________________
Rasa-nispatti-vicāra in Abhinavagupta
1579 deserves to be very much there for even the taste of any other rasa is ultimately a vigalita-vedyāntara-anubhūti. So, the other rasas, the eight i.e. śrngära and the rest get their names from the variety of vibhāvādi-s seen in them, the highest goal being carvanā-viśrānti. It is because of this that Abhinavagupta argues in favour of Sānta', which again is a name, only a name, for the mahā rasa, the 'rasa' of 'rasas'. which unites all art. The famous verses from the Nā-Sā. make this point clear, But before we quote the same, it may be noted that Bhoja, later than Abhinavagupta also underlined the basis one-ness of rasa, when he equated rasa with "abhimana, ahamkara, Srngära." The Nā-Sä. (pp. 328, 329, vol.I. G.O.S. '92. K. Kris.) verses read as :
“bhāvā vikārā ratyā”dyāḥ śāntas tu, prakrtir mathaḥ, vikāraḥ prakrter jātaḥ punas tatraiva līyate." svam svam nimittam āsādya śāntād bhāvaḥ pravartate, punar nimittápāye ca
śānta evópaliyate." It may be noted that even the so-called śānta-rasa which as Bharata says, is
“moksádhyātma-samutthas tattva-jñānártha-hetu-samyuktaḥ, naiḥśreyasopadistaḥ
śānta-raso nāma sambhavati.” -could be taken as just one more type of aesthetic experience adding the other eight varieties arrived at in the name of śrngāra, hāsya, karuna, etc. Experts in aesthetics have debated the position of this particular rasa. Some reject it, while others accept it only with reference to poetry i.e. literature and not drama proper. Be it as it is, but nobody has denied the fact of rasánubhūti in case of any art,dance, music, poetry, drama, painting, architeeture, sculpture, or any. So, it seems that Bharata has also perhaps used the name 'Santa' for both of these;one for the sānta-rasa which is ‘mokşádhyātma-samuttha etc. and for establishing which even in the context of drama Abhinavagupta has taken great care in the A.bh. on this portion, and the other, the Sānta, which is the mahā-rasa, or the basic 'rasa'
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
