________________
Rasa-nispatti-vicāra in Mammata and Jagannatha
1625
If it is the question of simply importing the philosophic process in this sphere also, why, even a glutton can talk of the Asvāda which is Brahmā"svāda-sabrahmacārin, and which is produced by a unique well-proportioned mixture of different ingredients in a delicious dish ! Therefore, in the absence of such, strong authority like Upanişads, acceptable at least to one section of people, all the above procedure appears to be over burdening on otherwise simple theory of aesthetic enjoyment. It may be a peculiar pleasure, but its peculiarity does not warrant accepting all this procedure.
If the ālamkārikas are so particular, they can accept the whole procedure, even if the Rasapratiti is accepted only as a bhrānti-jñāna rather as a result of Bhrānti-jñāna, because according to the Vedāntins, the whole process, leading to Brahmajñāna is only mithyā. Why, even Brahmākāra-Vrtti is Mithyā for them. As explained by Sankara-bhagavat-pāda (“kathantv asyatyena vedāntaväkyena satyasya brahmātmatvasya pratipattir utpadyate; na hi rajju-sarpena dasto mriyate... naisa dosah. sanka-visādi-nimitta-marana"di-kāryo-palabdheh; Bra. Sū. Śā. Bhā. pp. 458), Vācaspati-Miśra (śravaņādy upāyaḥ ātmasāksātkāra-paryantah, Vedānta-samuttho'pi jñāna-nicayo-satyaḥ. So'pi hi vrttirūpah kāryatayā nirodha-dharmā; Bhāmatī, pp. 458), and Vivaranakāra ("nanu brahmajñānasyā'py yadi tâvat svarūpa-mithyātvam-ucyate, angīkstam eva tat. artha-visaya-mithyātvam na. brahmani bādhā'bhāvāt.” - Pañca-pădikāvivarana, Part I., pp. 441) a real result may be achieved even through an unreal means. Thus there should be no objection in a Bhränti-rūparasā"svāda leading to, nay, being identical with Ananda'nubhava.
Moreover, it is, against the common experience to accept that the Asvada of every Rasa is a source of only pleasure. Many of the rhetoritians having once declared the Rasā”svāda as Brahmananda-sa-brahmacārin, strive hard to explain that even in such cases like śoka, the Sāmājika gets pleasure only as in case of nakha-kşata etc. But all such explanations are against our general experiences, because in Karuna, etc., we get a peculiar feeling of sadness rather than pleasure; and peculiarity can not be a proof to establish that it is only Ananda. Even Abhinavagupta declares, in unambiguous terms that in almost all the Rasas, there is a mixture of both Sukha and Duhkha, with only some difference of degrees.
[It may be noted that we do not agree with Sri Ramachandrudu's conclusions. We have explained the secret of rasanubhūti or art-experience
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
