Some Aspects of Rasa Theory

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

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SOME ASPECTS OF THE RASA THEORY
describing Abhinavagupta as a champion of alaukikatāvāda, an autonomist in the popular and wider sense of that word. To call Abhinavagupta an autonomist in the restricted sense in which Kant uses the term, would be a highly misleading and inexcusable error.
Finally, it would be better to coin a new appropriate term (other than autonomy) in English to express Abhinavagupta's concept of alaukikatva and a new suitable term (other than alaukikatva) in modern Indian languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi etc. to express Kant's concept of autonomy. If this suggestion is followed a lot of confusion in the minds of scholars reading books on Abhinavagupta and his alaukikatva in English and modern Indian languages would be avoided.
Although Bhatta Tauta criticises Sankuka's analogy of citra-turagapratiti' and although it is traditionally believed that the view of the guru is also the view of his sisya, Abhinavagupta's own statements indisputably prove that he is one with Sankuka in accepting alaukika or the unique mode of perception involved in aesthetic experience- citra-turaga-pratiti.
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