The Origin and the Purpose of Natya as stated in Bharata’s Natyashastra:

तौर्यत्रिकं नृत्तगीतवाद्यं नाट्यमिदं त्रयम् । -अमरकोश

The word Natya (नाट्य) is used in the general sense of Drama today. However, this same term has a different context and scope in ancient Indian literature and Rhetorics. Natyashastra considers Natya as a comprehensive audio-visual art form that includes Drama as well as, dance (नृत्य), vocal music(गीत) and instrumental music (वाद्य). However, the dance and music were treated as secondary to drama and were used to adorn the main form of drama. Hence, the topic of the origin of drama as discussed in Natyashaastra is not only about the origin of drama but also about the origin of this comprehensive art form call Natya that includes dance also as the eminent part.

Historians trace back the origin of drama to the Dialogues or the Samvaad Suktas in Rigveda. Natyashastra gives a detailed account of the origin of Natya in the form of a legend or a tale.   

In the Tretayuga, when miseries and evil deeds had rolled over the lives of the ordinary people, Indra and the other Gods requested the Brahma to create such an instrument with the purpose of entertainment as well as  enlightenment, the instrument that will have the essence of the Vedas, still it should easily available and understood by the common people. क्रीडनीयकमिच्छामो दृश्यं श्रव्यं च यद्भवेत् ।

Brahma  then created the Natya Veda by amalgamating the Words from the Rig Veda, Song from the Sama Veda, the gestures or the mudras from the Yajur Veda and the Rasas or the emotions from the Atharva Veda. This science was then imparted by Brahma to Bharata and to his hundred sons. After learning this Shastra, the first play as per these instructions, depicting the story of the Amruthamantana was staged at the festival of Indradhvaj and the presentation pleased the gods. But a mishap occurred. The defeat of the Danavas enacted by the actors annoyed the actual danavas so much so that all the actors on the stage were dumbfounded by the asuras by casting a magical spell.   

Kuchipudi performance opening-
Artists holding Flagshaft and curved stick

 The Indra, then bestowed the actors with a Jarjara, his flag-shaft-like weapon to ward off all such mishaps from happening. Even today, in some styles, Jarjara or the Indradhvaja is worshipped as the essential opening ritual.  Indra also directed Vishwakarma the divine artisan to construct a Natyashala or an auditorium for this purpose and Brahma advised that this form is for gods as well as for danavas. Brahma gave the actors Kutilaka, the curved stick. This curved stick is observed in the traditional Sanskrit drama in the hands of Vidushaka and is also observed today in the Kuchipudi dance-drama form.

Lord Shiva, the cosmic dancer, taught Tandu his assistant the art of vigorous dancing which was later identified as Tandava.

This drama presentation included the three vrittis or the styles of presentations namely; the Bharathi vritti that is the use of words or dialogue, the Satvati or the presentation on sattva or intense emotions and the Arabhati, use of the energetic movements. The lack of the feminine grace was observed, and the Brahma asked to include the fourth style or vritti called as Kaishiki adding that This style cannot be practiced properly by men except with the help of women. Brahma then created the twenty-three apsaras for this purpose. These apsaras were then taught 'Lasya', the art of dancing gracefully by Parvathi who taught Ushas, the daughter of Banasura to propagate it on Earth. Further, the rules of Natya were compiled by Bharata in the form of verses in a text called the Natya Shastra.

Inferring from the story:

The above story can be analyzed and interpreted to infer following hints regarding the earliest form of Natya.

1. Natya originated and developed in the religious premises such as drama presentation at the Yagya ceremony.

2. Initially, Natya may be an unorganized and spontaneous folk form in the beginning, however, royal patronage further shaped this form and it was then studied by the scholarship and presented in a sophisticated rule-bound format.

3. Natya is mentioned as सार्ववर्णिक वेद. Natya may have been performed by the menial or lower caste who had no inhibitions of social taboos, but looking at its entertainment and the content value was adapted by other Varna’s as well.

4. Bharata can be that school of sages which gave a sophisticated elite form to the presentation of drama as well as formalized the education of artists.