Various dance forms took shape to meet the interests of different strata of society. They ranged from purely ritualist dance of the temples to those that are performed for the entertainment of the common folk. The dance forms of the latter type mainly aimed at educating common people through entertainment. One of the forms that fall under this category was known as Prabandha style. It consists of parijatas and kalapas. They became in course of time, an effective medium through which people were educated about their past glories of culture, tradition and mythology. Only those artistes who used to travel from one place to the other for their performances practiced these forms.

The Godavari districts are exception to this. Here, only women performed the form popularly known as Navajanardana Parijatam. The parijatas, kalapas and bhagavatas performed by men were dominated by the tandava in contrast to the lasya element that is found in Navajanardana Parijatam. Therefore, Navajanardana Parijatam became the third component of Andhra Natyam.

Navajanardana Parijatam occupies a unique place among all Parijatas. It is written in a simple and lucid style and can be easily followed.

Navajanardana Parijatam is called so, since it was presented consecutively for nine nights by one dancer. Some opine that since it was practiced in all the nine Janardana temples it was called so and by some others as it was presented at a time by nine dancers donning the Bhama Vesha. Dancers belonging to Pendela family have specialised in this form and were equally appreciated by scholars and laity. In the times of Rao Gangadhara Rama Rao of Pithapuram, Pendela Satyabhama was the temple dancer of Kunti Madhava Temple (from whom my Guru Dr.Nataraja Ramakrishna has learnt this tradition).

Prabandhas and Parijatas became popular as Krishna Kathalu (stories of Krishna) and Atabhagavatas. The content was similar in all these works. The story line was simple and mostly revolved around the Pranayakalaha of Krishna and Satyabhama. Each poet, besides adding various naunces to the story, also evolved their style of writing giving ample scope for dance including nritya and abhinaya.

The first poet who wrote this Parijatam and changed it as Bhama Kalapam is Siddhendra. It is not available now. However, the Kuchipudi dance practitioners are performing the version written by Mangu Jagannadha Kavi as Siddhendra’s. In the eastern part of Andhra those families who belong to Vankayala and other Brahmam surnames perform their own version of Parijatam. Both the Melas belonging to Kuchipudi and the Eastern region had only men as performers in the earlier period.

The Navajanardana Parijatam practiced in the Godavari districts is a compilation of various versions. The authors dedicated them to their favourite deity. They belong to Nellimarla, Kaluvayi, Rangapuri, Korukonda, Dwarakapuri, Duvva and other places.

The daruvu vinyasa and the nayika abhinaya implicit in Navajanardana Parijatam can be portrayed convincingly only when the performer is perfect in the four abhinayas, namely Angika, Vachika, Aharya and Satvika.

There is usually not much of a story in the Kalapams or Parijatams. In Navajanardana Parijatam, the story is likewise a very brief episode. It goes thus:

Satyabhama enters the scene with the pathra pravesa daruvu enacting a monologue on her courtship with Lord Krishna. She is suffering from the pangs of separation from her Lord. She refers to the time when she fought along with Lord Krishna to vanquish the demon Narakasura, and the Lord’s affection for her.

She describes the cause of the lovers–tiff between her and her husband thus: One day, when she is resting in her bedchamber, Krishna comes in. Satyabhama receives him. Krishna decorates her according to his choice. He makes her stand by his side in front of a mirror and asks Satyabhama in a jokular mood, "Who is more beautiful, You or Me?" Satyabhama is both proud and pragalbha. Hence she readily asserts that She is more beautiful than her Lord Krishna. Then ensures the quarrel and Krishna walks in a huff from Satyabhama’s palace and does not show up again, which is unusual.

Now follows the exposition of a virahothkhandita-nayika when Satyabhama longs for her Lord’s company and asks her consort Madhavi to bring him back.

The mood is bhrama-alankara with her vision of Lord Krishna staying with other gopinis and expresses the feelings of an abhisarika-nayika. Satyabhama’s hurt and displeasure at his leaving her is expressed in the ninda-stuthi in the character of a khandita-nayika.

She finally requests her friend to bring him back somehow, as he has become an indispensable part of her life.

This episode is small but is elaborated with description like the rituvarnanam (description of seasons) ashtavidha nayikas (8 types of heroines), chandra (moon), the mild wind and the manmadha (cupid) and his ways etc. The 9 moods and the 33 sanchari bhavas are elaborated in this kalapam.

This episode is an allegoric story. Satyabhama is compared to the jeevathma, the individual sole. The humans are steeped in vanity. Even the arduous devotee is prone to forget the Almighty God and relapse into vanity and egoism. Lord Krishna is the Almighty God, the paramathma or the total sole. The jeevathma yearns to meet the paramathma and succeeds only with the help of total surrender to the Almighty.

This episode is performed as a prabandham, the Navajanardana Parijatam.