SSC GD 2025 PYQ — Question 30

SSC GD Const 2025 (English) - 19 Feb 2025 - Shift 3 • General Awareness • Q30

'Abhinaya Darpana' by Nandikesvara is one of the main sources of textual material for the study of the technique and grammar of body movement in the _____________ dance.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Bharatanatyam.

  • The 'Abhinaya Darpana' by Nandikesvara is one of the main sources of textual material for the study of the technique and grammar of body movement in the Bharatanatyam dance.
  • The Abhinaya Darpana (Mirror of Gestures) is a key Sanskrit treatise on dance that focuses predominantly on the Angikabhinaya (body movements) or the gesture language of dance.

  • It is considered an indispensable guide for students and performers of Bharatanatyam, outlining the detailed movements and gestures of the various body parts.

  • Along with the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni, it provides the core technical and grammatical foundation for this classical dance form, which originated in Tamil Nadu.

  • The text is famous for the verse: "Yato hasta tato drishti, yato drishti tato manah, yato manah tato bhava, yato bhava tato rasa," which translates to: "Where the hands go, the eyes follow; where the eyes go, the mind follows; where the mind goes, the expression (bhava) follows; where the expression is, the sentiment (rasa) is generated."

  • This dictum is fundamental to the expressive aspect of Bharatanatyam.