Hindi · Storytelling & Literature
रस
ras
Essence / Aesthetic emotion
Advancednoun · masculine
Definition
In Indian poetics, the aesthetic emotion a work of art evokes in its audience; literally juice or essence.
Example
इस कविता में करुण रस की प्रधानता है।
The emotion of pathos dominates this poem.
Cultural Note
Rasa theory from Bharata's Natya Shastra lists nine rasas — love, laughter, pathos, fury, heroism, fear, disgust, wonder, and peace — and still shapes Indian drama, dance, and cinema.