fहndi - Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

Rasa Theory and Modern LiteratureDr. Ramvilas SharmaM.S. Kushwahafgndi •About his new book, Siddhant aur Adhyayan, Babu Gulabrai writes :"In these essays I was faced with the problem of placing greatervalue on my own perspective or on the perspective of the Shastras(canonical writings). I decided to express my perspective on thebasis of the shastric perspective. I did not think it proper to deprivethe students of the knowledge of their ancestors by giving a detailedexplanation of my perspective". Obviously, in this book, hisexplanation of literature is based on Shastras, though here and therehe also mentions Western scientists and thinkers. On certain placesit appears that he finds it difficult to measure new literature byold yardsticks. But he is not willing to give up old yardsticks evenif in order to employ them, one has to pare the things to be measured.In the first chapter of the book, sub-titled "Kavya ki Atma"(The soul of Poetry), the author, after discussing Alankara, Vakrokti,Riti and Dhvani, throws light on the 'soul' or essence of poetry :"Literature re-kindles life in dead hearts, and thus possesses the efficacyof the Ayurvedic rasa. Since rasa is the essence of poetry, it alsoexpresses the rasa (juice) of fruits. Anand is its characteristic form;it is transcendental, self-luminous, conscious, indivisible and akinto Brahmanand (Bliss of God-realization)". In the context of rasaand psychology, Babu Gulabrai has quoted the views of McDuggal,William James, et. al. in support of the outlook of ancient acharyas.April-June 2013 :: 7