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Rasa-nispatti-vicāra in Abhinavagupta
1593 dramatic literature, many absurd plays stand re-reading and re-viewing, and like poems they thrill one with flashes of imagination. They expose limitations of language and hint at the possibilities still remaining unexplored in theatre....."
We will not concern ourselves with the view of life taken by such artists as Ionesco and others, for which a separate paper is cotemplated by us; but for the present, suffice it to note, that even these artists 'had a message to convey, not through direct power of expression, (i.e. abhidhā). of a word, but through use of images, which are innumerable possible 'vyañjaka-s' or 'Suggesters' in Anandavardhana's opinion. Again, the appeal was to reason and not emotion. Here our 'Vastu-dhvani' comes in. 'Ingenius theatre language' and 'the strength and charm of poetry fall under 'alamkāra-dhvani.' The dark message, which even Vyāsa conveyed in the great Mahābhārata was that, “yatha yathā vicāryate, tathā tathā viśīryte,' i.e. “Thinking more and more (about world-existence), makes for its greater and greater failure." But Vyāsa had a greater message which for want of space here, we will not discuss. One point emerges that in all these plays the dominant emotion suggested is that of ‘nirveda', or better say, "tattvajñāna-janya-nirveda' or disgust, leading to śānta-rasa, and also 'Visāda' or despondency, resulting in the great 'mahā-rasa' in Abhibavagupta's opinion, the praksti-rasa, the Sānta-rasa.
Thus, the catholic applicability of Sanskrit art-criticism stands proved and we will repeat with a sense of pride that Sanslrit art-criticism, and of course Sanskrit Language, conveying the same, are competent enough to meet with contemporary challanges, here in literature and drama, as explained by the great Abhinavagupta inspired by the greatest Anandavardhana, for the present. The rasa-theory, in fact, covers all art-forms, whatever; practiced either in hoary past or rabid present or as will be practiced in the golden and divine future of humanity in general and art in particular.
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