Writing the review of literature: rasgulla as metaphor (original) (raw)
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Rasa, Dhwani and Auchitya—Criticism & Theory YADAV MUNNI DEVI
the cardinal concepts of Indian Aesthetics by many Indian aestheticians like C.D. Narasimhaiah (East West Poetics at Work) and V. Raghavan (Some Concepts of Alankarasastra). Rasa is produced from a combination of determinants (vibhavas), consequents (anubhavas) and transitory states. Is there any dristanta for it? Tastes results from a combination of spices, vegetables and other articles. Six tastes are produced by articles such as raw sugar or spices or vegetables. So the stayibhava in combination with other bhavas become rasa. What is the meaning of rasa—it is capable of being tasted-(asvadyate). How is rasa tasted? It is said that just as well-disposed persons while eating food cooked with many kinds of spices enjoy its tastes and attain pleasure and satisfaction, so the cultured people taste the dominant states (stayibhava) while they see them represented by an expression of the various states with works, gestures and the temperament and derive pleasure and satisfaction. ―The rasa theory has been accepted as the core literary theory by all major poeticians both before and after Abhinavagupta‖—Kapil Kapoor. Kapil Kapoor adds that the ―…rasa theory is more than a theory of aesthetics—it is a structural analysis of the totality of human experience and behaviour, and it is based in particular conceptions of experience ,being, knowledge and cognitive mechanism‖. In Vedas, rasa means sap or essence—experience of the supreme reality. Seers of the Vedas knew about the need for Sahridayatwa to understand poetry. The primary rasa of Ramayana is the karunarasa as the great poet curses the hunter for shooting down one of the kraunca birds. Bharata, who lived during the first or second part of the first century B.C. deals with various aspects of dramaturgy in his Natyashastra as drama was a much developed art during his times. Bharata gives a proper definition to rasa in his Natyashastra. Rasa is defined thus: vibhava anubhava vyabhichari samyogat rasa. Much has been talked about the relationship between Natyasastra and rasa, so much so that one may form an impression that Natyasastra discusses only the rasa theory. But in fact, the book devotes only one chapter of its thirty-six chapters for the discussion of rasa. It is only in the context of plays that Bharata talks of rasa. In an offhand manner, Bharata states that without rasa there can be no drama, that is the soul of any play. Bharat assumes that we know about this theory from earlier works which are devoted to it. The causes or mainsprings of emotion are called vibhava. Characters, setting, season, background etc. can be called vibhava or the main springs of action. The effects of emotions that
Literature depicts time in the most magnificent way. As we move from classical to the modern literature, we discover that time has moved along with its beauty of expressions and feelings. I believe that this has been the reason for most of us to be attached to literature in some or the other form as poem, novel, short stories, music and films. Is it because we feel that our sentiments are being expressed with the right selections of words and metaphors? Now when we say that 'Literature is something we need to feel within', it is this very feeling which is expressed in many forms as 'Rasa' in Indian and 'Haan' in Korean philosophy. Concept of Rasa : The concept of 'Rasa' applies equally on all forms of art and literature, but have been particularly refined with regard to poetry and drama. According to ancient tradition the world over, drama was accepted as the most complete art form, bringing together the other different forms like music, dance and poetry. The concept of 'rasa' was formulated by Bharat Muni in the 4th Century A.D. in his treatise on the Natya Shastra. Bharata's Natya Shastra defines Rasa as "The Sentiment or aesthetic pleasure (rasa) arises as a result of the harmonious blending of the appropriate vibhavas, anubhavas and vyabhicharibhava" Alka Panday described 'Rasa' as sap or juice of a plant, which means flavour and taste. It also means feeling. According to her "It also signifies the non-material essence of something or best or finest part of it, like perfume, which comes from matter but is not so easy to describe or comprehend. And when 'Rasa' is applied to art and aesthetic experiences, the work signifies a heightened delight or ananda, the kind of bliss that can be experienced only by the spirit. (Alka Pandey,2002)
Review of Sheldon Pollock, trans., The Rasa Reader
Comparative Literature Studies, 2016
Borders Conference. I made a point of reading the book during the trip, because my prepared lecture argued that those of us devoted to world and comparative literature should feel an obligation to construct our critical vocabulary transculturally, rather than self-assuredly out of European traditions: alongside inevitable concepts such as "mimesis" and "the sublime" we should be investigating and teaching terms such as the Japanese "yūgen," the Sanskrit "rasa," and several others. We could also learn much from the extensive range of literary criticism and theory in Arabic, not to mention that the rich critical traditions of Latin America should be decolonized and deprovincialized. For decades I have taught this and other material from "world lit crit" in my graduate seminar on comparative criticism, alongside the usual suspects of the Western tradition. Rasa proved somewhat of a challenge, given that the Sanskrit vocabulary is involved and the learned translation of Anandavardhana's work, one of the pillars of the tradition, had not been done for readability. (The Dhvanyāloka of Ānandavardhana with the Locana of Abhinavagupta, trans.
A Pinch of Masala: Indian Literatures at a Glance
Indian Literatures at a Glance, 2019
This research document provides insights into the literatures of the Indian sub-continent and some of the most notable scribes. The specific topics include: an overview of the Indian literary scene, 'book cafes', academia and literary criticism, international impact, famous scribes, journals, languages and translation.
Asiatic: IIUM Journal of English Language and Literature, 2020
This collection of essays attempts to build up a broad pedagogic and theoretical synergy between various dimensions of literary theory as developed in the West and its translation/transmission in the Indian disciplinary practices. This project primarily takes Indian traditions as the "ground" on which such synergies could be sustained. For example, the possibilities of a theoretical synergy through a fleshing out of Indian rasa theory in the light of various methodological approaches (like reader-centric, author-centric and text-centric, which create a "fusion of horizons") could be explored. Such a fusion does not blur the differences between "traditions" but initiates a contextual dialogue. This is how this volume of essays makes an innovative re-description of fragments of theories from the West and India, keeping in sight a broad possibility of pedagogic
Indian Literature and the World
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