Indian Poetics

 This blog is a part of thinking activity.

- Assigned by Dilip Barad sir.

Ancient Indian literary criticism, primarily in Sanskrit, thrived through disciplines like Sahityasastra, Alamkarshastra, Kavyashstra, and Kavyamimansa, focusing on poetry for aesthetic pleasure. Sanskrit poetics established theories like Rasa, Vakrokti, Alamkara, Auchitya, and Riti, forming the basis for literary analysis. Criticism in this tradition expands perspectives, offering a rich resource for understanding the intricacies of literature.

1. Rasa theory - Bharata

2. Dhvani theory - Anandvardhan

3. Vakrokti theory - Kuntaka

4. Alamkara - Bhamaha

5. Riti - Vaman

6.Auchitya - Kshemendra

Let's Discuss in ditail   :-

1. Rasa Theory :-

Rasa Theory discuss in ditail in Rasa Theory blog :-

      Click here 

2. Dhvani Theory :-

- Dhavani Theory mentioned in Anandvardhan in his book dhvanyalok.

" શબ્દ અને અર્થ વચ્ચે સ્પર્ધા થાય અને પ્રતીયમાન અર્થ નીકળે તે ધ્વનિ."

-  Dhavani is the soul of poetry. - Anand Vardhan

- Dhvani's meaning is not as noise.

- A single word has many meanings.

Ex. તમારી લાલ પેન્સિલ તમે મને આપો.

Catch to dhvani is very complicated task, so we would be behave with દ્રવ્ય , ક્ષેત્ર, કાળ, ભાવ.

To understand sound, one must first grasp the word and its meaning.

Words and meanings to connect like Shiva and Parvati.

 "A word has no inherent meaning of its own."

Example :-

"તુ અણજાણી ભાષા, તારો સમજુ કેવળ સાદ 

પછી હૃદયમાં સંગોપીને કરું એનો અનુવાદ."

- All idioms are examples of Dhvani .

મમ્મટે ત્રણ શબ્દશક્તિ આપેલી છે અભિધા, લક્ષણા અને વ્યંજના.

1. Abhidha :-- Literal Meaning of the word

2. Lakshana :- Characteristically Meaning of the wo

3.  Vyanjana : - Poetic & Metaphysical Meaning of the word.

- Abhidha :- known as  અભિધાર્થ

- Lakshana :- known as  લક્ષ્યાર્થ

- Vyanjana :- known as વ્યંગાર્થ

Dhvani based on Vyanjana(વ્યંગાર્થ)

Types of Dhvani :-

3. Vakrokti Theory :-

વક્રોક્તિ = વક્ર + ઉકિત.

- This theory of vakrokti is given by Kuntaka.

- Kuntaka was talk about vakrokti in his grantha name " वक्रोक्तिजीवित ".

-Talk about Shabd and artha based on rise aesthetic.

शब्‍दार्थौ सहितौ वक्र कवि व्‍यापारशालिनि।

बन्धे व्‍यवस्थितौ काव्‍यं तद्विदाह्लादकारिणी।।

- વિશિષ્ટતાપૂર્વક કહેવાયેલું એટલે વક્રોક્તિ - કુંતક.

- વિશિષ્ટતાપૂર્વક , અદિગ્ધતાપૂર્વક, અપૂર્વ

* Example :-

- "એક સૂરજને ઉગાડવા માટે કેટલા બધા જનને રાતો પાડવી પડશે."

- "ફૂટપાથ પર ઉભા રહેવાનો થાક ખેતરમાં કામ કરીને ઉતારું છું"  અરે! મારા હાથ છે જડભરત.

                                          - રઘુવીર ચૌધરી

- "જેવા નાહ્યા પછીના નખ કૂણાં, સખી મારા સાજન એવા સલુણાં"

             - ધૂમકેતુ

Six types of Vakrokti :-

1) વર્ણ વિન્યાસ વક્રતા :-

- વર્ણન જોડાણ

2) પદપુર્વાધ વક્રતા :-

The whole statement is depended on a letter after any of the letters

- Beginning is the best

3) પદપર્રાધ વક્રતા :-

The whole statement is depended on first letter

Ex :- 

1.તને ખોટું ન લાગે તો એક વાત કહું.

2. આજથી હું તારામાં રોજ રોજ રહું

4) વાક્ય વક્રતા:-

Ex :- मेरे पास मां है |( Divar movie)

5) પ્રકરણ વક્રતા :-

Ex. Antony speech, અભિજ્ઞાન શાંકુતલમ

6) પ્રબંધ વક્રતા:-

- સમગ્ર રચના ત્રીજો વ્યક્તિ નિર્દેશન કરતી હોય.

4. Alankar Theory :-

Bhamaha extensively explores Alankara in his book "Alankarshastra," where Alankara, meaning ornaments, refers to embellishments applied to language rather than natural beauty. Throughout literary art, numerous examples of these ornaments enhancing language can be found.

Main Two types of Alankar:-

1) shabdalankar( શબ્દ અલંકાર) :-

          It came from two word:

 Shabda (Word) + Alankar (Ornaments)) 

2) Arthalankar(અર્થાલંકાર):-

Arthalankar came from two words:

 Artha (Meaning) + Alankar (Ornaments) 

5. Riti Theory :-

Riti by Vamana

'रीतिरात्मा काव्यस्य; विशिष्टापदरचना रीति: |'

Riti, meaning style, is discussed in Acharya Vamana's poetic work "Kavyalankasutra." Vamana sees Riti as the essence of poetry, akin to the soul of a body. Just as every body has an Atma, every poem has its Riti. Riti determines the writing style, with various forms like sonnets or dramas dictating specific styles. Kalidasa is renowned for his 'Vaidarbhi Shaily,' while other types of Ritis include Panchali, Gaudi, Lati, and Vaidarbhi.

6. Auchitya Theory :-

Kshemendra introduced "Auchitya," defining it as the quality of an expression being a precise and suitable representation of what is being expressed. This theory emphasizes the possibility of making the most appropriate choices in all aspects of literary composition, echoing Longinus's theory of the sublime.

The concept of propriety, concerning customs, subjects, characters, and sentiments, is a recurring theme in literary theory, often discussed alongside figures of speech, qualities, defects, and styles. Acharya Kshemendra was a primary advocate of this theory, and his book "Auchityavicharcha" explores the acceptability of poems based on Auchitya, or propriety. According to him, poetry should encompass elements like subject matter, suggestion, and others, but above all, it should prioritize Auchitya. Poetry lacking in Alankara and Guna may lack good qualities and be deemed inferior.

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