Assignment major -13

 

Maharani shree nadankuvarba mahila        Arts and commerce college 

Name:-  jadeja Shrutiba kanaksinh 

Year:- T.Y B.A (sem -5) English 

Credit:-4 

Paper name :- exploring Indian knowledge system and text, traditions and worldwide 

Professor's name:- Rachana ma'am 

Topic:- Rasa theory , Dhvani theory 

 

       Class assignment 

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                 Home assignment 

Rasa theory :-

1. Introduction to Rasa Theory

• Origin in Bharata’s Natyashastra (oldest treatise on dramaturgy).

• Unique contribution of Indian poetics.

• Meaning of Rasa: “aesthetic relish” or “experience of joy” felt by the audience.

• Relation between Rasa (essence) and Bhava (emotion).

• Bhava = body, Rasa = soul.

• Without Bhava → no Rasa; without Rasa → Bhava is meaningless.

2. Elements of Natyashastra

• Eleven elements: Rasa, Bhava, Abhinaya, Dharmi, Vritti, Pravritti, Siddhi, Svara, Aatodya, Gana, Ranga.

• Out of these, Rasa and Bhava are central.

3. The Rasa Sutra (Formula of Rasa)

रस सूत्र (नाट्यशास्त्र, अध्याय ६, श्लोक ३१)

"विभावानुभावव्यभिचारिसंयोगाद्रसनिष्पत्तिः

• “Vibhava, Anubhava, Vyabhicharibhava samyogat Rasanishpattih” (NS VI).

• Meaning: Combination of causes, effects, and transitory moods produces Rasa.

• Analogy: Just as spices make food tasty, bhavas produce aesthetic enjoyment.

4. Components of Rasa

1. Vibhava (Determinants / Causes)

Stimulus that excites emotions.

Two types:

Alambana (supporting, e.g., hero/heroine).

Uddipana (environmental, e.g., moonlight, flowers).

2. Anubhava (Consequents / Effects)

Expressions through action, speech, gestures.

Voluntary expressions (smile, tears, laughter, angry look).

3. Sthayibhava (Permanent/Static emotions)

Base emotions that become Rasa when heightened.

Examples: love, grief, anger, valor, etc.

4. Vyabhicharibhava (Transitory emotions)

33 fleeting moods (doubt, envy, fatigue, shame, fear, etc.).

Function: support the Sthayibhava.

5. Satvikabhava (Responsive/Involuntary emotions)

Physical, involuntary reactions in intense states.

Eight types: perspiration, trembling, fainting, horripilation, tears, etc.

5. The Eight (Later Nine) Rasas

• Sringara (Love/Amorous) → base: Rati.

Subdivisions: Sambhoga (union) & Vipralambha (separation).

• Hasya (Humour) → base: Hasa.

Six types from smile to convulsive laughter.

• Karuna (Pathos) → base: Shoka.

• Raudra (Fury/Anger) → base: Krodha.

• Vira (Heroic/Valor) → base: Utsaha.

• Three kinds: Daanavira (charity), Dharmavira (virtue), Yuddhavira (war).

• Bhayanaka (Fear) → base: Bhaya.

• Bibhatsa (Disgust) → base: Jugupsa.

• Adbhuta (Wonder) → base: Vismaya.

• Shanta (Peace / Tranquillity) – accepted later, base: Sama (detachment).

6. Colours and Deities of Rasas (Bharata)

Sringara → Dark → Vishnu

Hasya → White/Pale → Pramatha

Karuna → Grey → Yama

Raudra → Red → Rudra

Vira → Fair → Indra

Bhayanaka → Black → Kala

Bibhatsa → Blue → Mahakala

Adbhuta → Yellow → Brahma

7. Theories of Commentators

1. Bhatta Lollata – Utpattivada (Theory of Production)

Rasa produced in the actor, transferred to audience.

2. Sri Sankuka – Anumitivada (Theory of Inference)

Rasa is inferred by audience through actor’s performance.

3. Bhatta Nayaka – Bhuktivada (Theory of Aesthetic Enjoyment)

Rasa experienced by audience as “aesthetic relish.”

Three functions of words: Abhida (denotation), Bhavana (generalization), Bhoga (experience).

4. Abhinavagupta – Abhivyaktivada (Theory of Manifestation)

Rasa exists in audience, manifested by performance.

Universalization (sadharanikarana) is key.

Rasa experience = almost spiritual bliss (Brahmananda).

8. Importance of Rasa

Foundation of Indian aesthetics.

Connects performance with audience’s inner emotions.

Elevates drama/poetry beyond entertainment → spiritual & universal experience.

9. Criticism & Later Developments

Debate over Shanta Rasa (not in Bharata, accepted later).

Discussion on psychological vs. spiritual nature of Rasa.

Influence on later Sanskrit poetics and modern literary studies.

10. Conclusion

Rasa = soul of literature and performance.

Connects actor, text, and spectator in a shared aesthetic experience.

Still relevant in understanding art, theatre, and literature.

         

                              Essay 

 Dhvani theory 

1. Introduction

Dhvani Theory is a landmark in Indian poetics.

Contribution not only to Sanskrit literature but also to universal aesthetics.

Origin: rooted in Bharata’s Natya Shastra (Rasa Theory).

Other schools before and after Dhvani:

Alankara School (Bhamaha, Udbhaṭa)

Guna School (Daṇḍin)

Rīti School (Vāmana)

Vakrokti School (Kuntaka)

Auchitya School (Kshemendra)

Anandavardhana emphasized suggestion (Dhvani) as the soul (Ātma) of poetry.

2. Anandavardhana and His Work

Period: 9th century CE.

Magnum opus: Dhvanyāloka.

Structure:

Four Udhyotas (chapters)

Written in Kārikā (verses), Vṛtti (explanation), and examples.

Commentary by Abhinavagupta: Locana (considered the "eye" of Dhvanyāloka). 

3. Central Idea of Dhvani

Dhvani = Suggestion / Implied meaning.

Expressed meaning (Vācya) ≠ Suggested meaning (Vyaṅgya).

Example: Beauty of poetry lies not in words alone but in the deeper suggested sense.

Sāhṛdaya (sensitive reader/critic) perceives the hidden Rasa.

Without suggestion, poetry is incomplete.

4. Opposition to Dhvani

Three main groups opposed Dhvani:

1. Dhvanyābhāvavādins – denied existence of Dhvani.

2. Bhaktavādins – considered Dhvani same as Lakṣaṇā (secondary meaning).

3. Anirvacanīyavādins – said Dhvani is indescribable and beyond words.

Anandavardhana refuted them with examples. 

5. Types of Meaning in Poetry

Vācya – Direct / expressed meaning.

Vyaṅgya – Suggested / implied meaning.

Pratīyamāna – Understood only by Sāhṛdaya (sensitive reader).

Good poetry: Vyaṅgya dominates Vācya.

6. Types of Dhvani

1. Avivakṣitavācya Dhvani – Literal meaning not intended, only suggestion matters.

Example: Metaphors, epithets with deeper meaning.

2. Vivakṣitānyaparavācya Dhvani – Literal meaning is there, but secondary to suggested sense.

Example: Words of Rāma not just denoting a person, but heroism, compassion, etc.

Two kinds:

Arthāntarasaṅkramita (shift to another sense).

Atyantatiraskṛta (literal sense completely set aside).

3. Rasa Dhvani – When suggestion directly evokes Rasa (the highest form).

7. Sub-classification of Dhvani

Asaṃlakṣyakrama-vyaṅgya – Suggested meaning grasped instantly, no sequence. (Mostly Rasa).

Saṃlakṣyakrama-vyaṅgya – Suggested meaning understood gradually, step by step.

Śabdaśakti-mūla Dhvani – power of words.

Arthaśakti-mūla Dhvani – power of meaning.

Ubhayaśakti-mūla Dhvani – both word and meaning.

8. Types of Poetry according to Dhvani

1. Citra-kāvya (lowest form)

No suggestion, only wordplay and figures.

Subtypes: Śabda-citra, Artha-citra.

2. Guṇībhūta-vyaṅgya-kāvya (middle form)

Suggestion present, but secondary.

3. Dhvani-kāvya (highest form)

Suggestion is the soul, explicit meaning secondary.

Produces lasting aesthetic delight.

9. Importance of Rasa in Dhvani

Rasa is central to poetry.

Ramayana – dominated by Karuna Rasa (pathos).

Mahabharata – dominated by Shanta Rasa (tranquility).

Other Rasas (Śṛṅgāra, Vīra, Adbhuta, etc.) are subordinate.

10. Features of Dhvani Poetry

Direct meaning secondary, suggested meaning primary.

Expressed sense is a vehicle for implied sense.

Creates deep emotional impact.

Poetry without Dhvani = lifeless (mere decoration)

11. Refutation of Lakṣaṇā = Dhvani

Lakṣaṇā works only when primary meaning is impossible.

Dhvani works even when primary meaning is intact.

Example: "Village on the Ganga" (Lakṣaṇā vs Dhvani).

12. Examples

Explicit prohibition = Implicit invitation (Gāthāsaptaśatī verse).

Day and Twilight metaphor (love but never meeting).

Valmiki’s sorrow → emergence of poetry (Karuna Rasa as Dhvani).

13. Significance of Dhvani Theory

Revolutionized Sanskrit poetics.

Moved focus from ornamentation (Alankāra) to inner soul (Rasa through suggestion).

Declared Dhvani = Ātma of Kāvyā.

Widely respected as an epoch-making work (P.V. Kane).

14. Conclusion

Anandavardhana’s Dhvani Theory = milestone in aesthetics.

Highest poetry = Dhvani-kāvya, where suggestion creates aesthetic bliss (Rasa-svāda).

Legacy: influenced Abhinavagupta, Kshemendra, Vishwanatha, and modern literary criticism.