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Rasa-nişpatti-vicāra in Abhinavagupta
1589 and newer forms of absurd drama can be covered under vastu-dhvani and even alamkāra-dhvani which takes care of the faculty of imagination, or fancy of a poet, running riot. The Indian theory of art, the theory of rasánubhūti with reference to the literary or dramatic art, or any fine art, does not end only in the suggestion of emotive stuff only. It is both a visa and a passport for the enjoyer's adventure for 'a journey within.' Thus rasanubhūti or art-experience in the view of the Indian ArtCritics does not end in the explanation of eight or nine principal sentiments. It is not a key to sentimental literature alone. The art-experience takes care of the enjoyer's total personality and is 'pari-passi' with the presentation of a piece of art. It is relished in the fashion of a beverage; as it were it flashes forth before the mental eye of a cultivated enjoyer; as it were it enters the heart and moves the soul; as it were it takes the whole of the enjoyer's self, his sensitivity and his intelligence, in its close embrace; as it were it removes consciousness of anytning but itself,- a 'vigalita-vedyāntara-anubhava'-so to say. as if it makes you taste the supreme bliss of Brahman or Divine consciousness and gets the enjoyer wedded with extra ordinary joy, i.e. bliss.
Thus no question of its non-applicability to such modern plays as Mother Courage or any abstract poetry ever arises. Any newer and newer form of art attempted either by a poet, or a dramatist, or a musician, or a painter, or a dancer falls within the range of this theory of beauty advanced by Indian art-Critics. In any newer form attempted by modern artists, when there is this total effect, when there is this total trasformation of the small and individual into the vast and the divine, it is 'rasanubhūti' in the real sense as understood by the ancients. In short, this theory of art sets itself to explain an experience, involving the total personality of the enjover, including the intellectnal: it is a take off from the earth and landing into the Divine: it is a flight from the region of the earth earthy to the region of 'the air airy: it is a growing of the corporeal 'T' into the cosmic-consciousness “I”. It is sinking, mixing, melting, merging and becoming one with the Divine. This is the real secret of art-experience as explained by the ancients and surely it can meet any challenge paused by any newer experiment in the field of literary art or dramatic art, or art in general. True art-criticism lies in explaining the gross and the limited in terms of the spiritnal and unlimited, the local into the eternal, the ugly into the beautiful. Indian art-theory attempts this "pratyabhijñā” of Jiva' as "Śiva", of the small into the limitless: it explains the artist's 'sādhana' or concentrated effort, or discipline of knowing or recognising the Divine in form of the beautiful: the Heighest as "satyam" or pure-existence. 'sivam' or pure
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