నాయికా నాయకులు

In our poetic tradition, the following types of heroine were identified

Three types (trividha naayika)

1) swakeeya (స్వకీయ): one's own

2) parakeeya (పరకీయ): someone else's

3) saadhaaraNa (సాధారణ): ordinary

and then there are further eight types (ashTavidha naayika)

1) swaadheenapatika (స్వాధీనపతిక): one whose husband is subservient to her

2) vaasakasajjika (వాసకసజ్జిక): one who is awaiting her lover, and so has decorated the bedroom and also also herself

3) virahothkanThita (విరహోత్కంఠిత): one who is eagerly waiting for her lover (with viraham)

4) vipralabdha (విప్రలబ్ధ): one who cannot find her lover at the agreed spot and feels cheated and very sad

5) khandita (ఖండిత): one who is angry finding out that her lover has visited another lady before he came to her

6) kalahaantarita (కలహాంతరిత): one who has left her lover in a fit of anger, but is pining for him now

7) proshitabhartruka (ప్రోషితభర్తృక): one whose lover is away in distant countries

8) abhisaarika (అభిసారిక): one who is going to an assigned meeting spot for her lover. Abhisaarika reminds me of vasantasena walking in heavy rain towards a garden to meet chaarudatta in mrichchakaTika

Then there are 4 types of Saadharana (ordinary) Nayakaas

1) dheerodaatta (ధీరోదాత్తుడు): Rama

2) dheerodhdhata (ధీరోధ్ధతుడు): example is Bheema from Mahabharatha

3) dheeralalita (ధీరలలితుఁడు): udayana from swapnavaasavadattam

4) dheerasaanta (ధీరశాంతుఁడు): chaarudatta from mrichchakaTikam

There are 4 types of Sringaara Naayakaas

1) anukoola (అనుకూలుడు): you can say his wife is 'swaadheenapatika'

2) dakshina (దక్షిణ): like Lord Krishna, who takes care of many naayikaas very well

3) dRishTa (దృష్ట): a hardy person

4) SaTha (శఠ): a mediocre person