History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.56.3

c6.56.3

The business of the drama was to evolve *rasa* in the spectator by means of the four kinds of *abhinaya*.² The नाट्यशास्त्र says that without *rasa* nothing can be done in drama (नहि रसादृते कश्चिदर्थः प्रवर्तते । नाट्यशास्त्र G. O. S. vol. I. p. 274) and the अ. भा. remarks that one *rasa* runs like a thread in a dramatic representation (एक एव तावत्परमार्थतो रसः सूत्रस्थानीयत्वेन रूपके प्रतिभाति । अ. भा. vol. I. p. 273). In the नाट्यशास्त्र the largest portion is devoted to matters specially concerning the dramatist and the actor, while the analysis of the emotional effect desired to be produced and actually produced on the audience is dealt with mainly in chapters 6 and 7. It may be noted here that according to the काव्यमीमांसा p. 1 (quoted on p. 1 above) Bharata dealt with *rūpakas* and Nandikeśvara with *rasas*. But the present Nāṭyaśāstra deals with both these subjects and no ancient work of Nandikeśvara on *rasas* has come down to us. In my last edition I said that the theory of *rasa* has a semi-physiological and semi-psychological basis and that it tries to explain how human feelings and emotions are worked upon and roused by drama and poetry. But I did not go into the psychological basis. I should like here to indicate briefly the psychological aspect of the theory.