Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c10.s2.2

c10.s2.2

*Vāda* and its categories are conspicuously employed in the theory of *vācika abhinaya* involving speech for performance. A content of a dramatic piece is structured in dialogues. The presentation of these dialogues with *abhinaya* creates theatre. The verbal content of a play in this way may have exchange of views, discussions involving repartees and rejoinders. In chap. XXII of *Nāṭyaśāstra*, Bharata has discussed twelve types of *vākyābhinaya*, some of the categories of which are imbued with skills of debate. These twelve types are: *ālāpa* (addressing), *pralāpa* (gibberish talk), *vilāpa* (lamentation), *anulāpa* (repetition), *saṃlāpa* (exchange of words, verbal dual), *apalāpa* (refutation of what has been said earlier), *sandeśa* (message), *atideśa* (agreement), *nirdeśa* (instruction), *vyapadeśa* (concealed speech), *upadeśa* (advice) and *apadeśa* (suggestion).⁵