Chapter 339 - Description of the sentiments, emotions, hero etc. (rasa)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Fire-god said:

1-2. The Supreme Brahman, who is imperishable, eternal, unborn and mighty is said to be the single consciousness, effulgence and Supreme Being in philosophy. Bliss is natural to him. Sometimes it is manifested. The manifestation of this is called consciousness, charm and sentiment [i.e., rasa].

3. Its first modification is known as self-consciousness. Conceit (is produced) then and the three worlds get exhausted in that.

4. Pleasure (proceeds) from conceit and this attains gratification on account of (contact with) the transitory (feelings) etc. in general and is declared as the (sentiment of) love.

5-9a. Comic (sentiment) and others which are verily its other varieties, whose characteristics are exhibited by their respective special permanent moods by being expanded by the qualities such as goodness, have their origin from the Supreme Soul. The erotic (sentiment) is produced from attachment. The (sentiment of) wrath is born from fierceness. The heroic (sentiment) is born from haughtiness. (The sentiment of) disgust is said to be originated from revulsion. The comic (sentiment) is produced from the erotic (sentiment). The sentiment of pathos (is) from fury. (The sentiment of) wonder arises from heroism. (The sentiment of) fright would be from disgust. Among the sentiments of love, humour, pathos, fury, heroism, fright, disgust, wonder and tranquility, four sentiments are self-developed (as described above).

9b-11. The goddess of speech does not shine without sentiment like the goddess of wealth without renunciation. The poet alone is the creator in the boundless course of poetry. The universe changes in the way (he) likes. If the poet is impassioned in his poetry, the world becomes verily full of sentiment. If the poet is detached, indeed it becomes manifested as devoid of sentiment.

12-13a. There is no (poetic) sentiment devoid of emotion. There is no emotion devoid of sentiment. (The poets) bring into being the sentiments and the sentiments are being produced by these (emotions), (namely), the eight permanent emotions beginning with love, stupor and the like and the transient emotions.

13b-15. Love is said to be the feeling of happiness in respect of (the object) agreeable to the mind. Laughter is said to be the expansion of the mind through mirth etc. (People) describe fear as mental affliction (arising) from seeing a picture etc. Disgust is censure of things which bring misfortune. Wonder is the expansion of the mind(arising) from seeing things pre-eminent.

16-22. The eight (transient emotions) such as stupor (are) from goodness, passion and ignorance. Stupor is a resistance of effort (paralysed state) brought about by excessive fear or love. Perspiration is water from the body originating from internal agitation accompanied by fatigue and attachment. The internal horripilation (is) the heaving of the body (caused) by joy etc. Broken speech originates from joy etc. and hoarse voice (is caused) by fear etc. Grief is said to be the distress of the mind (caused) by the destruction of the desired (thing) etc. Anger is the awakening of fierceness resembling contradiction. Enthusiasm is said to be the sense of gaining the desired goal. Trembling is declared as the stupefaction arising from the agitation of the mind. Change of colour is the reverse of splendour arising from grief etc. Tear is known as the water from the eyes produced by sorrow, happiness etc. Loss of consciousness is the cessation of (the working) of the sense-organs due to fasting etc. The depression of the mind arising from indifference (to worldly things) is said to be despair. Debility (is) physical langour from mental suffering and the like from the body.

23. Indifference arises from dependence on doubt. Envy is jealousy. Intoxication (is) the infatuation of the mind arising from the use of wine etc.

24. Weariness (is) exhaustion arising from the inner body caused by excess of work. Aversion of the mind towards acts such as love etc. is said to be indolence.

25. Miserable state is due to deviation from goodness. Thought is contemplation of objects. Perplexion is said to be not finding the mode of doing (a thing).

26. Recollection would be the reflection of an enjoyed thing. Opinion (is) ascertainment of purpose brought about by knowledge of reality.

27. Bashfulness (is) certain shrinking of the mind arising from passion and the like. Fickleness would be unsteadiness. Joy is the pleasure of the mind.

28. Excitement is the distress of the soul caused by the hope of remedy. The loss of intellect in those to be done is said to be stupidity.

29. Equanimity is the elevation in wealth on the attainment of the desired end. Pride is contempt for others and attitude of supremacy of the self.

30. Impediment caused by fate and the like in respect of the desired object is despondency. An unsteady condition caused by desire when the desired end has not been gained is longing.

31. Absent-mindedness (is) immobile condition causing benumbing of the senses and the mind. Terror (is) repeated surprise in the mind (caused) by opposition and the like in war.

32. Intolerance (is) non-pacification of anger. Awakening (is) the rise of consciousness. Dissimulation is the concealment coming under the range of gesture and appearance.

33. Harshness of vehement verbal attack arising from anger is. known to be fierceness. Conjecture is examination and determination. Disease (is) the impediment of the mind and body.

34. Madness (is)in coherent utterances and the like caused by passion and the like. Tranquility (is) the cessation of passion of the mind by means of the knowledge of reality and the like.

35-38. The emotions and sentiments should be employed by poets in poetry and the like in which (the emotions of) love and the like are developed. (The means) by which they are developed is known as excitant. It is of two kinds—supporting and enhancing. The supportive excitant is that on which the group of emotions such as love subsists. It is produced through (the medium of) the hero and the like. The hero is known to be of four types—brave and noble-minded, brave and haughty, brave and sportive and brave and tranquil. (The hero is also classified as) faithful, gallant, sly and saucy (on the basis of his relationship with one heroine or more).

39-40. Comrade (Pīṭhamarda), Companion (Viṭa) and Jester (Vidūṣaka) are the three minor heroes who help the hero in love as pleasure companions. The comrade is without resource. The companion is beautiful and belongs to the same country. The jester is the provider of mirth. The heroes and heroines (are of) eight (types) (as described in verse 37).

41. According to Kauśika, (the heroine maybe) one’s own or belonging to another or remarried, and general but not remarried. Thus there are many types.

42. The enhancing excitants are those which excite the feelings in the subsisting excitants by (means of) different kinds of refinement.

43. The sixty-four (fine) arts are divided into two according as they begin with action or music. Jugglery, memory, and perhaps jester and the aids to jester (are included) in these.

44-45. The ensuant is known to be only the exertion of the mind, speech, intellect and the body arising from recollection, desire, hatred and effort of the learned and caused by the excited and accomplished emotions of the supportive excitant. Moreover this is experienced and certainly arises (after love etc.) and hence defined here.

46. The exertion of mind is said to be characterised by the occupation of the mind. This is also known to be twofold as relating to men or women.

47. Those relating to men are eight—beauty, vivacity, grace, steadiness, equanimity, gallantry, magnanimity and dignity.

48. Beauty (prevails) in contempt for inferiors and emulation of superiors. (It is) heroism. (It is) the cause of dexterity and the like. Beauty occurs in mental virtue in the same way as a house becomes beautiful.

49-50. The excitants of women are said to be (of) twelve (kinds)—(primary indication of) emotion, its manifestation (a little), its decided manifestation, brilliance, loveliness, lustre, sweetness, heroism, boldness, generosity, firmness and gravity. The primary indication of emotion arises from a little of joy and the little manifestation is the sportive indication of emotion.

51-54. The exertion of speech would be the appropriateness of speech. It is indeed (of) twelve (kinds): conversation, excessive utterance, sorrowful speech, repeated speech, question and answer, evasion, sending a message, expounding, pointing out truth, description of something else, instruction and dissimulating (speech). This process is for the understanding. It is said to be the exertion of good intellect. It has three divisions, namely, diction, mode, and perseverence.