17. 20 CHAPTER 1

20 CHAPTER 1

Drama presents a complete action. And completeness of action consists in its having five stages : (i) fixing upon an objective (ii) effort to realise it (iii) reversal (iv) overcoming of opposition and (v) achievement of the objective. But action in its physical aspect springs from a definite state of mind, which is aroused by a particular situation, in which the agent finds himself. It is necessary that the state of mind should persist through all the stages of action. For, otherwise action would end abruptly at any one of the inter- mediate stages and will remain incomplete. It is also natural that with the change in situation and reversal in fortune or favourable turn in the course of events, other mental states arise, but they can have no independent being; nor can they rise in isolation from and unaffected by the original and basic or persisting mental state, which was responsible for fixing upon the objective. In fact, other mental states arise simply because the basic mental state is there. They are like waves, which rise from the ocean of the basic mental state and subside into the same. There are eight basic mental states. Their appropriate situations, the mimetic changes, in which they find expre- ssion, and the accompanying transient mental states are given in full detail in the 7th chapter of Bharata's Natya Sastra. Unfortunately Abhinavagupta's commentary on it seems to be irrecoverably lost.

IMPORTANCE OF RASA FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.

Rasa is the most important of all the constituents of drama from the points of view of dramatist, actor and spec- tator. For, the dramatist cannot proceed with the effective1 presentation of the situation, the mimetic changes and the transient emotions, unless he fixes upon particular Rasa, that

1. A. Bh., Vol. I. 273.