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
sthāyī eva rasaḥ. We will try to see how a majority of the aesthetes held this view but were perhaps outnumbered by Abhinava and his friends.
We will begin with Bharata, whose Nāțyaśāstra (NS) (second edn. G. O. S. 56) is perhaps the oldest available document on Indian aesthetics. Bharata wants the dramatic performance to represent life in its varied colours, reflecting the activity of the whole mankind in its various moods. He says:
Natya is supposed to be rooted in dharma, i. e. it imparts instruction concerning one's duty, is covetable, is accompained by the means for attaining the four goals of human life in a direct way, throws light on all the activities of people for future generations. It is rich with the essence of all the śāstras, promotes all arts. I will define the nature and scope of the fifth Veda called nātya. (NS. I, 14, 15).2
The first performance presented an imitation, in which the demons were shown to be defeated by the gods.3 This presentation was full of the din and bustle, of life4 causing jubilation for the gods and a sense of insult and injury in the camp of the asurass. It was thought advisable to appease the demons, who felt sore over the presentation and took it as an insult. The creator of nāțya-veda or dramatic art tried to pacify them in soft words explaining how his art-creation tried to reflect the auspicious and the inauspicious alike in the case of both the gods as well as the demons, and that it followed the pattern of activity and intention on their part: I have created Natyaveda which depicts the good or bad fortunes of (both) the gods as well as you (Asuras) and it follows the patterns of one's activity, intention or feeling and lineage. It does not exhibit exclusively either your or the gods' (behaviour). It represents the behaviour and states of all the three worlds. (NS. I, 106, 107):..
2. धर्म्यमये यशस्यं च सोपदेश्यं ससङ्ग्रहम् । भविष्यतश्च लोकस्य सर्वकर्मानुदर्शकम् ।
ना. शा. (१-१४, पृ. १३). सर्वशास्त्रार्थसम्पन्नं सर्वशिल्पप्रवर्तकम् । नाटयाख्यं पञ्चमं वेदं सेतिहासं करोम्यहम् ॥
(१-१५, पृ. १३) 3. तदन्तेऽनुकृतिबद्धा यथा दैत्याः सुरैर्जिताः॥
___ ना. शा. (१. ५७ ब, पृ. २६). 4. सम्फेटविद्रवकृता च्छेद्यमेद्याहवात्मिका ।
___ ना. शा. (१.५८ अ, पृ. २६) 5. अभवन्क्षुभिताः सर्वे दैत्या ये तत्र सङ्गताः॥
ना. शा. (१. ६४ ब, पृ. २८) 6. प्रत्यादेशोऽयमस्माकं मुरार्थ भवता कृतः॥
ना. शा. (१. १०३ ब, पृ. ३३) 7. भवतां देवतानां च शुभाशुभविकल्पकः । कर्मभावान्वयापेक्षी नाटयवेदो मया कृतः ॥
ना. शा. (१. १०६, पृ. ३५) नैकान्ततोऽत्र भवतां देवानां चानुभावनम् । त्रैलोक्यस्यास्य सर्वस्य नाटयं भावानुकीर्तनम् ॥
ना. शा. (१. १०७, पृ. ३५).