Rupa's Rasa Theory Explored

The emphasis of this week’s reading was the Bhaktirasamrtasindhu and more specifically the rasa theory. In his article, Wulff highlights how the work’s of Abhinavavgupta which particularly outlines the relationship between aestheticism and religion sets the framework for much of Rupa’s Bahktirasamrtasindhu. He shows how art has a close vicinity with religious experience within the Indian context. To illustrate this he outlines the way rasa theory (tied to art forms) assumes religious context, through the works of abhinavagupta and Rupa. He shows how Abhinavagupta uses ties the rasa experience of pleasure together with a religious experience in which he identifies as moksa. Emphasizing this he shows that pleasure (rasa) when experience in a drama transcends the individual to self realization of the four ends of life or in other words the ultimate reality.

On the other hand, Wulff exemplifies how Rupa’s connection to rasa theory assumes a direct religious connection. In other words, Rupa uses rasa as a component within his religious goals. He shows that through love and devotion to Krishna and his family or friends, or living out the drama of Krishna’s life one is able to reach a perfected state that differs through redefining emotions towards the lord and away from worldly pleasures.

Since much attention has been paid to Abhnanvagupta’s theory in our previous classes, my attention in this blog will focus more on the Bhaktirasamrtsindhu (Rupa’s theory).in the introduction of the book there are a couple of points that I will like to discuss.

First, on pg 48 of 64, the author talks about how love is experienced differently by all practitioners. He lists five bhavas that can be experienced by the practitioners in through their devotion to Krishna. The least intimate one is the peaceful one in which the practitioner realizes a master servant relationship. The most intimate is refined erotic love for Krishna. In each bhava love is present but it is perhaps most refined and pure through the last bhava which transforms the individual. This love is and realization of Krishna and his ultimate presence is what in Rupa’s theory relates the individual to the rasa experience. In this regard, the bahvas seems to be a path to which one has to pass through in order to reach this rasa experience. The ending result is erotic love. However, the question is how one is able to reassure themselves that they have reached this level of erotic love, or in other words how can one truly know they have had a rasa experience, since love takes various forms attached to various emotions. To what extent is love measured?

In addition, I found very interesting the idea of how words with negative connatations are in fact positive when geared toward devotion to Krishna. The author states how the practitioner when he reflects such emotions of jealousy towards the lord can become positive. The understanding is that in a worldly environment jealously is a negative feeling but when one becomes jealous of sharing their love with the lord it becomes positive and necessary to reach the desired goal of the bhakti path. Therefore, here the author illustrates how emotions can be refined towards the lord and how this can create an individual that possibly encompasses the totality of love (yet still the degree to much this is refined or measured is still indeterminable).

Second, another point that was made in the Bhaktirasamrtsindhu is the idea that the love or rasa that one is suppose to experience is suppose to equate with this idea of ultimate oneness. However, it is interesting to see that this ultimate reality is taken out of a dualistic understanding of the world. In other words, in order to realize the oneness of Krishna one must first experience the dualism. Basically, in order to know this idea of union one must first experience separation, or in order to respect one must first fear. What seems rather interesting about this is the idea that in order to transcend reality one must first experience it, which in the Indian context links religion and aesthetics together.