adbhuta

Adbhuta is a Sanskrit term meaning wonderful or marvelous. In the context of Indian aesthetics, it denotes the rasa of wonder or astonishment experienced by the spectator when confronted with the extraordinary, the miraculous, or the sublime.

In many traditional frameworks of rasa theory, Adbhuta is one of the navarasa—the nine principal moods or sentiments described for performance, poetry, and art. Adbhuta expresses awe, curiosity, and a sense of marvel that goes beyond ordinary perception. It often arises from events, objects, or displays that appear surpassing, uncanny, or divinely beautiful.

Practically, Adbhuta is cultivated in theatre, dance, and literature through imagery, occasions, and gestures that trigger astonishment. It can be associated with mythic miracles, extraordinary transformations, or the portrayal of gods and heroes whose powers evoke the spectators’ sense of the miraculous. In poetic and dramatic contexts, a sudden revelation, a striking reversal, or a sublime depiction of nature can evoke Adbhuta, creating a mood of reverent awe.

Historical context and variation: Adbhuta appears in early Sanskrit dramaturgic and aesthetic treatises, most prominently the Nāṭyaśāstra attributed to Bharata Muni, though dating and authorship of such works are debated. Later authors sometimes present different enumerations of the navarasa, but Adbhuta is commonly recognized as the rasa of wonder, with some sources treating it as a distinct rasa rather than a subcategory of another mood.

See also: Indian aesthetics, navarasa, Nāṭyaśāstra.