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Rasa-nispatti-vicāra in Abhinavagupta
1493 Abhinavagupta-Mammata got currency and was firmly established in Indian art criticism in general and dramatic or literary criticism in particular. We will try to examine these views in the light of mainly Abhinavagupta in a balanced, unbiased and critical way.
The process of rasa-realisation as reflected in Bharata's rasa-sūtra was explained by various commentators whose views, either in brief or at length are presented in the Abhinavabhārati. We have no quarrel in believing that the sequence as maintained in the Abh. of these views also reflects the date of these authors. Thus, perhaps Bhatta Lollata comes first as his views are presented at the head of all else, in the Abh.
Bhatta Lollata's views are given in the Abh. on pp. 266, NS. vol. I. G.O.S. 4th Edn., '92. Prof. K. Krishnamoorthy. The substance of Lollata's observations on the famous rasa-sūtra of Bharata, can be explained as follows; - but before we peoceed with the same, it may be noted that the various views on rasa-nispatti differ on the interpretation of two key words in the sūtra, viz. 'samyoga' and ‘nispatti'. Ācāryas differ in explaining how the combination-samyoga-of vibhāvā”dis takes place, and how the birth or nispatti of rasa follows. Bhatta Lollata seems to present the following explanation which most of the critical observers name as ‘utpatti-vāda' but what we have chosen to term "utpatti-upaciti-vāda" forreasons we will explain in due course.
Lollata observes that the term 'samyoga' or combination appearing in the rasasūtra should mean a combination of the vibhāvā"di-s mentioned in the sūtra with "stāyin”, a term not mentioned by Bharata, but as Lollata wants us to believe, should be added in the rasa-sūtra. This combination of vibhāvā"di-s with sthāyin makes for the ‘nispatti' i.e. birth, "utpatti”of rasa, according to Lollata. : "vibhāvā”dibhiḥ samyago’rthāt sthāyinas tato rasa-nispattiḥ. (pp. 266, ibid); He further observes that 'nispatti' or 'birth' has to be understood in the following way. 'Nispatti' consists of three elements. First comes 'utpatti' i.e. the vibhāva-s are the cause of the citta-vștti in form of the basic emotion of sthāyin. : “tatra vibhavs’ cittavṛtteḥ sthāyyātmikāyā utpattau kāraṇam.” (pp. 266, ibid) : “More precisely, the determinants are the cause of the birth of the feeling, which constitutes the permanent state of mind.” (Trans. Gnoli, pp. 25, (“The Aesthetic Experience According to Abhinavagupta”- second Edn., Chowkhamba Sanskrit series office, Varanasi, 1968). How anubhāva-s and vyabhicārin-s combine with the sthāyin is
explicitly explained by Mammata who observes that anubhāva-s make for the • (inferred) apprehension of the sthāyin and the vyabhicārin-s stand to support the
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