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Rasa is one of those words in Sanskrit whose precise significance is as indefinite as its usage is widespread. The word rasa, from the Vedic time through 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉 to the rhetorical period of Sanskrit literature, has been bearing different meanings, such as sap, juice from the plant, fluid, water, liquor, poison, semen, taste, essence, emotion and many more.

The fundamental base of Indian culture is deep rooted in its spirituality whose emphasis is more on the soul than the body. Therefore, the pleasure seeking consciousness of Indian mind from the age of the 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉 has been searching for transcendental happiness.

罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲 says,

膩nando brahmeti vyaj膩n膩t 膩nandadyeva khalvim膩ni 产丑奴迟腻苍颈 箩腻测补苍迟别/
膩nandena j膩t膩ni 箩墨惫补苍迟颈 腻苍补苍诲补峁� 辫谤补迟测补产丑颈蝉补峁僾颈艣补苍迟墨迟颈 // 鈥�raso vai sa岣� /^[1]

鈥淗别 understands that Bliss is Brahman; for certainly all beings here are, indeed, born from bliss; having been born, they remain alive by Bliss; and on departing, they enter into Bliss鈥�.and that is rasa.鈥�

The seers of ancient India thus recognized the blissful eternal entity in the realization of rasa. The pleasure is derived from the realization of rasa which springs from ultimate feelings of the Supreme Being. Thus, rasa has been compared with this divine or the ultimate Bliss and terms like 产谤补丑尘腻艣惫腻诲补蝉补丑辞诲补谤补 entered in the field of rhetoric for the signification of rasa.^[2]

In the history of Sanskrit poetics the concept of rasa has given rise to a lot of controversy. Bharata is said to be the pioneer rhetorician and person who talked about rasa for the first time in the field of rhetoric, as no other work prior to Bharata is existed. In the 碍腻惫测补尘墨尘腻峁僺腻 of 搁腻箩补艣别办丑补谤补, Nand墨ke艣vara is ascribed as the compiler of rasa.^[3] But any composition or fragments of this work is not available at present. Though, Bharata is said to be the pioneer, 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补 itself mentioned some names of aesthetics which refers that the tradition is far more ancient then Bharata.

Bharata served to compile the meaning of the multifaceted word in a single sentence,

rasyate anena iti 谤补蝉补岣�

鈥淭hat which is relished is rasa.鈥�^[4]

Thus, we practice this word in association with the palate, or the transcendental experience of the saint the delight afforded by art and so on, and in all these, the word indicates the pleasure that each class of people receive from their respective experience.

The importance of rasa was very much felt by the ancient aestheticians as most of them regarded rasa as the soul of poetry. 搁耻诲谤补峁璦 felt rasa as the indispensable object of 办腻惫测补. He further said that bereft of rasa, a composition may become soulless and unappealing.^[5] This is also supported by the Dhvanik膩ra 膧苍补苍诲补惫补谤诲丑补苍补 in his 顿丑惫补苍测腻濒辞办补.^[6]

痴颈艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 碍补惫颈谤腻箩补, the composer of 厂腻丑颈迟测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺 goes even to the extent that in the definition of 办腻惫测补 he considered that any sentence having the essence of rasa is called a 办腻惫测补鈥�

惫腻办测补峁� ras膩tmaka峁� 办腻惫测补m.^[7]

He again clearly said in his 惫峁泃迟颈 that the rasa is the principal thing in a 办腻惫测补 as it is the soul of a composition鈥擟蹿.

rasa ev膩tm膩 s膩rar奴patay膩 j墨van膩dh膩yako yasya, tena 惫颈苍腻 tasya 办腻惫测补tv膩鈥櫜�丑腻惫补蝉ya pratip膩ditatv膩t/^[8]

Now, there may be a query as to how this rasa is worthy of being relished.

At this point, we may answer this query with the words of 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补 迟丑补迟鈥�

Just as noble minds consuming cooked food seasoned with various kinds of spices relish the tastes thereof and become excessively delighted, so as sophisticated onlookers relish permanent moods (such as love, sorrow etc.) indicated through gesticulation of 产丑腻惫补蝉, through verbal, physical and temperamental activities and become delighted. Hence, these dominant states that which is relished in a drama are called the sentiments.^[9]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲,III.6

[2]:

Abhinavagupta, as quoted by 惭补尘尘补峁璦 in his 碍腻惫测补辫谤补办腻艣补, IV, under 办腻谤颈办腻 28

[3]:

谤补蝉腻诲丑颈办腻谤颈办补峁� 苍补苍诲颈办别艣惫补谤补岣�, 碍腻惫测补尘墨尘腻峁僺腻, p.4

[4]:

狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补, p.28

[5]:

ete rs膩 rasavato ramayanti pu峁卻a岣� samyagvibhajya racit膩艣cature峁嘺 肠腻谤耻| yasm膩dim膩nanadhigamya na sarvaramya峁� 办腻惫测补峁� vidh膩tumalamatra tad膩driyeta//碍腻惫测腻濒补峁僰腻谤补, XV.21

[6]:

顿丑惫补苍测腻濒辞办补, IV.5

[7]:

厂腻丑颈迟测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺, I.3

[8]:

Ibid., p.24

[9]:

yath膩 bahudravyayutairvya帽janairbahubhiryutam/ 膩sv膩dayanti bhu帽j膩n膩 产丑补办迟补峁� bhaktavido 箩补苍腻岣�// 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补,VI.33 bh膩v膩bhinayasa峁僾addh膩sth膩yibh膩v膩峁卻tath膩 产耻诲丑腻岣�/ 膩sv膩dayanti 尘补苍补蝉腻 tasm膩nn膩峁瓂aras膩岣� sm峁泃膩岣�// 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补,VI.34