The Karuna is a rasa of sadness, grief and compassion. The feeling of tragedy and despair, heartbreak, sorrow caused by parting with a lover, the suffering caused by the death of a loved one are all karuna. While the highest karuna is compassion, the original Sanskrit word Karuna means sadness.  When we can experience another’s sadness and reflect it back to the cosmos, we then experience compassion. Compassion is what connects us all. Through compassion we can relate deeply and honestly with each other, it is the bridge between us and others and helps us understand and empathize with them