IhAmRga-drama and the question of identification and aesthetic experience

[Benjamin Fleming]

one of the purposes of rasa (aesthetic) theory is, i believed, intended to
create an identification with the divine. Aesthetic experience is conceived
of as participating in and identifying with the emotions of God.   One's own
emotions are elevated to that of the divine.  Indeed the general division
between the divine and humanity might be considered Western rather than
Indian per se.  Thus, it is possible to identify with the hero/god not
unlike the devotee identifies with the image of god in puja.  I might
suggest looking to Abhinavagupta's philosophy of aesthetics or Rupa
Gosvamin's theory of bhakti-rasa

"Santarasa and Abhinaagupta's Philosophy of Aesthetics" by J. L. Masson and
M.V. Patwardhan. Pune: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 1969 (1985).

Benjamin Fleming

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Skarpeid <Jon.Skarpeid at HINT.NO>
To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Date: Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:06 AM
Subject: IhAmRga-drama and the question of identification and aesthetic
experience


>One of the main purpose of the Sanskrit Drama is to produce aesthetic
>experience. A presuppostion is that the spectator is able to identify
>him/herself with the hero/artist. However, in some of the drama types like
>IhAmRga, the hero is a divine being. How is the identification supposed to
>take place when the hero is a God, for example Rama(saving Sita)? Is the
>answer simply that Rama is possessing/pretending to possess human feelings
>and thus give rise to the identification and subsequently the aesthetic
>experience among the audience?
>
>Does anybody posit knowledge to share with me and the group?
>
>Jon Skarpeid
>