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THE THEORY OF RASA

Rasa is the supreme delight produced in the mind of the appreciator

by a work of art whose content is an emotion. The Rasa theory originates with

Bharata in Natyasastra. Bharatha, the first enouncer of the theory, gives the most

comprehensive analysis of its sources, nature and its categories. Bharatha’s maxim

in connection with the theory of Rasa goes thus, “vibhavanubhava vyabhicari

samyogad rasnispattih”. That is, Rasa is accomplished as a result of the

conjunction of vibhava, anubhava and vybhicaribhava.

Vibhava is the objective condition producing an emotion. It has two

aspects, Alamhana and Uddipana. ‘Alambana’ means a person or persons with

reference to whom the emotion is manifested. It is the human element.

‘Uddipanavibhava’ means the circumstances that have excited the emotion. It is

the natural element. The natural attraction for lovers will be much more if they

meet in beautiful and romantic setting.

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‘Anubhava’ means bodily expression by which the emotion is

expressed. The arch glances of lady, her inviting smile, all may be regarded as

Anubhava.

Vyabhicaribhava means transitory emotions. They are a series of

diverse emotions that feed the dominant emotion. The anxiety, disappointment,

jealousy and such other emotions passing through the mind of a woman waiting for

her lover come under this category. These emotions feed the dominant emotion of

love.

The psychological foundation of Rasa holds the view that our

personality is constituted of a few primary emotions that lie deep in the

subconscious or unconscious strata of our mind. They are Rati (amorous), Hasa

(ludicrous), Soka (pathetic), Krodha (anger/fury), Utsaha (heroic), Bhaya (fear),

Jugupsa (disgust) and vismaya (wonder). Bharatha speaks only of these eight

primary emotions. These emotions are present in everyone in a permanent manner

and may in that sense be called dominant emotions (Sthayibhava). Later aesthetic

psychologist added emotions like Sama (peaceful), Bhakthi (devotional) etc. But,

only the Sama has been recognized. Each emotions in its manifestation shows a

composition of diverse sentiments that give expression to the permanent emotion.

An emotion is called Rasa only when it is aesthetically excited. When a young

man falls in love with a woman in real life, we cannot say that he is moved by

sringararasa, nor can we say that a man weeping on the death of his son is
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experiencing karunarasa. Rasa is an experience of delight excited by artistic

circumstances or situations.

The question, ‘How the dominant emotions can be roused by aesthetic

or artistic means?’ puzzled the old alamkarikas. Bhatta Lottala believed that while

the vibhava, anubhava and vyabhicari bhavas are either ingeniously described or

set forth vividly by mime, they co-operate and in their conjunction, Rasa is

produced.

Mammata, a follower of Abhinavagupta repudiates Bhatta Lollata’s

view that Rasa is related to the vibavas in the relation of the produced and the

producer, as effect and cause. Vibhavas cannot be regarded as a communicative

agent, for a communicative agent presupposes the existence of the thing to be

communicated. But, Rasa does not exist before. It exists only when it is being

lived through and enjoyed also Bhatta Lollata could not explain the method of how

the Rasa produced in the player can infect the audience.

Samkuka said that an aesthetic experience is both real and unreal just

as of a painted horse of which it can be said that it is not a horse and that it is a

horse. Bhattanayaka said that Rasa is neither produced nor suggested nor created

by anything. He held that, a proper aesthetic creation has the peculiar function of

generating in us a new spiritual creation and we have in us a special function by

which we can enjoy it. He calls these two function ‘Bhavakatva’ and ‘Bhojakatva’,

without which the aesthetic experience cannot be explained.

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Abhinavagupta’s teacher, Bhatta Tauta, in his work “Kavya-Kautuka”

says that a dramatic play is not a physical occurrence. In witnessing a play the

actor does not appear to us in his actual individual capacity and it does not also

appear to us that, he cannot be the character that he represents. He stands

somewhere in the midway between pure actuality and pure ideality. This together

with all the scenic associations and those of music produces an exhilarating

experience. The past impressions, memories and associations lying buried in the

mind become affiliated with the present experience and produce new types of

pleasures and pains unlike those which are associated with our ego. This is

technically called ‘Rasavadana’, ‘Camatkara’ or ‘Carvana’ which literally means,

experiencing of a transcendent exhilaration from the enjoyment of the roused

emotions inherent in our own personality. As a result of this experience a unity is

effected between the individuals own experience and the expression of art. It is a

new creation involving the personality of the individual and the objective dramatic

content and constituents. If this is true, dramatic experience and art can no longer

be regarded as imitative.

A drama or play is not a physical occurrence it is a pure spiritual

enjoyment. The previous experiences existing in the mind of the audience as

impressions work up independently in association with the suggestion of the

dramatic performance. The application, apperception and integration of these

roused impressions and expectation produce new joys and intuition.

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The universalisation of poetic art is of two kinds. First of all, the

aesthetic composition with its suggestion presents before our minds an aesthetic

situation and an emotion devoid of its local characters. Secondly, the expression of

this artistic enlightment has a universal character in its manifestation in different

minds. In next stage this presented whole becomes commingled with various types

of subconscious and unconscious feelings or emotion-motive complexes that are

different in different persons in accordance with the nature and diversity of

experience. Hence, the same work of art will appeal differently to different people.

The experience is free from any association with the ego. It is transcendental or

Alukika, also called Camatkara. The word Camatkara is used in there different

senses. It is the special attitude of the mind produced by the commingling of the

universal artistic situation and the stirred up emotion-motive complexes. It also

means the artistic pleasure arising out of it, and thirdly, the bodily manifestation of

such an enjoyment. In addition to this, it is also used to denote that special mental

function by which the whole thing is enjoyed.

The view of Rasa expressed by Abhinavagupta had been accepted in later

times as the almost unchallengeable gospel truth and as the last analysis of the

aesthetic phenomenon propagated through literature.

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WORK CITED

1. Devy G.N, ed. Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation.. Orient

Longman Pvt. Ltd, 2002.

2. Rajan. P.K. ed. Indian Literary Criticism in English, New Delhi: Rawat

publications, 2004.