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it is absurd to suppose that it was the first drama that ever came out of a Sanskrit poet's hands. It is like arguing that Ben J°nson was the first English dramatist, Panini the first Sanskrit grammarian or Vergil the first Latin poet. In the absence of anything urged to the contrary, we must clearly conclude that the drama ascribed to the royal author Sudfaka* is the result of a long and laborious cultivation of the sconce and art of dramaturgy at least from the 6th century B.C., to which period we have referred the Natyasutras.
SECTION III. The Dramatic Arrangement.
Every drama opens with a prelude or introduction, in which-the audience are made acquainted with the author, his work, the actors, and such part of the prior events as is necessary for the spectators to know. The actors of the prelude were never more than two, the manager and one of his company, either an actor or actress, and they led immediately into the-business of the drama. The first part of this introduction is-termed the F*urva-ranga and opens with a prayer, invoking In a benedictory formula the protection of some deity in* favour Of the audience. This is termed the Nandi^ or that which is the cause of gratification to men and gods* There-is g diflerencfe of .opinion as to who recites the Nandl^xt\& the commentator on the Mudm-Rakshasa observes, uthat it is • equally correct to supply the ellipse after nandyante by either p*&ati * reads,' or fravicati' enters;1 in the former case the Sutradhara reciting the Nmdi* and then continuing the Induction ; in the latter the benediction being pronounced by a different individual." The Sutradhara, according to the*opis of Dwaraka,as a greater grace and melody about his verse. " •/:-'.. . • ' ' . : .; .". <