Alaṃkāra (3): Kāvyārtha-Yoni

For the purpose of Kāvyārthyonyaḥ [kāvyārtha-yoni] (sources of meaning in poetry) most of the ancient scholars i.e. Bharata, Bhāmaha, Vāmaṇa and Rudraṭa etc. are posits about the twelve types of sources, those are:

‘śrutiḥ, smṛtiḥ itihāsaḥ, purāṇaṃ, pramāṇavidyā, samayavidyā, rājasiddhāntatrayī,
loko, viracanā, prakīrṇakaṃ ca kāvyārthānāṃ dvādaśa yonayaḥ’ iti ācāryāḥ|

-Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VIII, Pp- 35

Means:

“The twelve Kāvyārthyonyaḥ [kāvyārtha-yoni] (sources of meaning in poetry) are Śruti (Vedas), Smṛtis (Śāstra), Itihāsa (historical narratives), Purānas (mythology), Pramāna-vidyā (epistemology), rāja-siddhānta (Arthaśāstra, Nātyaśāstra and Kāmaśāstra), loka (Experiences of the poet), Viracanā (works of other poets) and also Prakīrṇaka (sixty four arts and sciences).”

Then Yāyāvarīya Rājaśekhara added four extra sources with these and saying:

‘ucitasaṃyogeṇa, yoktṛsaṃyogena, utpādyasaṃyogena, saṃyogavikāre ṇa ca saha ṣoḍaśa’ iti yāyāvarīya |

-Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VIII, Pp- 35

With above mentioned twelve and [the following four of Rājaśekharas’s sources the total number is sixteen]; i.e.—

1. Uccita-saṃyoga (Juxtaposition for comparison),
2. Yoktra-saṃyoga (extended simile),
3. Utpadaya-saṃyoga (double simile) and
4. Saṃyoga-vikāra (modification produced by Juxtaposition).

Further, Ācārya Drauhiṇi try to decrees the significance of Kāvyārtha and state that meaning is three kinds: Divya (celestial), Divya-mānuṣa (celestial and mortal) and Mānuṣa (mortal) C.f.

“sa tridhā” iti drauhiṇiḥ, divyo, divyomānuṣo, mānuṣaśca |

-Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-IX, Pp- 42

But Rājaśekhara added with another four types of Kāvyārtha and comes up with sapta-kāvyārthayonaya ‘seven kinds of meaning’:

“saptadhā iti yāyāvarīyaḥ ; pātālīyo, martyapātālīyo, divyapātālīyo divyamartyapātālīyaśca |”

-Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-IX, Pp- 42

Rājaśekhara thinks seven types of Kāvyārtha’s are Drauhiṇi’s mentioned three types of meaning and with other four are:

1. Pātālīya (nether-worldly),
2. Mṛtyapātālīya (of this world and nether-worldly),
3. Divya-pātālīya (celestial and netherworldly) and
4. Divya-mṛtya-pātālīya (celestial, of this world and nether-worldly).

In this way Rājaśekhara increase the limitation of Arthavyāptiḥ (sources of meaning) in the Sanskrit Poetics.

Beside those, in the matter of Arthavyāptiḥ, Rājaśekhara also shows his geniuses. Where ancient scholars thoughts of the sources of meaning for poetic expression by poet with ‘niḥsīmārthasārthaḥ’ or genius is unlimited as:

“so'yamitthaṅkāramullikhopajīvyamāno niḥsīmārthasārthaḥ sampadyate | astu nāma niḥsīmārthasārthaḥ|”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-IX, Pp- 44

However it is vast but they are divided into two main groups only: Vicaritasustha and Avicarita-ramaniya. The former is expressed in Śāstras while the later is described in Kāvyas, by the opinion of Udbhaṭa.

But Rājaśekhara declared it as:

“asti cānubhūyamāno rasasyānuguṇo viguṇaścārthaḥ, kāvye tu kavivacanāni
  rasayanti virasayamti ca nārthāḥ| anvayavyatire kābhyāṃ cedamupalabhyate |”

-Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-IX, Pp- 45

Means:

“In the Arthavyāptiḥ, there are some meanings which are favorable to a particular rasa (aesthetic state of mind) and others which are unfavorable to it. It is an established fact that in poetic compositions it is poet’s sentences that add to or detract from the aesthetic effect of the entire creation.”

Though it is not meanings which attract or detract because a poet with pratibhā (innate faculty) can transform even mundane and common place things into aesthetic wonders and those who lack pratibhā may diminish the aesthetic meaning and reduce its worth.