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Navarasa in Tyagaraja
 The following is an article by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, well-known writer of short stories and articles on the fine arts, who is an accomplished singer and expert on dance as well. The article was the basis of a programme for the University Grants Commission and is reproduced here with the kind permission of the author.
The term Navarasa is commonly used in the context of Dance and Theatre. Bharata, the author of Natya Sastra, defined the aShTa rasAs as the eight emotions depicted on stage by dancers and actors. They are:
shrngAra – Love, hAsya – Humour, karuNa – Pathos, raudra – Wrath, vIra - Heroism or Valour, bhayanaka – Fear, bhIbatsa – Disgust, adhbuta - Wonder
shAntam (tranquillity) was included as the ninth rasa by Abhinava Gupta , the commentator on Natya Sastra. Opinion is sharply divided between the two groups, which uphold the eight and nine emotion theory respectively. shAntam is not acceptable to the upholders of the aShTarasa concept, as it is deemed a passive state devoid of all emotions.
But Abhinava Gupta states emphatically, ''All emotions, when their respective conditions or excitants obtain, proceed from shAnta; and when the conditions are withdrawn, they again merge or repose in shAnta.''
Abhinava Gupta further adds Bhakti as an accessory to the shAnta rasa. This has thrown up interesting possibilities in depiction of emotions and has paved the way for a wealth of bhakti literature providing a wide canvas for the
Navarasas.
In Tyagaraja's compositions we find bhakti, poetry and music merging to create an experience born out of emotions but transcending the emotional plane to elevate the sahridaya to the spiritual plane. As the emotional outpourings of an exalted soul yearning for union with his IShTa dEvata, Srirama, the kritis appeal to the lay listener through the music as well as the emotions he can relate to on a day to day level.
In the song sOgasuga mridanga tALamu (shriranjani), Tyagaraja gives his definition of a kriti. In the phrase 'navarasayuta kriticE' Tyagaraja states the navarasas as essential elements of the kriti. He further substantiates this concept through several of his kritis where one or more of the rasas come into play. It would be interesting to examine a few of them in this context.
Unlike the nAmAvaLi which formed the content of the kIrtanas of earlier vAggEyakkArAs, the kriti had a thought , an emotion which was elaborated through the pallavi, anupallavi and caraNam. In the kritis of Tyagaraja, the emotion appears to inspire the words and the choice of the
ragams.
shrngAra: Bridal mysticism is a form of madhura bhakti where the jIvAtma as the nAyika yearns for union with the paramAtma as the nAyaka. In his kriti cEra rAvadhEmira (rItigauLa), Tyagaraja addresses Rama as his Divine Lover.
“Like an orphaned girl clinging with love to her husband as her sole refuge. I entreat you repeatedly. I yearn to behold your lotus-face. Should you not come, when you are aware of my plight?'' he begs. The rAga and the sangatis intensify the mood of vipralambam, the pangs of separation).
hAsya: In his kriti vararAgalaya –(cEncu kAmbOji), Tyagaraja expresses his amusement at the empty boasts of people who have no intrinsic knowledge of music. “Those who have scant knowledge of svara and mUrcanAs go about bragging that they are experts'', he points out. The rAga, which is said to be of folk origin, associated with the Andhra village Chenchu, has a sprightly lilt which heightens the feeling of amusement.
karuNa: Tyagaraja chooses the sombre tones of varALi to express his sorrow at his plight on this earth, in the kriti ETi janmam iti. “0 Rama, what a life is this? Why was I born and how long do I have to endure this?'' he laments. ''If I am unable to meet and converse with Hari, whose beauty is unparalleled, what is the purpose of this life?'' he rues.
This kriti holds possibilities of dual interpretation in the bhakti or in the shrngAra mode.
raudra: It is not easy to imagine Tyagaraja harbouring anger towards Rama. But he does so by using the device of nindAstuti in several songs to express his anguish and anger at Rama's indifference to him. One such composition is mAnamu lEda (hamir kalyANi ).
“Have you no self respect?'' he asks of Rama. ''Have you no concern for your near and dear ones ? O thou, father of the twins Lava and Kusa ,who love music /We have not seen anyone as indifferent as you. When Sugriva praised you, your sense of honour made you place him on his throne. When I, Tyagaraja, your servant worships you, you are unmoved."
Even though the words may sound harsh, the plaintive notes of hamir kalyANi assuage the emotion and the picture created is one of a hurt child crying for the attention of the parent.
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