Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Dhvanyaloka of Anandavardhana’ of the English study on the Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara: a poetical encyclopedia from the 9th century dealing with the ancient Indian science of poetics and rhetoric (also know as alankara-shastra). The Kavya-mimamsa is written in eighteen chapters representing an educational framework for the poet (kavi) and instructs him in the science of applied poetics for the sake of making literature and poetry (kavya).
Part 8 - Dhvanyāloka of Ānandavardhana
[Full title: Sanskrit Poetics on the eve of Dhvani Theory (1): The Dhvanyāloka of Ānandavardhana (9th century A.D.)]
In the period of 9th century, an outstanding period of Dhvani era in Sanskrit Poetics was established by the eminent Dhvanyāloka of the popular rhetorician Ānandavardhana. It is the most central theory of literature in Indian tradition. According to G. Vijayavardhana, “this can be reckoned as the most important work in the entire history of Sanskrit Poetic theory. Dhvanyāloka along with its commentary Dhvanyāloka-Locana written towards the end of the 10th century A. D. by Abhinavagupta revolutionized the entire trends of this Śāstra and placed it in an entirely new perspective”.[1] Before the Ānandavardhana’s age Sanskrit poeticians interested in the classifying the modes of expression i.e. Alaṃkāras, Guṇas etc. and what constituted the essence of literature. They analyzing the body of poetry with mathematical minuteness but them not discussed about its soul. However Vāmana talk about the soul of poetry but he also missed the mark when he holding that Rīti (diction) is more immediately connected with the form of poetry than its deeper essence of meaning constituted its soul.
The Dhvanyāloka of Ānandavardhana is the huge compendium of poetry and poetic style, where Ānandavardhana proposed the theory of Dhvani (kāvyasyātmā dhvaniḥ), means the suggestive quality of poetic language.
“kāvyasyātmā dhvaniriti vudhairyaḥ samāmnātapūrvastasyābhāvaṃ jagadurapare bhāktamāhustamanye |
ke cidvācāṃ sthitamaviṣaye tattvamūcustadīyaṃ tena brumaḥ sṛhadayamanaḥprītaye ttsvarupam || ”- Dhvanyāloka of Ānanadavardhana: I/ 1
Though, he has the distinction of introducing in Sanskrit Poetics on the semantics of poetic language, but his more important contribution is critical discussion on the outward linguistic style and poetic embellishment from more complex issue of linguistic structure in poetry. In this way Ānandavardhana’s theory, appropriately, exerted an abiding influence on his following theoreticians i.e. Bhaṭṭanāyaka, Kuntaka, Mahimbhaṭṭa, Dhanañjaya, Bhoja, Rājaśekhara, Viśvanātha etc.
For the praise of Ānandavardhana, Rājaśekhara also says:
“dhvaninātigabhīre ṇa kāvyatattvaniveśinā |
ānandavardhanaḥ kasya nāsīdānandavardhanaḥ || ”
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
G, Vijay. Outlines of Sanskrit Poetics. Chaukhamba Snskrit Series, 1970. Pp- 15