Part 1.7 - Characteristics of Bhayānakarasa (the terrible)

The permanent mood of the terrific sentiment is fear. Specially it belongs to women and the low persons. In case of this rasa that is ālambana by which fear is produced and its ferocious gestures or deed is the uddīpanavibhāvas. The ālambanas are like horrific place, the appearance of wild beasts, the shriek of jackals and the howling of owls. The change of colour, speaking with a stammering tone, fainting, perspiration, horripilation, trembling, looking around etc. are the anubhāvas here. The sañcāribhāvas are like agitation, aversion, be wilderment terrors, debility, prostration, doubt, confusion, death etc.^[1]

In the 2^nd act of Ratnāvalīnāṭikā, we have found bhayānakarasa in the description of wicked monkey which was let loose from the stable. The monkey created a terrible condition among the various persons like the eunuchs, dwarf, hunters and hunch-backs of the inner apartments.

naṣṭaṃ varṣavarairmanuṣyagaṇanābhāvādapāsya trapā-mantaḥ kañcukikañcukasya viśati trāsādayaṃ vāmanaḥ/
prayantaśrayībhirnijasya sadṛśaṃ nāmnaḥ kirātaiḥ kṛtaṃ kubjā nīcatayaiva yānti śanakairātmekṣaṇāśaṅkinaḥ//^[2]

Here, the monkey is the ālambanavibhāva and his acts, jumping etc. are the uddīpanavibhāvas, escaping and hiding of the people are the anubhāvas and dainya (depression), sambhrama, sanmoha etc. are the vyabhcāribhāvas–all these help the bhaya, the permanent mood to turn into bhāyānakarasa.

In the same way in the Candrakalānāṭikā we have noticed bhayānaka-rasa in the description of the tiger in the 2^nd Act.

lāṅgūlenābhihatya kṣititalamasakṛddārayannagrapadbhyā-mātmanyevāvalīya drutamatha gaganaṃ protpatan vikrameṇa/
sphūrjatphutkāraghoraḥ pratidiśamakhilān bhāyayanneṣa jantūn kopāviṣṭaḥ praviṣṭaḥ pratibanamaraṇocchūnacakṣustarakṣuḥ//^[3]

The description of the tiger is so natural that it can create the terror in the mind of the spectator or the reader. Here, the tiger is ālambana, his ferocious deeds are the uddīpanavibhāva, his ferocious trembling, escaping etc. are the anubhāvas. Hesitation, fright, despondency are vyabhcāribhāvas.

Again, we have observed a gleam of bhayānakarasa in the following context—

vidūṣakaḥ—(saharṣam) āścaryam / yadi etasyāḥ priyavayasya ājñākaraḥ tataḥ sarvā apyantaḥpuriṇyaḥ ājñākāriṇyaḥ iti/

devī—(saroṣamupasṛtya) āḥ, rājavayasya mahābrāhmaṇa!ahampyetasyā ājñākāriṇīti/

candrakalā—(sabhayotkampam)aho!kimidānīmāpatitam?

sunandanā—(sabhayotkampam) aho! kimidānīṃ kariṣyāmi?^[4]

Here, the queen Vasantalekhā is the ālambanavibhāva. Her anger and speeches are the uddīpanavibhāva. The trembling, fear etc. are the anubhāvas.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

bhayānako bhayasthāyibhāvo kālā’dhidaivataḥ /
strīnīcaprakṛtiḥ kṛṣṇo matastattvaviśāradaiḥ //
yasmādutpadyate bhītistadatrālambanaṃ matam /ceṣṭā ghoratarāstasya bhaveduddīpanaṃ punaḥ //
anubhābo’tra vaivarṇyagadgadasvarabhāṣaṇam /
pralayasvedaromāñcakampadikprekṣaṇādayaḥ //
jugupsāvegasaṃmohasaṃtrāsaglānidīnatāḥ /
śaṅkāpasmārasambhrāntimṛtyavādhyā vyabhicāriṇaḥ // Sāhityadarpaṇa, III. 235-237

[2]:

Ratnāvalīnāṭikā, II. 3

[3]:

, II. 4

[4]:

Ibid., pp. 132, 133