Assignment Paper No 109 Indian Aesthetics

 

Bharatmuni and his Natyashastra

Bharatmuni was an ancient Indian theatrologist and musicologist. He wrote the “Natyashastra”, a theoretical treatise on ancient Indian dramaturgy and histrionics especially Sanskrit theatre. He was consider as the father of Indian theatrical art forms.

The tradition considers the Natyashastra as an additional Veda. A version of the Natyashastra had been in existence before the 3rd century. The Natyashastra is a compendium of performed arts such as drama, music, dance. The Natyashastra was used through the fifteen hundred years of Sanskrit literary thought as the bedrock of literary theory.

Bharatmuni was maker of Rasa theory. It is necessary to remind ourselves that the Natyashastra is not devoted solely to the exposition of Rasa theory. Rasa theory is only a fragment of the entire compendium.

The Natya

As per description of Bharatmuni, The Natya is depiction and communication pertaining to the emotions of the entire triple world, occasionally piety, occasionally sport, occasionally wealth, occasionally peace of mind, occasionally laughter, occasionally fighting, occasionally sexual passion, occasionally slaughter, the pious behavior of those who practice religion, the passion of those who indulge in sexual pleasure, the repression of those who go by a wicked path, the act of self-restraint of those who are disciplined, creating boldness among those who are impotent, enthusiasm among those who consider themselves brave, comprehension among those who lack understanding, as also wisdom among the learned, graceful pleasure for those who wield power, steadiness and comfort for such as are afflicted with pain and misery, the ways of earning wealth for those who live by money, courage for those whose mind of emotions, built on the stuff of many stages and situations and imitating the conduct of the world, that is what this Natya is which I have produced.

Natya is based on actions and it will produce wholesome instruction, create courage, pastime, entertainment and pleasure. The Natya Bharatmuni says that, I assure you, will be an imitative presentation of all the seven islands. In fact the nature and behaviors of the world, intimately connected with happiness and misery, as rendered by physical and other forms of acting is to be called Natya.

Rasa Theory

In English Rasa is known as the rhetorical sentiments. There is eight rhetorical sentiments recognized in drama and dramatic representation are named as follows…

1) Erotic (Shringar)

2) Comic (Hasya)

3) Pathetic (Karun)

4) Furious (Raudra)

5) Heroic (Veer)

6) Terrible (Bhayanak)

7) Odious (Bibhatsa)

8) Marvelous (Adbhut)

The term Rasa has twofold significance: it means the ‘aesthetic content’ of literary art and also ‘aesthetic relish’ which reader or spectator enjoys. No literary impart can ever proceed without rhetorical sentiments and aesthetic relish. Rasas arise from a proper combination of the stimulants (Vibhav), the physical consequents (Anubhav), and the transient emotional states (Vyabhichari bhav). Throygh this aesthetic flavor and relish are produced.

These various emotional states reach the abiding mental conditions, the latter attain the quality of rhetorical sentiments, or become aesthetically relishable. Now one may ask that why it is called Rasa? We can answer it as, because it is capable of being tasted or relished.

There is interconnection between Bhava and Rasa. One may have question that weather emotional states turned out from the rhetorical sentiments or rhetorical sentiments turned out from the emotional states? We can answer it like as the combination of food spices and vegetables lends the cooked food a distinct relishable taste, in the same way the emotional states and sentiments leas each to the distinct level of an experiences.

As from a seed a tree grows and from the tree, flowers and fruits so all the sentiments stands as the root, the emotional states have their settled position for the sake of the sentiments.

The origin of all other sentiments are the four basic sentiments, Erotic, Furious, Heroic, and Odious. The Comic sentiment becomes possible from the Erotic, the Pathetic from the Furious, the Marvelous from the Heroic and the Terrible from the Odious.

Now lets have a look at all Rasas, their colors, their deities and what they represents.

1) The Erotic or Shringar Rasa, this rhetorical sentiment represent the beauty and love. The color of this is light green and the deity of this is Vishnu.

2) The Comic or Hasya Rasa, this sentiment represents happiness. The color of this is white and the deity of this is Pramatha.

3) The Pathetic or Karun Rasa, this Rasa represents sadness, pity or grief. The color of this is grey and the deity of this is Yama.

4) The furious or Raudra Rasa, this represents the anger. The color of this is red and the deity of this is Rudra.

5) The Heroic or Veer Rasa, this represents the courage, bravery or pride. The color of this is yellow-red. The deity of this Rasa is Mahendra.

6) The Terrible or Bhayanak Rasa, this sentiment represents the horror or terror. The color of this sentiment is black and the deity of this is Kala.

7) The Odious or Bibhatsa Rasa, this represents the disgust and aversion. The color of this is blue and the deity of this is Mahakal.

8) The Marvelous or Adbhut Rasa, this sentiment represents the mystery or curiosity. The color of this sentiment is yellow and the deity of this is Brahma.

The relation between emotional states and rhetorical sentiments. Now the matter of emotional states, the stable or permanent mental states (Sthayibhava) are eight like, love, laughter, sorrow, anger, energy, fear, disgust, and astonishment, and the transitory states (Vyabhicharibhava) are thirty two. There is a further separate group of eight psycho-physical states. These fortynine emotional states should thus be recognized as the casual factors for the artistic revelation of the poetic content, from these arise the Rasas by the quality of universality.

Like the men who become subordinate to the human being who occupies the position of a matter commanding them the other emotional states take the shelter of the permanent states by being subordinate to them and on account of their excellence the permanent states attain the status of Rasa. The transitory emotional states become their retinue.

At last Bharatmuni talked about the spectator, that, who can regarded as spectator and who is the ideal spectator. In answer of that he describe his views as below.

He says, a person who can watch the dramatic performance with all his senses undistracted, is pure and honest, is expert in judging the pros and cons, who can ignore a fault, and lovingly appreciate merit is to be regarded as a spectator in the dramatic performance.

 In answer of second question he says, one who experiences delight when he sees the delightful, experiences sorrow when pathetic things are presented, anger in the presentation of anger, fear in fear, such a person is to be known as the ideal spectator.

At last he says, thus, a person who is able to entre in the particular imitation of an emotional state, and is endowed with these qualities is to be known as a spectator of that particular presentation.

Conclusion

So, this is all about Bharatmuni, his Natyashastra and Rasa theory. In Rasa theory now there is nine rhetorical sentiments. May be this one added later as Bharatmuni only talk about the described eight Rasa and the ninth one is Shanta Rasa or Relaxation which represents the peace and state of mind. Normally this last Rasa can not be experienced because may be everyone’s mind is super busy in many things, in peaceful nature also the mind never stops working so this may be not experienced often as other sentiments are experienced.

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