Maharasa in Hinduism stands for the aesthetic configuration of
spiritual love for and absolute devotion to God, which is termed bhakti.
Bharata (5th century BC), the primary redactor of rasa, identifies
in his Natyashastra, eight worldly artistic emotions, namely Sringara (erotic),
hasya (humor), karuna (pathos), rudra (wrath), vira (heroism), bhayanaka
(terror), jugupsa (disgust) and adbhuta (wonder).
Bharata has also specified the conditions that produce the
rasas. Its vibhavas are noted as the bodily expressions by which emotions are
exhibited, the anubhavas are the different factors by which the rasa is
expressed, and the vyabhicharibhavas are the series of different expressions
that feed the dominant feeling.
The dominant psychological substrata which lie deep in the
sthayi bhavas (subconscious or unconscious mind) of these rasas have been
distinguished as the subconscious or unconscious mind – rati (love), hasya
(laughter), karuna (pathos), krodha (anger), vira (heroism), bhaya (fear),
jugupsa (disgust),and vismaya (wonder).
Abhinavagupta suggests that the above mentioned emotions are
related to the first three objects of human life, namely, artha (wealth), kama
(attachment), and dharma (duty). He also claims that quietude, or a calm mental
condition which characterize, a sage, is related to the fourth objective of
life, moksha.
Later Indian rhetoricians have identified another rasa
called bhakti rasa which involves complete identification of oneself with God
through prayer and intense contemplation of God, which leads to moksha, or
liberation from worldly life. As such, this rasa is designated as Maharasa.
Like the other rasas, the different aspects that are
conducive to the realization of the maharasa have also been analyzed. The
dominant emotion of bhakti rasa is termed as intense devotion for God, bhagavad
bhakti, by the Vedantin Rupa Gosvamin.
Madhusudhana Saraswati describes it as Bhagavad Akara Chitta
Vritti, “the modification of the mind, taking the form of the Lord himself.”
The object that evokes love in the devotee could be the devotee’s ishtadevata
(favorite deity). What inflames his vibhava (devotion) could be the company of
other devotees, a visit to temples of the favorite deity, and holy places; and
the love could be expressed (shedding tears) by vyabhicaribhavas, anjali
(lifting one’s hands or folding one’s arms) and prostrating before the deity.
It has been stressed that bhakti combined with jnana, knowledge of the self, is
the right path to moksha. But pure bhakti (unselfish love) needs no help as
this itself takes a devotee on the path of self realization.
The lower level of bhakti (apana bhakti) is generally
restricted to prayers and performance of worship with a view of obtaining
personal gains.
Source –
Encyclopedia of Hinduism Volume VI page 414 – IHRF
The Number of Rasas (1940) V Raghavan - The Adyar Library and Research Center
Chennai.