In the essence of Rasa lies one of the deepest beliefs in Hindu philosophy, aesthetics, and spiritual paths. For anyone who is keen on a deep understanding of Hinduism or a follower of its tenets, appreciating rasa gives this person a channel for experiencing the divine via artistic and emotive expression.
Essence of Rasa
At its simplest, rasa means the emotional essence or aesthetic flavor produced in the wake of an experience of art or life-reflection through dance or music. It is a transcendent aesthetic experience: the states wherein normal human emotions undergo refinement into universal feelings that connect us to the higher realms beyond ourselves.
The concept was first systematically explored in Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra (200 BCE-200 CE), which often is called the fifth Veda with reference to its importance. In Chapter 6, verse 31, Bharata states:
"There is no meaning (knowledge) without rasa, no rasa without meaning. They exist in mutual dependence, like meaning depends on sound and sound on meaning."
The Nine Classical Rasas
Shringara (Love/Beauty): The emotion of attraction, romance, and beauty
Hasya (Laughter): The emotion of joy and mirth
Karuna (Compassion): The emotion of empathy and sorrow
Raudra (Fury): The emotion of anger and rage
Veera (Courage): The emotion of heroism and bravery
Bhayanaka (Terror): The emotion of fear and anxiety
Bibhatsa (Disgust): The emotion of revulsion and rejection
Adbhuta (Wonder): The emotion of awe and amazement
Shanta (Peace): The emotion of tranquility and calm
Two other texts of historical consideration later texts, like Abhinavagupta's 10th-century Abhinavabharati (a commentary on the Natya Shastra), and interpretation added the tenth rasa:
Bhakti (Devotion): The emotion of spiritual love and surrender.
Spiritual Significance of Rasa
On the other hand, it is the connection between the rasa and God that gives it special meaning to any spiritual aspirant. In Tantraloka, Abhinavagupta declares that the experiencing of rasa grants one a momentary state of transcending one's individual identity and witnessing cosmic consciousness. He expounds on it in Chapter 3, verse 208:
"When experiencing rasa, the heart melts into a state beyond ordinary cognition, tasting briefly the nature of universal consciousness."
Hinduism's own love work, the Bhagavata Purana (10.43.17), describes Lord Krishna as akhila-rasa-amrita-murti: the personification of all rasas and immortal bliss. This indicates that the actual experiencing of rasa may be a communion with the divine.
Rasa and Spiritual Practice
For spiritual practitioners wanting to incorporate Hindu methods:
Bhakti Yoga: The path of devotion calls up various artistic expressions, especially bhajans (devotional songs) and kirtans (chanting). The purpose has been to evoke rasa, particularly bhakti rasa. In the Narada Bhakti Sutras (verse 19), it says: "Devotion is its own fruit."
Temple Worship: Hindu temples are sites designed as an ongoing sensory experience, where architecture, sculpture, incense, music, and ritual interact to express various rasas.
Meditation: Advanced meditation practices of Kashmir Shaivism and others use rasa as a doorway to deeper levels of consciousness. The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra (verse 73) counsels the practitioner to meditate upon pleasurable experiences until one's consciousness expands beyond perception as we know it.
Daily Life: The end aim is to perceive life itself with the rasas as an overarching principle: to discover divine aesthetic essence in simply tasting food or aquiescing to a sunset.
Relevance Today
Rasa represents the path to spirituality for present-day applicators emphasizing the emotional side of sin and avoiding the dichotomy. It is, in fact, an offbeat road, since most of the spiritual paths advocate detachment from emotions, while the rasa theory puts forth the finely colored emotional experiences as the actual vehicles of transcendence.
As Ananda Coomaraswamy puts it, "The experience of rasa is like tasting the divine nectar-it brings a joy that is 'out-of-the-ordinary,' a glimpse of the ultimate reality that lies beyond our day-to-day perception."
For those seeking to understand or adopt Hinduism, a study of the concept of rasa provides not only theoretical knowledge but also a practical application in experiencing the divine through those very emotions and aesthetic experiences that make us human.
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