Cognitive Theory In Indian tradition

 

 

C ognition is one of the basic theories of the Western psychology. It deals with how thoughts arise in our brain and how they get converted into emotions both good or bad, ultimately impacting our behavior. Ulric Neisser is called the pioneer of cognitive psychology. According to the cognitive psychology of Neisser, thoughts influence our behaviour and mould it in different ways. Psychology propounds that thoughts are the self arising attributes of the brain. When different stimuli reach our brain through sense organs, the brain processes those stimuli and accordingly corresponding feelings are generated and we start behaving in a particular way. The Rasa theory of the Sanskrit aesthetics is one the best examples of a cognitive theory. It was first propounded by the sage Bharata in his famous treatise Natyashastra in the second century BC. Although it is described in the context of dramaturgy, it has universal application in the field of cognition. In the sphere of aesthetics, the word Rasa means an emotional state of the mind. According to Bharata , there are eight Rasas or emotional states of the human mind.

 

They include Shringar or love, Hasya or laughter, Veera or heroism, Bhayanaka or horror, Vibhatsa or disgust, Adbhuta or amazement, Krodha or anger and Raudra or fearful. One more Rasa named Shanta or peace was later added by other Sanskrit scholars. The sage Bharata has given very comprehensive details about how these emotional states or sentiments arise. According to him, there are eight Sthayi Bhavas in our mind. These Sthayi Bhavas are the permanent and innate thoughts which are naturally ingrained in our mind. They are Rati or love, Hasa or humour, Shoka or grief, Krodha or anger, Utsaha or enthusiasm, Bhaya or fear, Jugupsa or aversion and Vismaya or wonder. When these Sthayi Bhavas or innate thoughts get associated with Vibhava, Anubhava and Vyabhichari Bhavas, different types of emotional sttates are generated. Vibhava is the subject where this emotional state gets manifested or it refers to the stimulus also which causes that emotional state. Anubhava is the fourfold reactions in the behavior of the subject namely Kayika or physical, Vachika or verbal, Aharya or related to a particular type of dressing and Sattvika or mental. Vyabhichari or Sanchari Bhavas are the fleeting emotions which appear and disappear quickly .

 

These fleeting emotions correspond to the permanent and innate thoughts which already exist in the mind. For example if the Veera Rasa or the heroic sentiment of emotion is expressed, Romancha or thrill, Garva or pride, Dhairya or patience, Ugrata or vehemence, etc, start getting manifested. The sage Bharata has enumerated thirty three such fleeting emotions in the expression of the eight emotional states of the mind. The Rasa theory of Bharata has been interpreted differently by different Sanskrit scholars. Bhatta Lollata is of the opinion that the emotional state is the creation of the interplay of the innate thoughts, stimulus and the fleeting emotions. Shankuka propounds that it is not the creation, but the cognition takes place through inference. Bhatta Nayak states that the cognition or the particular emotional state is the result of the generalisation. The most famous Sanskrit philosopher, Abhinava Gupta opines that the emotional state is the expression of the innate thoughts through the different instruments including the subject, stimuli and fleeting emotions. Thus, we find that the Rasa theory of the Sanskrit aesthetics is a very intricate and scientific exposition of cognitive expression.