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A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life. ~ Christopher Germer
For today's Self Portrait Sunday theme "Compassion".
"Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find Peace." (Albert Schweitzer)
Created for EXPLORE Worthy, The Monthly Quote - May (2023 Art)
Bees & Elephants are endangered species. Images courtesy of Pixabay.
Bokeh, my image (not published.)
There's NO AI on this image!
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Compassion.
Exposition (MAS, Antwerp, Belgium).
St. Elisabeth of Hungary cares for the sick by Jan de Caumont (1600-1650).
Tune: Rome Streetz & Ransom - No Remorse
[Intro: Ransom]
Shit about to get real dark
Hey Streetz, you ready?
Hahaha, yeah I already know you ready
Let's get it boy, let's get it
[Verse 1: Ransom]
Yeah, I don't know what y'all think this is
There's no life after death, you ready to die for thinkin' big?
You either thirsty or you drink to live
Sink your ribs, winked and slid, arm all plastic just like Inky's is
Yeah, I was never known for the back and forth
Ask your boss, he was my passenger when I crashed the Porsche
Eager to speak, but what you lack is force
You just flap your jaws
Would've shot you and left you back when I had remorsе
But now I'm stuck with all these savage thoughts
Sincе they never passed the torch, light and gas a cross on a rapper's porch
My worst fear is going back to court
My heart froze, I spit cold, you die by the time the track defrost
I got no class, I couldn't pass the course
I was thinkin' forward when everybody said I'm an afterthought
Subtract a nigga when the math is off
Ain't no passion lost
You did some time on the island, that was your last resort
Die by the sword is what I often quote
When I got involved with dope, I almost lost my hope until I saw the growth (That's facts)
And now I'm drunk tryna park the boat
The sharpest quotes done turnt this black sheep into the darkest GOAT
Before the crew love, pictures and group hugs
Niggas was true thugs, ignorant heathens before we grew up
The forty blue slugs, lick a shot at ya son's neck
I'm vicious, when it comes to these digits, get 42 dug
[Chorus: Ransom]
We don't feel remorse (No!)
We ain't never care and we ain't sorry for your loss
Throw a party for the boss (Wooo!)
What we gon' spin in, the Ferrari or the Porsche?
We ain't gon' finish 'til your body's in the morgue, 'cause
We don't feel remorse (Nah)
We ain't never care and we ain't sorry for your loss
Throw a party for the boss (Let's go)
What we gon' spin in, the Ferrari or the Porsche? (Which one?)
We ain't gon' finish 'til your body's in the morgue, nigga
[Verse 2: Rome Streetz]
Ayo, no remorse for the opposition
A Glock shot'll twist ya top, turn an opp into apparition
Serve powder to the preacher like I never had religion
Just make sure my numbers right like a mathematician
To beat poverty properly, that was half the mission
I need a Panama property, fuck average livin'
My time, you gotta pay for it like a bad decision
It's never free like you trapped in prison
My path is different, when I was dead broke I had to get the cream
Made thousands off a phone that I had to flip the screen
What I hold in the SIG'll kill you like nicotine
Was servin' nicks to fiends, now I'm that nigga on ya bitch's screen
She watch faithfully, masturbate to me
Ten thousand hours made me a master, you niggas make believe (Fuck outta here!)
Fuck remorse, compassion left my heart with a vacancy
So I feel nothin' when I smoke you like an eighth of trees
Turn my crumbs to Cristal, no government pay receipt (Nah)
Real shit, I built this brick by brick like masonry
Stylin' on you niggas like I'm down with fashion agencies
The main attraction, who they paid to see blatantly, nigga
I take mine, fuck waitin' for what they offer ya
My aura is warrior, from Austin to Austria
Remember before when I had a probation officer
She violated me, now I'm probably cakin' more than her, fuck that bitch
(Fuck outta here!)
[Chorus: Ransom]
We don't feel remorse
We ain't never care and we ain't sorry for your loss
Throw a party for the boss (Wooo!)
What we gon' spin in, the Ferrari or the Porsche?
We ain't gon' finish 'til your body's in the morgue, 'cause
We don't feel remorse (Nah)
We ain't never care and we ain't sorry for your loss
Throw a party for the boss (Let's go)
What we gon' spin in, the Ferrari or the Porsche? (Which one?)
We ain't gon' finish 'til your body's in the morgue, nigga
“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
Albert Einstein
Found in a Jain Temple in the city of Bhuj
Kutch, India
March 2007
Copyright © 2007 David Pohl
HOP | House of Pingting Archives
Compassion asks us to go where it hurts,
to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.
Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely,
to weep with those in tears.
Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable,
and powerless with the powerless.
Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen
©Kreations by Kerri - All Rights Reserved
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This is been quite the awful week in Davis. On Thursday last week, David Breaux, who was known as the compassion Guy in Davis and would stand on this corner offering to talk about compassion, was found murdered in Central Park across the street. He was 50. A decade ago he played a role in making this bench, the Compassion Bench, on the corner of 3rd and C. A vigil was held for him last Sunday evening, but that was affected by the fact there was another murder, another awful stabbing, the night before at another Davis park. Karim Abou Najm, a 20 year old student a month away from graduating, was killed in Sycamore Park as he was coming back from an undergrad awards ceremony. A witness who came to help the victim saw the killer get away. So the Davis community has been in a state of shock since. Then on Monday night, our phones all went off with a police alert that there had been another stabbing, this time at a homeless camp on the corner of 2nd and L, a woman named Kimberlee Guillory was attacked and hospitalized but thankfully did not die, after some of her neighbours chased the perp away. Massive police hunt, FBI, and the community pulling together, and a suspect was taken in on Wednesday, and formally arrested Thursday. He was a 21 year old who had been a UCD student until two days before the first killing (sounds like he'd been expelled). The town breathed a sigh of relief but everyone is still sad and exhausted, and mourning the loss of two good people.
On Wednesday, with the police and community still hunting for the killer, I went down to Compassion Corner downtown to see the floral tribute for David Breaux. There were news reporters there talking to people who knew him, people leaving notes, or just stopping by and thinking. I have passed by this bench so many times, but never sketched it, never stopped to talk to David myself.
The Davis Enterprise has been doing some sterling reporting on the events. You can read more here: www.davisenterprise.com/news/local/breaking-suspect-21-ar...
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
Albert Einstein
Why is compassion not part of the established curriculum, an inherent part of our education? Compassion, awe, wonder, curiosity, humility - these are the foundation of any real civilization, no longer the prerogatives, the preserves of any one church, but belonging to everyone, every child in every home in every school.
~Yehudi Menhuin
From a stained glass panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany, depicting the Old Testament story of Hagar and Ishmael cast out into the wilderness.
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art houses the world's most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) including Tiffany jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass windows, lamps, and the chapel interior he designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Museum's holdings include a major collection of American art pottery and representative collections of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century American paintings, graphics, and decorative arts.
Each year, on the first Thursday of December, the Morse Museum helps launch the holiday season in Winter Park (Florida) when it lights up Tiffany windows in Central Park and presents the Bach Festival Choir, Youth Choir, and Brass Ensemble in concert. This December is the 30th annual celebration of Christmas in the Park.
"Mindful Compassion" [22/52]
Being kind and taking the high road is a choice. When you're faced with adversity, always take the time to be kind even if someone is tearing you down. The last few months have been really trying for me and I've been upset, angry, disappointed, hurt, etc. I always take the time to think before I speak and in one of the most aggravating situations I've been involved in for a while... I chose to be nice. I chose to not stoop to lower levels and to keep my soul glowing with love. Pick your battles wisely and know that life isn't always about if you're right or not... sometimes you just have to suck it up and move on. There is no point in wasting energy, time, and emotions on things that will never change or things that are only negitivity in your life.
Always choose to be kind.
Land of the Rainbow Warriors, who are strong in their love and powerful in their compassion. They impart the value of life, not death, of relationship not violence, of peace, not war.
Swayambhunath or the "Monkey" temple complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. The dome at the base represents the entire world with the eyes representing the eyes of wisdom and compassion.
“The dew of compassion is a tear.”
~Lord Byron
Off to school now.. I'll visit your streams later. Cheers!
Who Is White Tara?
White Tara is an Embodiment of maternal compassion and healing energy in white, representing purity and serenity
She is known as the Goddess of Seven Eyes—with eyes on her face, palms, soles, and forehead—symbolizing her vigilant awareness and ability to see all suffering.
She sits in a meditative posture on a white lotus, symbolizing purity untouched by worldly defilements.
Her right hand is in the gesture of giving (varada mudra), and her left holds a lotus stem, representing enlightened wisdom.
TheSeven Eyes reflect her omnipresent compassion and readiness to respond to suffering in all realms.
White Tara is central to practices like the Chimé Pakmé Nyingtik, which focus on long life and healing.and meditation. The Practitioners visualize her and chant her mantra to cultivate peace, longevity, and spiritual clarity.
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White Tara represents the feminine aspect of enlightenment, complementing the more active energy of Green Tara. While Green Tara swiftly responds to worldly challenges, White Tara offers gentle, enduring support, especially in times of illness or emotional distress.
Buddhism entered Tibet in the 7th century CE from India and China. By the 8th century, tantric texts and practices from Indian Mahasiddhas (realized masters) were transmitted to Tibet, especially through figures like Padmasambhava.
Tibetan Buddhism absorbed these teachings, forming schools like Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug, each with distinct tantric lineages.
This statue was made as a dedication to Jetsunma Tsewang Lhamo who died in 1995.
_DSC6197 nef 2025
This Jewish man’s simple protest sign is a powerful statement, effectively reclaiming the star of David for compassion and solidarity. This "reclamation" is NOT from Judaism itself, but from a specific, modern political nationalism (Zionism) which, in the view of many, has co-opted the star as a symbol of the state and its military actions. Instead the star on the man's placard now properly represents the universal Jewish values of compassion for and solidarity with all peoples facing oppression, and at this particular moment with Palestinians in Gaza.
His protest continues a proud Jewish history of fighting for the oppressed everywhere, and one which goes back long before prominent Jewish Americans were instrumental in co-founding the NAACP, America's foremost civil rights organization, in 1909.
His presence directly challenges any attempt to conflate support for Palestinian rights with antisemitism. The protest in London's Parliament Square on 6 September 2025 was strikingly diverse, with descendants of Holocaust survivors standing alongside other demonstrators. It underscores a key theme: that opposing the actions of the Israeli state and the unfolding genocide in Gaza is a position of conscience and, for Jewish protesters, a moral imperative central to their Jewish identity.
Taken and edited on an iPhone 4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxYsi5Y-xOQ
Compassion withheld, Judgment delivered, Blame received, Hope denied, Addiction to cope, Shame as result, Justified rebellion, Scorn of the child . . . Look in his eyes, Have mercy for one, Forgiveness released, Surrendered demands, Accept the history, Cycle broken, Compassion for self, Grace envelops, Embrace the story, Renewed sense of life, Never alone, Higher provision, It has all been seen, Living allegory, Proof of my need, Focus on One.
My heartfelt compassion for all the victims, dead and living, following the mass murder of 49 innocent people by a deranged gunman in Orlando, USA who apparently claimed allegiance to Islam and Islamic State (IS). And compassion for the people of the USA who seem to have to live under gun laws that allow such people to easily obtain and use weapons of mass murder.
"Mitgefühl ist unser bestmöglicher Schutz, und wie die großen Meister der Vergangenheit immer schon wußten, ist es auch die größte Quelle der Heilung.
Sogyal Rinpoche, Das tibetische Buch vom Leben und vom Sterben"
Sometimes when photographing wildlife you do a lot of waiting around and people will say how amazing our patience is, but while waiting for something gives me the opportunity to study behavior in nature and sometimes these observations move me to tears...this was one such case. These two Least Sandpipers landed near me in the mudflat and it soon became clear that one was not well and in some sort of distress. The healthy one stayed by it's friend's side for a very long time keeping it company until it passed away. Such an act of compassion and loyalty was certainly an eye opener and was very poignant. I do not know what the relationship was between them whether friend, parent, progeny...it was certainly clear that there was great empathy displayed by a tiny Sandpiper....
禅林寺永観堂にて
Boddhisattavas of Compassion(the right one, putting palms together and is giving a dharma talk) and Wisdom(the left one, reaching out his hand to give a warm welcome).
These are the two mainly and eternal values of Buddhism.
I have been waiting to work on this , have done a couple of the ones taken on this shoot , one being , "IN THE SHADOW OF HER MAN " which was much more moody , so I found this one and made it softer and gentle , the colour has created the mood I wanted , so am quite happy......for now.
This is a very popular dance form in South India. It is oldest of all classical dance forms in India. Dance of mind & soul. It is extremely traditional and known for its grace, purity, tenderness, staturesque & sculpturesque poses. It uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness. The dancer is considered as a worshiper, worshiper of the Divine. An embodiment of beauty, charm and gracefulness.
The general interpretation for the name is
BHAva(expression) + RAga (music) + TAla(rhythm) + NATYAM(dance) = Bharatanatyam
Origin of Bharatanatyam
The Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda which would be simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, Fifth veda, Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.
After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularise this veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.Bharatanatyam might have got its name from sage Bharata also.The dancers still follow this work to perform.
There is also another story which says that Godess Parvathi tought this dance form to Usha, daughter of Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place. Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.
In Indian mythology,Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performd by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts his violent nature as the distructor of the universe. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. There are 7 types of Tandava. Namely Ananda Tandava, Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava. There are few people who believa that there are 16 types of Tandava. Tandava has vigourous, brisk movements.The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic also. Some scholars call Lasya as the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya has 2 kinds. Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.
The art form has definitely gone through lot of changes over the years. In olden days it was performed mostly by female artists. They were called Devadasis, who would perform in the temples. These devadasis were accomplished artists who would sing, dance, play many instruments. They were well worsed in sanskrit & other languages which helped them to interpret compositions which they would perform. But this tradition came to an end as the devadasis lost their position in the society.
Then dance entered the royal courts. Here the artists called Rajanartakis, performed in the courts of kings who gave them shelter.Even these were accomplished artists like devadasis.
The next well-documented period of dance history is far more recent. In the first half of the 19th century the dance tradition was revitalized and defined anew through the contributions of four talented brothers (known today as the Tanjore Quartet)Chinniah, Sivanandam, Ponniah and Vadivelu. By coordinating their diverse talents, the four managed to organize all the basic dance movements of pure dance into a progressive series of lessons [adavu chapters]. Each adavu (basic unit of motion) was taught in systematic order and then combined with others to produce choreographed sequences based upon the rhythmic contour of a musical composition (Krishnamoorthy Pillai). In addition the brothers composed new music specifically for the dance, and introduced a different sequence of items which integrated the various aspects of dance and music into a carefully coordinated, aesthetically sound progression. This infusion of creative energy marks the early 19th century as one of the most innovative periods in the history of Indian dance.
The contribution of Udayshankar, Rukminidevi Arundale and Balasaraswathi, in the 20th century, cannot be forgotten at this juncture.
Even though Bharatanatyam has gone through lot of changes, it still has its roots deep into the religious and rich mythological heritage of India. In the modern day scenario it is performed by both male & female artists. Many learn as a hobby and few make it as a profession. Whether taken as a hobby or a profession it certainly needs lot of practice,concentration and dedication.
About Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is evenly divided between three elements Nritta, Nritya and Natya .
Nritta : Rhythmic Element.Interprits the language of rhythm with the help of body movements.
Nritya : Combination of Rhythm with Expression.Conveys poetic meaning with the help of expressions, rhythmic gaites and postures. eg. Varna, Shabda, Pada etc.
Natya : Dramatic Element.Performing for a theme like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc.
Nritta
Nritta can be broadly divided into Chari, Karana, Angahara and Mandala. Movement of a leg is called Chari. Movement of both the legs is Karana. 3 Karanas make a Khanda. 3 to 4 Khandas make a Mandala. 4 to 9 Karanas make a Angahara. 4 to 5 Angaharas also make a Mandala. 108 Karanas and 32 Angaharas are defined in Natyashatra. The 13 Nritta Hastas (explained later) are used to perform nritta. The rythmic body movements along with hand gestures are called Aduvus. Number of aduvus constitute a Jati. Jati will generally end with a Muktaya or Teermana.
There are varieties of Aduvus like
Tattaduvu
Mettaduvu
Nataduvu
Kattaduvu
Kudittamettaduvu
Maiaduvu
Mandiaduvu
Jati
Nadai
Ardi
There are 12 aduvus in each of the above explained. Hence 120 aduvus exist in total. Only about 70 - 80 are in practice. The aduvus are more or less Karanas. Hence can be concluded that there are 108 aduvus. The 108 Karanas or Aduvus are carved in the Chidambaram Temple in Tanjore, Tamilnadu, India. To perform an aduvu aramandi, bending of the knees is very very important.
The entire body is divided as Anga, Pratyanga and Upaanga.
Anga
Anganyatra shirohastau vaksha paarshwakateetatau
Paadaviti shaduktaani greevamapyapare jaguhu
Head, Hands, Chest, Waist, Bottom, Legs are the Six Angas. Some people include Neck also.
Pratyanga
Pratyangaani twathaskandhau baahoo prushtam tathodaram
ooroo janghe shadityahurapare manibandhakau
jaanooneekoorparamiti trayamapyadhikam jaguhu
Shoulders, Arms, Stomuch, thighs, Knee are the Six Pratyangas. Some people include Wrist, elbow and Ankle also.
Upaanga
Drushtibhrooputatarashcha kapolau naasikaahanuhu
Adharodashanaa jihwaa chubukam vadanam tatha
Upaangani dwadashitaanyanyaanyangaani santi cha
Paarshnee gulbautathangulyaa karayoho padayostale
Sight, Eyebrow, Eye lids, Eye balls, Cheeks, Nose, Gums, Lower Lip, Teeth, Tongue, Chin and Face are the 12 Upaangas. Few people include Heels, Fingers, Feet, Palm also into upaangas.
Pratynaga and Upaangas should move along with the Angas.
Anga Lakshana, the way of moving body parts, are described below.
Shirobhedha - Head Movement
Greevabhedha - Neck Movement
Drushtibhedha - Eye Movement
Paadabhedha
Mandala - Standing Posture
Utplavana - Leaps
Bhramari - Circling Movement
Chari - Leg Movement
Gatibhedha - Charecteristic walks and
Hastas or Mudras - Hand Movements
Asamyuta Hasta
Samyuta Hasta
Deva Hasta
Dashavatara Hasta
Navagraha Hasta
Jaati Hasta
Bandhu Hasta
Nritta Hasta
When all Angas(main body parts) coordinate (along with pratyanga and upaanga) the artist is said to have Angashudhi. Anga meaning body parts and shudhi, meaning perfect. Any dancer should try to achive this perfection. The Natyashastra, which talks about all aspects of Bharatanatyam, quotes shlokas to perform all the above movements. All the above said movements are dealt in detail in the respective links.
Aspects of Abhinaya
The expressions which are shown to express poetic meanings is Abinaya. Here the emphasis is more on facial expressions than rhythmic movements. The Abinaya is divided as
Angikabhinaya
Vachikabhinaya
Aharyabhinaya
Satvikabhinaya
Angikabhinaya : Expressing the meanings of lyrics using the body parts like Head, Hands, Legs etc. is Angikabhinaya. The Bhedas which i have explained above come under Angikabhinaya.
Vachikabhinaya : Expressing the Story using narrations in the dance drama is Vachikabhinaya.
Aharyabhinaya : Imitating the Costumes, Jewellary, Make-up etc. in a dance comes under Aharyabhinaya.
Satvikabhinaya :Showing the Bhava(moods) come under Satvikabhinaya.
Lord Shiva is praised as the embodiment of the above 4 types of abinaya in this following shloka.
Angikam bhuvanam yasya
Vachicam sarva vangmayam
Aharyam chandra taradi
tam vande satvikam shivam.
Meaning for the above shloka is
We bow to Him the benevolent One
Whose limbs are the world,
Whose song and poetry are the essence of all language,
Whose costume is the moon and the stars..."
In Lord Shiva's well-known pose of NATARAJA,
his right hand holds the drum of creation - symbolising a new awakening
his left hand holds fire - representing destruction of the old order
his other right hand is raised in blessing
the other left hand points to his left foot, which has crushed demon Muyalaka - representing ignorance.
There are nine main or primary emotions, Sthayibhavas. It is also termed as Rasa(Mood).
Shringara - Love
Hasya - Mirth
Veera - Heroism
Roudra - Anger
Bhayanaka - Terror
Bheebatsa - Disgust
Adbhuta - Wonder
Karuna - Compassion
Shanta - Tranquility
Vatsalya(Parental fondling) rasa is also sometimes included as one of the stayibhava.
Vibhava (cause of emotion), Anubhava (effect of emotion) and Sanchari bhava (subordinate emotions) constitute the state of rasa.
Now i would like to talk about Nayika(the Heroine) and Nayaka (the Hero) bhavas.
The Nayika Bhava
The shastras have classified the basic mental status of woman, the Nayika, into Eight divisions, called Ashtanayika bhavas. These divisions portray the heroine in different situations, express different feelings, sentiments & reactions.
The Ashtanayika bhava are
Abhisarika
Kalahantarika
Khandita
Proshitapathika
Swadheenapathika
Vasakasajjika
Virahotkantita
Vipralabda
Abhisarika - She is the one who boldly goes out to meet her lover.
Kalahantarika - She is the one who is repenting her hastiness in quarrelling with her lover, which has resulted in their seperation.
Khandita - She is the one who is angry with her lover for causing dissapointment.
Proshitapathika - She is the one who is suffering in the absence of her beloved, who is away on a long journey.
Swadheenapathika - She is the one who is proud of her husband's or beloved's love and loyalty.
Vasakasajjika - She is the one who is preparing for the arrival of her beloved, by decorating herself and her surroundings. to provide a pleasent welcome to her lover.
Virahotkantita - She is the one who is seperated from her lover & is yearning for reunion.
Vipralabda - She is the one who is dissapointed that her lover has not turned up at the tryst as he promised.
Other classifications of the Nayika bhava are
Mugdha - Inexperienced in love.
Madhya - Partly Experienced in love.
Pragalbha - Matured in the art of love.
This Pragalbha Nayika is further classified as
Dheera
Adheera
Dheeraadheera
Sweeya - Married & faithful to her husband.
Parakeeya - Married but in love with another man.
Samanya - A free woman, who truly belongs to any man for a price.
Jyeshta - The preferred one.
Kanishta - The other woman.
Further classifications are
Uttama - Self-controlled & tolerant.
Madhyama - Literally the middle one, who gives as she gets.
Adhama - Literally the low one, who has no self restraint.
The Companion to the Nayika plays an important role in any padam, javali or Ashtapadi. This Companion is the one to whom the Nayika will convey her feelings, she is the one who will take the message,if any, from the nayika to the nayaka, she is the one who will sort out the differences between the nayika & the nayaka. This companion is usuallly a girl who is close to the Nayika.
The classification of the Companion is as follows.
Daasi - Servant
Sakhi - Friend
Kaaroo - Woman from a lower caste
Chatriya - Step Sister
Prativamshini - Neighbour
Lindini - Saint
Shilpani - Artist
Swaa - Nayika herself as a messenger
The Nayaka Bhava
Just like the heroines, the moods and emotions of the hero are also classified into different divisions. The main division is
Dheerodaatta eg. Lord Rama
Dheeroddhata eg. Demon Ravana
Dheeralalita eg. Vatsaraaja
Dheerashanta eg. Buddha
The other classification is
Pati - Married & faithful to his wife.
Upapati - Married but in love with another woman.
Vaisika - One who pays & enjoys women.
Further Nayaka classifications
Anukoola - Faithful to the Woman. eg. Lord Rama
Dakshina - Loves all his wives or women. eg. Arjuna
Drishta - When rejected, pleads to be accepted by his woman. eg. Vaali
Shatha - The deceitful one. eg. Lord Krishna
Most of the ashtanayika bhavas are experienced by the Nayaka also though the depiction of ashtanayika is more than the nayaka.
Nayaka's Companion plays an important role too. This companian is categorised as
Peetamardhana
Vita
Cheta
Vidooshaka
Arangetram
Arangetram is a tamil word.Aranga meaning raised floor and Etram meaning climbing in Tamil,one of the south indian languages. It is also called Rangapravesha in Kannada, another south indian language, Ranga meaning Stage and Pravesha meaning Enter. Ideally this should be the first public performance of an artist. After learning bharatanatyam under the guidance of an accomplished guru, this is the occation for the proud guru to present his/her deciple to the public. This is the testing time for both the guru & the shishya(deciple) as the guru's knowledge & the deciple's talent both are judged by the public. Hence, the guru will decide when the deciple is ready for public appearence. Atleast 10 - 12 years of training is necessary to give a comendable performance.
This arangetram was known as Gejjepooje in old mysore district, meaning worshiping the jingles in kannada, a south indian language.For a dancer, jingles are considered devine. In olden days, deciples were not allowed to wear jingles till their first public performance. In their first performance, they were made to worship the jingles, wear them & then perform.
Accompaniments play a major role in the making of a memorable dance performance.Basic accompaniments are a Singer, Mridangam player, Violin player and ofcource the Natuvanga. Veena,Flute and other instruments are optional. These people sit in the corner of a stage or in a place in front of the stage which will be in a lower level than that of the stage.
The artist will wear lot of jewellery, make-up and a specially stitched dress. Jingles are a must.
Usually duration of an arangetram will be 2 1/2 - 3 hours. To perform for such long hours one must have good stamina and concentration. This time is divided into two halves.
In the first half the artists generally perform
Pushpanjali or Alaripu
Jatiswara
Shabda
Varna
In the second half
Padam
Ashtapadi or Devaranama
Tillana
Mangala
Pushpanjali
This is an item where the artist salutes to god, guru and the audience. This item is a warmup item where the artist prepares the body for the next few hours of vigorous performance.
Alaripu
This is a tamil word.Alar meaning to bloom. It comprises of set of movements without any meaning or expression. The movements are performed for syllables set for a beat(Tala). The complexity of the movements gradually increase. The steps are so formed that it looks like a bud blooming into a flower. This is also a warmup piece to prepare the body for the next few hours of performance. Eventhough there is no meaning, this can also be considered as an item where the artist salutes god,guru and the audience.
Jatiswaram
This is also an item where the movements will not convey any meaning or theme. Here the steps are more complex than the previous items. The composition can have amazing postures and teermanas or muktayas(ending of a jati). This is a musical composition set to a raga unlike alaripu which has only syllables.
Shabda
This is a dance item with both nritta & abinaya. Usually the theme of the lyrics will be devotional like praising lord krishna, depicting lord krishna's childhood , praising a king etc.The movements here are leisurely.
Varna
This is the item where the dancers are tested for their capacity to perform abinaya & nritta. This can be treated as a benchmark to judge the artist's talent.The item will contain many complex steps and will have lot of room for expressions also. To perform this item one should have lot of stamina & concentration. The lyrics can be devotional, praising a king etc. Varna can also have shrigara rasa as its theme.
Padam
In this dance item the dancer's abhinaya is put into test. It narrates expression of divine love or pangs of seperation in love. The tempo is slow and the performance is based on a specific mood of love.Padams will have Nayaka(Hero, Supreme lover, Divine Lord)& Nayika(Heroine, the yearning soul). Heroine will talk to her friend(sakhi) and narrate her feelings towards her hero. The lyrics can be about how the hero has betrayed, how he has delayed the arrival, how she is angry with her beloved hero etc. The Nayika and Nayaka Bhavas are explained in detail Here.
Ashtapadi
These are poet Jayadeva's Sanskrit compositions called Geetagovinda, an extremely romantic composition. It describes the love of Krishna and Radha in twelve cantos containing 24 songs. The songs are sung by Krishna or Radha or by Radha's maid. Each Canto is named differently considering Krishna's status of mind.
Saamodadamodara - Joyful Krishna
Aakleshakeshava - Careless Krishna
Mugdhamadhusoodhana - Bewildered Krishna
Snigdhamadhusoodhana - Tender Krishna
Saakankshapundareekaksha - Longing Krishna
Kuntavaikunta - Indolent Krishna
Naagaranaaraayana - Cunning Krishna
Vilakshalakshmeepatihi - Abashed Krishna
Mandamukunda - Languishing Krishna
Chaturachaturbhuja - Intellegent Krishna
Saanandadamodara - Blissful Krishna
Supreetapeetambara - Ecstatic Krishna
Expressions are given foremost importance while performing these poems. Needs lot of grace. The artist should be mature enough to understand the lyrics and the situation to show the rasas.
Devaranama
This item is a devotional piece where the lyrics are in praise of god, describing the god etc. This is a pure abhinaya item with almost no emphasis on nritta. Usually the lyrics are in Kannada. These songs are the compositions of great mystics like Purandharadaasa, Kanakadaasa, Vijayadaasa, Vyasaraaja to name a few. The compositions are popularly known as Daasa Sahitya. It is a devotional literatures written in simple language understood by common man. It has made remarkable contribution to the spiritual and cultural upliftment of people by preaching phylosophy of Love, Devotion and Peaceful Co-Existance.
If you are looking for some compositions, here they are.
Tillana
This is usually the last item in any bharatanatyam performance. Tillana is full of complicated movements & postures. This will also have complicated Muktayas or Sholkattu, ending of any step or aduvu. This is mainly a nritta piece which might have a charana, a meaningfull lyrics for which abinaya is shown.
Mangala
Meaning ending the performance. Here the artist will again salute god, guru & the audience for making the performance a success.
Original source can be found here.