20 Bhakti Rasa

Dr. Mrinmoy Pramanick and Mr. Pratim Das

Introduction

Bhakti Rasa was philosophically and poetically established in literary and religious practices in medieval India. It was appeared as so popular that entire India was engaged with this rasa. The philosophical understanding of this thought also was reached to the common people and it was adopted by them. Bhakti movement (800-1700), originated from South India, was circulated to the North, West, East and North Eastern part of India. It gave birth of massive number of literature which were mostly the poems and songs used to be performed either in temple, Dargas, Gurdwar or at the places of the common mass. The leaders of this movement came from across the language, class, caste and religion. Alwar, Nayanmar, Jains of Kannada, Dadu, Kabir, Tukaram, Namdev, Mirabai, Chaitanyadev all these figures were mass leader, philosophers or poets in their own language and region and also had shaken the philosophical thoughts beyond their linguistic, religious and cultural boundary.

The literature which was emerged not directly from this movement also was very much influenced by this movement. Bhakti movement, as we understand from the very title of the movement actually was centred by the bhakti bhava of devotee to get, to meet, to be one with the god or with whom they worship. The translation practice of medieval India, like the translation of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata was very much influenced by the movement. The Rasa which is found in this medieval translation practice of the epics into bhasha was profound poetic beauty of the bhakti rasa.

Sukumar Sen argues Krittibas’s Ramayana is influenced by the Bhakti Rasa, which was enhanced by the powerful influence of Chaitanyadeb. Madhabkandali’s Bhaktirasa was Vishnu Bhaktirasa. Krishnabhakti of Bhagabata became Vaisnava Krishnabhakti in translation in the post-Chaitanya era, although translations of into Bangla had begun earlier to Chaitanya. Such translations increased in number and value in post-Chaitanya era.

Bhakti Movement and Indian Literature

Oxford Anthology of Bhakti Literature edited by Andrew Schelling, in its introduction on Bhakti poetry explains the origin and history of Bhakti movement in India and its relation with ‘vernacular’ literature and culture. I found this noteworthy to refer in this dissertation to find another connection between the Bhasha and Bhakti. So far, this dissertation mainly analyzed the political aspect of Bhasha and tried to read the medieval society from the political viewpoint. But that is not the only reality of medieval Bengal as well as India which made translation inevitable. Bhakti movement engaged the people across class, caste and religion, and successfully endorsed people’s language and spirituality. Schelling comments, “Driven by spiritual hunger, a fierce desire for spiritual freedom, and longsimmering demands for social or economic equality, bhakti poets issued forth in dozens of languages” (xiv). This was not only about the social and economic equality but also about the cultural equality and right to knowledge. Bhakti movement and Bhasha culture synthesized people’s belief and people’s literature which was there in oral tradition and in local language with the philosophical and religious thoughts which were found in scriptures and classical text. Medieval translation always carried the traces of “raw vernacular vocabulary, riddles, secret codes, and non-rational images” (Schelling xv) which shows the deep affinity between the translation and social life, which further ensures that translation reached its target audience.

The texts which were translated during medieval period not only tried to bring knowledge from Sanskrit and later from the Persian texts but also tried to express spirituality in people’s language. According to Schelling, “Bhakti poetry occurs at the confluence of Sanskrit with India’s vernacular traditions… Bhakti, and the poems that convey its passions, are, in A.K. Ramanujan’s words, deliberately ‘anti-tradition” (xvii). The motivation for the development of bhasha was to oppose religious hierarchy and politics of knowledge restriction within certain caste and class. It also sought to satisfy people’s desire for spirituality. Bhakti Bhava of the creative poet-translators’ ’ mind for the selection, translation and circulation of particular texts. Krittivasa’s popularity and wide circulation of his manuscript was due to his Bhakti Bhava towards Vaisnavism and his devotion in that culture.

Alaul’s Padmabati was very much influenced by his knowledge and belief on Sufism which also made this translated text acceptable to the Bengali community, most especially among the Muslims. Schelling adapts Dilip Chitre’s term to describe the literary productions of Bhakti movement as ‘orature’. Schelling also comments that, “… bhakti is oral poetry, orature not literature, enunciated by the poet, and written onto the page only later- often centuries later. In this sense its natural habitat has always been performance” (xix). In the Bengali scenario, Bhakti was not only expressed in the performative or the oral tradition but was in written forms also, as in other cultures. It was a happy marriage between written culture and oral tradition, as ‘local’ was reflected in the pages of the manuscripts which were adapted by the Katha thakurs to perform. Bhakti and Bhasha, were determining factors for the birth of medieval Indian translation and thus Indian literature too.

According to Schelling there are six characteristics of Bhakti poetry as follows:

1. The poem is carried by the poet’s voice. It has been composed orally, sometimes Spontaneously.
2. A highly developed process of thinking in images.
3. A minimal art of maximum involvement. ‘Intensity’.
4. Listeners or spectators. These are public ‘events’. The poet creates a theatre of participants,
5. Willing or unwilling.
6. ‘Animal-body-rootedness’. The poem is an act of both body and spirit.
7. Poet as shaman. He or she is controller of the ‘techniques of ecstasy’.

When we argue that Bhakti and Bhasha are intrinsically related to translation, I mean the spiritual cultural- social environment of the time with the surfeit of Bhakti Bhava made translation possible. It is not about the Bhakti poets who translated or not always about their direct influence which made translation possible but it is about the entire cultural environment. It is not only about Meera, Kabir, Tukaram, Dadu or Chaitanyadev whose influence directly opened the possibility of translation but the environment which was created by the Bhakti movement or people’s spiritual desire towards Bhakti that made this possible. I mentioned the characteristics of the Bhakti poets suggested by Schelling to understand the situation of the poets and the position of translation, to understand poet’s role in translation.

The history of medieval translation shows the force of Bhakti and its philosophical foundations strengthened by the patronage of kings and later sultans helped translation. Another point to be noted is that the translators were not necessarily Bhakti poets as the above characteristics list, but they were certainly driven by Bhakti Bhava.

Schelling adds, “Bhakti poetry occurs at the confluence of Sanskrit with India’s vernacular traditions” (xvii). But the influence of Bhakti was not only limited within this culture of Sanskrit, the influence of Sufism led the translation of Alaul’s Padmabati. Bhakti was involved with the making of bhasha. For example, the songs of poets Ramprasad Sen (1728/1713-1775) and Kamalakanta Bhattacharya (1769-1821), devotees of Kali, helped the development of bhasha but did not result in translation at that time. The long tradition of Shakta Padavali of Bengal was creation of devotion of the poets towards Kali, Durga and Uma.

Rupa Goswami and Bhakti Rasa

Rupa Goswami was one of the six Goswami of Brindaban. Rupa Goswami combines the concept of aesthetic experience (rasa), developed by Bharata Muni, the systematizer of the scenic and poetic arts of India, with the concept of loving mystical or bhakti. Different traditions of aesthetic and religious theories paved the way for Rupa Gosvami to develop a salvific dimension establishing the emotional devotion as an aesthetic experience (bhaktirasa) (Srila Rupa Gosvami).

Rupa Gosvami in the tradition of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, better known as Gaudiya Vaisnavism, identified the bhakti-rasa as the way and perfect condition of existence, understood as a relationship of pure love for Krishna.(krishna -prema-bhakti).Gaudiya Vaishnavism was established in the region of Bengal in 16th century by the holy Vaisnava Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), and subsequently systematized by its main Goswamis of Vrindavana, of whom stands out the great theologian, poet and playwright Rūpa Gosvāmī (1489-1564) who realized, within this mystique, the unity between the philosophy of aesthetics and the philosophy of devotion (Srila Rupa Gosvami).

Bhaktirasamritasindhu by Rup Goswami is very much important critical study on the Bhakti philosophy. It was written during first quarter of 16th century and it was one of his almost 20 books on literature and philosophy (Devy, Ganesh;). This book is considered as source book on Bhakti philosophy and rasa. Though this book is written into Sanskrit but it talks about the poetry and poetic traditions in different Indian languages. Rup Goswami had keen interest about the poetry written in his own time. Devy cemmented, “… Rupa Goswami was not trying to explain Bhakti poetry in terms of the rasa theory, as much as he was trying to explain the rasa theory in terms of Bhakti poetry as rooted in poetic practice in his own time” (Devy, Ganesh;). According to Devy, Goswami observed Bhakti as highest rasa because it brings an experience to the rasika which is aesthetically superior to Brahmananda. Goswami reflected upon the idea of Bhakti and its psychology.

Rup Goswami established the idea of mano-bhistam, ‘the innermost heart’s desire’ of Sri Krishna as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Rup Goswami left home in Mahaprabhu’s order. And later when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu met Rup Goswami at Prayag, he suggested Rup Goswami,

parapara-sunya gabhira bhakti-rasa-sindhu

tomaya cakhaite tara kahi eka bindu

[“The ocean of the transcendental mellows of devotional service is so large that no one can estimate its length and breadth. However, just to help you taste it, I am describing one drop. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 19.137)”] (Srila Rupa Gosvami)

Rup Goswami observed Mukti as Brahmasukha which is “derived from the knowledge and realisation of impersonal Brahman. .. and eternal and ever-progressive and supreme flow of transcendental felicity” comes from the realisation of the supreme lord, Lord Krishna, ‘who is the Lord of all senses’. If even a nominal awakening of Bhava-Bhakti in the heart of the Lord happens, the four objectives of human life, Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha becomes insignificant. True nature of the Bhakti can be observed with a bit experience of real Bhakti. Bhakti cannot be realised with the arguments but one has to realise it in true sense.

Rup Goswami’s idea of Bhava-Bhakti is very much significant in the context of Gaudiya Vaisnavite philosophy. Gaudiya Vaisnavites follow the ideas and philosophy which was taught by Rup Goswami. The idea of Bhava-Bhakti is also significant in whole understanding of Bhakti rasa. “The essential nature of Bhava-Bhakti is of a particular form of absolute sattva quality which is far beyond and completely different from” sattva-raja-tamas quality.

It is said that in Tantra first stage of Prema is called Bhava. “There are partial manifestations of tears, horripilation, paleness and other Sattvik-bhavas in Bhava-Bhakti” (Devy, Ganesh;). This Bhava can be found in the Padma Purana. This Bhava also is known as Rati and this Rati comes into the heart of the devotee who is extremely fortunate. But in most of the cases earnestness of one’s spiritual practices can make her/him to observe this Bhava. Rupa Goswami says,

“The nature of this Rati is that it is always full of warmth, i.e., of an uncontrollable nature, and is the first current of a very powerful and predominant bliss or delight. Therefore even though this Rati throws up, i.e. manifests the heat of all forms of sancari bhavas (the evanescent feeling of Bhava, which strengthens the pervading sentiment), it is cooler and sweeter than crores of moons…”

(translated by Tridandi Swami Bhakti Hrdaya Bon Maharaja) (Devy, Ganesh;).

This is Rup Goswami suggested his realisation and thoughts on Bhakti rasa and to him it is the supreme, it is glorious, it is purest and it is rare.

Though the references to bhakti as rasa can also be found in Jīva Gosvāmī, who, following Rūpa Goswami’s general analysis of rasa, also devotes him a considerable part of its Prīti-sandarbha and Bhakti-sandarbha. The Jīva, however, is a bit different because it adds a lot of questions. Theological and metaphysical to explain the theme. The same can be said about Krishnadas Kaviraj who, in his Caitanya Charitamrita, expound on the doctrine of bhakti.

Conclusion

Bhakti is the one of the major or perhaps most common denominator of Indian Literature. We can observe different kinds of Bhakti thoughts throughout the literature and religious practices in medieval India by different saints and by different sects of religions. The Bhakti of medieval India still exist in our time as residual. Bhakti movement and Bhakti philosophy in religion, literature and culture makes medieval history of India glorious and makes different communities to go far steps ahead in future.

Bhaktirasa is perhaps only rasa which is added in the Sanskrit rasa theory in medieval India. And because of this the lineage of Sanskrit rasa theory extended over the medieval period and Rup Goswami is the pioneer to suggest this philosophical thought.

We can observe that Rūpa Gosvāmī conceives bhakti-rasa from two main sources: (1) definitions and constituent elements of rasa present in the Nāṭya-śāstra de Bharata; and (2) The Bhāgavata Purāṇa and other theological texts that support the concept of bhakti as a strong emotional link between the devotee and Bhagavān, the Lord (Cesar, 2008, 43). Ganesh Devy marked Rup Goswami and his text as ‘an important landmark in Indian literary theory’ (Devy, Ganesh;).

References

• CESAR, Eva, The Contribution of Sri Rupa Gosvami to Indian Aesthetic Theory and Sanskrit Dramaturgy. PH.D. Thesis. Varanasi: Faculty of Arts, Banares Hindu University, 2008
• Devy, Ganesh;. “Rup Goswami: The Bhaktirasa.” Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2010. 96-99. Print.
• “Rupa Goswami.” 12 January 2017. Gaudiya History. web.<http://gaudiyahistory.iskcondesiretree.com/sri-rupa-goswami/>.
• Schelling, Andrew;. Oxford Anthology of Bhakti Literature. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
• “Srila Rupa Gosvami.” n.d. Purebhakti.com. 11 January 2017. <http://www.purebhakti.com/teachers/bhakti-yoga-masters/775-srila-rupa-gosvami-svarupasanatana.html>