Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c82.s1.34

v2.c82.s1.34

The reason why the *rasa* was even thus perfunctorily admitted into the older systems appears to have been the fact that Bharata’s treatment of the *rasa* in the drama had already established itself, having been further elaborated by a number of commentators and writers on the subject, and it naturally influenced, to a limited extent, the enquiry of early thinkers. We have already noted that Bharata’s famous *sūtra* on *rasa* by its ambiguity taxed the ingenuity of his followers and led to a great deal of controversy regarding its true interpretation; and as each writer tried to explain it in his own way, it gave rise to a number of theories on *rasa*.