The Emotional Dimension of the ‘Nature of the World (Lokasya Svabhāva)’ and the Meaning of Saḥr̥daya. ‘Avadhakiśoragurucaraṇasmṛtiai Samarpyate’

Abstract

The ancient Indian Treatise on Theatre (Nāṭyaśāstra) of Bharatamuni defines the art of theatre as the nature of the human world (svabhāvo lokasya) with its happiness and despair, endowed with the [four] ‘leads’ beginning with ‘body-lead’. In order to grasp properly the way that not only theatre but also all other arts, affect the psyche of the rasikas (literally – ‘tasters’, i.e., art recipients), we have to broach upon the manner in which the said nature of the human world should be understood.