Natyashastra and nine emotions (Navarasa)

 Navarasa

Natyashastra is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on performing arts. Although, literally, natya-shastra means drama-study, Natyashastra is not limited to drama. In fact, it encompasses a whole gamut of dance, drama,music and poetics, embellished with rich mythology. 

Spanning across 36 chapters and more than 6000 verses, Natyashastra is an encyclopedic work covering topics from structure of a play and the construction of a stage to genres of acting, body movements, make up and costumes, role and goals of an art director, grammar, the musical scale and what not. 

*;* What are the nine emotions?

The tantric tradition recognizes nine Rasas that represent our basic emotions: Love, Joy, Wonder, Courage, Calmness, Anger, Sadness, Fear, and Disgust.

*;*What is Rasa in dance?

Perhaps the most important chapter of Natyashastra is Chapter 6- The Rasa Theory.

In the Indian performing arts, a rasa is a sentiment, mood or emotion evoked in members of the audience by the art. The rasa theory forms the aesthetic underpinning of all Indian classical dance and theatre.

And the navarasa are :

The Navarasa, in the scriptures refer to the nine expressions that humans often show. These are love (shringaara), 

laughter (haasya), 

kind-heartedness or compassion (karuna), anger (roudra), 

courage (veera), 

fear (bhayaanaka), 

disgust (veebhatsya), 

wonder or surprise (adbhuta) 

and peace or tranquility (shaantha).