Bharata and the idea of Rasa

Hello everyone, in the previous lectures we were trying to familiarize ourselves with various aspects of Sanskrit Poetics. From this week onwards, we are going to discuss the crucial concepts that constituted the very corpus of Sanskrit literary theory. The first theoretical concept that comes to our mind when we think about Sanskrit poetics is obviously the theory of rasa. Before we discuss the various nuances of this theoretical position or concept, We need to keep in our mind a few things. First of all, the theory of Rasa is not a monolithic concept. It has been discussed differently by different theoreticians. So, it is impossible to give a single answer to the question, what is Rasa theory? When someone asks you, what is Rasa theory, you necessarily need to ask the question, whose Rasa theory are you referring to? What I am driving at is that the theory of Rasa was conceptualized differently by different theoreticians down the line. So, Rasa theory is a vast field of knowledge that we cannot cover in one week. So, I am going to be very selective in my discussion here. In this class, we will see only some of the major theoreticians who conceptualized the theory of Rasa. These theoreticians who I will be introducing through a series of lectures in this week include Bharata, Bhamaha, Dandin, Uttapada, Sankuga, Phattalollada, Anandavarthana, Phattanayaga and Abhinavagupta. In addition to these nine theories, we will also briefly discuss the views of Bhoja, Vishwanatha and Jagannatha. We will also take a glance at the questions of number of Rasa's and the connection of Rasa theory and the theory of effect in modern times. So, before we talk about specific literary theoreticians and their views on Rasa, it is important to know the very meaning of the word Rasa. What does the word Rasa mean? The word Rasa has got many meanings in Sanskrit. The meaning of the word Rasa ranges from juice, sap, taste, water to aroma and sentiment. In Rig Veda, the word Rasa is often used to mean water. Atharva Veda uses the term Rasa to denote the juice or the sap of grains. Although the existence of the word Rasa can be found in many works from as early as the Vedic period, we can undoubtedly say that The use of the word Rasa to refer to aesthetic emotion came much later. As per the historical evidence that is available to us to date, we can conclude that Bharata's Natyashastra is the first treatise to talk about the theory of Rasa or aesthetic emotion. Before we talk about the theory of Rasa propounded or conceptualized by Bharata, I think it is important to make A distinction between rasa or aesthetic emotion and sthai bhava or the real life emotion. Aesthetic emotion is the emotion that a spectator or a reader experiences while watching a performance or reading a work of art. The unique factor that characterizes the aesthetic emotion is the fact that the experience of aesthetic emotion or rasa always gives us pleasure or ananda no matter what the impact of the counterpart of these particular emotions has on us in real life. I will explain this poem with the help of an example. Suppose you are watching a tragedy on the stage. Ultimately at the end of the tragedy you experience happiness. If that were not the case, no one would have gone to watch a tragedy in real life. But this is not the case in real life. Imagine, you are watching a noble person dying in front of your eyes. Will you be able to elicit pleasure from that experience? In normal case, you will not love to watch it. So, this is the base. difference between aesthetic emotion or Rasa and the real-life emotion or Staibhava. I know you must be curious to know why only aesthetic emotions are capable of making us happy while certain real-life emotions or Staibhavas can make us sad or depressed. We will take up this particular question soon when time comes. Now you just need to keep this in your mind. While real life emotions can arouse negative and unpleasant experiences in us, aesthetic emotions are always capable of giving rise to pleasure in us. There is one more point that you need to keep in your mind. While real life emotions are experienced by a real person in real life, aesthetic emotions are the imitations of certain real life emotions. by an actor on stage with the accompaniment of four registers of acting namely verbal physical psychophysical and makeup i already told you according to the available historical evidence parakas natishastra is the first work to systematically reflect upon the concept of rasa parada explains his concept of rasa in the sixth chapter of his natishastra According to Bharata, the real life emotions or sthai pavas are eight in number, namely rati or desire, hasa or amusement, shoka or grief, krotha or anger, utsaha or determination, thaya or fear, jugupsa or revulsion and vismaya or amazement. I will quote Bharata's dictum in this respect since it might be of interest to some of you. It goes like this, radhir haasascha shokascha krothotsahau phayam tatha jugupsa vismayas chedi sthaibhavaha pragirtitaha The eight aesthetic emotions or rasas that arise out of these sthaibhavas include Shrungara or the erotic, Haasya or the comic, Karuna or the tragic, Raudra or the violent, Veera or the heroic, Bhayanaka or the fearful, Bhivatsa or the macabre and Atpada or wonder. Tharadas dictum in this regard goes like this. Shringara Khasya Karuna Veera Raudra Bhayanakaha Bhivatsat Prada Samajnyajnau Cheshtau Natye Rasahas Mrtaha Now You may wonder what about the ninth rasa? We often say nava rasas. Here we need to note that Dharada mentions only eight rasas in his Nati Shastra. Yes, this is true. The ninth rasa of Shanta was added pretty later. According to Bharata, Sringara, Raudra, Veera and Pibhatsa are the four basic rasas. Asya originates from Sringara, Karuna originates from Raudra, Atpada from Veera and finally Payanaka originates from Pibhatsa. Bharata also mentions that rasas have different forms. The Sringara rasa has three forms depending upon whether it is in essence a matter of language, acting or costume. Sringara has also two varieties namely Vipralambha Sringara and Sampoga Sringara. Sampoga Sringara is love in union while Vipralambha Sringara is love in separation. In other words, if the hero and the heroine come together and express their erotic feeling for each other, it will be called Sampoga Sringara. If the heroine or the hero is pining for love from his or her partner who is away from him or her, then it is called vipralampa shrungara or love in separation. The same is the case with Hasiya and Karunarasas. Hasiya is occasioned by the improper arrangement of ornaments, improper costume and improper language. On the basis of the costume, Hasiya is further divided into two. Atmastha and Parastha. If one is laughing on one's own, seeing the improper costume worn by someone else, it is called Atmastha. If one intends to make others laugh through his or her costume, it is called Parastha. According to Natyashastra, this sentiment is predominant in women and characters of inferior nature. To express Hase Rasa, an actor can employ six varieties of smiles, namely, Smita or smile, Hasita or laughter, Vihasita or open laughter, Upahasita or boisterous laughter and Appahasita or the laughter of ridicule. Smita or smile and Hasita or laughter are served for the noble characters while Vihasita or open laughter is meant for the middling character. Only the inferior characters are served to Upahasita or boisterous laughter and Appahasita or laughter. of ridicule. Karunarasa has three forms on the basis of whether it is produced by the violation of morality or loss of one's wealth or by grief. Brahma has proclaimed that the Virarasa is also similarly has threefold namely Virarasa occasioned by a great act of generosity, by an act of morality and one's heroic action in a battle. The three forms of Bhayanaka are occasioned by a criminal act or by anything that a timid person finds frightening. Vivatsa is also of two kind, namely pure and impure. The pure form of Vivatsa is disturbing and is brought about by the sight of blood and the like. While the second one is produced by the sight of excrement, maggots and so on. Atphada rasa is also twofold, it can be heavenly. produced by the sight of something heavenly or divine. It can also be blissful produced by joy. Bharata also associates certain colors with these rasas. The color of Sringarasa is green and that of Harsya is white. Karuna has gray as its color. Red is for Raudra. Veda is represented by the golden color and black is for Bhayanaka. Vibhatsa has blue and Atpada has yellow as its colors. These aesthetic emotions also have their presiding deity. The deity of Sringara is Vishnu and that of Hasiya is the goblins of Shiva. Karuna has Riyama, Raudra has Rudra and Veera has Indra as their deities. Dayanaga and Vibhatsa and Atpada are presided over by Kala, Mahakala and Brahma. Now The most important question, how does rasa get generated in the drama? In the 6th chapter of Natya Shastra, Therada mentions that rasa arises from the combination of vipava, anupava and vyapachari pavas. Vipava, anupava, vyapachari, samyogat, rasa nishpatthi. Rasa is the final result of the combination of three elements. namely Vipava, Anubhava and Vibhijari Bhavas. Here we need to note that in Nati Shastra, Bharata is focusing on the way in which the character or the actors on stage are able to represent the rasas. His focus is not on the way in which the spectators release the rasas generated on the stage. So, this Rasa Sutra or the formula for Rasa seems to be quite simple, but it is its very simplicity and cryptic nature that led to the diversity of interpretations that we see down the centuries. Faradas Rasa Sutra leaves many questions unanswered. Questions such as how does a spectator experience the Rasa? How are the elements responsible for the generation of Rasa related to each other? What is the exact nature or ontology of Rasa? What is the exact process through which the conjunction of these three components generate Rasa etc. are not at all taken up by Bharata. It was the later theoreticians who took up these questions quite seriously in their theoretical engagements with the question of Rasa. We will see these questions soon when we discuss them. Ok, let us come back to the major point we were discussing. We were. talking about the Rasa Sutra of Bharata. We saw that according to Bharata, it is the conjunction or conjoining of three components namely Vipava, Anubhava and Vyabhijari Bhavas that generate Rasa in a dramatic performance. Now, what are these three components? Let us take a look at them one by one. First, let's take a look at Vipava. What is a Vipava? According to Bharata, the word Vipava literally means ghost. Vipava is the stimulant of rest. In other words, it creates a situation that is congenial for the production of a particular rasa. Vibhavas are divided into two, namely Alambana Vibhava and Uddebana Vibhava. Alambanavi Bhava is the object or the person that functions as the cause of a particular emotion. For instance, the Alambanavi Bhava for the Atpudarasa of Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra is the gigantic Vishwaroopa of Krishna. For Dasharatha who is destined to exile his son Rama to the forest for 14 years for no fault of the latter, the Alambanavi Bhava or the cause of his karuna rasa or the aesthetic emotion of the tragic is his son Rama. Remember, Parada mentions the idea of alambana vibhava in relation to the actors on the stage or characters in the drama, not in relation to the spectators who are watching the drama. In other words, Parada sees the characters as Alambanavipava for another character. That is to say he does not theorize the idea of Rasa from the spectator's perspective. This is something important that we need to keep in our mind. We have seen the first variety of Vipava that is Alambanavipava. Now what about the second variety that is Uddeepanavipava. Uddibana vipavas are the external factors or ambience that strengthen a particular emotion. For Sringararasa, the stimulative Uddibana vipavas are factors such as springtime, the garden steaming with flowers, the bridal chamber and so on. I will explain this with the help of an example from a modern text. For example, The balcony is seen from the drama Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. Here Juliet and Romeo function as the alambana vipava or the cause of Sringara for each other. While the moonlit night is the uddeepana vipava for the Sringara rasa between them. In Natyashastra Parada mentions in detail the alambana and uddeepana vipavas for all the eight emotions. You can in fact refer to them mentioned in chapter 7 of Nati Shastra. I am sure now you know what a Vipava is. The next is Anupava. What is an Anupava? An Anupava is the performance of a particular emotion by four registers of acting namely verbal, physical, psycho-physical and make-up. In other words, Anupava is the physical reaction to a particular emotion caused by the Vipava. The experience of a particular emotion in real life generates multitudinous mental states. An actor on stage is supposed to assume these mental states while playing out the role of a particular character. These assumed mental states are the ones that are responsible for the state of the person. portrayed by an actor or experienced by an actor doing the role of a particular character in drama is called the vyabhijari bhava for example let's take a look at a scene where a heroine is actually romancing with her lover here the actress who is doing the character of the female lover should bring a sringar rasa into being for this the actress concern should imitate some mental states or Vipijari Bhavas of Sringararasa such as Vrida or embarrassment, Harsha or happiness, Ramanja or horripilation, etc. These differing mental states that she is supposedly going through then should be made perceptible or visible to the spectators through some physical reactions. In the case of Sringararasa, these mental states like happiness or embarrassment or shame that the lover is experiencing is made perceptible or visible through such actions such as casting sight-blown glances, sweet talk, pleasing facial expressions, gleeful eyes, joyous look, etc. So, a Vyapachari Bhava is called a transient emotion. Because, it does not remain permanent during the performance or during the expression of a particular aesthetic emotion or rasa. In other words, they are the temporary feelings that come and go when you are under the grip of a larger emotional state. Okay, I will explain this concept with the help of the same example we saw earlier. An actor who is actually performing the Sringar Rasa will emulate a series of mental states in the process of emulating that Rasa. She will go through embarrassment, then her embarrassment will give way to happiness, then the happiness and horripilation may happen together. This means that While expressing the Sringararasa, the actor is not remaining in one mental state throughout. These mental states flicker through them. The permanent aesthetic emotions are portrayed with the help of or through the portrayal of these transient feelings. Bharata also asks some crucial questions with respect to the order of Sthaipavas and Rasas. He asks, Do pavas come out of the rasas or the rasas come out of the pavas? Some are of the opinion that they arise from each other since they are very much interrelated. Bharata refutes this position. He is of the view that it is pavas that bring rasas into being as opposed to rasas generating pavas. Just as various condiments are properly put together to make a curry, so also pavas are used to make a rasa. Pavas are called so because they bring rasas into being. He appains that there can be no rasas prior to pavas. Bharata also mentions that it is the sthai pavas that turn out to be rasas. While emotions are experienced in real life, they are called sthai pavas. The imitations of these sthai pavas in drama are called rasas. Bharata taking a Purva Bhaksha position asked, why are the emotions portrayed in drama specifically called Rasa? To this question, he replaced that they are called rasa because they can be soured or relished. Now, the next question arises. How is rasa being relished? It is said that just as well-disposed persons while eating food cooked with many kinds of spices enjoy its taste and attain pleasure and satisfaction, so also the cultured people taste high bhavas or basic emotions while they see them. represented with different kinds of bhavas on stage. So, in total Bharata mentions 49 bhavas which include 33 Vibhichari bhavas, 8 Sthai bhavas and finally, 8 Satvika bhavas. So, among these 49 bhavas, why do Sthai bhavas alone become rasas? Why can't Vyabhijari Bhavas and Satwika Bhavas attain the status of Rasa? This is another crucial question that Bharata takes up. He answers this question with the help of an analogy. Although there are so many people in this world, only some people emerge as kings because of their clan, character, education and wealth. While some people ascend to the throne. Some others become their servants. Similarly, Vibhichari Bhavas etc. only depend upon Stai Bhavas and they are incapable of becoming Rasas. Since many Bhavas are dependent upon Stai Bhavas, Stai Bhavas are like a master. Now, let us briefly summarize all the major points that we discussed in this class. We saw the famous Rasa Sutra of Bharata. The Rasa Sutra goes like this. Viphava Anupava Vyapijarisam Yogat Rasa Nishpatti. According to Bharata, Rasa is the product of the conjunction of Viphava, Anupava and Vyapijari Bhavas. Viphava is the cause of emotion. They stimulate a particular stai bhava in the character. The Vipavas are divided into two namely Alampana Vipava and Udipana Vipava. Alampana Vipava is the person who is functioning as the cause of a particular Pava in the character. For example, example in the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet the two lovers function as the alambanavi power or the course of shungara rasa for each other oodhi banavi powers are the external factors or ambience that strengthen a particular emotion for shungara rasa the stimulative oodhi banavi Bhavas are factors such as springtime, the garden steaming with flowers, the bridal chamber and so on. While experiencing a particular bhava or emotion, the character is supposed to go through some mental states. These mental states occasioned by the experience of a particular bhava is called Vyapijari Bhavas. For example, a person who is going through this Thayi Bhava of Rati, will go through different mental states such as happiness, horripilation, embarrassment, shame, etc. These mental states flicker through the minds of the character. The reaction of a character to these mental states occasioned or caused by a stimulation of a particular staipava are called anupavas. These reactions come out in the form of certain physical and verbal reactions. For example, the sthai bhava of reddy gets stimulated in a character. Obviously, this will lead to such viphijari bhavas as happiness, horripilation, embarrassment, shame, etc. Naturally, the character will physically respond to these mental states by casting sight-long glances, talking sweetly, kissing, and hanging her head down in embarrassment upon hearing the words of her lover. These physical responses to the Vibhijari Bhavas are called Anubhavas. In other words, an Anubhava is the performance of a particular emotion through the four registers of acting. I hope you understood all the major points that we discussed in the class. You need to keep... these basic lessons with respect to the Rasa Sutra of Bharata to understand the next lessons we are going to discuss properly. Thank you.

First of all, the theory of Rasa is not a monolithic concept. It has been discussed differently by different theoreticians. So, it is impossible to give a single answer to the question, what is Rasa theory?

When someone asks you, what is Rasa theory, you necessarily need to ask the question, whose Rasa theory are you referring to? What I am driving at is that the theory of Rasa was conceptualized differently by different theoreticians down the line. So, Rasa theory is a vast field of knowledge that we cannot cover in one week.

So, I am going to be very selective in my discussion here. In this class, we will see only some of the major theoreticians who conceptualized the theory of Rasa. These theoreticians who I will be introducing through a series of lectures in this week include Bharata, Bhamaha, Dandin, Uttapada, Sankuga, Phattalollada, Anandavarthana, Phattanayaga and Abhinavagupta.

In addition to these nine theories, we will also briefly discuss the views of Bhoja, Vishwanatha and Jagannatha. We will also take a glance at the questions of number of Rasa's and the connection of Rasa theory and the theory of effect in modern times. So, before we talk about specific literary theoreticians and their views on Rasa, it is important to know the very meaning of the word Rasa.

What does the word Rasa mean? The word Rasa has got many meanings in Sanskrit. The meaning of the word Rasa ranges from juice, sap, taste, water to aroma and sentiment. In Rig Veda, the word Rasa is often used to mean water. Atharva Veda uses the term Rasa to denote the juice or the sap of grains.

Although the existence of the word Rasa can be found in many works from as early as the Vedic period, we can undoubtedly say that The use of the word Rasa to refer to aesthetic emotion came much later. As per the historical evidence that is available to us to date, we can conclude that Bharata's Natyashastra is the first treatise to talk about the theory of Rasa or aesthetic emotion. Before we talk about the theory of Rasa propounded or conceptualized by Bharata, I think it is important to make A distinction between rasa or aesthetic emotion and sthai bhava or the real life emotion. Aesthetic emotion is the emotion that a spectator or a reader experiences while watching a performance or reading a work of art. The unique factor that characterizes the aesthetic emotion is the fact that the experience of aesthetic emotion or rasa always gives us pleasure or ananda no matter what the impact of the counterpart of these particular emotions has on us in real life.

I will explain this poem with the help of an example. Suppose you are watching a tragedy on the stage. Ultimately at the end of the tragedy you experience happiness. If that were not the case, no one would have gone to watch a tragedy in real life. But this is not the case in real life.

Imagine, you are watching a noble person dying in front of your eyes. Will you be able to elicit pleasure from that experience? In normal case, you will not love to watch it.

So, this is the base. difference between aesthetic emotion or Rasa and the real-life emotion or Staibhava. I know you must be curious to know why only aesthetic emotions are capable of making us happy while certain real-life emotions or Staibhavas can make us sad or depressed.

We will take up this particular question soon when time comes. Now you just need to keep this in your mind. While real life emotions can arouse negative and unpleasant experiences in us, aesthetic emotions are always capable of giving rise to pleasure in us.

There is one more point that you need to keep in your mind. While real life emotions are experienced by a real person in real life, aesthetic emotions are the imitations of certain real life emotions. by an actor on stage with the accompaniment of four registers of acting namely verbal physical psychophysical and makeup i already told you according to the available historical evidence parakas natishastra is the first work to systematically reflect upon the concept of rasa parada explains his concept of rasa in the sixth chapter of his natishastra According to Bharata, the real life emotions or sthai pavas are eight in number, namely rati or desire, hasa or amusement, shoka or grief, krotha or anger, utsaha or determination, thaya or fear, jugupsa or revulsion and vismaya or amazement.

I will quote Bharata's dictum in this respect since it might be of interest to some of you. It goes like this, radhir haasascha shokascha krothotsahau phayam tatha jugupsa vismayas chedi sthaibhavaha pragirtitaha The eight aesthetic emotions or rasas that arise out of these sthaibhavas include Shrungara or the erotic, Haasya or the comic, Karuna or the tragic, Raudra or the violent, Veera or the heroic, Bhayanaka or the fearful, Bhivatsa or the macabre and Atpada or wonder. Tharadas dictum in this regard goes like this. Shringara Khasya Karuna Veera Raudra Bhayanakaha Bhivatsat Prada Samajnyajnau Cheshtau Natye Rasahas Mrtaha Now You may wonder what about the ninth rasa?

We often say nava rasas. Here we need to note that Dharada mentions only eight rasas in his Nati Shastra. Yes, this is true.

The ninth rasa of Shanta was added pretty later. According to Bharata, Sringara, Raudra, Veera and Pibhatsa are the four basic rasas. Asya originates from Sringara, Karuna originates from Raudra, Atpada from Veera and finally Payanaka originates from Pibhatsa. Bharata also mentions that rasas have different forms. The Sringara rasa has three forms depending upon whether it is in essence a matter of language, acting or costume.

Sringara has also two varieties namely Vipralambha Sringara and Sampoga Sringara. Sampoga Sringara is love in union while Vipralambha Sringara is love in separation. In other words, if the hero and the heroine come together and express their erotic feeling for each other, it will be called Sampoga Sringara. If the heroine or the hero is pining for love from his or her partner who is away from him or her, then it is called vipralampa shrungara or love in separation. The same is the case with Hasiya and Karunarasas.

Hasiya is occasioned by the improper arrangement of ornaments, improper costume and improper language. On the basis of the costume, Hasiya is further divided into two. Atmastha and Parastha.

If one is laughing on one's own, seeing the improper costume worn by someone else, it is called Atmastha. If one intends to make others laugh through his or her costume, it is called Parastha. According to Natyashastra, this sentiment is predominant in women and characters of inferior nature. To express Hase Rasa, an actor can employ six varieties of smiles, namely, Smita or smile, Hasita or laughter, Vihasita or open laughter, Upahasita or boisterous laughter and Appahasita or the laughter of ridicule. Smita or smile and Hasita or laughter are served for the noble characters while Vihasita or open laughter is meant for the middling character.

Only the inferior characters are served to Upahasita or boisterous laughter and Appahasita or laughter. of ridicule. Karunarasa has three forms on the basis of whether it is produced by the violation of morality or loss of one's wealth or by grief.

Brahma has proclaimed that the Virarasa is also similarly has threefold namely Virarasa occasioned by a great act of generosity, by an act of morality and one's heroic action in a battle. The three forms of Bhayanaka are occasioned by a criminal act or by anything that a timid person finds frightening. Vivatsa is also of two kind, namely pure and impure.

The pure form of Vivatsa is disturbing and is brought about by the sight of blood and the like. While the second one is produced by the sight of excrement, maggots and so on. Atphada rasa is also twofold, it can be heavenly.

produced by the sight of something heavenly or divine. It can also be blissful produced by joy. Bharata also associates certain colors with these rasas. The color of Sringarasa is green and that of Harsya is white.

Karuna has gray as its color. Red is for Raudra. Veda is represented by the golden color and black is for Bhayanaka. Vibhatsa has blue and Atpada has yellow as its colors. These aesthetic emotions also have their presiding deity.

The deity of Sringara is Vishnu and that of Hasiya is the goblins of Shiva. Karuna has Riyama, Raudra has Rudra and Veera has Indra as their deities. Dayanaga and Vibhatsa and Atpada are presided over by Kala, Mahakala and Brahma.

Now The most important question, how does rasa get generated in the drama? In the 6th chapter of Natya Shastra, Therada mentions that rasa arises from the combination of vipava, anupava and vyapachari pavas. Vipava, anupava, vyapachari, samyogat, rasa nishpatthi. Rasa is the final result of the combination of three elements. namely Vipava, Anubhava and Vibhijari Bhavas.

Here we need to note that in Nati Shastra, Bharata is focusing on the way in which the character or the actors on stage are able to represent the rasas. His focus is not on the way in which the spectators release the rasas generated on the stage. So, this Rasa Sutra or the formula for Rasa seems to be quite simple, but it is its very simplicity and cryptic nature that led to the diversity of interpretations that we see down the centuries.

Faradas Rasa Sutra leaves many questions unanswered. Questions such as how does a spectator experience the Rasa? How are the elements responsible for the generation of Rasa related to each other? What is the exact nature or ontology of Rasa?

What is the exact process through which the conjunction of these three components generate Rasa etc. are not at all taken up by Bharata. It was the later theoreticians who took up these questions quite seriously in their theoretical engagements with the question of Rasa. We will see these questions soon when we discuss them.

Ok, let us come back to the major point we were discussing. We were. talking about the Rasa Sutra of Bharata. We saw that according to Bharata, it is the conjunction or conjoining of three components namely Vipava, Anubhava and Vyabhijari Bhavas that generate Rasa in a dramatic performance.

Now, what are these three components? Let us take a look at them one by one. First, let's take a look at Vipava.

What is a Vipava? According to Bharata, the word Vipava literally means ghost. Vipava is the stimulant of rest. In other words, it creates a situation that is congenial for the production of a particular rasa. Vibhavas are divided into two, namely Alambana Vibhava and Uddebana Vibhava.

Alambanavi Bhava is the object or the person that functions as the cause of a particular emotion. For instance, the Alambanavi Bhava for the Atpudarasa of Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra is the gigantic Vishwaroopa of Krishna. For Dasharatha who is destined to exile his son Rama to the forest for 14 years for no fault of the latter, the Alambanavi Bhava or the cause of his karuna rasa or the aesthetic emotion of the tragic is his son Rama. Remember, Parada mentions the idea of alambana vibhava in relation to the actors on the stage or characters in the drama, not in relation to the spectators who are watching the drama.

In other words, Parada sees the characters as Alambanavipava for another character. That is to say he does not theorize the idea of Rasa from the spectator's perspective. This is something important that we need to keep in our mind. We have seen the first variety of Vipava that is Alambanavipava. Now what about the second variety that is Uddeepanavipava.

Uddibana vipavas are the external factors or ambience that strengthen a particular emotion. For Sringararasa, the stimulative Uddibana vipavas are factors such as springtime, the garden steaming with flowers, the bridal chamber and so on. I will explain this with the help of an example from a modern text. For example, The balcony is seen from the drama Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. Here Juliet and Romeo function as the alambana vipava or the cause of Sringara for each other.

While the moonlit night is the uddeepana vipava for the Sringara rasa between them. In Natyashastra Parada mentions in detail the alambana and uddeepana vipavas for all the eight emotions. You can in fact refer to them mentioned in chapter 7 of Nati Shastra.

I am sure now you know what a Vipava is. The next is Anupava. What is an Anupava? An Anupava is the performance of a particular emotion by four registers of acting namely verbal, physical, psycho-physical and make-up.

In other words, Anupava is the physical reaction to a particular emotion caused by the Vipava. The experience of a particular emotion in real life generates multitudinous mental states. An actor on stage is supposed to assume these mental states while playing out the role of a particular character.

These assumed mental states are the ones that are responsible for the state of the person. portrayed by an actor or experienced by an actor doing the role of a particular character in drama is called the vyabhijari bhava for example let's take a look at a scene where a heroine is actually romancing with her lover here the actress who is doing the character of the female lover should bring a sringar rasa into being for this the actress concern should imitate some mental states or Vipijari Bhavas of Sringararasa such as Vrida or embarrassment, Harsha or happiness, Ramanja or horripilation, etc. These differing mental states that she is supposedly going through then should be made perceptible or visible to the spectators through some physical reactions.

In the case of Sringararasa, these mental states like happiness or embarrassment or shame that the lover is experiencing is made perceptible or visible through such actions such as casting sight-blown glances, sweet talk, pleasing facial expressions, gleeful eyes, joyous look, etc. So, a Vyapachari Bhava is called a transient emotion. Because, it does not remain permanent during the performance or during the expression of a particular aesthetic emotion or rasa.

In other words, they are the temporary feelings that come and go when you are under the grip of a larger emotional state. Okay, I will explain this concept with the help of the same example we saw earlier. An actor who is actually performing the Sringar Rasa will emulate a series of mental states in the process of emulating that Rasa. She will go through embarrassment, then her embarrassment will give way to happiness, then the happiness and horripilation may happen together.

This means that While expressing the Sringararasa, the actor is not remaining in one mental state throughout. These mental states flicker through them. The permanent aesthetic emotions are portrayed with the help of or through the portrayal of these transient feelings.

Bharata also asks some crucial questions with respect to the order of Sthaipavas and Rasas. He asks, Do pavas come out of the rasas or the rasas come out of the pavas? Some are of the opinion that they arise from each other since they are very much interrelated.

Bharata refutes this position. He is of the view that it is pavas that bring rasas into being as opposed to rasas generating pavas. Just as various condiments are properly put together to make a curry, so also pavas are used to make a rasa.

Pavas are called so because they bring rasas into being. He appains that there can be no rasas prior to pavas. Bharata also mentions that it is the sthai pavas that turn out to be rasas. While emotions are experienced in real life, they are called sthai pavas.

The imitations of these sthai pavas in drama are called rasas. Bharata taking a Purva Bhaksha position asked, why are the emotions portrayed in drama specifically called Rasa? To this question, he replaced that they are called rasa because they can be soured or relished.

Now, the next question arises. How is rasa being relished? It is said that just as well-disposed persons while eating food cooked with many kinds of spices enjoy its taste and attain pleasure and satisfaction, so also the cultured people taste high bhavas or basic emotions while they see them. represented with different kinds of bhavas on stage. So, in total Bharata mentions 49 bhavas which include 33 Vibhichari bhavas, 8 Sthai bhavas and finally, 8 Satvika bhavas.

So, among these 49 bhavas, why do Sthai bhavas alone become rasas? Why can't Vyabhijari Bhavas and Satwika Bhavas attain the status of Rasa? This is another crucial question that Bharata takes up. He answers this question with the help of an analogy. Although there are so many people in this world, only some people emerge as kings because of their clan, character, education and wealth.

While some people ascend to the throne. Some others become their servants. Similarly, Vibhichari Bhavas etc. only depend upon Stai Bhavas and they are incapable of becoming Rasas.

Since many Bhavas are dependent upon Stai Bhavas, Stai Bhavas are like a master. Now, let us briefly summarize all the major points that we discussed in this class. We saw the famous Rasa Sutra of Bharata. The Rasa Sutra goes like this.

Viphava Anupava Vyapijarisam Yogat Rasa Nishpatti. According to Bharata, Rasa is the product of the conjunction of Viphava, Anupava and Vyapijari Bhavas. Viphava is the cause of emotion.

They stimulate a particular stai bhava in the character. The Vipavas are divided into two namely Alampana Vipava and Udipana Vipava. Alampana Vipava is the person who is functioning as the cause of a particular Pava in the character.

For example, example in the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet the two lovers function as the alambanavi power or the course of shungara rasa for each other oodhi banavi powers are the external factors or ambience that strengthen a particular emotion for shungara rasa the stimulative oodhi banavi Bhavas are factors such as springtime, the garden steaming with flowers, the bridal chamber and so on. While experiencing a particular bhava or emotion, the character is supposed to go through some mental states. These mental states occasioned by the experience of a particular bhava is called Vyapijari Bhavas.

For example, a person who is going through this Thayi Bhava of Rati, will go through different mental states such as happiness, horripilation, embarrassment, shame, etc. These mental states flicker through the minds of the character. The reaction of a character to these mental states occasioned or caused by a stimulation of a particular staipava are called anupavas. These reactions come out in the form of certain physical and verbal reactions.

For example, the sthai bhava of reddy gets stimulated in a character. Obviously, this will lead to such viphijari bhavas as happiness, horripilation, embarrassment, shame, etc. Naturally, the character will physically respond to these mental states by casting sight-long glances, talking sweetly, kissing, and hanging her head down in embarrassment upon hearing the words of her lover. These physical responses to the Vibhijari Bhavas are called Anubhavas.

In other words, an Anubhava is the performance of a particular emotion through the four registers of acting. I hope you understood all the major points that we discussed in the class. You need to keep...

these basic lessons with respect to the Rasa Sutra of Bharata to understand the next lessons we are going to discuss properly. Thank you.

Transcript for:Bharata and the idea of Rasa

Transcript for:
Bharata and the idea of Rasa