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Rasana

Last updated: December 21, 2023

What Does Rasana Mean?

Rasana is a Sanskrit word which has several meanings that relate to the sense of taste and the tongue. In Indian and yogic philosophy, it is the power of taste and one of the five senses of knowing (jnanendriya). All of the body’s senses, including rasana, stimulate different areas of the mind where emotions, such as attraction and repulsion, like and dislike, right and wrong, are experienced. It is believed that these senses influence someone’s personality.

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Yogapedia Explains Rasana

In Indian philosophy, there are five senses: hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. They are believed to be the soul’s powers of perceptual knowledge. They affect the part of the mind where the soul experiences the external world. For example, whatever the tongue tastes is processed by the mind and stored. The yogic concept of mind is intimately related to the senses. In yogic philosophy, the mind is often considered a sixth sense organ because it is how the individual interacts with the cosmic field of knowledge.

According to the Shaiva sect of Hinduism, rasana is one of the 36 tattvas. The tattvas are the primary principles that form the basis of human experiences. The jnanendriya comprise one category of the tattvas, which represent the different manifestations of Brahman (Absolute Reality). The rasana tattva forms part of the subgroup, named tanmatra (the senses). The tanmatra combine in different ways to produce the elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether, which comprise the universe as perceived by the senses. Rasana is associated with the earth element.


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