Authors : Monalisa Barik; Bikash Kumar Pal

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yp6easmj

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/5atjphy4

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26May996

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The foundation of Indian aesthetics is 'Rasa', which awakens a transcendent, almost divine bliss in the human mind through the mediums of literature and art. Although there has been extensive discussion on Rasa in the realm of literature, there has been little to no comprehensive exploration of the complex scientific relationship between Rasa and the human body’s endocrine system and neuroscience. This work offers a detailed analysis of how the Nabarasa (nine Rasas) described by Acharya Bharata Muni in his ancient treatise, the Nātyaśāstra, parallels and aligns with modern psychology and the emerging field of neuroaesthetics. It examines how the reading or aesthetic appreciation of Oḍiā literature triggers the release of various hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain—such as dopamine (the hormone of motivation and pleasure), oxytocin (the hormone of love and bonding), serotonin (the hormone of calm and well-being), and cortisol (the stress hormone)—and how these biochemical agents regulate our emotions. These connections have been substantiated through numerous experimental studies. Furthermore, the physical responses generated by literary reading—such as nāndanik śiharaṇa (aesthetic goosebumps) —profoundly influence the body’s biochemical processes and the autonomic nervous system. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the practical dimensions of Rasa by drawing upon the timeless masterpieces of Oḍiā literature while demonstrating how imaginative and fictional literature functions as a natural therapeutic tool for stress relief, the cultivation of empathy, and the overall enhancement of mental health.

Keywords : Nabarasa, Neuroscience and Hormones: The Interrelationship of Emotion, Aesthetic Chills, and Psychology in Oḍiā Literature, Neural Impact and Brain Regions, Physical Effects.

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