357. THE RASA SCHOOL 359

THE RASA SCHOOL 359

the aesthetic pleasure derived and relished by appreciative men and women. Acsthetic pleasure or delight is one (rasa is really one) 1; but as in the case of speech, where senses are derived from sentences and sentences are split up into words and letters, so they held that the pleasurable feeling, experience (संवेदन or अनुभूति) or effect could be distinguished as of eight sorts viz. relating to sex (srngāra), hāsya2 &c. It would not be proper to say that the rasa theorists held that all men had only eight or nine instincts and that, as compared to the findings of modern psychologists, they were wrong in recognizing शोक and one or two others as fundamental, innate or basic propensities. Their theory was that as the effect of the representation of a drama the audience went through an experience that was packed full of delight, that there was no question of pain in that experience, that the experience appeared various owing to the impressions of love, sorrow and other propensities lying dormant in the mind, which were roused by the several kinds of abhinaya. The अ. भा. says 'अस्मन्मते तु संवेदनमेवानन्दघनमास्वाद्यते तत्र का दुःखाशङ्का केवलं तस्यैव चित्रताकरये रतिशोकादिवासनाव्यापारस्तदुद्वोधने चाभिनयादिव्यापारः ।' (vol. I. p. 293 on VI. 37).3 The poetic theory at its best was that

1. The अभिनवभारती compares रस to स्फोट. 'तेन रस एव नाट्यं यस्य व्युत्पत्ति: फलमित्युच्यते। तथा च रसादृते इत्यत्र (नाट्यशास्त्र ६, ३४) एकवचनोप- पत्तिः। ततश् मुख्यभ्तान्महारसात्स्फोटदृशीवासत्यानि वा, अन्विताभिधान- दृशीवोपायात्मकानि सत्यानि वा, अभिहितान्वयदृशीव तत्समुदायरूपायि वा रसान्तरायि भागाभिनिवेशदृष्टानि रूप्यन्ते ।' on VI. 16, vol. I. p. 269. 2. The भावप्रकाशन II. p. 46 says that रस is सामाजिकाश्रय and that aesthetic relish is of eight kinds. 'यतोऽष्टवा मनोवृत्तिः सभ्यानां नाट्यकमणि। अ्रष्टावेवानुभूयन्ते तासूक्ास्तै रसाः पृथक् ॥ सामाजिकस्तु रस्यन्ते यस्मात्तस्माद्रसा: स्मृता: ॥. Vide also pp. 58-59 of भावप्रकाशन particularly 'वर्षिताः स्थायिनो भावा नायकादिसमाश्रयाः । अनुकारतया नाट्ये कियमाया नटादिषु। रसतां प्रतिपद्यन्ते सामाजिकमनःसु ते । संस्कारः प्राक्तनस्तश्च रस्यन्ते यचतो रसा:॥'. The दशरूप (IV. 38-39) says the same thing. The लोचन (p. 23) says that in order that suggested sense (or rasa) may be relished there must be co-operation between the speaker (poet or dramatist) and the hearer 'वक्तृप्रतिपत्तप्रतिभासहकारित्वं हि अस्माभिर्धयोतनस्य प्रायत्वेनोक्तम्'. 3. There was no unanimity on this point. The नाट्यदर्पय (pp. 158-159) elaborates the theory that rasa has a touch of