Facets of Indian Classical Dance - V: Bhavas

BHAVA

When one conveys ones’s feelings using Upangas i.e. through facial expressions combined with speech and body movements, it is known as Bhava. Bhava is formed and/or communicated through Vibhava, Anubhava and Sanchari/ Vyacharibhavas.

Vibhava - is that which leads to  awareness. It is the cause of words, gestures, and facial expressions. So, in ordinary parlance, vibhaavita means “apprehend”. Vibhava is of two types:

• Alambana- Portraying a particular trait of a character
• Udipana – Expressing emotions according to the situation or stimulated emotions. Udipana itself is divided into 4 emotional states:

o   Describing the beauty or youth of the hero or heroine

o   Depicting the state of mind of the hero or heroine.

o   Displaying the costumes and jewellery

o   Describing the moonlight, breeze etc.

Anubhava – It is the outcome of the Bhava /Vibhava  or one’s feelings  communicated through the medium of Abhinaya.

Sthayi Bhava 

It is the permanent state of mind. The emotional state in Sthayi Bhava is strong and clear. Bharatamuni mentions in the sixth chapter of Natyashastra:

'VIBHANUBHAVA VYABICHARI SAYOGADA RASANISPATTIH'

This means the realisation of Rasa results from the union of Vibhava, Anubhava and Vyabicharibhava, and its alignment with the permanent mood known as Sthayibhava. Even when a person experiences various emotions, there is no change in Sthayibhava. Sthayibhavas are of 8 types:

'RATIR HASAS-CHA SHOKAS-CHA, KRODHOTHSAHU BHAYAM

TATHAJUGUPSA VISMAYAS-CHETI STHAYIBHAVAN PRAKRITITAH'

• Rati - Love
• Hasa - Laughter
• Shoka – Grief
• Krodha – Anger
• Utsaha – Resilience
• Bhayam - Fear
• Jugupsa – Disgust
• Vismaya – Wonder

E.g. The fundamental emotion a mother has towards her child is love and affection. Though she becomes angry at him/her when the child is naughty, she still loves her child the same. Hence the mother’s love for her child is constant i.e. Love is the Sthayibhava.

Sanchari/ Vyabhichari Bhava

Sanchari Bhava is the transitory state of mind associated to the Rasas or can be described as the intersecting feelings which are complementary to a permanent emotion. They are a combination of Vachika-Angika-Satvika Abhinaya (mentioned in an earlier post) used in Rasas. Sancharibhava is derived from Sthayibhava and blends into the latter.

E.g. When a child does something wrong, a mother feels angry, sad, surprised and sometimes even disgusted at the child’s wrong-doing. A mother’s anger, sadness, surprise, disgust etc. are the transitory moods or the Sanchari Bhavas. It is because of a mother’s love for her child that she has all those feelings mentioned above but her permanent feeling for her child comprises love and affection. Sanchari Bhavas are 33 in number. The Sloka is as follows:-

nirvedaglAnisha~NkAkhyAstathAsuuyA madaH shramaH .

Alasya.n chaiva dainya.n cha chintAmohaH smR^itirdhRitiH 

vrIDA chapalatA harSha Avego jaDatA tathA .

garvo viShAda autsukya.n nidrApasmAra eva cha 

supta.n vibodho.amarShashchApi avahitthaM athogratA .

matirvyAdhistathA unmAdastathA maraNameva cha

trAsashchaiva vitarkashcha vidnyeyA vyabhichAriNaH 
trayastri.nshadamI bhAvAH samAkhyAtAstu nAmataH

The explanation of the Sancharibhavas are given below along with their respective Vibhavas and Anubhavas.

No.	Sancharibhava	Vibhava	Anubhava
1	Nirveda – Detachment	Sadness, jealousy, spirituality	Fancying, sighing
2	Glani – Torment	Thirst, hunger, pain	Change of colour, carelessness, lack of energy
3	Alasya – Indolence	Slightly conceited	Yawning, stretching
4	Shrama – Hard Work/ Fatigue	Pain, diligence	Sweating
5	Shanka – Doubt/ Apprehension	Feeling vulnerable due to one suffering ill-treatment by others	Change in voice & face colour, stunned expression
6	Asooya – Envy	Feeling resentful seeing others' prosperity, good  fortune etc.	Ridicule, crinkling one’s eyebrows
7	Mada – Intoxication	Usage of objects which causes inebriation	Slurring and unsteadiness in speech, movements. Eyes turning red.
8	Dainya – Helplessness	Sadness, poverty, powerlessness.	Vulnerable, timid, lack of confidence, feeling heavy
9	Chintha – Anxiety	Loss of beloved objects, bad fortune	Worried, sighing, thinning of face
10	Moha – Perplexity	Due to frightening experiences	Giddiness, lack of Knowledge, widening of eyes
11	Unmada – Insanity	Fear, Downfall, Loss of wealth etc	Laughing without any reason, crying, jabbering, abnormal physical movements
12	Avahita – Dissimulation	Fear, shame, deceit	Covering one’s face, not looking straight into one’s eyes, changing conversation topic disjointedly
13	Dhrithi – Fortitude	Strength of mind when one gains what one desires and is philosophical about it	Experiencing what one has received, never frustrated about anything
14	Smrithi – Recollection	Remembering old times	Shaking head, raising eyebrows, eyes not blinking
15	Mathi – Determination	Thoughtful, decisive, intellectual	Advising, clearing doubts
16	Vreeda (Lajja) - Embarrassed	Desire, hearing one’s own praise, flattery, breaking a promise	Lowering the head, raising eyebrows, drawing figures with toes
17	Chapalya – Inconsistency	Using abusive words when one is in uncontrollable rage, punishing others without reason. Basically no control over one’s emotions	Varied expressions. This is not seen in an Uttama character.
18	Jadya – Stupor	Feeling weak ,upset and even ill after hearing criticism from others about one’s preposterous actions	Keeping quiet, stammering, saying wrong things, looking without blinking
19	Ugrata – Ferocity/ Violence	Turning violent when one sees danger against one’s loved ones	Fear, thrashing others
20	Amarsha – Indignation	The feeling of vengeance  against those who has insulted and humiliated oneself	Perspiring, vigorous shaking of the head, breaking objects
21	Garv – Arrogance/Pride	Becoming conceited because of one’s beauty, nobility, knowledge, talent	Insulting others, contemptuous
22	Harsha – Joy	The happiness one feels when one’s wishes come true	Perspiring, quivering, tears of joy
23	Outhsukya – Yearning/ Longing	The grief one feels due to separation from a loved one	Misery, sighing
24	Nidra – Sleepiness	Thoughtful, emptiness, hardwork	Closing eyes, yawning
25	Prabodha – Awakening	Lack of sleep, indigestion, affected by sound or touch	Yawning, rubbing one’s eyes, stretching
26	Supthi – Slumber/ Dreaming	Generally just dreaming	Inhaling and exhaling deeply,  no movement
27	Vyadhi – Sickness	Feeling feverish due to utmost grief or anger	Shivering, holding one’s own hair, horripilation, tightening of the muscles (This is generally not seen in Mohiniyattam)
28	Apasmara – Dementedness	Having a fit due to any major trouble or due to the decrease in any chemical in the body	Throbbing, extending the tongue, foam coming from the mouth, perplexed
29	Thrasa – Fear/Terror	Due to lightening, thunder, noise like a lion roaring, fear of being killed	Stunned, trembling, horripilation, change of voice
30	Marana – Death	When one loses life due to illness or accidents	Dying, collapsing, closing one’s eyes, hiccups, breathlessness. Accidental death should be enacted according to the situation.
31	Vishadha - Dejection	When one’s job is not done according to one’s wish	Weak-willed, thinking of a solution, sighing, just staring
32	Vitharka – Argument	Contradictions caused in one's mind due to various thoughts	Thinking, having doubts
33	Avegha – Agitation	When one gets agitated due to unexpected events like storms, fires, earthquakes etc.  Also when one becomes stirred when one hears extremely happy news	Running helter skelter, shivering, When one gives away gifts, horripilation

Sathvika Bhava

It is the most important yet the most complicated mode of expression. “SAT" means mind. It is the result of the psychological state of mind. These are actually the states of mind at a certain stage and displayed through visible signs. The dancer should feel the emotions thoroughly according to the character and then express them authentically. Sathvika Bhavas are 8 in number:-

No	Sathvikabhava	Vibhava	Anubhava
1	Sthambha - Stillness	Happiness, Fear, Illness, Sadness, Surprise, Anger	Absolute immobility, like a numb body, like a corpse
2	Swedha – Perspiration	Rage, Fear, Joy, Shyness, Sadness, Exertion, Illness, Heat, Fall, Exercise, Pain	Wipe away sweat, fanning, act like one wishes for a cool breeze
3	Romancha – Horripilation	Cold, Rage, Fear, Exertion, Illness, Delight, Ticklish	Patting one’s body, shivering due to cold, being shocked once in a while
4	Swarabheda – Change in voice	Fear, Joy, Rage, Illness, Old age	Throat closed, voice shaking, shivering
5	Vepathu - Shudder	Cold, Fear, Joy, Anger, Touch	Shake while shivering, leaping
6	Vaivarnya – Change in colour	Rage, Exertion, Fear, Cold, Pain	Face colour changes (become red or pale or even blue), pain in veins
7	Aashru – Tears	Happiness, Annoyance, Something in the eyes, Fear, Sadness, Sitting without blinking for a long time	Eyes fill up with tears, Tears falling from eyes
8	Pralaya – Fainting	Exertion, Sleep, Intoxication, Swooning	Collapse, not budging, breathing becomes slow