VoW and the Aṣṭanāyikā: Spotlight on the Vāsakasajjikā

By: Shalini Rao

Since 2022, Valley of Words has been showcasing some of the finest young dancers of India through Iti Nritya. Each year, numerous entries arrive from across the country, and we carefully select the most promising performers in the 18–25 age group. The competition celebrates the diverse richness of India’s classical dance traditions—Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam, Kathakali, Odissi, Sattriya, and Chhau. 

In its inaugural year, four remarkable dancers—Nirmuktha Arun (Mohiniattam), Isha Nanal (Kathak), Vikiraj Kadale (Bharatanatyam), and Prashita Surana (Kuchipudi)—captivated audiences in Dehradun. In 2023, Srijaini Ghose (Mohiniattam), Shubhatraye Satwe (Kathak), and Venu Ayachit (Kuchipudi) carried the tradition forward. The 2024 finalists were Sandip Kundu (Kuchipudi), Kirti Kurande (Kathak), and Ratri Manik (Manipuri). With each edition, Iti Nritya has become a prestigious stage for young dancers and a cultural gift for Dehradun audiences. 

This spirit of classical exploration leads us to the nāyikā-s, the archetypal heroines of Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra. Their many moods capture the nuances of human emotion, especially in love. Among the eight, the Vāsakasajjikā shines with her luminous optimism—she is the beloved who joyfully prepares for her lover’s arrival, certain of his coming. 

Who is the Vāsakasajjikā? 

In the Nāṭyaśāstra, she is described as: 

"Ucite vāsake yātu rati sambhogalālasā Maṇḍanam kurute hṛeṣṭa sā vai vāsakasajjikā" (22.22) 

She is the heroine eager for union, adorning herself with joy, confident that her beloved will arrive. Unlike other nāyikā-s who may feel sorrow, anger, or doubt, the Vāsakasajjikā radiates serene anticipation. Her joy lies not just in the union itself but in the certainty of its arrival. 

Her preparations are both physical and emotional—she adorns herself with perfumes, jewellery, and fine garments; decorates her chamber with garlands and incense; arranges the bed with flowers and silken sheets; and often gazes at the path where her lover will appear. Occasionally she smiles at her reflection, lost in happy expectation. 

The Emotional Imagery 

The Vāsakasajjikā’s charm lies in her unclouded joy. She embodies śṛṅgāra rasa in its most gentle, sāttvika form—love untouched by anxiety. Her state mirrors a universal human moment: the heart’s happiness when preparing for something deeply cherished. 

Her readiness also signifies empowerment. She is not passive in love; she creates the mood of the union through her actions. By preparing her body and surroundings, she becomes an active participant in shaping love’s aesthetic experience. 

In devotional literature, this certainty of love is often extended beyond the romantic. The Vāsakasajjikā’s faith in her beloved mirrors the devotee’s faith in the divine, or the soul’s readiness for spiritual union. Thus, her image resonates across both secular and sacred traditions. 

Artistic Representations 

Across India’s artistic traditions, the Vāsakasajjikā appears in many forms. 

·        In dance, she is evoked through abhinaya sequences—stringing flowers, applying alta, or glancing shyly in a mirror. 

·        In miniature painting, she sits in a beautifully adorned chamber, the flicker of a lamp symbolizing love’s light. 

·        In sculpture, temple walls often portray her poised in graceful adornment, embodying readiness and radiance. 

This timeless figure has also inspired popular culture. In cinema, her mood echoes in songs of joyful preparation—Asha Bhosle’s “Sajana hai Mujhe Sajna Ke Liye” (Saudagar, 1973) or Kajol’s playful anticipation in “Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye” (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, 1995). Such portrayals show how the essence of the Vāsakasajjikā continues to resonate across classical and modern contexts. 

Why She Matters 

Among the Aṣṭanāyikā, the Vāsakasajjikā is unique. She is untouched by restlessness, fear, or grief. Instead, she lives in the beauty of certainty. Her presence reminds us of the joy that lies in hopeful anticipation—the moment when one’s heart prepares for love, when surroundings are decorated not just in flowers and perfume, but in faith itself. 

Her archetype offers a valuable lesson for today’s world, where uncertainty often

overshadows trust. She teaches us the beauty of waiting with confidence, of celebrating what is yet to come as though it were already present. The Vāsakasajjikā shows that anticipation, when infused with joy, is itself an act of love. 

From the sacred verses of the Nāṭyaśāstra to the living arts of dance, painting, sculpture, and cinema, the Vāsakasajjikā’s image has endured for centuries. She is not just a heroine of myth, but a universal mood of the human heart—hopeful, radiant, and assured. 

In celebrating her, we celebrate the timeless power of love’s anticipation, where preparation itself becomes poetry, and certainty blossoms into joy.