India has a very rich tradition of aesthetics and poetics developed in Sanskrit language. Beginning from Bharta Muni (between 200 BC – 200 CE approx.) to Panditraj Jagan Natha in the 17th Century, it spreads over almost two thousand years. Bhartmuni propounds his theory of Rasa through his famous work Natyashastra. Indian thinking on aesthetics is inclusive and cumulative, not fragmented. The word Rasa literally means the flavor, essence, juice, or taste but metaphorically, it means aesthetic relish or aesthetic pleasure realised during the reading of a text or witnessing of a piece of art. From Indian perspective, a work of art is considered aesthetic, only if it stimulates the senses of the reader and provides pleasure. Aesthetic pleasure is gained through appealing the ‘emotion’ of a reader to realise a particular aesthetic experience, called Rasa, and here the ‘emotions’ involved are called Bhavas. So, Rasa is an essential element of any work of art that can only be suggested, not described. Bharta Muni has identified eight permanent emotions or bhavas as love, anger, sorrow, fear, disgust, wonder, enthusiasm, and humor linked to eight particular Sthayi Bhavas or permanent moods, giving rise to eight particular Rasas. Finally, realisation of Rasa ensues from the union of three interrelated elements – Vibhava (determinants or causes), Anubhava (consequents) and Vyabhchari Bhavas (transitory emotions). In the present talk, I am going to discuss as to how the theory of rasa essentially deals with different kinds of emotions, and how they are depicted, inferred and transmitted through a work of art, especially drama.
발표자 소개
Professor (Dr.) Zameerpal Kaur Sandhu Bajwa is a scholar of Punjabi literature and comparative literary theory, currently serving as Professor in the Department of Punjabi and Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Languages and Literary Studies at the Central University of Punjab. She holds a doctorate from Punjabi University, Patiala. Her research spans interdisciplinary studies, Indian poetics, ecocriticism, and Punjabi folklore. Fluent in multiple languages and scripts, she integrates classical and contemporary approaches in her literary analysis. Her recent work focuses on the intersection of aesthetics, environment, and affect in South Asian traditions. In this lecture, she examines Bharat Muni’s theory of rasa as a contemplative emotional experience, drawing from Sanskrit poetics and religious epistemology.
