Part 9 - Sentiments (rasa) used in a Vīthī

Bharata states that Vīthī should have all the sentiments, however, Dhanañjaya states that erotic sentiment should be primary sentiment and other sentiments only should be reflected. In the Līlāvatīvīthī, the main sentiment is erotic (śṛṅgāra) and terrible (bhayānaka), heroic (vīra), pathetic (karuṇa) and marvellous (adbhuta) sentiments are just reflected in the drama.

Erotic sentiment:

The erotic (śṛṅgāra) sentiment becomes manifest in the case of Līlāvatī, when she was restless without seeing the king, his absence makes her distressed,

“na snāne na ca bhojane na śayane dhatte manāgādaram……..”
  –(verse.12).

For the king it is:

“vikacakuṭacamallīfullaniryanmadhūlīparimalaparivāre vāti ……….murchām tīvratāpaḥ sakhā me”
  –(verse.13).

When the king gets married to Līlāvatī, the erotic sentiment culminates,

“soḍhaściram madanabāṇagaṇāvalepaḥ kālaśca ………labdhā mayāsi sukṛtopacayena seyam”
  –(verse.54).

Terrible sentiment:

Further the terrible (bhayānaka) sentiment becomes manifest, when a snake entered into the queen’s harem and bites the queen. For instance,

“uttānīkṛtabhogamaṇḍalacala………..svayamasāvantaḥpuram gāhate,” and
“śūtkārabhīṣaṇamukhaḥ……….śanakairmukulīkṛtākṣī
  –(verse.37 and 38).”

Heroic sentiment:

The heroic (vīra) sentiment applied when, the king kills the demon Caṇḍa.

“susnigdhe pelavālīkarajaviracite………mṛdutarakadalīkāṇḍalāvam lunātu”
  –(verse.56).

Marvelous sentiment:

The marvelous (adbhuta) sentiment employed, when Līlāvatī is abducted by Caṇḍa and rescued by the king, or when the queen dreams by the power of black magic, of Siddhimatī, the female asceticand agrees to marry king with Līlāvatī.

Pathetic sentiment:

Then the pathetic (karuṇa) sentiment employed, when the king gets the news that the queen is bitten by a snake and she is senseless.

“daṣṭā cedaṇakabhujaṅgamena………he ceto jahihi śatam manorathānām”
  –(verse.39).