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MORE THAN SORROW Karuna rasa has compassion at its centre

The feeling of sadness arises as a result of loss. It may be the loss of a loved one — as when Mandodari grieves over the body of the slain Ravana in the Ramayana epic — or of possessions, or of the loss of a particular condition, such as youth and beauty. Also found in the Ramayana, the condition of King Dasharath when he is forced to banish Ram to the forest for 14 years is one of karuna. In fact the king is depicted as dying of grief.

In some situations a king is exiled after being deceived by intriguing courtiers. Having lost his kingdom, wealth and prestige, the deposed monarch is in a mood of grief. The story of Nala and Damayanti offers a number of such examples. After the wedding of King Nala and Princess Damayanti, Nala is deceived into accepting a game of dice in which his opponent cheats and Nala loses his entire kingdom. Left to wander in the forest with Damayanti, he steals away while she is asleep, hoping she will return to the comfort of her father’s palace while he works out a way to win back his kingdom. The pathos of his exile, his feelings when he abandons his wife in the forest, and later of his losing his good looks and physical form to become an unsightly person till relieved of the curse, can all be seen as examples of karuna rasa.

In another frequently danced tale, that of Kumarasambhavam, the situation of Rati, consort of Kamadev, the god of love, is one of karuna when Kamadev is burnt to ashes when he attempts to disturb Shiva’s penance.

In classical dance, mudras (Learn the Lingo, 09 March 2007) are often used to accentuate the mood. Thus stylised techniques of wringing the hands, falling down in grief, showing tears, etc., are employed to convey karuna.

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