Karanas are the 108 key transitions[1] in theclassical Indian dance described in 4th Chapter named "Tandava Lakshana" ofNatya Shastra.Karana is aSanskrit verbal noun, meaning "doing".
Natya Shastra states that Karanas are the framework for the "margi" (pan-Indian classical) productions which are supposed to spiritually enlighten the spectators, as opposed to the "desi" (regional folk or pop dance) productions which can only entertain the spectators. "One who performs well this Karana dance created by Maheswara will go free from all sins to the abode of this deity," statesNatya Shastra[2]
Some of the well-known interpretations of karanas are byPadma Subramanyam that were based on 108 brief movement phrases describing specific leg, hip, body, and arm movements accompanied byhasta mudras described in theNatya shastra and other scriptures, and from depictions of the movements in sculpture in five South Indian temples, notably theChidambaram temple which contains depictions of the full set. Padma Subrahmanyam has written a book called Karanas-Common dance codes of India and Indonesia, based on her research of karanas from the temples of Prambanan(Indonesia), Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Chidambaram, Thiruvannamalai, and Vriddhachalam. In the 20th century, she was the first dancer to reconstruct the Karanas as movements, which were considered mere poses earlier.
Some otherBharatanatyam gurus, such asAdyar Lakshman (Kalakshetra school), as well as the Kuchipudi gurusVempati Chinna Satyam and C.R.Acharya have also attempted to reconstruct all the 108 karanas, which were often significantly different from Padma Subrahmanyam's interpretations so much so that even on the chari (leg movement) level there was no agreement as to whose interpretation is correct.[according to whom?] Due to the significant variations in the depictions, most traditional Bharatanatyam schools considered Padma Subrahmanyam's style, which incorporated Karanas as incorrect, which forced her to name her own style asBharatanrityam rather thanBharatanatyam. Many of Padma Subrahmanyam's disciples, such asBala Devi Chandrashekar (SPNAPA Academy of performing arts) -Sujatha Mohan (Padmashree Nrithyalaya), Uma Sriram, Jayashree Rajagopalan, Dominique Delorme (France) and others are teaching the 108 karanas based on Subramanyam's research.[citation needed]
There used to be[when?]devadasis who performed all the 108 karanas. Still, now in most contemporary Bharatanatyam orOdissi schools, only a small number of karanas and their derivatives have been transmitted byparampara up to date.
Apart from that, performing of the same Karana differs greatly across different classical Indian styles. Currently, as regards the exact technique, there are no established standards and no universally agreed-upon interpretations of the texts and sculptures.[citation needed]