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1350
SAHṚDAYALOKA as is taken generally. That 'abhivyakti' has to be taken in a loose sense prompted the great Abhinavagupta to concede that rasa may be said to be of course in a loose sense, 'karya' or 'effected', or 'pratyeya' i.e. 'inferred'. Actually no dārśanika terminology is perfect enough for its being applied to this fact and process of rasa. It is for this that 'rasa' is termed to be 'a-laukika' i.e. 'extra-worldly'.
Viśvanatha then proceeds to explain the secret of the word "sthāyin" as read in this sutra. He says that in the expression "ratyādiḥ sthayibhāvaḥ", the term "sthāyibhāvaḥ" is already covered up by the mention of "ratyādiḥ", but it is separately mentioned precisely to bring home the fact that 'ratyadi', which are 'sthayin's in one context may become vyabhicārins in another context also. We know that Abhinavagupta had noted this fact while discussing the śānta-rasa in his A.bh. The substance is that whatever attains to the position of rasa is only to be taken as 'sthāyin'. - "atra ca ratyā"di-padópādānād eva prāpte sthāyitve, punaḥ sthāyi-padópādānam ratyā"dīnām api rasantareṣv a-sthāyitva-pratipādanā'rtham." (vṛtti, S.D. III. i., pp. 71, ibid)
V. then proceeds to observe (pp. 71, ibid): "asya svarupa-kathana-garbha āsvādana-prakāraḥ kathyate." i.e. The mode of enjoyment, which is having the narration of its nature inherent in it, is being stated." The Laxmi țikā explains (pp. 71, ibid) - "svarūpa-kathanam garbhe yasya saḥ, āsvada-prakāraḥ anubhavā"kāraḥ āsvada-prakāra ity aupacārikaḥ prayogaḥ, āsvādā'bhinnatvāt."
Viśvanatha observes (S.D. III. 2, 3, pp. 71, ibid)
"sattvódrekad a-khanda svaprakāśānanda-cinmayaḥ, vedyántara-sparśa-śūnyo
brahmā"svāda-sahodaraḥ - 2 lokóttara-camatkāra-prāṇaḥ
kaiścit pramātṛbhiḥ
svä"käravad abhinnatvena
ayam āsvādyate rasaḥ." - 3
Rasa is relished as non-different from one's own self, according to some connoisseurs. It has extra-worldly supreme delight - camatkāra as its life breath. It is akin to the taste of Brahman the supreme spirit. When it is being tasted, the consciousness concerning other worldly objects evaporates for the time being. On account of the exuberance of 'sattva', rasa, of the form of consciousness, supreme
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