Prostrations at the feet of the Vaisnavas.
Having just recieved my copy of D.Haberman's BhRS translation, I've just started the Southern Quadrant about Vibhava, alambana, and uddipan etc.
While going through the intro I came accross a passage, on the theory of Abhinava Gupta's, that struck me, here it is;
"These previous experiences are present in the mind in the form of unconscious (sub-conscious) latent impressions called vAsanAs. When one of these vAsanAs is raised to the level of consciousness in the dramatic environment by means of VibhAvas and anubhAvas, it is relished as rasa." (page xl intro)
Is this similar to the theory of sAdhArani karan that I've read about elsewhere?
Can our ordinary experiences be of any help in experiencing the rasa of Krsna-lila?
I was intrigued somewhat because, when joining the Hare Krsnas in 1983 at age 21, I had been jilted by a beautiful woman to whom I was very much attached at the time. Anyway, after passing the first few months in the temple, I heard a tape of some American devotee reading from "Krsna Book" where the topic was Sri Uddhava's sojourn in Vraja and the Ode to the Bee. Hearing it I fancied that there was some sensitivity to the narrative that I might not have had had I not suffered the pain of severed attachment, even in the wordly sense. I was soon cautioned that such a notion was heretical, and did not persue it further at that time. I also read in some book or other by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti that one may be seen to weep at a recital of Hari lila, but it may not be genuine because it is roused in relation to some personal mundane experience and is therefore worthless. Well it's all highly speculative I guess.
I would urge, if I may, that our translators take up the word "affectation". It's a great word to describe the arousal of emotion or sentiment.
The only critic so far on D.Haberman is his translation of "pulaka" as "goose pimples!" or was it "goose bumps" both somewhat gross terms, if I may. Horripilation or bristling hair maybe. My appologies for that.
Actually I think he deserves the highest commendation for his painstaking work and I am certainly thrilled and filled with gratitude to have such a book, and have been waiting long to have a readable edition. How exciting!