Ashta Nayikas and Dance Forms (study)
by V. Dwaritha | 2013 | 71,711 words
This page relates 鈥榗oncept of Shringara Rasa (the erotic flavour)鈥� of the study dealing with the Ashta-Nayikas鈥攁 classification of eight kinds of 鈥淗eroines鈥� representing the eight emotional states (avastha) employed in the classical Indian dance and performing arts (otherwise known as Natya Shastra). These Ashtanayikas reflect the eight types of romantic relationships and have hence formed the expressive subject of many classical painting, poems and dramatic plays.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 2 - The concept of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 Rasa (the erotic flavour)
艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 has been used by various poets all over the world. It has a universal appeal. People of all ages appreciate a work of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补. The pleasure of love is common to all sects and class of people. Other than this, 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 allows itself to connect with the various other emotions like the 厂补帽肠腻谤墨产丑腻惫补蝉 and 厂腻迟迟惫颈办补产丑腻惫补蝉 thus leading to the title 鈥�Rasa 搁腻箩补鈥�. 搁耻诲谤补峁璦 states 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 to be the King of all Rasas:
啶多啶權啶椸ぞ啶班 啶ㄠぞ啶啷� 啶班じ啶� 啷�
鈥淭he great emotion of love which is as wide and all embracing as humanity itself, has been the constant theme of poets of all ages and times鈥�[2].
The beauty of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 is that it varies from the most elemental love between a man and a woman to the love between a 箩墨惫腻迟尘腻 (soul) and a 辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻 (the supreme lord). It is said that the love between a mother and child (惫腻迟蝉补濒测补产丑腻惫补), between two friends (辫谤墨迟颈), affection (sneha), love towards god (bhakti) and the like are also part of this Rasa.
罢颈谤耻惫补岣丰阜耻惫补谤 in his 罢颈谤耻办办耻峁沘濒 says love to be鈥�
鈥�Anbagat thilla uyirv膩kkai vanb膩峁沰a峁�
Vatt峁沘l maranda岣穒rth that峁泆鈥� (1.2.4鈥�78)Life bereft of love is gloom
Can sapless tree in desert bloom.[3]
碍腻尘补鈥揟he Puru峁Ｄ乺tha
Indians attach great importance to the four 辫耻谤耻峁Ｄ乺迟丑补蝉, the aims of life. They are Dharma, Artha, 碍腻尘补 and 惭辞办峁. Among the four puru峁Ｄ乺th膩s 碍腻尘补 and 惭辞办峁 may be called 鈥�厂腻诲丑测补 辫耻谤耻峁Ｄ乺迟丑补蝉鈥� i.e the one which is to be attained and the Dharma and Artha are called the 鈥�厂腻诲丑补苍补 辫耻谤耻峁Ｄ乺迟丑补蝉 the one by which is used to attain[4]. 碍腻尘补 is not lust but is indispensable. Declining the admonition that 碍腻尘补 causes a man to commit unrighteous deeds, V膩ts膩yana鈥檚 reply is that 鈥淧leasures of 办腻尘补 are as essential for the proper maintenance of the human body as is food鈥�.[5]
Bharata in his 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补 states 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 to be鈥�
啶い啷嵿啶苦啷嵿啶苦げ啷嵿げ啷嬥啷囙ざ啷佮啶� 啶啶о啶ぎ啷佮啷嵿啶掂げ啶� 啶︵ぐ啷嵿ざ啶ㄠ啶 啶掂ぞ 啶む啷嵿啷冟啷嵿啶距ぐ啷囙ぃ啷嬥お啶啶い啷� 啷�
yatki帽cilloke艣uci medhyamujjavala峁� dar艣an墨ya峁� v膩 tacch峁涐箙g膩re峁噊pam墨yate |[6]
The erotic flavour is equal to whatever is sacred, pure and placid and worth seeing.
The episode of Lord 艢颈惫补 burning Manmatha and later the resurrection allegorically suggests that 碍腻尘补 is not the bodily lust. That is probably the reason why 鈥�碍腻尘补n膩dahana鈥� is celebrated as a festival in many parts of India suggesting that 碍腻尘补 is not attached to the body but only to the mind. In the words of K. Balasubrahmanya Iyer 鈥淭he joys of married life are extolled. The happiness that is derived from the performance of duty and from the leading of a pure and noble life is common deed.
碍腻尘补 is not merely confined to the low pleasures of the senses.[7]
啶оぐ啷嵿ぎ啶距う啶班啶ム啶洁ぐ啷嵿ぅ啶む 啶曕ぞ啶啶曕ぞ啶ぞ啶む啶膏啶栢か 啶侧啶︵く啶� 啷�
dharm膩dartho'rthata岣� 办腻尘补岣膩m膩tsukhapha lodaya岣� ||[8]
Dharma (virtue) gives rise to Artha (wealth), from Artha comes 碍腻尘补 (love) and 碍腻尘补 gives rise to happiness.
Varieties of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补
In fact love is said to be of three kinds -顿丑补谤尘补艣峁涐箙驳腻谤补 (love in relation to duty), 础谤迟丑补艣峁涐箙驳腻谤补 (love in relation to material prosperity) and 碍腻尘补艣峁涐箙g膩ra (love actuated by passion).
啶оぐ啷嵿ぎ啶曕ぞ啶啶洁ぐ啷嵿ぅ啶曕ぞ啶ざ啷嵿 啶啶曕啶粪啶距ぎ啶膏啶むぅ啷堗さ 啶� 啷� 啶膏啶む啶班啶啶傕じ啶啶膏啶む 啶 啶啶椸 啶� 啶む 啶曕ぞ啶� 啶囙い啶� 啶膏啶啶む 啷�
dharmak膩mo'rtha办腻尘补艣ca mok峁办腻尘补stathaiva ca | str墨pu峁僺ayostu yo 测辞驳补岣� sa tu 办腻尘补 iti sm峁泃a岣� ||[9]
Another commonly found division of the soul enthralling emotion of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 is of three kinds鈥揂 yoga, Viprayoga and Sambhoga.
啶呧く啷嬥啷� 啶掂た啶啶班く啷嬥啶多啶� 啶膏ぎ啷嵿き啷嬥啶多啶氞啶むた 啶� 啶む啶班た啶оぞ 啷�
啶むい啷嵿ぐ啶距く啷嬥啷嬥そ啶ㄠ啶班ぞ啶椸啶洁お啶� 啶ㄠさ啶啶班啶曕啶苦い啷嵿い啶啶� 啷�
啶ぞ啶班い啶ㄠ啶む啶班啶啶� 啶︵啶掂ぞ啶︵啶掂ぞ 啶掂た啶啶班啶班啶粪ぞ啶︵じ啶權啶椸ぎ啶� 啷�ayogo viprayoga艣ca sambhoga艣ceti sa 迟谤颈诲丑腻 |
tatr膩yogo'nur膩ge'pi navayorekacittayo岣� ||
p膩ratantrye峁嘺 daiv膩dv膩 viprakar峁Ｄ乨asa峁単ama岣� |[10]础测辞驳补艣峁涐箙驳腻谤补 is when a young man and a girl with similar minds wish for union but the union is not possible either because of dependency, god鈥檚 wish or staying far away. Separation before a union is 础测辞驳补艣峁涐箙驳腻谤补.
啶掂た啶啶班く啷嬥啶膏啶む 啶掂た啶多啶侧啶粪 啶班 啶⑧さ啶苦じ啷嵿ぐ啶啶く啷嬥 啶︵啶掂た啶оぞ 啷�
啶ぞ啶ㄠお啷嵿ぐ啶掂ぞ啶膏き啷囙う啷囙え, 啶ぞ啶ㄠ啶洁お啶� 啶啶班ぃ啶啶班啶粪啶く啷嬥 啷�viprayogastu vi艣le峁 r奴 岣峢avisrambhayo岣� dvidh膩 ||
尘腻苍补辫谤补惫腻蝉补bhedena, m膩no'pi pra峁嘺yer峁ayo岣� |[11]Viprayoga艣峁涐箙g膩ra, is separation between two people who love each other and have had a union. Viprayoga is of two kinds 惭腻苍补 (anger) and 笔谤补惫腻蝉补 (travel). 惭腻苍补 again is of two kinds 笔谤补峁嘺测补 and 莫谤峁腻.
啶むい啷嵿ぐ 啶啶班ぃ啶ぎ啶距え啶� 啶膏啶ぞ啶む 啶曕啶ぞ啶掂じ啶苦い啶啶班啶︵啶掂く啷嬥 啷�
tatra pra峁嘺ya尘腻苍补岣� sy膩t kop膩vasitayordvayo岣� ||[12]
笔谤补峁嘺测补尘腻苍补 is lover鈥檚 tiff, that is when the lovers鈥� quarrel due to extreme love.
啶膏啶ㄠ啶灌 啶掂た啶ㄠぞ 啶く啶� 啶� 啶膏啶ぞ啶ㄠ啶え啷嵿ぎ啶ム 啶ㄠ啶班啶粪啶く啶� 啶掂た啶ㄠぞ 啷�
啶むじ啷嵿ぎ啶距え啷嵿ぎ啶距え啶啶班啶距ぐ啷嬥そ啶 啶︵啶掂く啷嬥 啶啶班啶むた啶啶班さ啶班啶оえ啶� 啷�蝉苍别丑补峁� 惫颈苍腻 产丑补测补峁� na sy膩nmanmatho ner峁ay膩 惫颈苍腻 |
tasm膩n尘腻苍补prak膩ro'ya峁� dvayo岣� 辫谤墨迟颈pravardhana岣� ||[13]Without affection, there is no fear and without love there is no jealousy; thus, these two kinds of 尘腻苍补 help in increasing love amongst the lovers.
啶膏啶む啶班啶｀ぞ啶啶班啶粪啶ぞ啶曕啶む 啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶曕啶啶洁え啷嵿く啶距じ啶權啶椸た啶ㄠた 啶啶班た啶 啷�
啶多啶班啶む 啶掂ぞ啶洁え啷佮ぎ啶苦い啷� 啶︵啶粪啶熰, 啶多啶班啶むた啶膏啶むい啷嵿ぐ 啶膏啷�啶啶栢ぞ啶む 啷�
啶夃い啷嵿じ啷嵿さ啶啶ㄠぞ啶た啶むき啷嬥啶距啷嵿啶椸啶む啶班じ啷嵿啶侧え啶曕げ啷嵿お啶苦い啶� 啷�
啶む啶班た啶оぞ啶洁そ啶ㄠ啶ぞ啶ㄠた啶曕, 啶︵啶粪啶熰 啶膏ぞ啶曕啶粪ぞ啶︵た啶ㄠ啶︵啶班た啶啷嬥啶班 啷�蝉迟谤墨峁嚹乵墨谤峁腻办峁泃辞 尘腻苍补岣� kopo'ny膩sa峁単ini priye |
艣rute v膩'numite d峁涐梗峁璭, 艣rutistatra sakh墨mukh膩t ||
utsvapn膩yitabhog膩峁卥agotraskhalanakalpita岣� |
迟谤颈诲丑腻''num膩niko, d峁涐梗峁璦岣� s膩k峁Ｄ乨indriyagocara岣� ||[14]莫谤峁腻尘腻苍补 is anger due to jealousy. When a lady hears about or sees for herself, the attachment of the hero to another girl, anger due to jealousy occurs. This is of three kinds鈥搕o hear, to infer and to see. Hearing is from the friends. Inferring is when she sees the marks of union on him or when the hero blabbers in his dream or when he uses her name while chatting with the 苍腻测颈办腻. To see indicates to see by self.
啶曕ぞ啶班啶い啶� 啶膏ぎ啷嵿き啷嵿ぐ啶ぞ啶氞啶涏ぞ啶ぞ啶む 啶啶班さ啶距じ啷� 啶た啶ㄠ啶ㄠう啷囙ざ啶むぞ 啷�
啶︵啶掂く啷嬥じ啷嵿い啶む啶班ぞ啶多啶班啶ㄠた啶冟ざ啷嵿さ啶距じ啶曕ぞ啶班啶多啶げ啶啶ぞ啶侧啶距う啶苦い啶� 啷�k膩ryata岣� sambhram膩cch膩p膩t prav膩so bhinnade艣at膩 ||
dvayostatr膩艣runi岣ヅ泇膩sak膩r艣yalamb膩lak膩dit膩 |[15]When the hero and the heroine stay in different places then it is 辫谤补惫腻蝉补. Separation born out of 辫谤补惫腻蝉补 is 辫谤补惫腻蝉补 viprayoga. This could be due to three reasons鈥搕ravel due to business, separation due to calamities or problems and separation due to a curse.
啶� 啶� 啶ぞ啶掂 啶さ啶ㄠ 啶啶むじ啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ啶苦ぇ啶距う啷嵿く啷� 啶啶︵啶樴た啶啶班啶掂啶� 啷�
sa ca 产丑腻惫墨 bhavan bh奴tas迟谤颈诲丑腻dyo budghip奴rvaka岣� ||[16]
Travel due to business is planned and could be in past, present or future.
啶︵啶掂た啶む啶 啶膏す啶膏啶む啶え啷嵿え啷� 啶︵た啶掂啶ぎ啶距え啷佮し啶掂た啶啶侧さ啶距い啷� 啷�
诲惫颈迟墨测补岣� sahasotpanno divyam膩nu峁viplav膩t |[17]
Separation due to calamities could be by god (like floods, earthquake etc) or manmade (imprisonment, abduction etc).
啶膏啶掂ぐ啷� 啶ぞ啶ㄠ啶い啷嵿さ啶曕ぐ啶｀ぞ啶氞啶涏ぞ啶啶� 啶膏え啷嵿え啶苦ぇ啶距さ啶た 啷�
svar奴 p膩nyatvakara峁嚹乧ch膩paja岣� sannidh膩vapi ||[18]
Separation due to a curse is when there is a change in the form or nature of the person, resulting in separation, though they are beside each other.
It is interesting to note that 罢辞濒办腻辫辫颈测补尘, an anciet 罢补尘颈岣� treatise, gives three reasons for separation amongst the lovers as study, enmity and embassy. Otal pakai-y-膿 t奴t-ivai piriv膿. It should be noted that all these fall under the category of travel.[19] To facilitate better understanding of the varieties of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 a pictorial representation has been added in the appendix鈥揊ig 1 (pg.v)
Other than these varieties, another variety called the 碍补谤耻峁嚹乼尘补办补 Vipralambha;鈥�separation due to death is also found. Some writers like that of 谤补蝉补办补濒颈办腻, 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补tilaka and 办腻惫测腻濒补峁卥腻谤补 believe it to be a part of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补.
啶い啷嵿ぐ啷堗啶膏啶た啶ㄠ啶啶む啶洁お啷嵿く啶ㄠ啶 啶啶む啶侧啶啶洁ぅ 啶むう啷嵿啶む 啷�
啶ㄠぞ啶啶� 啶啶班げ啶啶む啶啶班啶啶｀ぞ 啶曕ぐ啷佮ぃ啷嬥そ啶膏 啶膏啶啶む 啶ぅ啶� 啷�yatraikasminm峁泃e'pyanyo m峁泃akalpo'tha tadgata岣� |
苍腻测补办补岣� pralapetprem峁嚹� karu峁噊'sau sm峁泃o yath膩 ||[20]
Namis膩dhu who wrote a commentary on 办腻惫测腻濒补峁卥腻谤补 says karu峁嚹乼maka vipralambha is of four types鈥揹eath of the hero, death of the heroine, situation where it is believed that the hero or the heroine has died.[21]
While some like 顿补艣补谤奴辫补办补 say that it should be part of Karu峁嘺 Rasa鈥�
啶啶む 啶む啶掂啶曕い啷嵿ぐ 啶い啷嵿ぐ啶距え啷嵿く啶� 啶啶班げ啶啶氞啶涏啶曕啶� 啶膏 啷�
啶掂啶ぞ啶多啶班く啶む啶掂ぞ啶ㄠ啶� 啶多啶權啶椸ぞ啶班, 啶啶班い啷嵿く啶え啷嵿え啷� 啶む 啶ㄠ啶むぐ啶� 啷�m峁泃e tvekatra yatr膩nya岣� pralapecchokaeva sa岣� |
vy膩艣rayatv膩nna 艣峁涐箙g膩ra岣�, pratyapanne tu netara岣� ||[22]
The 膧濒补尘产补苍补惫颈产丑腻惫补 (main causes) of 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 are the 苍腻测补办补 and 苍腻测颈办腻.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
K. Balasubrahmanya Iyer, 鈥�Kalidasa and His Philosophy of Love,鈥� The Journal of Oriental Research 3 (1929): 349鈥�62.
[3]:
Thiruvalluvar, 鈥淭hirukkural verses in Tamil along with the English Translation of Kaviyogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharatiar,鈥� trans. Shuddhananda Bharatiar (Project Madurai, 1999), http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0017.pdf.
[4]:
K. Balasubrahmanya Iyer, 鈥淭he Fundamental Aspirations of Man According to Indian 罢丑辞耻驳丑迟.,鈥� The Journal of Oriental Research 20 (1952): 1鈥�37.
[5]:
[6]:
狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补, IV. liv. 164.
[7]:
K. Balasubrahmanya Iyer, 鈥淭he Fundamental Aspirations of Man According to Indian 罢丑辞耻驳丑迟.,鈥� 11鈥�12.
[8]:
艢腻谤补诲腻迟补苍补测补, 叠丑腻惫补辫谤补办腻艣补苍补, trans. Madan Mohan Agrawal (S膩d膩b膩da: Ush膩 础驳谤补惫腻濒补, 1978), V. xxxvi. 153.
[9]:
狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补, XXIV. xciii. 654.
[10]:
顿丑补苍补帽箩补测补, 顿补艣补谤奴辫补办补: Sam墨k峁Ｄ乼maka Vistr胎ta Sa峁僺kr胎ta 贬颈苍诲墨 Bh奴mik膩dy膩va艣yaka Ta譬vopetam, trans. D膩h膩la, Harjivandas Sanskrit Granthamala 45 (痴腻谤腻峁嘺蝉墨, 叠丑腻谤补迟补: Caukhamb膩 Amarabh膩rat墨 Prak膩艣ana, 1987), IV. l鈥搇i. 688鈥�689.
[11]:
Ibid., IV. lvii鈥搇viii. 699.
[12]:
Ibid., IV. lviii. 700.
[14]:
顿补艣补谤奴辫补办补, IV. lix鈥搇x. 703.
[15]:
Ibid., IV. lxiv鈥搇xiv. 713.
[16]:
Ibid., IV. lxv. 714.
[17]:
Ibid., IV. lxvi. 717.
[18]:
Ibid., IV. lxvi. 718.
[19]:
Tolkappiyar, 鈥淧orulatikaram,鈥� in Tolkappiyam: The Earliest Extant Tamil Grammar: With a short commentary in English, trans. P. S Subrahmanya Sastri, vol. 2 (Chennai: Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, 2002), I. xxvi. 22.
[20]:
艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 Tilaka, II. xciii. 64.
[21]:
[22]:
顿补艣补谤奴辫补办补, IV. lxvii. 719.