Adhira Nayika is a heroine desperately in love as portrayed in art like dance and drama. Nartaki (female dancer) in Hindu classical dance performs a variety of roles, displaying many emotions while dancing solo or in a dance-drama. Nayikas (heroines) are classified according to their birth, their association with the nayaka (hero) playing the role of husband or lover or her behavior in relation to the erring husband or lover.
She is categorized as uttama (superior),madhyama (average) or adhama (below average). Rasamanjari, an ancient text on dance and theatre authored by Bhanudatta, describes, in detail, 383 types of heroines.
Adhiranayika is an impatient heroine who displays certain moods and actions in response to the behavior of her husband or lover. Adhira Nayika is found in two stages of life – Madhya (the youthful one) and pragalbha (the mature one). In both these stages she is contemptuous and uncontrolled while rebuking her erring husband. In the madhyama stage she rebukes him harsh words and in the pragalbha stage she strikes him physically along with harsh words. She also displays hysterical anger and exhibits a combination of weeping fits, fear, passion and love.
Sometimes, she is a ganika (courtesan) by birth. She is highly passionate but sometimes displays affected indifference towards even desired objects, due to her vanity. She is vivacious with a keen sense of humor but gets easily agitated when things do not turn out the way she wants.