Assignment Paper no – 7
Topic – Rasa Theory
Submitted to- S.B.Gardy Department of English
M.K.Bhavnagar
University
Bhavnagar
Prepared by- Italiya Shital D
Rasa Theory
Introduction:
Bharatiya Natyashastra and encyclopedia, is the
earliest work on dramaturgy available at present.Bharatmuni and Ancient Indian
musicologist has authored the theoretical treatise, the Natyashastra during two
hundred B.C. to two hundred A.D.It is even known as 5th ‘Veda’
because of it’s immense varieties. There are 36 thousands ‘sutras’ (couplet)
and 6 thousands ‘shlokas’ through which Bharatmuni talks about performing arts,
theatre, dance and music. That is why modern Indian critic often use to say
that
‘’Natyashastra is the
foundation of fine arts in India’’.
The major questions being discussed
by Bharatmuni in his treatise ‘The – Natyashastra’ is that how was drama born?
How should one built a theatre dances like Tandava, the difference varieties of
acting, the customs of character, language, prosody and music employed in
drama, the nature of rasa and bhava etc. He has given an analytical theory as
far as rasa is concerned.
What is
Rasa?
According to Bharatmuni
‘’ Vibhava anubhava vyabhacari
samyoght rasa nishpattihi’’
Vibhava means determines,
anubhava means consequences and vyabhacari means transitory state or feeling.
The Sanskrit meaning of rasa is
that juice or essence. However Bharatmuni has used the word in different
context. The word rasa here dose not like any type of liquid or syrup.
According to
Makarand Paranjap
‘’ Rasa in Bharatmuni, is nothing
But the exposition of the structure
Of human experience’’.
The Vedic meaning of rasa is essence and it refers to
the experience of the supreme reality, which is one of the self existence delights.
Rasa is the emotion resulting from a contemplation of a various feelings.
According to
V.S. Seturaman
‘’ A blending of various
bhava arise
Certain emotion,
accomplished by
Thrill and a sense of joy
is ‘Rasa’ ‘’.
Bharatmuni himself identified the
four kinds of bhava responsible for the various rasas, they are known as ‘ a
state of mind or state of being’ they are
1) Sthayibhava
2) Anubhava
3) Sattvikabhava
4) Vyabhicaribhava
· 1) Sthayibhava
It is known as a dominant state of mind. There are eight more
Sthayibhava like love, mirth, sorrow, anger, energy, terror, disgust and astonishment.
· 2) Anubhava
Body language expression and non
verbal elements are known as Anubhava.
· 3) Sattvikabhava
It is also known as ‘’Vibhava’’
which includes both ‘Alabaman and udipana’. Vibhava is the adjective condition
and producing emotions. There are eight kinds of Sattvikabhava like paralysis,
perspiration, horriplation change of voice etc.
· 4) Vyabhacari bhava
It is known as a transitory state
of mind. One may ask here wherefore are they called vyabhicarians? It may be
replied: VI and abha are two prepositions; car is a root employed in the sense
of movement or motion. The vyabhicarians are so called because they move
prominently towards abha creating the poetic sentiment in a variety of ways.
Equipped with the acting based on speech, body and concentrated mind, the lead
or carry the spectator in actual dramatic performance to the poetic sentiments,
hence they are called Vyabhicarians.
Bharata says that the drama
renders the bhava of all the worlds. Hence, evidently, he means states and
thinks existing emotions. The bhava are bringing into being rasa which is the
kavyartha. The end of all meaning of poetry, it is the functional aspect of the
word bhava. This is emphasized.
According to
V.S.Seturaman
‘’ Bhavyanti means ‘to bring into being
and to make pervade’ ‘’.
Bhava are through an element which makes
the essence or poetry, rasa and pervade the heart of the reader. In this sense,
bhava includes Sthayibhava, Anubhava, Vyabhicaribhava, Sattvikabhava or
Vibhava. Though Bharatmuni emphasized on functional aspect of word, he seems to
have realized that in the last analysis, it is the mental state rendered in a
poem, which manifested its essence and that be characters and their actions are
only the vehicle of the mental state. Bharatmuni himself contrasted the meaning
by speaking of the bhava as though they included only the three varieties,
eight sthayins, thirty three vyabhicarians and eight Sattvikabhava. However
they are the 49 bhava capable, manifesting the rasa of the poem. On the one
hand bhava mean all the elements having the energy or power to the manifest
rasa.
Though the term Sthayibhava
does not figure in Bharat’s definition for the current understanding of the
theory of rasa, it is necessary for one to elucidate the concept. However the
words figure in Bharat’s exploitation of the rasa. Rasa sutras according to
Sthayibhava are of the nature of vasna or sansakara.Every human being is born
with a set of instinctual propensities in herited from earlier generation and
because sited on the bed of his consciousness.
Types of rasa
|
Sentiments
|
Meaning
|
God
|
Colour
|
|
1)Shrungara
|
attractiveness
|
Vishnu
|
Light green
|
|
2)Hasya
|
Mirth/comedy
|
pramatha
|
white
|
|
3)Rudra
|
Furg
|
Rudra
|
Red
|
|
4)Karun yam
|
Compassion/tragedy
|
Yama
|
Gray
|
|
5)Bibhatsam
|
Disgust/aversion
|
Shiva
|
Blue
|
|
6)Bhayanakam
|
Horror/Terror
|
Kala
|
Black
|
|
7)Vira
|
Heroic mood
|
Indra
|
Yellowish
|
|
8)Adbhutam
|
Wonder/Amazement
|
Brahma
|
Yellow
|
|
9)Shantam
|
Peace
|
-
|
White
|
Though the
essence of all the rasas is the same, the test of it acquires distinctiveness
because of its association with the vibhavas and anubhavas during its
experience. The syrup of wood apple, time and sogad rood is all syrups and all
sweet but have a distingue sweetness. The rasa may be classified from the same
view point like syrup.Bharatmuni classified eight rasas equivivalent to eight
sthyibhavas.
A) The erotic sentiment.
The shringar rasa processed
from the dominant state of love rati and is associated with the God Vishnu.
This sentiment is associated with bright and elegant attire. The shringar or
amour is not only first in the list but also in popularity. The mutual
affection of love is found not only between men and women but also between
birds, animals, and all the other creatures, since love convergent with every
heart, it has the prominent place among the rasas. It has two varieties.
1) Love – in – union
2) Love – in –
separation.
However in separation there
will be hope great or small of that meeting later. Even in love, love in union
there will be a fear of separation, some times before the first union takes
place desire may grow dominant and make the lover languish.
EXAMPLE: It
is found in the first three acts of “Shakuntala” by Kalidasa, after the union
separation may occurs on account of a quarrel due to occurs wended pride,
journey and light of the separation in Shakuntala occurs due to curse. The
whole idea can be summed up where in V.S.Seturaman says
“Shrungara is reach in pleasure
associated with desired objects favorable music and poetry and is related with
either the union or the separation of men and women”
B) The comic sentiment
Hasyarasa processed
the dominant state of laughter or mirth and is associated with pramatha – the
god of comedy. According to T.N SHRINKANTAIYYA the analysis of humor is
extremely difficult. The modern philosophers who have set out to examine the
origin of this manifold humor and the nature of it’s ‘charm have not yet
arrived at a define conclusion. While taking about the humor Bharatmuni says
that
“The humor arise from the grotesque
dress and costume of other, shameless character, craze for sensual pleasure,
mischief, foul words, physical handicaps, accusation of other and the like…”
He has given two main kinds of Hasya
exiting in one’s own self and existing in other.
I) self
centered…when one is laughing himself, it exist in one self.
ii) Centered
in other.
When one makes other’s laugh it exist in
other.
On the basis of it recent
theorists admit that humor is of six kinds. Which are as following?
Slight
smile (smita)
Smile
(Hasita)
Gentle
laughter (vihasita)
Laughter
of ridicule (uphasita)
Vulgar
laughter
Excessive
laughter (atihasita)
Two by two they belong respectively to the superior, the
middling and the inferior types of person.
a) The slight smile.
It deals with the superior type
should be characterized by slightly, blown chicks and elegant glances and in
the teeth should not be visible.
b) Smile.
It
should be distinguished by blowing eyes, face and cheeks and in it the teeth
should be slightly visible.
c) Gentle laughter.
The gentle laughter should have
slight sound, sweetness and should be suitable to the accession and in it the
eyes and the cheek should be contracted and the face joyful.
d) Laughter of Ridicule.
During the laughter of ridicule
the nose should be expanded, the eyes should be squinting and the shoulder and
the head should bent.
e) Vulgar laughter.
The laughter on occasion not
suitable to it, the laughter with tears in one’s eyes, or with the shoulder and
the head violently shaking, is called the vulgar laughter.
f) Excessive laughter.
The excessive laughter is that in
which the eyes are expanded and tearful. Sound is loud and excessive and the
sight are covered by hands.
C) The pathetic
sentiment.
Karun rasa
arises from the dominant state of sorrow. It is usually presented through
affliction under a curse, separation, from death, loss of wealth, dangerous and
grievous accident or any other similar misfortune. Theatrically it is presented
on the stage by means like shedding of tears, lamentation, dryness of mouth,
change of color fainting etc. some of the best example in Sanskrit of work
generates pathos are
“Shakuntala”
“Raghuvansham”
by kalidasa
“Kadambari’’ –
by Banabhatt
In
Shakuntala separation of lover due to curse generates pathos. While in
Raghuvansham the death of indumati, stimulates the pathetic sentiment.
According to sreekantaiyya
“Pathetic is a very dedicate rasa, during
its experience the heart melt a great deal”
Even among Sanskrit
poets, Bhavbhuti went to the extent of suggesting that pathos alone is rasa.
D)
The furious sentiment.
The sthayins
for raudra or for fury is worth krodh.It fundamentally owes its origin to
raksha, danavas and haughty men and is usually caused by fights, war. The
raudra rasa is created by anger, rape, abuse, insult, untrue, allegation,
exercising threatening and the similar determinants.
Accordingly.
“The raudra
rasa is created by striking, cutting, mutilation and piecing in fight and
tumult of the battles and other similar thing.”
Theatrically the raudra
rasa is represented on the stage through red eyes, knitting of eye brows,
billing of lips and other similar expression, transitory states connected with
it. It represents the mind determination, energy, and fury checking voice and
like these.
E)
The heroic sentiment.
The sthayins for vira is vigor (utsaha) and is associated with Indra. Accordingly
“The
special condition such as energy, perseverance, optimism, absence of surprise
and presence of mind facilitates the nishpattihi of vira rasa”
The
heroic sentiment is related with the superior type of person. Theatrically the
vira rasa is represented on the stage through firmness, patience, heroism,
charity, diplomacy and other similar thing.
Bharat divides the rasa of velour into
three kinds.
Ø Velour
of munificence.
Ø Velour
of virtue.
Ø Velour
of war.
Some of the recent critics added velour of mercy (daya
vira). All these velour are inter-related with each other.
F)
The terrible sentiment.
The
terrible rasa has its dominant state of fear which is black in color and it
associated with deity ‘yama’.It is related with bright and scariness. It is
usually reacted by gothic atmosphere like hideous, noise, sight of ghost, panic
anxiety due to the ultimate cry of dangerous and wild animals, state of
solitude ,battle etc. Theatrically speaking it is easy to perform the
Bhayanakam rasa. It is presented on the stage through trembling of the hands
and the feet, horriplation, change of color, heavy breathing etc.
G)
The odious sentiment.
Sometimes
a doubt may arise how odium whose source is disgust can become a rasa. If
enjoyment is found in pathos, it is in the distress is two great. Even when a
description of the repulsive is learned feeling it many a time as it is
actually seem and experienced in real life.
The odious rasa has as it’s the dominant state of disgust .it is usually
created by determinants such as hearing of unpleasant, offensive impose and
harmful thing or seeing them or discussing them ,viewing a nauseated sight and
other similar things. Theatrically the Bibhatsam rasa is represented on the
stage through narrowing down of mouth, vomiting, spitting, shaking the limbs in
ulterdisgust.
H)
The marvelous sentiment.
Like shringar rasa which is perhaps more wide spread is Adbhutam. All
experience, wonder, fantastic, astonishment which is its basic wander begins
from the time. In poetry and drama there is a special impotence for figure of
speech like hyperbole and fancied comparison, which generates marvelous
sentiment.
It is usually related by determinants such as sight of heavenly begins
or events, attainment of desired object, entrance into superior mention, temple
or witnessing magical and illusory acts. Theatrically it is represented on the
stage through wide opening eyes, looking with fixed gaze, horriplation, tears
of joy altering words of approbation and other similar thing.
According to T.N. Sreekantaiyya.
“The principle of
rasa is the very kernel of Indian poetics. It is the nectar that our thinker
have obtained after churching the ocean of poetry”
Till now we have
considered the matter of pleasant experience called rasa by Bharata. But
probably from the earliest period and most importantly the debate whether
Shantam should be considered a rasa or not took place. Finally in 11th
century, the debate reached to a conclusion by the time of Abhinavgupta he
admitted the Shantam rasa and awarded it the 1st place.
According to Mohan Thampi
“Majority
of the traditionalist; consider that nine rasas are enough to cope with
infinite variety of literary production.”
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