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Studies in Indian Philosophy That is why they restrict their discussion of art to the third stage, which in one sense is not an effect of any ealier stage. This explains why Bhațțanāyaka and Abhinavagupta think that Rasa, which they place in this third stage, is not created, nor is it experienced : " Raso na pratlyate; na utpasyate; na abhivyajyate."93 On account of this peculiar point of view, the problem of how to transform the first stage into the second, or the mental content into object-which in a sense is a real problem of all arts, and much more so in the case of nāļya -does not arise for Abhinavgupta. The same idea has been already indicated by Kālidāsa also when he says in his Mālavikāgnimitra :
Traigunyodbhavamātralokacaritam nānārasaṁ dịśyate Nāļyam bhinnarucerjanasya bahudhāpyekam samarādnanam.
(pp. 27-28 preface to N.S. G.O S. II Eou.) This, however, was the problem which Bharata definitely faced and which he tried to solve in Nāțyaśāstra.
Bharata points out : “Ekonapañcāśat ime yathāvat bhāvāh tryavasthāh gaditā mayā vah”. 24 And again, “Evam rasāśca bhāvāśca tryavasthāh nāļake smrtāḥ". 25 The significance of the word 'tryavastha' does not seem to have been noticed by any commentator. Even Abhinavagupta26 does not comment on it and in several editions of Nātyaśāstra the word is replaced by another word 'vyavastha'. But the word 'tryavastha' is a key word for the understanding of Bharata's theory. Bharata is pointing out that Bhāvās or Rasas have three stages or three transformations. But for these transformations, Rasa and Bhāva—a term that will be discussed later-would be identical. What are these three stages ? What is it that Bharata wants to convey by the expression Tryavastha'? As has been point ed out above, Bharata is here referring to three different stages in the theory of Nāțya. The theory, however, will hold good for any art or for that matter for language.27 Let me try to explain it further.
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