Name : Nidhi P. Jethava
Paper : Literary Theory & Criticism & Indian Aesthetics
Roll No. : 13
Enrollment Number : 306920200009
Email ID : jethavanidhi8@gmail.com
Batch : 20-22( MA SEM- 2 )
Submitted to : S. B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja KrishnaKumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Q. Compare Rasa theory as the unbreakable part of Indian Aesthetics .
Answer:
Introduction :-
From the critical thinking point of view one cannot put aside the immense value of Sanskrit literature which has provided the most dominant views on literary criticism. From the ancient time of Bharata to the present time, a lot many books have been written in Sanskrit explaining the nature of literature i.e. aesthetics delight.
While discussing the topic of Indian Aesthetics how can we forget the Rasa theory of Bharat moni. So let's discuss the Rasa theory by Bharata muni.
Rasa Theory:-
Rasa, (Sanskrit: “essence,” “taste,” or “flavour,” literally “sap” or “juice”) Indian concept of aesthetic flavour, an essential element of any work of visual, literary, or performing art that can only be suggested, not described. It is a kind of contemplative abstraction in which the inwardness of human feelings suffuses the surrounding world of embodied forms.
While aesthetic delight is concerned, it was Bharatamuni, who in his most wonderful treatise ‘ NATYASHASTRA’ has established the theory of the RASA, which has been called a founder of the RASA School.
Basically speaking, RASA theory was an attempt to learn the emotional effect of drama i.e. the nature of enjoyment experienced by the spectators. The basic purpose of RASA Theory was to find the aesthetic thoughts of any literary work.
Bharatamuni has given maxim for explaining more about the RASA theory, is that
“विभावानुभावव्यभिचारि संयोगाद्रसनिष्पत्तिः।”
It means the RASA is born out of the combination of Vibhava, Anubhava and Vyabhicharibhava.
In order to learn the mentioned statement, it would be better to learn the exact meaning of certain terminology.
They are :-
THE BHAVA :-
They are the element very much needed for the RASA anything. They directly appeal to the heart of the readers. They can produce RASA and they stand for emotions and hoods. They can be Sthayi, Vibhava, Anubhava, Vyabhichari and Satvik.
THE VIBHAVA :-
-Vibhava is the objective condition producing an emotion .
-Vibhava may be of two kind (i) ALAMBANA VIBHAVA (ii) UDDIPANA VIBHAVA
( i) ALAMBANA VIBHAVA :-
Alambana-Vibhava means a person or person with reference to whom the emotion is manifested.
(i) UDDIPANA VIBHAVA :-
Uddipana-Vibhava means the circumstances that have excited emotion.
EX. A man may feel attracted to a woman if the circumstances are cooperating with it. It is easier for a man to be attracted to a woman of young age if they are thrown alone and there is beautiful scenery before them, the moon peeping through the clouds, the fragrant breeze blowing, and the like. Any one of the circumstances may be regarded as Uddipana Vibhava, whereas both the man and woman are Alamabana-Vibhava to each other.
THE STHAYI BHAVA :-
They are in relation with the past experiences which are also known as the SAMSKARA or VASANA.
They are of nine kinds convinced by all human beings.
Rati ( love)
Utsaha (energy)
Jugupsa (disgust)
Krodha (anger)
Hasa (mirth)
Vismaya ( astonishment)
Bhaya ( fear)
Soka (sorrow )
Santa (serenity )
Sthayi Bhava is directly related with the structure of any work. When emotion aesthetically exists in the mind, this outcome is known as RASA.
ANUBHAVA :-
It means bodily expression by which the emotion is expressed. Thus the arch glances of a lady ,her inviting smile may be regarded as ANUBHAVA.
VYABHICHARI BHAVA :-
It means a series of diverse emotions that feed the dominant emotion.
There are thirty-three types if vyabhicāribhāva defined:
nirveda (discouragement),
glāni (weakness),
śaṅkā (apprehension),
śrama (weariness),
dainya (depression),
augray, ugratā (cruelty),
cintā (anxiety),
trāsa (fright),
īrṣyā (jealousy),
asūyā (envy),
amarṣa (indignation),
garva (arrogance),
smṛti (recollection),
maraṇa (death),
mada (intoxication),
supta (dreaming),
nidrā (sleaping),
vibodha (awakening),
vrīḍā (shame),
apasmāra (epilepsy),
moha (distraction),
mati (assurance),
alasatā (idleness),
ālasya (indolence),
āvega (agitation),
tarka (deliberation),
avahitthā (dissimulation),
vyādhi (sickness),
unmāda (insanity),
viṣāda (despair),
utsuka (restless/anxious),
autsukya (impatience),
capala (inconsiderate).
These are also known as sañcāribhāva (saṃcāribhāva) which was translated as ‘transitory emotion or mood’.
EX. A woman in love anxiously waiting at the rendezvous to meet her lover may feel disappointed that he is not coming , may be anxious that something might have happened with him, may be jealous that he might have been courted by another woman, may feel delight in remembering the sweet words that he had whispered into her ear, and so on.
Like Pictures in a cinematograph, emotions of diverse sorts may be passing in quick succession and may all at the same time be continuing the constitution of the same emotions.
When a young man falls in love with a young woman and his whole frame is shaken, we cannot speak of him as being the subject of srinagar rasa,or when his son is dead and he is crying in tears, we cannot speak of him as he is the Karuna rasa. Rasa is an emotion excited by artistic circumstances or situations.
The Natyasastra and Indian Cinema :
Bharata Muni(200B.C), the Indian performance theorist and philosopher, is credited with the formulation of the ultimate text of performing arts as well the rasa theory and is aptly celebrated as the father of Indian performative arts. Bharata(trans.1995) in Natyasastra has strongly argued that the ultimate sensation depends upon the emotion felt by the audience (as guided by the actor's performance). Bharata believes that the relevant representation of the durable psychological states acts a stimulus in evoking in the spectator a verisimilitude of other psychological states that is then known as a Sentiment or Rasa. The role of the eight rasas is quite central to Indian cinema and its structure. It not only works to drive the plot and accentuate the behaviour of the characters, its function is deeply engraved in the basic storyline. Taking up the example of Bollywood, in this paper I would try to argue that every aspect Indian cinema comprising the performance of the actors, the technique of acting, the music, sangeet, background score and even the emotions produced by the audience, is based on Rasa and the aesthetic principles of Natyasastra.
India cinema, since its conception, has relied on natyasastra for its skeletal structure in terms of both its theme and structure. Its domestic themes that circle around love and overpowering grief , the stereotypical roles of the chivalric hero and pristine heroines, the larger than life backgrounds, exquisite makeup and costumes and innumerable musical and dance sequences bear testimony to the aesthetic principles of this ancient text. Unlike Euro-American cinema, based on Konstantin Stanislavsky's acting methods, that emphasizes on 'becoming' the character, Indian cinema is completely based on conveying the emotion to spectator.
CRITICAL VIEWS ON RASA THEORY :-
The real discussion of RASA was started by Abhinavgupta in his commentary on Bharata’s maxim on RASA. The real point of discussion and diversity of opinion on the two words SAMYOGAHA and RASA-NISPATTIHI. Now, the question that puzzled the old ALAMKARA writers was this :
HOW CAN OUR DOMINANT EMOTIONS BE AROUSED BY AESTHETIC MEANS ?
There are few scholars who have explained the concept of RASA.
1. BHATT LOLLATA’S ‘UTPATIVADA’ :-
-Mammata, the follower of Abhinavagupta rejected BHATT LOLLATA’S views.
- LOLLATA’S view that RASA is related to the vibhavas in the relation of the producer and the producer as effect and cause.
-He says that the Vibhava are to be regarded as cause they must be regarded as the cause of agency or the efficient cause( NIMITTA-KARANA)
-but in the case of NIMITTA-KARANA, we know that an action may remain intact even when the efficient agent is destroyed.
-There cannot be ant RASA unless there is also the Vibhava and Anubhava.
-The Vibhava etc. cannot also be regarded as a communicative agent, for a communicative agent presupposes the existence of the thing to be communicated but RASA does not exist before.
-BHATTA LOLLATA cannot also explain the method as how the RASA produced in the player can infect the audience.
2. SAMKUKA’S ‘ ANUMITIVADA’ :-
-SAMKUKA believed that the maxim word ‘NISPATTIHI’ IS ‘ ANUMITI’ and ‘SAMYOGA’ words with reference to ‘ ANUPAYA-ANUMAPAKA’.
-According to SAMKUKA Vibhavas are ANUMAPAKA and Rasa is ANUMAPYA.
- SAMKUKA introduced the similitude of painting to explain the enlightenment of aesthetic emotion.
-He said that just as a painted horse can be said that it is not a horse and that it is a horse, so of an aesthetic experience we can say that it is both real and unreal.
3.BHATTA NAYAKA’S ‘BHUKTIVADA’ :-
-BHATTA NATAKA believes ‘Nispatti’ as ‘ Bhoga’ or ‘ Bhukti’.
-According to Bhatta Nayaka RASA is neither produced nor suggested or created by anything.
-He have three words to clarify RASA
(i) ABHIDHA
It is a commonly accepted power of literary or primary sense.
(ii) BHAVAKTVA
It is a feeling related to poetic language through which the Vibhava and others are grasped in a universal way.
(iii) BHOJAKATVA
The Sthayi Bhava is enjoyed without considering rajas and tamas in the mind of the spectators.
-The enlightenment of RASA is not the subject of ordinary psychology but of aesthetic psychology .
-BHATTA NAYAKA is short for BHAVKATVA and BHOJKATVA RASA and aesthetic experience cannot be explained.
4.ABHINAVAGUPTA'S ‘ ABHIVYAKTI VADA’ :-
-Of the point of view of Abhinavagupta ‘NISPATI’ means ‘Abhivyakti’ and ‘SAMYOGA’ means ‘Vyangya-vyanjaka’ relation, Abhinavagupta focuses more on intuition.
-The emotion is understood and intuited and when they are excited aesthetically, they become RASA. For RASA, it is necessary to have Sthayi Bhava.
- The Sthayi bhava stands dermant in the form of vasana. When the reader reads any Vibhavas, Anubhava and Sancharibhava, their latent impressions are evoked and developed to such a pitch that they are realised in their universal form devoid of personal or individual qualities. In this state the feelling are always pleasurable and are enjoyed in the form of RASA.
In short, mentioned scholars have explained various ways of evoking Rasa.
RASA VINGHNA/ OBSTACLES IN RASA REALIZATION:-
Anything that hinders the process of aesthetic realism is called and implealinent (RAS AVIGHNA) may be related to the following seven impediments which cause hindrance in uninterrupted aesthetics perception.
1.Inability to get the meaning :-
-It arises from the impossibility of the presented. It readers to the present. It refers to the lack of imagination on part of the poet in the presentation of an event which is not known to the spectators; or the lack of sahradhyalva on the part of the audience.
-In the absence of imagination, the poet cannot create a relishable poetic experience and the reader cannot perceive the same.
2 and 3. SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE LIMITATION OF TIME- PLACE.
-Sometimes the audience or the readers fail to attain that level of generalization which is necessary for aesthetic relish.
-This happens because they are unable to view the aesthetic situation objectively.
4. INFLUENCE OF PERSONAL JOYS AND SORROWS :-
-This kind of Vighna arises when the spectators or readers approach the work in such a state when his mind is already in his personal joy or sorrow.
-This preoccupied state of mind creates a barrier between him and the aesthetic experience.
5. LACK OF CLARITY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT STIMULUS :-
-The mind does not get result satisfaction if the knowledge is based on influenced or verbal symbols (UPMA) instead of direct experience and the experience of RASA depends on the clear cognition of determinants and Vibhava and Anubhava and the knowledge depends on direct experience.
-As such the lack of clarity in expression also proves to be a hindrance in the process of aesthetic appreciation.
6. SUBORDINATION OF THE PRINCIPLE :-
-The Sthayi Bhavas are of primary importance in the aesthetic perception. If they do not get the due importance, the secondary things may gain prominence.
-As result the reader’s attention is diverted and the aesthetic experience may be obstructed.
7. DUBIOUSNESS OF PRESENTATION :-
-The impediment arises with the determinants and the consequences are not combined in a proper way.
-The situation, mimetic changes and transient emotions, have no clear meaning in isolation from each other.
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-If they are taken up separately, they may cause great doubts in the minds of the spectators and cause RASH VIGHNA.
The Rationale Behind the Allotment of a Particular Color for a Particular Emotion by Bharata Muni.
A strong psychological and physiological rationale is manifested in Bharatha’s allotment of a particular color for a particular emotion. The developments that have taken place in the field of colorgenics stress the point that the body chemistry is responsive to certain colors. The different colors have specific frequencies affecting changes in the physical and mental constitution of human beings. The terms beautiful and pleasant play a dominant role in the appreciation of art and literature .The various factors that give emotional satisfaction to human beings come under the domain pleasant and it includes tastes, smells, sensations..Pleasure is a concomitant factor which accompanies the effect of beauty and hence it can be considered as one of the prime factors of aesthetic appreciation and colors play a dominant role in giving soothing emotional satisfaction and herein lies the significance of colors in art and literature. . As the red color is capable of pumping up and stimulating the nervous system, it is accepted as a vibrant stimulant and Bharatha with great psychological acumen has allotted it to a fiery dynamic emotion like ferocious or raudra. Yellow color which has the power of stimulating the nervous system and the intestines is associated with adbhuta rasa. As black color causes both mental and physical depression, Bharatha has allotted it to bhayanaka rasa. Gray, regarded as a neutral color, is the color of karuna rasa. Green color which balances and soothes the body functions and stimulates the pituitary gland is the color of shringara rasa and white is the color of mirth. Orange heralded as a social 36 color, is cheerful and luminous and vibrant is the color of vira rasa Blue which is regarded as the color of extreme polarities is the color of bibhatsa rasa.
Thank you...
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