Part 2h - Rasa (8): Adbhuta or the sentiment of wonder

The sentiment, which grows out of wonder or surprise, while reading or witnessing a supernatural phenomenon, thereby bewildering the mind of the reader or the spectator is termed as the Adbhuta.^[1] Viśvanātha is of the opinion that vismaya^[2] (marvel or wonder) is the sthāyibhāva, which attains the status of Adbhutarasa. A Gandharva is its presiding deity. It is alleged by the mythologists to be of gold-coloured. The supernatural elements are its ālambanvibhāvas and the attributes of those elements are uddīpanvibhāvas, in the context of this sentiment. Exclamation, tears, throbbing and horripilation of the body stand as the anubhāvas, in respect to this rasa, while delight, emotion, fortitude etc. appear as the vyabhicāribhāvas.^[3]

In canto IV, there are two verses^[4] wherein, the wonderful characteristic feature of the mountain Kailāsa has been described and through Śleṣālaṃkāra, the Kailāsa has been compared to itself. Again, in another verse, Maṅkhaka suggests a wonderful figure of a lady.^[5] This description of Maṅkhaka, makes one recollect the admirable physical beauty of the female yakṣa^[6] in Kālidāsa’s Meghadūta.

Moreover, in canto V, in the verse, kumbhaḥ kare śirasi^[7] ….., Śiva’s character has been portrayed as majestic and wonderful one. He has been described as having a pitcher of nectar in hand. He holds the divine river Gaṅgā upon his head, His whole body is covered by the serpents. He, who has Śailaputrī Gaurī as wife is, as if, an embodiment of wonder. He is compared to a strange elephant here. The very word Adbhuta has been mentioned here in this stanza. Again, in the same canto, in the verse, dhatte dvijādhipa^[8] …., Lord Śiva has been compared to Hari, for his wonderful character.

In canto XX, the sentiment of wonder has been relished in the descriptions of Śiva’s wonderful equipments of fight as well as in the preparations. As for example, Viṣṇu transformed himself into the arrow of Śiva, Agni and Soma stayed on the tip of the arrow, as well as hill Mandara took the form of Śiva’s bow. The earth took the form of a chariot. The long rivers were attached to the lower part of that chariot. All these descriptions create the feeling of wonder. Thus, the Adbhutarasa is found to be delineated also in rathe’avatasthe divaso niśā^[9] ….., citraṃ kathaṃcitkila^[10]..…, phenacchalātpītacaraṃ^[11] …... etc.

Again, in canto XXI, the wonderful, lustrous body of Śiva, during His march to fight the demons, arises the sentiment of wonder, in the verse aho maho daityajanābhiṣeṇane^[12]..….

This way, Maṅkhaka has employed the sentiment of wonder or marvel in his poem, but it should be borne in mind that this too, like other sentiments, has been used just to enhance the heroic sentiment.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

atilokaiḥ padārthaiḥ syādvismayātmā raso’dbhutaḥ/
Daśarūpaka., IV. 78

[2]:

vividheṣu padārtheṣu lokasīmātivartiṣu/
visphāraścetaso yastu sa vismaya udahṛtaḥ//
Sāhityadarpaṇa., III. 179-180

[3]:

adbhuto vismayasthāyibhāvo gandharvadaivataḥ/
pītavarṇo vastu lokātigamālambanaṃ mataṃ/
guṇānāṃ tasya mahimā bhaveduddīpanaṃ punaḥ/
stambhaḥ svedo’tha romāñcagadgadasvarasaṃbhramāḥ/
tathā netravikāsādyā anubhāvāḥ prakīrtitāḥ/
bitarkāvegasaṃbhrāntiharṣādyā vyabhicāriṇaḥ//
Ibid., III. 242-244

[4]:

i)mānasāskandanapaṭuḥ spṛśannutkaṭakāntatāṃ/
dadhanaḥ sukhadaṃ rūpaṃ siddhasādhyagaṇāśritaḥ//
ii) sālakāntasthitirnīlakaṇṭhādhyāsanapāvanaḥ/
ya ivābhāti yaccitramaharyakṣaistu sevyate//
Śrīkaṇṭhacarita., IV. 26-27

[5]:

dantā nitambabhuvi pādatale’alakāpti-ryogyā payodharavivṛttiṣu mekhalā ca/
yasyāstaraṅgitavalīmukhapṛṣṭhatā ca yastāṃ samudvahati mūrtimapūrvakāntāṃ//
Ibid., IV. 55

[6]:

tanvī śvāmā śikharidaśanā pakvabimbādharoṣṭhī madhye ksāmā cakitahariṇīprekṣaṇā nimnanābhiḥ śroṇībhārādalasagamanā stokanamrā stanābhyāṃ yā tatra syādyuvativiṣaye sṛṣṭrādyeva dhātuḥ Meghadūta, II. 22

[7]:

kumbhaḥ kare śirasi vārigatiḥ śrayanti muktāḥ padaṃ caraṇayornagajā kalatraṃ/
nāgairmadolbaṇamukhairvṛtamaṅgamaṅgaṃ yasyādbutasthitimataḥ surakuñjarasya //
Śrīkaṇṭhacarita., V. 13

[8]:

Ibid., V. 22

[9]:

Ibid., XX. 13

[10]:

Ibid., XX. 14

[11]:

phenacchalātpītacaraṃ mukhebhyo bhareṇa pīyūṣamivodgirantaḥ/
śakraḥ pracetā dhanado yamaśca tasmindhṛtiṃ dhuryatayā babandhuḥ//
Ibid., XX. 19

[12]:

aho maho daityajanābhiṣeṇane tadīśvarasyānupamaśri paprathe/
rathāṅgamūrtī dinakṛnniśākarau visṛtvare yatprasare mamajjatuḥ//
Ibid., XXI. 18