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Abdul Hameed P.A Dr. Rizio B. Yohannan Introduction to Indian Aesthetics LCL 5012 04-11-2010

Aesthetic interplay between Bharatas Theory of Rasa and Longinus Theory of Sublimity
Bringing together two classical ideas on art and literature, this paper attempts to make a comparative study of Bharatas theory of rasa and Longinus theory of sublimity. The two theories from two different time and space are compared in this paper because, their object of treatment is literature or literary performance. For Bharata, it is natya and for Longinus it is poetry, the two classical forms of literary reflections of the creative genius. The Indian and Western literary theories emerged out of the literary philosophy both had and which also refers to their views and ways of life. Both are not homogeneous in their argument and arrangements of thoughts and ideas, or critiques on literature. Instead there are affinities and differences in both Indian and Western theories. This paper looks at this affinities differences aspect of the Theory of Rasa and the Theory of Sublimity, in both, this paper attempts to see a basic undercurrent of a homogeneous aesthetic ideal beyond the formal differences. What that homogeneous aesthetic ideal is and how it might have occurred in the ancient literary scenario forms the argument of this paper.

Theory of Rasa Rasa is the key word to Sanskrit literary criticism. Rasa is the essence of art and literature and it is the interconnecting link between all arts. All the Sanskrit aestheticians have acknowledged the significance of the theory of Rasa in the appreciation of natya (drama) and kavya (poetry). In his Natyashastra, the first available source of literary criticism in Sanskrit, Bharata, the 3rd BC Sanskrit aesthetician, recognizes the crucial role of Rasa in aesthetics for the first time. In the sixth and seventh chapters of Natyashastra, Bharata deals at length with the process of the genesis of Rasa through his famous Rasa sutra or the aphorism on Rasa. Rasa means the essence of all literature, it is the source of creative and artistic inspiration for both the author and the reader or spectator. Bharata explains Rasa sutra thus: Vibhavanubhava vyabhiari samyogad rasa nispathi That is, Rasa is accomplished as a result of the proper conjunction of vibhava, anubhava and vyabhiari bhavas. Vibhava Vibhava is the objective conditions or reasons for producing an emotion. Vibhava is the karana for a bhava. It is divided into two kinds- Alambana vibhava and Uddipana vibhava. Alambana vibhava refers to the person or persons with reference to whom an emotion is aroused. Uddipana vibhava refers to the circumstances or background features which enhances the dominant emotions. For instance, in Shakunthala, the princess Shakunthala can be said to be the Alambana of Dushyanthas love where as the beautiful background, the flora and the fauna in the surrounding of the hermitage etc are the Uddipana vibhavas.

Anubhava Anubhava is the karya caused by the karana. Anubhava refers to the facial expressions or the bodily gestures by which an emotion is expressed. For example, the longing look of a lady, her inviting smile, sight etc. Vyabhiari bhava Vyabhiari bhavas are the transitory emotions such as anxiety, sorrow, disappointment, etc which feed the dominant emotions, or the expression of dominant Sthayi bhavas. Bhavas Bhavas are the emotional states which a character produces in natya by means of imitation and passed on to the spectators by means of sympathetic induction. The bhavas bring about the poetic contents (kavyartha) through words, physical gestures and movements and psychophysical representations (Devy 06). Bhavas are integral in effecting Rasa. Bhavas are produced and expressed in characters and situations. There are eight Sthayi bhavas, eight Sathvika bhavas and 33 Vyabhiari bhavas The eight Sthayi bhavas identified by Bharata effect eight dominant Rasas. Sthayi Bhava 1. 2. 3. 4. Rathi Hasam Shokam Krodham Rasa Sringara Hasyam Karunam Roudram

5. 6. 7. 8.

Uthsaham Bhayam Jugupsa Vismaya

Veeram Bhayanakam Beebhathsam Athbhutham

Bhavas are expressed in connection with the vibhavas and anubhavas. And bhavas reveal the poetic content of a work, from which rasa is aroused. The bhavas are blended in a literary work to arouse a certain emotion in the spectator/reader which is accomplished by a thrill and sense of joy and which will lead him to the experience of Rasa. To achieve the Rasa of any literary work, one should be able to achieve it. Bharata speaks of the model spectator or sahrdaya. Sahrdaya, Bharata says, is a person who can watch the dramatic performance with all his senses undisturbed, is pure and honest, is expert in judging the pros and cons, who can ignore a fault and lovingly appreciate merit of the dramatic performance. Here Bharata also refers to the grandness of literature and the ability of literary genius who can achieve and produce rasa in the mind of the spectator/reader even at the cost of small faults. Theory of Sublimity Longinus, whose nativity is still in dispute, was, according to B. Prasad, a Greek rhetorician and literary theorist of the first century AD. He is regarded as the author of the treatise On the Sublime. In this treatise Longinus elaborates on what constitutes sublimity in literature. He regards art and literature for its transporting and elevating effect. Before him the end of art and literature was to teach or to instruct or to delight or to do both. But for Longinus

the end of literature is not to convince the reason of the reader or the audience but to transport him out of the material conditions. This elevation or transport is done through the power of speech or words. For Longinus, both nature and art contribute to the sublimity in literature. There are five sources or ways to achieve the state of sublimity in literature. They are grandeur or greatness of thought, capacity or ability to produce strong emotion, the appropriate use of figure or figural language, the nobility of diction and the dignity of composition. Sublimity of expression is linked with the sublimity of thought. Noblest thought produce noblest feelings and transport the mind. The noblest thoughts use the noblest state of knowledge to achieve sublimity. The use of true emotions at the right place inspires the words. The emotions are expressed through words and lead to the loftiness of utterance. But they have to be the true emotions in the right place. And the right emotions contribute to the uplifting of mind. The rhetoric figures provide grandeur and Longinus is not concerned about the other effects of figure. Appropriate use of figures by the writers creates grandeur effect to the reader or the audience. A figure becomes more effective when it is used in disguise. For example in Shakespeares Othello, while Emilia and Desdemona explain to Iago about the charge that Othello alleged on Desdemona Shakespeare hides the figure to make it more effective. Desdemona Iago Desdemona Scene II)1 : Am I that name Iago? : What name, fair lady? : Such as she says my lord did say I was. (Act IV

Diction comprises the proper choice of words and the use of metaphor and ornamented language. Words, when suitable and striking, have a moving and seductive effect upon the reader and are the first things in a style to lend it grandeur, beauty and mellowness, dignity, force, power and a sort of glittering charm and are the very light of thought. The arrangement of words blends thought, emotion, figures and words themselves- the other four aspects of sublimity- into a harmonious whole. If the elements of grandeur are scattered in the work, it will not lead to the experience of sublimity. So it is the harmonious composition which makes a literary work effective to lead to sublimity. Longinus also sees, as Prasad points, an intimate connection between the greatness of soul and the greatness of speech and only the thoughts and emotions of noble minds can achieve the sublimity of literature. And only when the rendering of elements is noble the work would bring the reader or the audience to a sublime state that literature offers. The sublime, in fact, is an indicator determining the greatness of who approaches it, both the Author and the reader. Because literature has a tendency to be great and to reveal the true greatness of human life and it is the duty of the writer of r the reader/spectator to achieve that true state of mind which literature offers. Thus the theory of sublimity offers a mechanism of recognition of the greatness of a spirit, of the depth of an idea, of the power of speech. Both Bharata and Longinus speak of the effect of literature. Bharata concentrates on natya (drama) and Longinus concentrates on poetry (kavya). In Rasa theory Bharata does not speak of any instructional aspects of literature, but it is to transport the mind, to bring to a higher level of aesthetic experience which he calls Rasa and which will ultimately lead to what Bhoja, at a later point, calls anada. Bharata speaks of bhava as the means to produce or achieve Rasa, to which Anadhavardhana adds dhvani also as the means to achieve Rasa.

In his shift from the classical Greek tradition in the aspects of the effect of literature, Longinus could be seen as highly influenced by Bharatas theory of Rasa. Longinus regards literature as grand not for its ability to teach or persuade but for it transports man from material conditions to a higher level of aesthetic experience. Longinus seems to be appropriating Rasa theory to deal with poetry, but he also develops it. It can be argued that he develops it because his idea on sublimity and the true effect of literature seems to be an elaboration of Rasa. It moves ahead from the basics it gains from Rasa and proposes a higher state of mind than just the experience of Rasa. The Sublimity, reflected by the grandeur of thought and other supporting elements, which reveals the true nature of literary experience resembles Bhojas aesthetics of ananda, the ultimate bliss which art and literature provides. This suggests that there might be a transaction of ideas from east to west and vice versa in the ancient period. The historical proofs of the transaction of trade between east and west in the ancient period would support this argument. J.M Roberts argued that although. The mature art of classical Greece was unique, its roots lie far back in the renewal of ties with Asia and this proves that there occurred a process of cultural interplay (Roberts 177) between east and west. He also point out the influence of Greece in the Indian lands. From Asokas era survive many inscriptions bearing decrees and injunctions to his subjects. The use of this means of propagating official messages and the individual style of inscriptions both suggest Persian and Hellenistic influence and India under Maurya was certainly more continually in touch with the civilizations to the west than ever before. At Kandahar, Asoka left inscriptions in both Greek and Aramaic (Roberts 425).

It is to be noted here that Asoka was the Maurya king lived in the 3rd century BC. If he had used Greek, it is possible that the Greeks texts might have reached India and the Sanskrit texts might have brought to west in original or in translation. The spread of Asokas reign was mostly in the northern part of the modern Indian territory and he had influenced the Chinese lands also, which is evident in the presence of Buddhism in the Himalayan regions. It is clear, when we see all the Sanskrit aestheticians are from the land of Kashmir, that we can assume that there was a transaction of ideas between Sanskrit and Greek literary scenarios. And one can view the affinities between Rasa theory and theory off Sublimity in this context of history. As Longinus focus on poetry he uses bhavas as emotions (capacity for strong emotion). The proper combination and conjunction of vibhava, anubhava and vyabhiari bhavas in Bharatas theory are transformed to the theory of Sublimity as the appropriate us of figures, nobility of diction and dignity of composition. Bharata speaks of these elements and their combination in the structure of natya (drama) whereas Longinus speaks of the structural, figural, and linguistic aspects of the construction of poetry. This concentration on figures which Longinus puts forward in 1 st century AD can be seen in the later phase of Sanskrit aesthetics. As Longinus ideas of Sublimity, the true effect f literature, as resulted by the grandeur of thoughts and true emotions equates Bhojas concepts of ananda, the influence of the figural and linguistic aspects of poetry puts forward by Longinus can also be seen in the later phase of Sanskrit poetics. In Bhojas theory of ananda even Rasa is not sublime; it is the means to achieve ananda, and Longinus speaks of the true or grandeur effects of literature which tend us to think of a flow of aesthetic ideals from Bharata to Longinus to Bhoja. The influence of the figural and linguistic aspects of Longinuss theory can be seen in the concepts of dhvani, vakrokti, auchitya and

sphota. This proves the assumption that there might be a transaction of ideas between the ancient Greek and ancient Indian literary genius. Hence there is a possible underlying homogeneous aesthetic ideal between the idea of Sublimity and the Theory of Rasa. Notes 1. Quoted in B. Prasad

Bibliography Bhattacharya, J N, Niranjana Sarkar, eds. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Sanskrit Literature, Vol. 1. Delhi: Global Vision Publishing House, 2004. Print. Devy, G N, ed. Indian Literary Criticism: theoryand Interpretation. Hyderabad: Orient swan, 2009. Print. P 3-15 Leith, Vincent, ed. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism 2nd. New York: Norton,2010. Print. P 133-154 Robert, J M. The New Penguin History of the World 5 th. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. Print. P 171-187, 422-443 Sethuraman, V S, ed. Indian Aesthetics: An Introduction. Chennai: Macmillan, 2005. Print. Venkatachalm, V. Bhoja, Cultural Leaders of India: Aestheticians. New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Print. Black

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Appendix: the map of the world.