Sambodhi 1984 Vol 13 and 14

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, Ramesh S Betai, Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 135

139
V. M. Kulkarani
fakti-kausala : "That mysterious delight is seen to result from tliese (repugnant and) painful rasas is due to the poet's creative imagination and the actors' skill or proficiency in acting or the dramatic representation (due to the excellence of the art of either the dramatist or of the actors.)" 24 As these authors have made free use of Abhinavabharati in writing Nafyadarpana probably they have been influenced by the two passages from Abhinavabharati cited in foot-notes (No. 22 and No. 23) above.
Visvanātha who, as a rule, follows Abhinavagupta depends on him for this point too: "In the actual world the rule holds that from worldly causes of joy, sorrow, etc., worldly joy, sorrow, etc., respectively are produced. But in the world of poetry and drama, which is alaukika (transcendental, non-worldly) joy alone is produced from the vibhāvas, etc., which are alaukika.
Jagannatha too who also is a follower of Abhinavagupta asserts that the dower of suggestion (vyañjana) plays a unique role in creative literature. Such is the power of the lokottara (i.e., alaukika) poetic function of vyaitjana that even things like sorrow, altough unwelcome in themselves when portrayed in creative literature produce extraordinary joy or delight. The sweet relish raising from this vyanjana-vyāpara is altogether different from the joyful experience produced by any other pramana (proof, like perception, inference, etc.). 25
It is indeed extra-ordinary that none of the post-Abhinavgupta alankarikas (literary critics) noticed the glaring contradiction between the two following statements made by Abhinavagupta in his Locana. In the course of his exposition of the relish or enjoyment (bhoga) of rasa Bhatta Nayaka observes that it approximates the relish or enjoyment of the Highest Brahman- Abhinavgupta commenting on this statement says; "We admit with him that aesthetic enjoyment (rasāsvāda) is similar to the relish or enjoyment of bliss of the Highest Brahman.26 But commenting on his own verse "ya vyāpāravati rasan rasayitum..." he says:
"The happiness which results from the knowledge of both seen and unseen objects which are ascertained, by all the means of cognition or
ven that extra-worldly joy wltich consists in enjoying an aesthetic experience - to both of these, the bliss that follows from full repose in God is far superior; and that aesthetic repture is only an appearance of a particle or reflection of a drop or fraction of that bliss. But ordinary worldly pleasure is almost inferior to even that aesthetic pleasureccab use it is not without plenty of pain or misery."27