The Dhvani-Rasa aesthetic theory contends that the evocation of a well-defined aesthetic sentiment through a literary, pictorial, or musical "object" occurs indirectly. For instance, in poetry, to convey love, one might refrain from saying, "Oh, my love, how much I miss you," opting instead for "I raised my eyes to the sky, there was the moon, but you weren't there." Concerning Rasa, one could almost speak of synesthesia, an expressive association between two words related to different sensory spheres, such as "the sweetness of a sound." This term is often translated not only as "feeling" but also as "flavor," "perfume," and "essence," as if the scent of dawn were nestled between the notes of Raag Bhairaw, Raag Lalit, or Raag Bathiyar. From an academic standpoint, these considerations are termed "theories," as they outright reject anything not scientifically demonstrated, deeming the temporal location of the Raga and its connection to a specific Rasa entirely arbitrary. From a traditional perspective, the student must absorb from the Master the ability to sense and convey these "aesthetic essences," endeavoring to elevate their worldly or profane feelings to a higher, divine sphere. In essence, "love" should serve as the fundamental reference for manifestation, akin to Dante and the Faithful of Love, utilizing this tool to access elevated levels of consciousness. Generally, these are "theories" for musicologists and "reality" for musicians and impassioned listeners known as rasika.

The meaning of this term, according to Saṁgītaratnākara, lies in the emotional change, both physical and mental, brought about by the perception of a thing or quality. While opinions vary on the actual number of Rasas, nine varieties are commonly recognized:

1. Ādi or Ṥṛṁgāra Rasa - the primordial emotion arising from love or sexual instinct
2. Hāsya Rasa - the emotion arising from laughter
3. Karuṇa Rasa - the melancholic emotion
4. Raudra Rasa - the emotion arising from anger or rage
5. Vīra Rasa - the emotion arising from courage
6. Bhayānaka Rasa - the emotion arising from fear
7. Vībhatsa Rasa - the emotion arising from disgust or aversion
8. Adbhuta Rasa - the emotion arising from wonder
9. Ṥānta Rasa - the emotion resulting from the search for the ultimate truth

Those acknowledging only eight Rasas view Ṥānta Rasa as the cessation of every emotion, representing the neutral and natural state of the mind. Those recognizing ten Rasas also include Vātsalya Rasa, or love towards parents. Still, others introduce three Rasas - Bhakti (devotional love), Sneha (affection), and Laulya (greed).

The nine principal Rasas:

1. Rasa: Ādi or Ṥṛṁgāra
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Love
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Curiosity, reflection, exhaustion, fatigue
   - Anubhāva: Looking out of the corner of the eye, waving the arms, biting the upper lip
   - Vibhāva: Spring, flowers, gardens, songs and dances, sandalwood essence, looking at a figure

2. Rasa: Hāsya
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Rice
   - Sañcārī Bhāva:
   - Anubhāva: Flickering of the eyes, cheeks, and lips, winking
   - Vibhāva: Shamelessness, imitating others, aversion towards something, indiscreet words, dishonesty

3. Rasa: Karuṇa
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Affliction
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Exhaustion, fatigue, terror, wonder, deserting, hoarseness, anxiety, curiosity, madness
   - Anubhāva: Shedding of tears, feeling of anguish, dizziness, sigh, outburst of anger, paleness, pounding of the heart or head, wasting the body
   - Vibhāva: Loss of wife, child, or friend, danger, exile, damage, offense, wrong

4. Rasa: Raudra
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Anger, rage
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Anxiety, vigor, violence, agility, having a devil in one's hair
   - Anubhāva: Frowning of the eyebrows, red eyes, biting of the lips, tension in the

jaws, clenching of the palms, chasing the enemy, hitting, beating with the arms, bleeding
   - Vibhāva: Fierce creatures, lies, anger, illicit pursuit of the wives of others, slandering customs or education

5. Rasa: Vīra
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Courage
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Having a devil in the hair, anxiety, violence
   - Anubhāva: Charity, sacrifice, speaking in profound and thoughtful terms
   - Vibhāva: Ethics, modesty, glory, ability to wage war

6. Rasa: Bhayānaka
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Fear
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Anxiety, tiredness, fear, wonder, terror, death, weakness, misfortune
   - Anubhāva: Trembling or stiffness in hands, eyes and feet, dry mouth, fear
   - Vibhāva: Seeing frightening animals or people, hearing terrible sounds, hearing news of the death of a loved one

7. Rasa: Vībhatsa
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Disgust, aversion
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Wonder, anxiety, misfortune, illness, death
   - Anubhāva: Trembling of the body, flapping of the lips, jaws, hesitation in walking
   - Vibhāva: Unacceptable facts, forbidden acts, anxiety-causing facts

8. Rasa: Adbhuta
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Wonder
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Stupefaction, sweating, anxiety, reverence
   - Anubhāva: Wide eyes, fixed gaze, trembling, praise, joyful din, voice strangled by the intensity of feeling, pleasure
   - Vibhāva: Obtaining a rare object, vision of space travelers, vision of sky ships, witnessing a magical feat or otherworldly palaces

9. Rasa: Ṥānta
   - Sthāyī Bhāva: Indifference due to the highest wisdom
   - Sañcārī Bhāva: Madness caused by extreme pleasure, enjoyment through ultimate truth, retentive faculty of the mind
   - Anubhāva: Conversations regarding high knowledge, looking at the tip of the nose, reflecting on the implications of the sacred texts regarding the liberation of the soul, initiation towards the knowledge of the divine spirit
   - Vibhāva: Aversion towards the material world, finding trouble in worldly things, cultivating the company of sages, discussing spiritual matters, pilgrimages

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"Facing Heaven, as if kneeling before an absent lover."