Navarasa, from Indian theatre, consists of nine emotions like Karuna (sadness), Hasya (joy), Raudra (anger) and Veera (bravery). In Greek theatre, there were mainly two forms: tragedy, which focused on sadness and punishment and comedy, which focused on joy and fun. These connect well with the rasasRead more
Navarasa, from Indian theatre, consists of nine emotions like Karuna (sadness), Hasya (joy), Raudra (anger) and Veera (bravery). In Greek theatre, there were mainly two forms: tragedy, which focused on sadness and punishment and comedy, which focused on joy and fun. These connect well with the rasas: tragedy includes Karuna, Raudra and Bhibhatsa, while comedy reflects Hasya, Shringara and Adbhuta. Both traditions use emotion as the base of storytelling. However, Navarasa offers a wider range of emotions, showing how deeply Indian theatre studied the human mind. Greek theatre focused on releasing emotions through performance (catharsis), while Indian theatre explored inner feelings through bhava and rasa. Despite differences, both celebrate human emotion in creative ways.
The story of Natyashastra begins with Brahma noticing that the gods were losing interest in spiritual practices. To re-inspire them, he created Natya Veda, a fifth Veda that combined dialogue from Rigveda, movement from Yajurveda, music from Samaveda and emotions from Atharvaveda. But the gods couldRead more
The story of Natyashastra begins with Brahma noticing that the gods were losing interest in spiritual practices. To re-inspire them, he created Natya Veda, a fifth Veda that combined dialogue from Rigveda, movement from Yajurveda, music from Samaveda and emotions from Atharvaveda. But the gods couldn’t understand it. So Brahma appointed Bharata Muni to simplify it. Bharata wrote the Natyashastra, trained his 100 sons and presented the first performance. The gods loved it. This story shows that performing arts were not just for entertainment, but were deeply respected, rooted in the Vedas and meant to educate, inspire and guide society. It proves how theatre was seen as a sacred art, carrying knowledge, tradition and values to the people.
Theatre uses a combination of facial expressions, voice and body language to show emotions. A face may show a smile, but without the right voice and gestures, the emotion feels incomplete. For example, Raudra rasa (anger) is best expressed with a stern face, loud and sharp voice and tight body postuRead more
Theatre uses a combination of facial expressions, voice and body language to show emotions. A face may show a smile, but without the right voice and gestures, the emotion feels incomplete. For example, Raudra rasa (anger) is best expressed with a stern face, loud and sharp voice and tight body posture like clenched fists. Hasya rasa (joy) uses a laughing voice, wide smile and playful gestures. Each part of the body plays a role—eyes show focus, the mouth shows tone and the body shows energy. When all three are used together, the performance becomes believable and powerful. This combination helps audiences easily understand the character’s feelings and connects the actor to the emotion more deeply.
The concepts of bhava (inner emotional state) and rasa (emotional essence or experience) are essential in Indian theatre. Bhava is the actor’s intention or the character’s internal state, while rasa is the feeling that the audience experiences. This relationship helps performers convey true emotionsRead more
The concepts of bhava (inner emotional state) and rasa (emotional essence or experience) are essential in Indian theatre. Bhava is the actor’s intention or the character’s internal state, while rasa is the feeling that the audience experiences. This relationship helps performers convey true emotions and helps the audience connect. For example, a person might show courage (veera bhava) in a story and the audience feels inspired (veera rasa). Another case is someone showing sadness due to loss (karuna bhava), making viewers feel sympathetic (karuna rasa). These concepts explain why people can react differently to the same situation based on their individual bhavas. This deep understanding of emotion is central to both theatre and real life.
An ode is a type of lyric poetry written to celebrate or glorify a person, event or object. It is deeply emotional and expressive, often written in a formal style. Odes were popular in Greek traditions and later became part of literature worldwide. They usually highlight beauty, greatness or importaRead more
An ode is a type of lyric poetry written to celebrate or glorify a person, event or object. It is deeply emotional and expressive, often written in a formal style. Odes were popular in Greek traditions and later became part of literature worldwide. They usually highlight beauty, greatness or importance of something or someone.
Compare and connect the concept of Navarasa from Indian theatre with Tragedy and Comedy from Greek theatre. What similarities or differences do you find?
Navarasa, from Indian theatre, consists of nine emotions like Karuna (sadness), Hasya (joy), Raudra (anger) and Veera (bravery). In Greek theatre, there were mainly two forms: tragedy, which focused on sadness and punishment and comedy, which focused on joy and fun. These connect well with the rasasRead more
Navarasa, from Indian theatre, consists of nine emotions like Karuna (sadness), Hasya (joy), Raudra (anger) and Veera (bravery). In Greek theatre, there were mainly two forms: tragedy, which focused on sadness and punishment and comedy, which focused on joy and fun. These connect well with the rasas: tragedy includes Karuna, Raudra and Bhibhatsa, while comedy reflects Hasya, Shringara and Adbhuta. Both traditions use emotion as the base of storytelling. However, Navarasa offers a wider range of emotions, showing how deeply Indian theatre studied the human mind. Greek theatre focused on releasing emotions through performance (catharsis), while Indian theatre explored inner feelings through bhava and rasa. Despite differences, both celebrate human emotion in creative ways.
See lessExplain the story of how Natyashastra was created. What does this story tell us about the importance of performing arts in ancient Indian culture?
The story of Natyashastra begins with Brahma noticing that the gods were losing interest in spiritual practices. To re-inspire them, he created Natya Veda, a fifth Veda that combined dialogue from Rigveda, movement from Yajurveda, music from Samaveda and emotions from Atharvaveda. But the gods couldRead more
The story of Natyashastra begins with Brahma noticing that the gods were losing interest in spiritual practices. To re-inspire them, he created Natya Veda, a fifth Veda that combined dialogue from Rigveda, movement from Yajurveda, music from Samaveda and emotions from Atharvaveda. But the gods couldn’t understand it. So Brahma appointed Bharata Muni to simplify it. Bharata wrote the Natyashastra, trained his 100 sons and presented the first performance. The gods loved it. This story shows that performing arts were not just for entertainment, but were deeply respected, rooted in the Vedas and meant to educate, inspire and guide society. It proves how theatre was seen as a sacred art, carrying knowledge, tradition and values to the people.
See lessDiscuss how voice, facial expressions and body language work together in theatre to convey emotions effectively. Give examples using any two rasas.
Theatre uses a combination of facial expressions, voice and body language to show emotions. A face may show a smile, but without the right voice and gestures, the emotion feels incomplete. For example, Raudra rasa (anger) is best expressed with a stern face, loud and sharp voice and tight body postuRead more
Theatre uses a combination of facial expressions, voice and body language to show emotions. A face may show a smile, but without the right voice and gestures, the emotion feels incomplete. For example, Raudra rasa (anger) is best expressed with a stern face, loud and sharp voice and tight body posture like clenched fists. Hasya rasa (joy) uses a laughing voice, wide smile and playful gestures. Each part of the body plays a role—eyes show focus, the mouth shows tone and the body shows energy. When all three are used together, the performance becomes believable and powerful. This combination helps audiences easily understand the character’s feelings and connects the actor to the emotion more deeply.
See lessExplain how the concept of Bhava and Rasa helps us understand human emotions through theatre. Give examples from everyday life.
The concepts of bhava (inner emotional state) and rasa (emotional essence or experience) are essential in Indian theatre. Bhava is the actor’s intention or the character’s internal state, while rasa is the feeling that the audience experiences. This relationship helps performers convey true emotionsRead more
The concepts of bhava (inner emotional state) and rasa (emotional essence or experience) are essential in Indian theatre. Bhava is the actor’s intention or the character’s internal state, while rasa is the feeling that the audience experiences. This relationship helps performers convey true emotions and helps the audience connect. For example, a person might show courage (veera bhava) in a story and the audience feels inspired (veera rasa). Another case is someone showing sadness due to loss (karuna bhava), making viewers feel sympathetic (karuna rasa). These concepts explain why people can react differently to the same situation based on their individual bhavas. This deep understanding of emotion is central to both theatre and real life.
See lessWhat type of poetry is an ode?
An ode is a type of lyric poetry written to celebrate or glorify a person, event or object. It is deeply emotional and expressive, often written in a formal style. Odes were popular in Greek traditions and later became part of literature worldwide. They usually highlight beauty, greatness or importaRead more
An ode is a type of lyric poetry written to celebrate or glorify a person, event or object. It is deeply emotional and expressive, often written in a formal style. Odes were popular in Greek traditions and later became part of literature worldwide. They usually highlight beauty, greatness or importance of something or someone.
See less