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The Sanskrit interaction in ihe literary style. .
was aware of the conventions and traditions that existed in the Sanskrit literature of his time, and in laying down the rules for literary composition in Tamil, he had not only the vast collection of Tamil works but also an equally good knowledge of the Sanskrit traditions which existed before his time.
The eight meyppatus (the manifest physical expressions of emotion) mentioned by Tolkāppiyar, nakai (laughter), alukai (sorrow), ilivaral (disgust), marutkai (surprise), accam (fear), perumitam (bravery), vekuli (anger), and uvakai (happiness) are the equivalent of the sthāyibhāvas (dominant states) hāsa (laughter), soka (sorrow), jugupsā (disgust), vismaya (surprise), bhaya (fear), utsāha (bravery), krodha (anger) and rati (love) mentioned in the Natyaśāstra. Sthāyibhāvas are the permanent emotions that are manifested in the mind. According to the Nātyaśāstra these sthāyi. bhāvas, rati, hasa, śoka, krodha, utsāha, bhaya, jugupsā, and vismaya develop into the respective rasas, šļrgāra (erotic), hāsya (comic), karuņa (pathetic), raudra (furious), vira (heroic), bhayānaka (terrible), bibhatsa (disgust) and adbhuta (marvellous), when they are united with the other bhāvas (states), vibhāvas (determinants), anubhāvas (consequents), and vyabhicaribhāvas (transitory states). 4 Vibhavas are of two kinds : the ālambana and the uddipana. Alambana vibhāva is the character towards whom the emotion is manifested and the uddipana vibhāvas are the external factors such as spring season, unguents, moonlight etc. which help in manifesting the emotion. Anubhāvas are the physical actions which are expressed through sweet words, side-glances etc. These vibhāvas and anubhāvas are not exhaustively enumerated by Bharata, as they can be of any number. But while discussing each rasa he explains it by showing the possible vibhāvas and anubhāvas. There are thirty three vyabhicāribhavas (transitory states) which also help in developing the dominant state into rasa. Besides these vibhāvas and anubhāvas and vyabhicāribhāvas, Bharata also mentions eight sättvikabhāvas (temperamental states) stambha (paralysis), sveda (perspiration), romāñca (horripilation), svarasada (change of voice), vepathu (trembling), vaivarnya (change of colour), aśru (tears) and pralaya (fainting), which are manifested due to the mental change taking place.
The production of rasa (rasanispattih) is not discussed by Tolkāppiyar though the commentator Peraciriyar deals with it in his commentary. As the date of Perāciriyar cannot be earlier than the tenth century A.D.8 his theories in many ways could have been influenced by the later Sanskrit theories of poetics. Tolkappiyar divides each meyppāțu into four kinds and most of these divisions seem to be made on the basis of his knowledge of the respective vibhāvas (determinants) given by Bharata to each 1 Scholars differ about the date of the Tolkāppiyam. S. Vaiyapurippillai fixes its date as 600
700 A.D. S. Vaiyapuri pillai, Kaviyakalam, op. cit., p. 261. 2 Tolkappiym, Por., Mey., cut. 251. 3 Natyasástra, vi, 17. 4 Natya'sāstra, vi, 31. 5 A. Chidambaranatha Cottiyar, Advanced Studies in Tamit Prosody, p. 12. 6 Tolkāppiyam, Por., Mey., cuts. 247-255.
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