History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.82.1

c6.82.1

Dr. De in his paper ‘on the theory of Rasa’ contributed to the Sir Asutosh Mookerjee Silver Jubilee vol. III (pp. 240-253) gave the text of Abhinavagupta's commentary on the *rasasūtra* in chap. VI of the नाट्यशास्त्र (corresponding to vol. I pp. 274-288). It is in these pages that the views of लोल्लट, शङ्कुक, नायक and अभिनवगुप्त are set out at length. It is impossible in the space that I can afford to expound in detail the views of these writers and the objections raised against them. I shall briefly indicate the special characteristics of the theory of early writers on the question of *rasa* realization. The important questions are : ‘where does *rasa* reside’,¹ ‘what the nature of *rasa* is’ and ‘how it is evolved and realized’. Briefly put, Lollaṭa’s view is as follows: *Rasa* in the primary sense belongs to the hero, Rāma etc. (i. e. Rāma loves Sītā and the dramatist describes this love in appropriate words). The spectator ascribes to the actor, on account of the latter’s clever acting, the same mental attitude that belonged to Rāma and the spectator’s apprehension of imputed love in the actor brings to him delight. This is the meaning of the words विभावा...रसनिष्पत्तिः. This view does not treat of *rasa* as a matter of the spectator’s aesthetic appreciation of the inner meaning of the representation.