Ras: Definition, Elements and Kinds
Ras: Definition, Elements and Kinds
Poetics supplies roughly eight questions and ras alone gives two to three of them. The paper asks for the number of ras, the permanent emotion behind each and the four elements of ras, so the table pairing each ras with its permanent emotion should be fixed before anything else.
What Ras Is
The delight that a reader or listener receives from poetry is ras. Bharat Muni gave the formula of ras in his work Natyashastra, and that is regarded as the first systematic treatment in Indian poetics. Ras is called the soul of poetry.
The Four Elements of Ras
- Sthayi bhav — the permanent underlying emotion, which ripens into ras.
- Vibhav — the cause that awakens the emotion; it has two kinds, alamban and uddipan.
- Anubhav — the bodily gestures that follow from the emotion.
- Sanchari bhav — passing emotions, held to number thirty-three.
Alamban is the person or object that causes the emotion, and uddipan is the situation that heightens it. This distinction is asked directly, so keep the two names apart.
✗ Sanchari bhav is the permanent basis of ras | ✓ Sthayi bhav is the basis; sanchari bhav come and go
The Ras and Their Permanent Emotions
| Ras | Sthayi bhav | Ras | Sthayi bhav |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shringar | rati | Hasya | has |
| Karun | shok | Raudra | krodh |
| Vir | utsah | Bhayanak | bhay |
| Vibhatsa | jugupsa | Adbhut | vismay |
| Shant | nirved | Vatsalya | vatsalta |
Traditionally nine ras are counted, and they are called the navras. Later scholars accepted vatsalya as the tenth, and some treat bhakti as an eleventh. When a number appears in a question, first see whether the navras are being asked about or something beyond them.
Shringar is called the king of ras, since it has the widest spread in literature. It has two kinds — sanyog, when the lovers are together, and viyog or vipralambh, when they are apart.
पहचान का सरल तरीका: पंक्ति पढ़कर देखिए कि उसमें कौन-सा भाव सबसे गहरा है। शोक हो तो करुण, क्रोध हो तो रौद्र, उत्साह हो तो वीर, घृणा हो तो वीभत्स।
TRE pointer: The table of ras and permanent emotion is the whole answer to this topic, so complete it. Vibhatsa with jugupsa and shant with nirved are got wrong most often. Thirty-three sanchari bhav, shringar as the king of ras and Bharat Muni's Natyashastra are all settled questions.
60-Second Recap
- Ras is the delight received from poetry and is called its soul.
- Bharat Muni gave the formula of ras in the Natyashastra.
- The four elements are sthayi bhav, vibhav, anubhav and sanchari bhav.
- Vibhav has two kinds, alamban and uddipan; sanchari bhav number thirty-three.
- Nine ras are counted traditionally and vatsalya is treated as the tenth.
- Shringar is the king of ras and has two kinds, sanyog and viyog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four elements of ras?
Sthayi bhav, vibhav, anubhav and sanchari bhav. The sthayi bhav is the permanent underlying emotion, the vibhav its cause, the anubhav the bodily gestures that show it, and the sanchari bhav the passing emotions, which are held to number thirty-three.
What is the difference between alamban and uddipan?
The alamban is the person or object because of which the emotion arises, and the uddipan is the situation or setting that heightens it further. Together they form the vibhav, and their distinction is asked separately in the examination.
How many ras are counted in Hindi?
Nine by tradition, called the navras. Later scholars accepted vatsalya as the tenth and some count bhakti as an eleventh. Read the wording of the question carefully, because nine, ten and eleven are all placed among the options.
What is the difference between vibhatsa and bhayanak?
The permanent emotion of vibhatsa is jugupsa, that is, disgust, and it arises from something repellent. The permanent emotion of bhayanak is bhay, that is, fear, and it arises from something frightening. Both are unpleasant, but the underlying emotion differs, so the ras differs too.