Some Aspects of Rasa Theory

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

Page 53

ABHINAVAGUPTA ON THE ALAUKIKA NATURE OF RASA
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the second step-they have not deconceptualised art or aesthetic experience. So they cannot be called autonomist in the Kantian sense.
But leaving aside this restricted Kantian meaning of the term 'autonornist' and accepting the words 'autonomy' and 'autonomist' in their wider sense we can certainly say that Abhinavagupta and Anandavardhana, whom Abhinavagupta follows, are both full-fledged autonomists:
In his Dhvanyaloka Anandavardhana observes : “In the province of poetry (creative literature) obviously standards of truth and falsity have no relevance. Any attempt to find out or discover whether a poem (or any literary composition) is true or false by employing means of valid cognition leads to ridicule alone." Abhinavagupta comments on it : "Such a person will be ridiculed as follows: He is not sensitive to literature. He is not able or competent to appreciate aesthetic experience for his mind has become (truly) hard by his indulging in dry logic." 33
In the same work at another place Anandavardhana dwells upon the autonomy of a poet : "In the boundless world of poetry, the poet is the sole creator. As it pleases him to create a new world of his own, this real world is transformed. If the poet is pervaded by rasa then the whole world in his poem will be infused with rasa. But if he be devoid of emotion then the world too will become dry as dust.
A great or good poet, by virtue of his autonomy, at his sweet will causes even insentient objects to behave as if they were animate and animate objects to behave as if they were inanimate."34
Mammața, a staunch follower of Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta endorses this view of poet's autonomy, and consequently, that of the aesthetic experience in the opening verse of his Kavyaprakāśa :
"Supreme is the poet's speech which unfolds an altogether new creation, which is free from the laws of niyati (Destiny or nature), which consists of delight and delight alone, which is completely independent of anything else and which is charming on account of nine rasas."
So keeping in view the ancient tradition about the alaukika nature of poetic creation and Abhinavagupta's constant emphasis on the alaukika nature of rasa throughout his writings we are perfectly justified in
33. Vide footnote (29) supra. 34.38917 2764€ ATT Hata: alla:
यथास्मै रोचते विश्वं तथेदं परिवर्तते ॥ शुङ्गारी चेत् कविः काव्ये जातं रसमयं जगत् । स एव वीतरागश्चेन्नीरसं सर्वमेव तत् ॥ भावानचेतनानपि चेतनवचेतनानचेतनवत् । व्यवहारयति यथेष्टं सुकविः काव्ये स्वतन्त्रतया ॥
- Dhvanyaloka, p. 498