Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c10.s1.2

c10.s1.2

*Nāṭyaśāstra* starts with a debate and ends in the resolution of another debate. In the series of replies to questions and counter-questions, Bharata Muni narrates how *nāṭya* originated and evolved. He recounts his experiments and the failure of the debut performance under his direction. *Samudramanthana*, the play he chose to present on the occasion of the festival of Indra was disrupted by the demons who thought that the performance is a humiliation to them. Virūpākṣa, their leader started arguing and questioning the propriety of the performance. Then followed a discussion on the nature of *nāṭya* and the demons were reconciled.²