History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.68

Language: English

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The original works of लोल्लट, शङ्कुक and नायक are not yet found and we have to rely upon the summaries of their doctrines furnished by their adverse critics such as अभिनवगुप्त and मम्मट. These four views are respectively labelled उत्पत्तिवाद, अनुमितिवाद, भुक्तिवाद and अभिव्यक्तिवाद (of अभिनव०, मम्मट and most others). Before briefly stating the interpretations of these ancient writers, we must first understand the ideas underlying the technical words employed in the rasasūtra. There are certain permanent and dominant propensities or basic moods in the minds of all theatre-going people or readers of poetry which are ordinarily dormant, but when appropriate stimuli such as dialogues, songs, acting and music in case of drama, and mere words in the case of a poem are employed, they are roused and evolve a pleasurable state of the mind of the spectator or reader. These permanent moods are called स्थायिभाव. Bharata (VII. vol. I pp. 350-351) illustrates why these moods are called स्थायि. Though a king and his servants are all possessed of similar limbs and physical endowments, one man is called the king and others wait upon him, so one mood is called स्थायि and others associated with it are called विभाव, अनुभाव and व्यभिचारि and the स्थायिभाव so accompanied attains the position of रस (the aesthetic pleasure or relish). ‘यथा नरेन्दो बहुजनपरिवारोपि सन्स एव नाम लभते नान्य: सुम्हानपि पुरुष: । तथा विभावानुभावव्यभिचारिपरिवृत: स्थायी भावो रसनाम लभते । भवति चात्र श्लोक: ।

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यथा नराणां नृपति: शिष्याणां च यथा गुरु: । एवं हि सर्वभावानां भाव: स्थायी महानिह ॥’ नाट्यशास्त्र K. M. ed. chap. VII. 8 and G. O. S. ed. VII. pp. 350-51. The दशरूप (IV. 34) describes स्थायिभाव from another stand-point, viz. स्थायिभाव is like the ocean which may be now and then disturbed by other भावs but always retains its own position; so स्थायिभाव is that dominant mood which is not broken up altogether by other भावas and makes the other भावas subordinate to itself. The permanent or dominant moods that may be aroused by a dramatic representation and brought to a state of pleasurable relish are eight रति (love), हास (gaiety or laughter), शोक, क्रोध, उत्साह (energy or vigour), भय, जुगुप्सा (repugnance) and विस्मय. Some add a ninth स्थायिभाव viz. शम. The resultant aesthetic enjoyment and pleasure are called rasa. Bharata (VI. vol. I. pp. 288-291) explains why this aesthetic pleasure is called rasa. Just as persons who partake of food prepared with many condiments (such as jaggery, curds, cardamom, camphor, marica) taste many flavours and feel pleasure and delight, so spectators relish स्थायिभावs suggested by various bhāvas, acting, recitation &c. and enjoy delight and therefore are called नाट्य-रस. The word रस in ordinary life has many senses viz. mercury, sweetness and other flavours (मधुराम्ललवणकटुकषायतिक्तभेदात्), essence, strong liking, decoction, exuded juice, one of the bodily dhātus (अ. भा. vol. I. p.

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289), but in काव्य and नाट्य it has another meaning derived by metapher from the idea of tasting or relishing (रसनाद्रसत्वमेषां मधुरादीनामिवोक्तमाचार्यैः । रुद्रट XII. 4). विभावानुभावसात्त्विकव्यभिचारिभावैरुपनीयमानः परिपूर्णः स्थायिभावो रसमानो रसतः । VI. The रसरत्नहारि says ‘चरमसमयपर्यन्तस्थायित्वादस्य स्थायित्वव्यपदेशः’. अनुभाव is defined as अनुभावो विकारस्तु भावसंसूचनात्मकः । दशरूप IV. 3, on which धनिक says ‘स्थायिभावाननुभावयन्तः सामाजिकान् सभ्रूविक्षेप कटाक्षादयो रसपोषकारिणोऽनुभावाः’. Eight of the अनुभावs are called सात्त्विकभावs : ‘पृथग्भावा भवन्त्येतेऽनुभावत्वेपि सात्त्विकाः । सत्त्वादेव समुत्पत्तेस्तत्तत्तद्भावभवनम् । स्तम्भप्रलयरोमाञ्चाः स्वेदो वैवर्ण्यवेपथू । अश्रु वैस्वर्यमित्यष्टौ स्तम्भोस्मिन् निष्क्रियाङ्गता । प्रलयो नष्टसंज्ञत्वं शेषाः सुव्यक्तलक्षणाः॥ दशरूप IV. 4-6. There is a difference of opinion as to why they are called सात्त्विक. Acc. to दशरूप, सत्त्व means a ‘sympathetic heart’ and सात्त्विक means ‘सत्त्वेन निर्वृत्तं’ ; vide साहित्यदर्पण III. 134 for a similar view; but the रसरत्नहार IV says सत्त्वं जीवशरीरं तस्य धर्माः सात्त्विकाः । इत्थं च शरीरभावाः स्तम्भादयः सात्त्विका भावा इत्यभिधीयन्ते ।. About the भावs which are 49 (as noted below) नाट्यशास्त्र says: नानाभिनयसम्बद्धान्भावयन्ति रसानिमान् । यस्मात्तस्मादमी भावा विज्ञेया नाट्ययोक्तृभिः॥ न भावहीनोस्ति रसो न भावो रसवर्जितः । परस्परकृता सिद्धिस्तयोरभिनये भवेत् । व्यञ्जनौषधिसंयोगो यथान्नं स्वादुतां नयेत् । एवं भावा रसाश्चैव भावयन्ति परस्परम् ॥ 6. 34, 36-37.

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It should be noted that the word स्थायि does not occur in the sūtra. Love manifests itself in relation to a man and woman i. e. it depends upon these and when the mood of love is to be roused it is furthered by such exciting causes as moonrise, spring, flowers, bower &c. These two viz. the fundamental determining elements of love (man and woman)