“School of Rasa”
The Nāṭyaśāstra is attributed to Sage Bharata (Bharata Muni).
composed between 200 BCE and 200 CE
It contains ~ 6000 verses spread over 36 chapters.
The theory of Rasa is mainly laid out in Chapters 6 & 7 (Rasadhyaya and Bhavadhyaya).
Rasa is basically the soul of Bharata’s Nāayaaastra.
Literal meaning: “juice,” “essence,” or “flavour.”
Rasa is the aesthetic experience or “emotional flavour” relished by a sensitive audience
(sahridaya) when watching a performance or reading a work of art.
The Rasas (Primary Sentiments) — their deities and colours (as per Bharata)
Bharata gives eight rasas
For each rasa, Bharata associates:
1. A sthayibhāva (enduring emotion)
2. A presiding deity (devatā)
3. A colour
1. Śṛṅgāra (Love, erotic, charm)
Sthāyibhāva: Rati (love)
Presiding deity: Viṣṇu
Colour: Dark/blue (śyāma)
2. Hāsya (Humour, laughter)
Sthāyibhāva: Hāsa (mirth)
Presiding deity: Pramatha (attendants of Śiva, sometimes linked to Śiva himself)
Colour: White
3. Karuṇā or Śoka (Compassion, sorrow)
Sthāyibhāva: Śoka (grief)
The Nāṭyaśāstra is attributed to Sage Bharata (Bharata Muni).
composed between 200 BCE and 200 CE
It contains ~ 6000 verses spread over 36 chapters.
The theory of Rasa is mainly laid out in Chapters 6 & 7 (Rasadhyaya and Bhavadhyaya).
Rasa is basically the soul of Bharata’s Nāayaaastra.
Literal meaning: “juice,” “essence,” or “flavour.”
Rasa is the aesthetic experience or “emotional flavour” relished by a sensitive audience
(sahridaya) when watching a performance or reading a work of art.
The Rasas (Primary Sentiments) — their deities and colours (as per Bharata)
Bharata gives eight rasas
For each rasa, Bharata associates:
1. A sthayibhāva (enduring emotion)
2. A presiding deity (devatā)
3. A colour
1. Śṛṅgāra (Love, erotic, charm)
Sthāyibhāva: Rati (love)
Presiding deity: Viṣṇu
Colour: Dark/blue (śyāma)
2. Hāsya (Humour, laughter)
Sthāyibhāva: Hāsa (mirth)
Presiding deity: Pramatha (attendants of Śiva, sometimes linked to Śiva himself)
Colour: White
3. Karuṇā or Śoka (Compassion, sorrow)
Sthāyibhāva: Śoka (grief)
