Rasa Theory in Kalidasa’s Abhijnanashakuntalam

 (A comprehensive research paper presented by Ashwin, Roll No. 202554)

Introduction to Rasa Theory

 

Bharata Muni’s ‘Rasa’ theory initially originated in his Sanskrit treatise written on the performing arts-Natyashastra. According to the Natyashastra, the goals of theatre and its elements are to empower aesthetic experience and deliver emotional rasa. It has its roots in the Vedic period, in Rig Veda as well as Atharvaveda. The theory advocates that entertainment is the desired effect of performance arts but not the primary goal, and the primary goal is to transport the individuals present in the audience into another parallel reality, full of wonder and bliss, where he/she experiences the essence of his/her consciousness and reflects on spiritual and moral aspects. It suggests that every object and meaning has an emotional effect that diverts the human mind with its experience and controls the heart and mind of an individual. To facilitate the understanding of this theory Bharata Muni has described all the emotions differently whilst analyzing the structure of those emotions, the way they dawn upon the consumer of an art form and expressed his views upon the relations of those emotions with various aspects and their effect on the audience with literary context.

In post-Vedic literature, the word 'Rasa' generally connotes "extract, essence, juice or a tasty liquid", in the aesthetic sense. Thus the theory has become a very important literary theory, which has a connection with human experience and is strongly rooted in the aspects of realism.

 

RASA - A Sanskrit word that refers to 'juice', 'extract', and/or 'essence' in the aesthetic sense. It denotes an essential psychological state, in which emotions are evoked in the mind of a human being while witnessing a work of art. When an individual observes, reads, and/or listens to any kind of art form, sensory triggers in his mind give rise to different emotions, considered as ‘Rasa’. Bharata Muni described nine Rasa's or Navrasa. Each Rasa is associated with a presiding deity and a specific color. These are:

1.  Shringara – Represents love, beauty, attractiveness, romance, and devotion.

Presiding Deity: Vishnu

Colour: Light Green

 

2.  Hasyam – Represents laughter, joy, mirth, comedy, or humour.

Presiding Deity: Shiva

Colour: White

 

3.  Raudram – Represents fury, anger, and/or frustration.

Presiding Deity: Shiva

Colour: Red

 

4.  Karunyam – Represents mercy, compassion, pity, or grief.

Presiding Deity: Yama

Colour: Grey

 

5.  Bibhatsam – Represents disgust and aversion towards something that sickens or revolts.

Presiding Deity: Shiva

Colour: Blue

 

6.  Bhayanakam – Represents horror, terror, fear, or anxiety.

Presiding Deity: Yama

Colour: Black

 

7.  Veeram – Represents courage, pride, bravery, and self-confidence.

Presiding Deity: Indra

Colour: Saffron

 

8.  Adhbutam – Represents wonder, mystery, curiosity, and amazement.

Presiding Deity: Brahma

Colour: Yellow

 

9.  Shantam – Represents peace, tranquility, serenity, and the state of calmness.

Presiding Deity: Vishnu

Colour: Perpetual White

 

Bharata Muni has presented his theory of Rasa in the sixth chapter of Natyashastra, and he said that “No meaningful idea is conveyed if the ‘Rasa’ is not evoked”.

 

 

ABHIJNANASHAKUNTALAM & RASA THEORY

Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam is considered the best work to study to get a better understanding of the Rasa theory.

Kalidasa has presented three Rasa's i.e. Shringara (Love), Karunyam (Compassion), and Shantam (Peace) in this work with the most concentration, while also including the remaining six in various elements.

 

1.  Shringara Rasa

Shringara Rasa is prevalent throughout the play, as it is based on the theme of love. The entry of Dushyanta, and the description of his appearance, along with the reaction of Shakuntala and her friends, evoke feelings of love and give an idea of the level of attractiveness and beauty that King Dushyanta possesses. Another instance is when Dushyanta describes the beauty of Shakuntala, by clearly presenting his views and description of the appearance of Shakuntala:

 

Her lower lip has the rich sheen of young shoots,

her arms the very grace of tender twining stems;

            her limbs enchanting as a lovely flower

            glow with the radiance of magical youth.

                                                        (Rajan 177)

              

 her clothing by continuously praising her beauty evokes the emotion of love in the mind of the reader. Further, he adds the compliment that she is not from earth because her beauty is heavenly:

               How could a form of such matchless beauty

               come from the womb of a mortal mother?

               The scintillating lightning-flash

               does not spring up from the earth.

                                                       (Rajan 182)

 

 

 A reader, reading the work tries to imagine the beauty of Shakuntala which will evoke the attraction and emotion of love within him.

Their longing for each other, Shakuntala being shown lovesick, Dushyanta's efforts to woo her, their confession of love to each other, their courtship, and various other instances evoke the feelings of love through its different nuances.

 

2.  Hasyam Rasa

Laughter or Comedy has always been one of the most used elements of literature in entertainment. The Hasyam Rasa is mostly associated with the character of Madhavya, the court jester, in instances when he accompanied Dushyanta on his hunting expeditions and complained about the pain he experienced en-route:

 

MADHAVYA (stands without moving a step): My friend,

         my hands are powerless to extend themselves in

                    greeting; I salute Your Honour with words only.  

                    May you ever be victorious!

           KING (looks at him and smiles) : And what has

         paralyzed your limbs?

           MADHAVYA : A fine thing to ask; do you hit me in the

                    eye- and then ask why it is watering.

                                                                               (Rajan 188)

                

Madhavya, apart from being the court jester was also a good friend and confidant of King Dushyanta. In the Second Act when Dushyanta asks Madhavya for help on gaining entry to the hermitage, he replies in a witty manner that he can enter the hermitage on the pretext of demanding the royal tax.

The friends of Shakuntala, with their way of talking and the way they conduct themselves when both the lovers meet, is humorous, as Priyamvada doesn't let go of a chance to tease them both.

Returning to another hilarious scene of Madhavya is when he is held by his cushiony tush in the powerful jaws of a demon, and Madhavya’s jaws are full of complaints and demands to be saved, and finally, when he is freed from the clutches of the demon, he falls back in the most hilarious manner.

Comedy is not merely used for producing laughter, it is also used as a satirical element to bring forth important issues to the forefront.

Several instances and comic scenery evoke Hasyam Rasa in the audience and adds to the entertainment along with complimenting the theme of love.

 

3.  Karunyam Rasa

The initial acts of the play are content with love and romance, but from the fourth act, the focus shifts towards Karunyam Rasa signifying compassion, bringing about a tragic shift in emotions. The prelude informs about the lover's marriage according to Gandharva rites and the scene shows Shakuntala engrossed in the thoughts of her lover, fails to attend to Durvasa Rishi, who in his anger curses Shakuntala, evoking feelings of compassion and pity for her, in the minds of the audience. After this scene, Anasuya pleading with Durvasa Rishi to lift the curse further intensifies the surge of emotions, and its essence is prevalent when she visits Dushyanta in his palace and he does not accept her as his wife, as he cannot recall his memory at all, due to the effects of the curse and in turn, doubts her chastity.

 

O, hermits, rich in holiness, try as I might,

                I cannot recall to my mind accepting the

                hand of this lady in marriage at any time.

Seeing that she is plainly pregnant, how can

        I receive her when I have doubts about being the

                husband?

                                                                                   (Rajan 237)

 

 

 

 

 The chastity and honor of Shakuntala is being questioned by the man, whom she loved and trusted the most.

The pain of recognition being denied, experienced by Shakuntala is unparalleled and moreover, the loss of the token i.e. the ring, comes across as a grave issue that makes the reader relate with the pain and suffering of the character. Even the ascetics refuse to take her back to Kanva and her cries to Mother Earth, symbolize the ache in her heart. Similarly, incidents like the treatment of the fisherman who found the lost ring also instill these emotions in the audience. Along with Shringara Rasa, Karunyam Rasa also forms the essence of the story.

 

4.Veeram Rasa

The essence of bravery and heroism initially appears with the description of Dushyanta.

 

SUTA (looking at the King and the deer):

                   O Long-Lived Majesty!

   Casting my eye on the fleeting blackbuck

   and on you holding the taut-strung bow,

                   I seem to see before my very eyes

                   Pinaki, the Lord, chasing the deer.

                                                                      (Rajan 172)

The comparison made by the Suta the charioteer, of Dushyanta with Lord Shiva puts forth an initial idea of the valor possessed by the King.       

                    

       The ascetics ask Dushyanta to save their ashram from demons and giants. His bravery spans across the earth and the cosmic world, and the visual description of these incidents, evoke those heroic experiences in the minds of the readers. Apart from that when he saves Madhavya from a demon, is another occasion where his bravery comes to the forefront. But the concentration of this Rasa is most prevalent in the Sixth act when Matali enters the story and the playwright makes use of the celestial realm to highlight the bravery of the King and how even the supernatural elements seek his help.

 

 

MATALI: Destined for destruction at your hands

   alone in the battle’s forefront, they are inviolable

        before your comrade, the Lord of a Hundred Powers.

             Where the Sun with His spreading beams

         cannot spring forth to break Nights massed darkness,

            the Moon appears and chases it away.

 

So let Your Honour mount the celestial chariot as you are with your bow ready and strung and ride forth to victory.

                                                                         (Rajan 264)

     

The King's eminence is chronicled pervading even the kingdom of gods and is also compared with Lord Indra. The description of the strength of Dushyanta given by Matali is an example of the heroic nature and experience of the play.

 

5. Adhbutam Rasa

The Rasa of wonder, surprise, mystery, and amazement appears with the curse of Durvasa, and when Anasuya begs with him to lighten the effect of the curse to some extent; he says that if a token of recognition is presented to her husband, the curse will be lifted. The surprising turn of events and the curiosity associated with the progress of the plot is something that Bharata Muni wanted to convey, the Adhbutam Rasa would evoke.

Another incident which incites amazement is when Dushyanta agrees to keep Shakuntala in his palace till the birth of the baby, but she gets taken away to heaven by some womanly shadow of the cosmic realm, to which her mother belonged.

   

  HIGH PRIEST: My Lord, something quite marvelous has

                        just occurred.

      KING: What is it?

      HIGH PRIEST: No sooner had Kanva’s disciples left on

                        their journey back then:

The young girl cursing her stars,

wept aloud, flinging her hands up.

      KING: And then?

      HIGH PRIEST: A flash of light in a woman’s shape

    from Apsara Pool, snatched her up

                        and vanished straightway.

                                                                      (Rajan 242)

 

The discovery of the locket by Dushyanta on the boy, who is his actual son, and the way he unfolds all the incidents in his mind and the way the reunion takes place between Shakuntala and Dushyanta, the discovery of the ring by the fisherman, all these incidents evoke the emotions of wonder and amazement coupled with curiosity.

 

6.Shantam Rasa

Shantam Rasa has been presented in almost each of the chapters in one or the other way. The description of the ashram along with ambience and aura of the nature surrounding it gives a sense of calm and serenity to the environment. At the end of the fourth chapter, when Shakuntala is going to visit Dushyanta in the palace, her father-like figure Kanva feels relieved and in peace that Shakuntala is now happy with her family and it's her new beginning in life.

 

           KANVA: O well, now that I have sent Shakuntala  away to        

                                     her home, my mind is at peace. Consider it:

      A daughter is wealth belonging to another;

                  I have sent her this day to him who took her by the

hand;

          At once, my inner being is calm and clear, as if

         I have restored what was left with me in trust.

                          (Rajan 229)

 

In the end of the story, when Dushyanta and Shakuntala reunite and the happy ending gives an experience of peace and makes readers happy. After their reunion, they stay in the ashram of Marica Rishi in heaven, which is the symbolism of peace in Hinduism. Apart from that the ambience and vibe of the entire setup is in tune with the sequence of a love story's happy ending or the desired outcome.

 

7.Raudram Rasa

The feeling of anger and frustration is evoked in the scenes when Durvasa Rishi curses Shakuntala, the audience experiences a feeling of anger and frustration towards Durvasa Rishi and another instance is when Dushyanta refuses to accept Shakuntala as his wife along with the demeanor in which he doubts the chastity of his wife, even though he was under the influence of the curse. Shakuntala's angry reply to Dushyanta's humiliating claims on her give rise to Raudra Rasa:

   Ignoble man! You are like a well covered with grass… you

       judge everyone by the measure of your own heart… who

     would stoop to imitate your conduct… practicing falseness

       while putting on the mantle of virtue?

                                                                               (Rajan 239)

The retort of justified wrath with the use of bitter words by the completely opposite demeanor of the tender Shakuntala makes the Rasa even more piercing.

           These scenes evoke the emotions of frustration and anger in         

           the audiences’ minds.

 

8. Bhayanakam Rasa

In the play, Bhayanakam Rasa has not been evoked as much as other Rasa's, but emotions can be perceived in a multifaceted way. A particular scene can be judged in two completely different ways by two individuals. The anger of Durvasa Rishi has a horrifying side to it as it leads to the dissolution of love and peace between the lovers. The air around the court when sardonic jibes are being aimed at each other, as Dushyanta accuses Shakuntala of wielding her beauty to win him over and making use of her helpless state as an excuse is revolting. Fear can be observed in the characters playing the part in the play, as the deer bending back its neck at the chariot which follows. The fear in the voice of Madhavya being seized by Matali who is initially portrayed as an invisible being trying to rouse the anger of Dushyanta is another occasion which though turns into mirth by Madhavya’s jest. Besides this, the obvious presence of demonic entities in the play can also evoke such emotions.

 

9. Bibhatsam Rasa

Bharata Muni states that in Bibhatsam Rasa the vibhavas present are those that cause disgustful contraction. Act 6 provides an example when the chief sniffs the ring and it stinks of raw fish, and the odor of raw fish is emanating from the fisherman as well.

 

CHIEF (sniffing the ring): O yes, it's been in a fish's belly alright; such a stink of raw fish pours out of it.

                                                                                (Rajan 245)

 

 Another example of a subtle type of Bibhatsam Rasa is when Saradvata on entering Dushyanta’s palace senses an aura of impurity in the place. He says that entering this place is like applying oil to one’s body after cleansing oneself with a bath.

Addressing Sarngarava’s views he says:

 

            You have become deeply disturbed from the moment we  

              entered the city. It is understandable, for I feel the same:

       As a man freshly bathed views one smeared with oil,

      as one pure the impure, as one wakeful the sleeper,

                  as one who can move freely sees one in bondage,

    thus I, freed of the world’s will, regard these bound

                  to the world.

                                                                                         (Rajan 234)

 

Saradvata’s views bring about an air of uneasiness in the audience which can be repugnant to some who perceive the play in a profound way.

The air of worldliness and sophistication in the palace is strange to Saradvata who has lived most of his life in the serene and spiritual environment of a hermitage. Kalidasa has juxtaposed the portrayal of materialistic aspects with spiritual sanctity.