Rudrata's Treatment of Rasa
By Vijay Pandya
Summary
Vijay Pandya argues that Rudrata represents a crucial, transitional figure in Sanskrit poetics, marking the culmination of the Alankara school and the first syncretic integration of Natyashastra elements into literary criticism. In his work *Kavyalamkara*, Rudrata primarily focuses on figures of speech, but his treatment of rasa is highly distinctive. Unlike his predecessors Bhamaha and Dandin, who treated rasa merely as a form of *rasavat alankara* or a sweet quality, Rudrata accorded rasa an independent status. He expanded Bharatamuni’s original eight rasas by adding Santa and Preyan. Rudrata's most significant contribution is the rationalization and elevation of Preyan rasa. He established *sneha* (friendship) as its *sthayin* (permanent state), thereby distinguishing it from earlier, more limited definitions of Preyas found in Udbhata, Bhamaha, and Dandin. This addition effectively opened the floodgates for the proliferation of new rasas. The author notes that Rudrata's conceptualization of rasa was deeply influenced by Bharatamuni's definition of rasa as anything that is *asvadyatva* (relishable). Consequently, Rudrata argued that any *bhavas* (emotions) could be developed into rasas, a revolutionary stance that challenged the rigid boundaries of the traditional nine-rasa system. This theoretical flexibility paved the way for later theorists like Bhoja, who further expanded the list of rasas by adding Uddatta and Uddhata, and eventually for the proposal of numerous other rasas such as Bhakti-rasa and Maya-rasa. While later critics like Abhinavagupta and Hemachandra attempted to halt this proliferation to prevent chaos in literary criticism, the author concludes that Rudrata's enduring legacy lies in keeping the discourse on rasa dynamic and ever-evolving.
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Conclusion
Rudrata’s treatment of rasa marks a pivotal, albeit underappreciated, stage in the evolution of Sanskrit poetics. As the last major Alamkārika of the older school, he charted an independent course, granting rasa an independent status rather than reducing it to a mere figure of speech. His most significant contribution lies in the introduction of Preyan rasa, a novel addition that fundamentally challenged the established nine-rasa framework. By positing that any relishable emotional state can be elevated to a rasa, Rudrata inaugurated a paradigm where bhavas are inherently capable of becoming rasas. This revolutionary stance, later adopted and expanded by critics like Bhoja, kept the theoretical waters of literary criticism flowing. Although it eventually led to theoretical chaos, Rudrata’s profound implication that sthayins and vyabhicāribhāvas are fluid stages rather than rigid categories represents his most valuable and original legacy to rasa-thought.