________________
Rasu and its Pleasurable Nature
125
or full repose. It is for this reason alone that the Sanklyas who explain pain or sorrow as a property of rajas declare that restlessness is the very essence of pain or sorrow. All the rasas thus cousist essentia:ly in transcendental delight.13 But some of them, on account of the Vibhāvas, etc., by which they are coloured are affected by a ccitain touch of bitterness, 14
When explaining Bharata's comparison of rasa (sentiment) with anna (food) and of the aesthetic process with testing, Abhinavagupta elucidate's the phrase Harşādims (Cadhigacchanti) with reference to (i) gourmets to mean that they attain pieasure (and adi includes) satisfaction, nourishment, strength and good health and with reference to (ii) sensitive spectators to mean that they attain pleasure, and the word adi includes) proficiency in the four goals of human life, viz, dharma, artha, kama and moksa, and the fine arts. He then quotes the view of earlier writers (anye tu): "Others however think that the word ädi etc., in the above phrase includes sorrow and the like. But this inclusion (sangraha) is not proper. For drama produces pleasure and pleasure (alone) ("Harşaika phalam natyam') in the sensitive spectators and not sorrow, etc., (other similar painful feelings). Thinking that there is no good or valid reason to believe that drama produces sorrow and that they would be required to l'efute the view that sorrow is the purpose of drama these writers read : harsamscadhigacchanti (i.e. they attain pleasures). 15
Abhinavagupta does not record either his approval or disapprova! of this vicw. But this view does not, it would seem, differ from Abhina. vagupta's own view often expressed in his two commentaries- Abhinava bhārati and Dhvanyalokalocana He, for instance, remarks in his Locana: "Although knowledge (instruction in the four ends of human life and the fine arts) and pleasure for the reader are both present, pleasure is the chief purpose of Kavya (poetry, creative literature)... Even of instruction in the four ends of human life, joy or delight (ānanda) is the final and chief purpose or result or reward.”19 Again, "Rasa has for its essence pleasure and rasa alone is drama. ... This is what our respected teacher says. Nor are pleasure and moral instruction really different from one another, for they both have the same cause (ekavişayatvat).17
Visvanātha discusses this problem of Karuna etc. being pleasurable in Iris Sahitya-darpana (Chapter III. 4-8) :
He declares that rasa is made of pleasure or joy and that it is brahmäsvād 1-sahodara (akin to the enjoyment of Brahman, characterised by sat, cit and ananda).
