vatsalya

Vatsalya is a Sanskrit term that denotes parental affection, especially the tender love of a mother or father toward a child. The word is formed from vatsala 'affectionate' and refers to care, nurture, protection, and moral responsibility inherent in parent-child relationships.

Within Indian aesthetics and literary theory, vatsalya is described as a rasa, the emotional mood of parental love. It is characterized by warmth, gentleness, and a desire to shield the young, often expressed through scenes of feeding, comforting, or guiding a child. In some treatises on rasa, vatsalya is discussed alongside other primary emotional modes as a distinct category used to evoke compassion and filial devotion rather than erotic or heroic sentiments.

In Hindu devotional literature and art, vatsalya is closely associated with the relationship between Krishna and his foster mother Yashoda, as well as with other divine mothers and child scenes. The motif is used to symbolize unconditional care, surrender, and the protective dimension of devotion in bhakti poetry and iconography.

Vatsalya also figures in classical dance and drama, where choreographies or scripts portray a parent's tenderness; the motif appeals to universal experiences of care across cultures while rooted in Indian religious and literary contexts.

In related fields, vatsalya is discussed in the context of rasas, Bhakti, and Krishna lore.