown by a dancer portraying the Nayika in love. In Kathak whether it is performed by male dancers or female dancers, the Nayika depiction follows the Natyashastra tradition. Of course, it is colored by the Ritikalin Sahitya (literature) which provides innumerable songs in which the various states of the Nayikas are explored. The ten stages of love are abhilasha (longing), chinta (anxiety), gunakirtana (enumeration of beloved's merits), anusmriti (recollection), udvega (distress), vilapa (lamentation), unmada (insanity), vyadhi (sickness), jadata (stupor) and marana (death). It is a convention not to show the last stage. The dancer while depicting a Nayika resorts to some of the stages contextually and, employing sanchari bhavas, renders abhinaya to the song.

The principal eight Nayikas enumerated by Bharata are as follows
(1) Vasakasajja, one who adorns herself expecting union with her lover

(2) Svadhinabhartrika, one having her husband in subjugation
 

(3) Kalabantarita or Kalahantirita: one separated from her lover by a quarrel, she first insults her husband and then repents after he goes away
 

(4) Virahotkanthita or Utkanthita, one distressed by separation; writes a letter to her love

(5) Khandita: one enraged with her lover due to betrayal
 

(6) Vipralabdha: one deceived by her lover. Another definition: Nayika whose lover does not arrive at the place of meeting and the resultant anguish makes her sad
 

(7) Proshitabhartrika or Proshitpatika: one with a sojourning husband, and she is aggrieved due to separation, does not adorn herself, looks in the mirror and remembers her love

(8) Ahhisarika. one who proceeds to meet her lover.

There are 2 more types of Nayikas defined in Natyashstra:

(9) Pravatsyatpatika: one who becomes sad on hearing the news of departure of her husband to a distant land

(10) Aagatpatika: one whose heart is filled with pleasure upon return of her husband from stay in distant land

In the post-Bharata period the classification of the Nayikas indeed proliferated. The broad division into uttama, madhyama and adhama; swakiya, parakiya and samanya further suggests the framework within which a dancer portrays the aforesaid eight states.