Abstract:
This research paper aims to read Narsinh Mehta’s poem “Today The Pavilion of Love” in the light of Bharat Muni’s Rasa theory. Narsinh Mehta is an ancient Gujarati poet known as Ādi-Kavi. He wrote several poems dealing with Śringāra Pada (love songs) Bhakti Pada (devotional poems), etc. along with didactic poems on Lord Krishna. Rasa theory originates with Bharata Muni’s famous and earliest work Nātyaśāstra dealing with poetics and dramaturgy. The theory includes eight important Rasas, one or several of which can be detected in a work of art. These are: Śringāra rasa (the Erotic), Vīra rasa (the Heroic), Raudra rasa (the Furious), Bibhatsa rasa (the Disgusting), Hāsya rasa (the Comic), Adbhut rasa (the Marvelous), Karuna rasa (the Pathetic), and Bhayānaka rasa (the Terrible). Among these, two Rasa-s – Śringāra and Adbhut – can be detected in the selected poem.
Key Words: Bharata Muni. Lord Krishna. Narsinh Mehta. Radha. Rasa. Sentiments
Introduction:
Narsinh Mehta is widely known as a Vaishnava Bhakta (worshiper of Lord Krishna) poet of medieval India. He is also recognized as a Śringāra Kavi, a poet of romantic love. Because his Bhakti (devotion) has prem (love) and his prem has bhakti; his poems are labelled as Śringāra Bhakti Kāvya. He wrote several Śringāra Kavya on Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha. In his Śringāra poems we can find various emotional elements which are known as Rasa. In Indian Poetics, Rasa translates to different emotions in a work of art, the theory of which was propounded by Bharata Muni in Nātyaśāstra. These universal eight rasa-s, detectable in a work of art, are also evident in Gujarati poet Narsinh Mehta’s poems.
Narsinh Mehta: Biographical Context
“I dwell nor in Vaikuntha, nor in the hearts of Yogis
Where my devotees sing, there I am, Narada.” - Padma Purana
Bhakta Poet Narsinh Mehta was born in a Nagar Brahmin family in 1414 at Talaja, Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, and died in 1480 (Jesalpura 2, 4). He was married to Manekbai with whom he had two children. Later on, Mehta also lived in Junagadh, Gujarat. He wrote almost three autobiographical works: Putravivah na Pada (poems about the marriage of son), Mamera na Pada (poems about incidents relating to the gifts given by Narsinh Mehta to his daughter Kunvarbai in the seventh month of her pregnancy), and Har-Mala na Pada (garland incident) (Swami Mahadevananda 4). He wrote several odes to morning and devotional poems about lord Krishna. Among these, his love songs have been most appreciated. His love songs contain both lalitya (softness) and gita (melody). He describes different kinds of emotions and sentiments in his love poems.
Rasa Theory
Bharata Muni is an Indian theatrologist and musicologist. He is considered the originator of the Rasa School of Poetry. Rasa means sentiments according to Bharata “No meaning proceeds without any kind of sentiments” (Bharata 105). He laid stress on the elements of Rasa which in course became established ideas in the realm of poetics. Bharata Muni propounded his Rasa Sutra in Nātyaśāstra, reproduced below:
Vibhāvanubhāva vyabhicāribhāva samyogada rasanispattih (Bharata 120).
Rasa is produced from a combination of Determinants (vibhāva-s), Consequents (anubhāva-s) and Transitory states (vyabhicāribhāva-s) (Bharata 105). Another explanation of Rasa given by Bharata is “Poems, dramas or any piece of literature are the results from a combination of various sentiments (rasa-s) such as love, sorrow, disgust, anger, energy, terror, astonishment and mirth” (Bharata 120). So that the dominant state (sthāyibhāva) is created when they come together with other transitory states and then become sentiments (Rasa-s). Bharata’s doctrine of Natya-Rasa is the original source of the doctrine of Kāvya-Rasa. Poet Visvanatha has suggested rasa as essentially the main element of poetry. According to Visvanatha:
“Vākyam rasātmakam kāvyam”
It means poetry as a sentence of which the soul is the rasa. Hence, all the supporters of rasa doctrine considered rasa as the essence of poetry, soul of poetry, an element of poetry.
Nine Rasa-s
Bharata Muni and the exponents of Rasa School of Poetry discussed nine (eight mentioned by Bharata, with the ninth arguably added by Udbhata) important rasa-s which are relevant for poetry (Bharata 102). These are given below:
Śringāra Rasa:
Śringāra Rasa is an erotic sentiment. The undisputable king of all Rasa-s, it leads to the realization of emotions of love and beauty and also attractiveness and devotion. An example of Śringāra Rasa is the character of Vishnu in Hindu mythology.
Hāsya Rasa:
Hāsya Rasa presents comic sentiment. This rasa often depicts everything between a simple smile of harmless mirth to loud echoes of harsh laughter. It can be used to depict simple joy, mirth and excessive laughter.
Karuna Rasa:
Karuna rasa is a pathetic sentiment. It represents sadness, empathy, compassion, pity, or grief due to loss in the minds of the viewers. Karuna rasa is related to the experience of sorrow.
Raudra Rasa:
Raudra rasa presents furious sentiments. This rasa represents the fiery sentiments of anger and it is recognized as the most violent sentiment of all emotions combined.
Vīra Rasa:
Vīra rasa represents heroic sentiments. It also represents confidence, courage, pride and bravery. This rasa interprets self-confidence to represent it as the noblest emotion of bravery.
Bhayānaka Rasa:
It is a terrible sentiment. It represents horror and terror, fear and anxiety. This rasa is tailor made to stand for the anxious feeling of suffering from a horrible circumstance, fear and terrifying objects.
Bibhatsa Rasa:
It is an odious sentiment. This rasa expresses the complex feeling of disgust. This rasa is produced from hearing and seeing unpleasant things. This rasa comes through the combination of consequences and complementary psychological states.
Adbhuta Rasa:
Adbhuta Rasa represents marvelous sentiments. This rasa makes way for the most unimaginable sense of awe that is felt when we sense the workings of the universe or even one’s own surroundings. The amazement one feels when one comes across something divine and supernatural.
Śānta Rasa:
This rasa present relaxation sentiment. Shanta rasa represents peace and the state of calmness. This rasa portrays the power of being at peace, the sweet sympathy that is created when mind and soul are on par with each other. This is a state of absolute bliss.
“Today The Pavilion of Love”: A Brief Summary
One of the love poems of Narsinh Mehta is “Today The Pavilion of Love”.
Today the Pavilion of love is full of jasmine flowers
And Krishna enters it with Radha for romantic pleasures.
As bells on the hair ornament
Strung with silken threads resound
Dark is Krishna and fair is Radha.
She serves sweet milk and curds and Krishna relishes
Beautified with the sixteen adornments
And draped in fine clothes
She plays amorously with Krishna, she is the eternal bride.
Says Narsinh that Krishna has
Adorned my arm with bangles (Mehta 24).
Through this poem Narsinh Mehta describes a meeting of Goddess Radha and Lord Krishna.
In first line of the poem, the poet says Radha and Krishna enter the pavilion of love which is full of aromatic flowers. The second line of the poem describes the hair ornament of Radha along with the fact that Radha is fair and Krishna is dark. Then Radha impresses Lord Krishna with sweet milk and curds. In the next line the poet portrays the beautiful appearance of Radha stating that she is wearing sixteen ornaments and she is playing with Krishna. Both Radha and Krishna are full of eternal love. In the last line, the poet Narsinh Mehta himself states that Krishna has adorned her arm with bangles. So, the poet also realizes the love sentiment of Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha.
Application of Rasa Theory on “Today The Pavilion Of Love”
After a thorough study of the poem, we can see that the poet includes two types of Rasa (emotions). The first is Śringāra Rasa (Erotic sentiment) and the second is Adbhut Rasa (Marvelous sentiment).
Śringāra Rasa
Śringāra Rasa means erotic sentiment which represents love, beauty, attractiveness and devotion. We can find all these elements in this poem.
“Today the pavilion of love is full of jasmine flowers
And Krishna enters it with Radha for romantic pleasures.”
In the very first line the poet represents the love of Radha and Krishna. Because Krishna came to meet Radha for romantic pleasures and they sit under the pavilion of love, the poet uses the love element in the very first line of the poem.
“As bells on the hair ornaments
Strung with silken threads resound
Dark is Krishna and fair is Radha.”
In the second line, poet Narsinh Mehta beautifies Radha with hair ornaments. Her ornaments, her fairness and her beauty attract Lord Krishna.
“Beautified with the sixteen adornments
And draped in fine clothes
She plays amorously with Krishna, she is the eternal bride.”
The fourth line of the poem describes Radha wearing sixteen ornaments and looks like an eternal bride. This line also specifies about the beauty and outlooks of Radha. So, after the analysis of this poem, it can be clarified that this poem represents Śringāra Rasa.
The erotic sentiment has two bases: union (sambhoga) and separation (vipralambha) (Bharata 108). But the poem is only based on the union of Radha and Krishna. Their union arises from determinants like pleasures of the season, enjoyment of garlands, the ornaments of beloved Radha, some other objects like fine clothes, sweet milk and curd which encourage the senses of Radha and Krishna.
Moreover, we can observe that when Lord Krishna and Radha enter the pavilion – with each being the ālambana vibhāva (Human Determinants giving rise to a particular emotion or set of emotions – in this case, the emotion of love) for the other – the uddīpana vibhāva (Environmental Determinants) such as the pleasing fragrance of the jasmine flowers contribute in the development of the Śringāra rasa as the surrounding atmosphere, if delightful, strengthens the emotion or sentiment of love. Furthermore, Śringāra rasa develops from ālambana vibhāva (Human Determinants) such as seeing and being in the company of the beloved, conversing, dallying with them (Bharata, qtd. in Seturaman 24) as is evident in the second and ninth line of the poem.
The presence of Lord Krishna and the surrounding beautiful environment leads Goddess Radha to express her love for him – anubhāva – as the poet mentions that she “plays amorously with Krishna” (24).
Moreover, the description of the vibhāva-s and anubhāva provided by the poet appeals to the sthāyibhāva (Dominant/Permanent Emotions) of Rati (Love) within the reader and if the reader himself/herself has ever experienced a similar emotion of love towards his/her beloved, (s)he would be able to experience the Śringāra Rasa. Hence, whatever in this universe is white, pure, bright and beautiful is considered in terms of the dominant or permanent state of love.
Adbhuta Rasa
Adbhuta Rasa means marvelous sentiment. Adbhuta Rasa represents wonder, mystery and curiosity. This Rasa is the feeling of amazement that one feels when one comes across something divine and supernatural. The poem “Today The Pavilion of Love” describe supernatural power and divinity since in Hindu religion Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is a major deity and also as the supreme God among all Hindu Gods. In this incarnation Goddess Radha became the beloved of Lord Krishna. This Hindu myth about the relation of Radha and Krishna expresses divinity, supernaturality and marvelous sentiments (“Radha: Hindu Mythology”).
The poem describes the divine love of Radha and Krishna and concentrates on the moment when Radha goes to meet her beloved Krishna and then they play amorously with each other:
“She plays amorously with Krishna,
She is the eternal bride.”
In the above line, the poet uses the word ‘eternal bride’ and the word itself describes the infinite love and relation of Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha. So, we can say that the poet use marvelous element in this poem.
Adbhuta Rasa arises from Determinants (vibhāva-s) such as witnessing “heavenly beings or events . . . [entering] a seven-storied palace” (Bharata, qtd. in Seturaman 30) etc. It can be argued that the poet’s devotion towards Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha is so strong that it leads him to visualize their meeting under the pavilion of love, a divine sight that leaves the poet mesmerized. Moreover, for the reader who has himself/herself experienced amazement and wonder at one or the other moment in his/her life – for example, after visiting a place with great natural beauty – the description would appeal to his/her sthāyibhāva of (Dominant/Permanent Emotions) of Vismaya (wonder) which leads to the experience of Adbhuta Rasa.
According to Bharata, marvelous sentiment has two main concepts: The first one is that marvelous sentiment arises from words, characters, their beauty and their deeds (Bharata 116). On the basis of this concept the poet also uses these elements in this poem like beauty of Goddess Radha, the meeting of Radha and Krishna and the expression of their love created the determinants (sthāyibhāva) of heavenly beings or events. The second concept is that; the marvelous sentiment is represented by a gesture of feeling, sweet smell, joyful shaking of limbs, and words of approbation (Bharata 116). So, according to this concept the present poem of Narsinh Mehta also relates to these elements like, Radha serves the sweet milk and curds to Krishna and he approves of Goddess Radha and her look. Hence, these pleasures and feelings are very joyful for them.
Conclusion
The poems of Narsinh Mehta are known for their devotion towards lord Krishna. His poems portray the life of Lord Krishna, especially about the eighth incarnation of Vishnu. He wrote many Śringāra poems, morning poems, devotional poems about Krishna. All his poems are based on different emotional elements. Especially his śrināgara poems express erotic, devotional, and supernatural sentiments. In history of Indian Poetics Bharata Muni described these sentiments in his work Nātyaśāstra and these emotional sentiments are known as Rasa, also found in the poem of Narsinh Mehta. Here, in the selected poem, “Today The Pavilion of Love”, two different sentiments are detected: one is Śringāra Rasa (erotic sentiment) and Adbhuta Rasa (marvelous sentiment). Śringāra Rasa represents love, beauty and devotion and the selected poem expresses love of Radha and Krishna, beauty of Radha, and her devotion towards Lord Krishna. According to Bharata Muni in Nātyaśāstra, Adbhuta Rasa represents marvelous, supernatural sentiments, and divinity. This poem of Narsinh Mehta also uses certain elements of supernaturality and divinity. Hence, it can be concluded that “Today The Pavilion of Love” includes different type of Rasa-s discussed by the ancient musicologist Bharata Muni.
Works Cited
- Bharata-Muni. The Nātyaśāstra: A Treatise on Hindu Dramaturgy and Histrionics. Translated by Manomohan Ghosh, Vol.1, Astatic Society of Bengal, 1951.
- Jesalpura, Shivlal, Narsinh Mehtani kavyakrutio. Sahitya-Sanshodhan Prakashan, 1989.
- Mehta, Narsinh. “Today The Pavilion of Love.” Love songs of Narsinh Mehta, edited by, Harsha V. Dehejia and Vijay Sharma, D.K. Printworld, 2015, p. 24.
- “Radha: Hindu Mythology.” Britannica.com, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/topic/Radha-Hindu-mythology Accessed 05 March 2021.
- Seturaman, V. S., editor. Indian Aesthetics: An Introduction. 1992. Trinity Press, 2015.
Works Consulted
- Mangatu Manu. “Bharata’s Rasa Sutra and The Theory of Rasa Dhvani.” Researchgate.net
- Bharata's Rasa Sutra and the Theory of Rasa Dhvani Accessed 02 March 2021.
- Swami Mahadevananda. Devotional Songs of Narsī Mehtā. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 2018.