Rasas are considered to be nine in number – sringâra (erotic), hâsya (comic), karuna (tragic), vira (heroic), raudra (furious), bibhatsa (disgusting), bhayânaka (terrifying), adbhuta (wondorous) and sânta (quietitude) which was added later.
According to Bharata, it is from a combination of bibhâvas (antecedents or causes within the work of art), anubhâvas (consequents or the effect of those causes in the work) and sanâcaribhâvas (diverse emotions that are indirectly communicated through various physical manifestations) that some single emotion persists (sthâyibhâva) in the work and gets communicated to the perceiver. This aesthetic emotion is called rasa.