Relationship between "Rasa" and dramatic art

“Rasa” is a mental process. It runs up to 2^nd-3^rd century B.C. it was accepted in Bārath in 4^th century B.C as a theory of drama. Both Western and Eastern philosophers tried to find about the consummation of “Rasa”. Among the Eastern philosophers Bharathamuni, Nandikeshwara, AnandaWardhane and AbhinawaGuptha are considered the heads. Among them Socrates, Aristotle and Plato are the Western philosophers. Leotolstoi who belongs to the medieval era has expressed his own opinion regarding this.

Though “Rasa” is a mental process we also can demonstrate this as physical or conceptual incident which causes an arousal in human minds. Also it can be defined as a mental respond which resulted due to the effect of five sentiments.

Though we simply describe this term “Rasaya” there is a complex meaning within it. “Rasa” is an internal process of combination of energies which is sensitive to mind. Also it is a feeling which encourages the audience by another. Also it cannot be depicted as a materialistic thing and untouchable. Also someone has to feel it to see it. We could identify whethera person feels this or not only through his/her responses. For examples taking long breaths, makes shiver are such external responses shown by people. But it is difficult to judge whether it is simple or complex. Also “Rasa” is a person connected process.

“Rasa” is various. As it varies completely according to the person and incident as it is person connected process.

When considering “Rasa” and consummation of “Rasa” the priority has given to Eastern philosophers and to Bharathamuni. Accordingly while respecting the concept of Bhārath people have express their opinion regarding consummation of “Rasa”. “Nātyasastrya” by Bharathamuni is considered the dictionary of Fine arts. According to him “Rasa” is produced due to sentiments. When considering the sentiments which cause the consummation of “Rasa” it is portrayed as a feeling which takes place in human minds. “SthāiBhāwas” are the deep-rooted bhāwas in a mind.

According to Bharathamuni there are eight “SthāiBhawas”. The first step of “Rasaya” is also a “SthāiBhawa”. Almost all the human beings whole lived on this earth in a proper environment undergo these eight sentiments. It is difficult to say whetherit is the capability or the “Vibhāva”. These sentiments are “Rathi”, “Hāsa”, “Karuna”, “Krodha”, “Uthsaha”, “Bhaya”, “Jugupsa”, and “Visma”. A popular Western philosopher Aristotle too presents the same idea through his “concept of Catharsis”. He also discusses the consummation of “Rasa”. According to the modern scientific and psychological perspectives these emotions result due to the process which takes place in the human body.

In hare, there is also a separate category known “Vibhāva”. It is the second step which comes after the maturation of “SthāiBhāwa”. This can be divided in to two major groups as “Ālambhana” and “Uddeepana”.

“ĀlambhanaVibhāwa”’s discuss about the connection or of fondliness and cannot consider as something material. Once a “Ālambhana” occurs we cannot sure about the consummation of it, but there should be an arousal. In here, “UddeepanaBhāwa” means the stimulation of “SthāiBhāwa” as a responds to stimule. Accordingly fondliness resulted in arousing “SthāiBhāwa” as the second step of “Rasa” consummation.

Arousal of “SthāiBhāwa”, activities perform by people or the change take place due to “Bhawas” is known “Anubhāwa”. This is the third step of “Rasa” consummation. These can be either “Sāthvika”, “Sanchārī” or “Vyabhicharī”. “SāthvikaBhāwa” demonstrates shyness; shivering, laughing etc. “SanchārīBhāwa” is the Bhāwa which changes time to time. “VyabhicharīBhāwa” represents “Rathi”, “Hāsa”, “Krodha”, “Shōka”, “Uthsāha”, “Bhaya”, “Jugupsa”, and “Vismaya” and the “Rasa” which cause due to “SthāīBhāwa” which changes time to time and disappear with the time. These are known “Vyabhicharī” as they carry the features which cause due to the changes take place in the movements in sentiments.

After Bharathamuni introduced eight “Rasas” a scholar knew “Shankuta” another one as “Shāntha”. Bharathamuni as well as “Uthbhata”, “AnandhaWardhane”, “Abhinawa Gupta” has accepted this new element as the ninth one of the “Rasa”. But a scholar known “Dhananjaya” says that this particular “Rasaya” cannot be demonstrating on a stage. “Rasas” and “SthāiBhāwas”are as follows according to Bharathamuni. Also there are colors which joined with these “Rasas”.

With the sort stories, navels, and free verses and with the development of literature several perspectives were created regarding this ninth “Rasaya”.

While talking about the “Rasa” theory it is also important to talk about drama and theatre. Dramas depend on the “Rasaya”. If there is no “Rasa” then there is no drama. The inter relationship between drama and “Rasa” is so close. Drama is the reason for the creation of the “Rasa” theory. This is accepted by both Western and Eastern antiques related to dramas.

“Rasa” theory was directed, explained and developed with the help of dramas. This says that the intention of a drama is to create “Rasaya”. Accordingly the soul intention, core of the drama is “Rasa”. What the audience expects from a drama is also to create “Rasaya” within themselves. “Rasa” theorists consider the generation of this eight “Bhāwas” as the function of dramas, or the generation of “Vibhāwa”. Accordingly the intention of a drama is to generate “Rasaya”. According to them the intention of drama is potentiality to turn of the audience in to a reality.

Vibhāwa, Anubhāwa, VyabhicharīBhāwa cause in creating “Rasaya”. According to rasa theorists, Function of all three Bhāwas is same. It is to express the sentiments and “SthāiBhāwa” which were created within human minds, through the proper physical, mental and verbal activities which use to communicate to the audience.

“Abhinaya” is a topic which joins in between drama and “Rasa” theory. “Abhinaya” means the indirect expression. Audience is grabbed towards us by performing some sort of activities is done through “Abhinaya”. This is a word derived from Sanskrit. According to “Nandikeshwara” he defines “Abhinaya” as “the movements perform according to present “Rasa Bhāwa” in his “Abhina Darpana”. So it clearly tells that “Abhinaya” is also to bring “Rasa”. “Abhinaya” helps to intensify the “Bhāwa” which take place in human minds while presenting it to the audience. According to scholars there’s no drama without “Four Abhina”. There we can see a clear out relationship between “Four Abhina” and “Rasa” theory within these dramas. Bharathamuni has mentioned about “Four Abhinas” within his teachings of dramas as “Āngika”, “Vāchika”, “Sāthvika” and as “Āhārya”.  There is a clear relationship between “Abhinaya” and dramas. Bharathamuni explained this as imitating the way of world through various “Abhinas” and “Bhāwas”. In ordinary life we pass messages to one another through communication. Here we can see principle characteristics. This means we are sending a message while we are in a “Bhāwa” and that particular “Bhāwa” is conveyed through the message. It proves that human beings undergo this same situation in their ordinary lives. What we are doing within a drama is imitating the actual situations. Bharathamuni has expressed this in his book “Nātyasastraya”.

“It is the duty of the dramatist to represent characters and situations by making “Rasa” consummation a basis and using impersonation and imitation and action can be intensified using these “Four Abhinas”.”

An actor tries to convey his sentiments to the audience through “Abhinaya” in order to communicate. So “Abhinaya” is the ways which convey and communicate sentiments to the audience. According to “Rasa” theory drama is something which portrays three “Bhawas” through “Chathurvida Abhinas”.

The drama mostly produces “Rasaya” in the hearts of the audience in order to produce it the dramatist uses “Rasa” and “Bhāwa” perfectly in his work. All of “Nawa Nalu Rasa” may be included in these dramatic works. The theory of “Rasa” is included in both “Natyadharmi” and “Lōkadharmi”.  “Rasa” theory means that the spectator gets possessed with the sentiment of the character. This is a better example to identify or grasp the relationship between the audience and the actor.

Different mediums are used in drama to present “Rasa”. They can be technological methods. If these sentiments are absent then dialogues, songs, symbols, art, music rhythms, lighting and props apart from all this. What is more important is the actor who uses the above mentioned mediums to improve his/her sentiments. Through all these sentiments are presented to an audience.

In drama such as “Maname” and “Singhabāhu” the above mentioned techniques are used to identify sentiments. In “Maname” Rasa’s like “Shrigara”, “Bhayanaka”, “Karuna”, “Veera”, “Raudra” can be experienced.

These “Rasas” are highlighted through the characters of “Prince Maname”, “Princess Maname” and “King of Wedi”. So audience is attracted to the drama. In drama “Singhabāhu” audience gets wet their eyes due to the tragic element used within the scenes of conflict between the father and son and the death scene of the father. And also the affection of a father towards his own son is depicted clearly through the poems. It will help to produce “Rasa” inside the audience. The “Raudra”, “Veera” Rasa is presented through the scene of conflict between son and father. The music has been used in order to highlight that feature. The connection between the drama and the “Rasa” theory has been presented in this manner.

When examine the traditional Sanskrit dramas like “Rathnawalee’ and “Sakunthala” we can identify how far this “Rasa” theory has been influenced in those dramas. The “Rasas” such as “Karuna”, “Hāsya”, “Shringāra”, “Veera” and “Adbhūtha” are included in these dramas. The drama “Rathnawalee” is a “Nātika”. The “Shringāra” Rasa is the main “Rasa” of a “Nātika”. So this drama is also produced including that particular “Rasa”. And also we can see “Shringara” Rasa has been override by “Hāsya Rasa”. From the beginning of the love relationship between King of Udayana and Sāgarika to its success the “Shrigara Rasa” has been used in that drama.

“Madana Mahoothsawaya”, “Ananga Poojawa”, “Makaranda Uyana” in the drama “Rathnawalee” enhances “Shrigāra Rasa”. Moreover, sensuality of the King is revealed through how he appreciates the King women play. Some activities and the dialogues of the King arouse humour of the reader. The comic “Vidūshaka” element in the play is aroused through the conversations between “Selalihiniya” and “Choothalathika and Madanika” in “Madana Mahoothsawaya”.

Furthermore, “Rasa” can be seen Greek play as well. Especially it can be found in “Oedipus” and “Antigony” where “Karuna”, “Raudra”, “Veera”, “Bhayanaka”, and “Athbhūtha” are highlighted through some of the incidents in the drama. Patricide, the way how mother got conceived by Oedipus, how Oedipus got blind by himself and drought evoke sense of horror. And also end of the drama Oedipus was wrongdoer unawares then audience feels “Karuna Rasa” about him. The drama “Antigony”, in this drama also good example is to find the expressing “Bhāwa”. In this drama we can see war scenes and Antigony works against to the King singly while these situation people feel “Veera Rasa” about that character and this drama. Furthermore Antigony is ready to carry her brother’s death body to bury it alone against to the King then feel “Veera and Bhayanaka Rasa” in this drama. So we can say that in Eastern and Western drama also have “Rasa”.  And also every dramatist has tried to consummation of “Rasa” to the audience by his/her drama.

Finally we can prove that “Rasa” theory is mostly help to the art of drama and “Rasa” is mostly deal with the drama by investigated the drama and theory of “Rasa”. And also the drama always depends on “Rasa”. The relationship becomes among drama, actor and audience because of “Rasa”. Finally the utility of theory of “Rasa” can be proved in art of drama like this.