Indian poetics

 Indian Aesthetic

Hello everyone....

This blog is a thinking activity given by Dilip Barad sir . In this blog I am going to write about Indian poetics, and about various schools like Rasa, Dhvani, Auchitya, Vakrokti, Riti, Alankar.

Introduction

Indian aesthetic, deeply rooted in the language of Sanskrit, emanates from the profound essence of poetic potency and the intricate nuances of meaning. It serves as a quintessential representation of Indian culture, embodying a rich tapestry of artistic expression and philosophical insights. This aesthetic philosophy serves as a guiding light, shaping the creation and appreciation of diverse forms of art, literature, music, dance, and sensory experiences, weaving together a vibrant tapestry of cultural richness and heritage.

The earliest known treatise on Indian poetics is the Natyashastra, written by the sage Bharata Muni around the 2nd century BCE. The Natyashastra covers various aspects of Indian performing arts, including dance, music, and drama, but it also includes detailed discussions of poetic composition.

Indian poetics is based on the concept of rasa, which means "essence" or "flavor." According to this concept, the ultimate goal of poetry is to evoke emotions or rasas in the reader or listener. The eight primary rasas in Indian poetics are 

1).Love, 

2).Humor, 

3).Heroism, 

4).Compassion, 

5).Disgust, 

6).Anger, 

7).Fear, 

8).Wonder.

Indian poetics also includes the study of various literary devices or alankaras, such as- 

• Metaphors

• Similes

• Alliteration 

That is used to enhance the beauty and impact of poetry. These alankaras are classified into different categories based on their effects on the listener or reader.

Overall, Indian poetics is a rich and complex field that has influenced literature and poetry in India and beyond for centuries. Its insights into the art of poetry and the human experience continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars and poets alike.

Rasa theory / Rasa school

Rasa Theory has its root in the late Vedic period in Atharvaveda 200 BC to100 BC. Bharata Muni is regarded as the father of Indian Rasa Theory as he gave a major statement in his book Natya Shastra in 1st century AD Approx. which is a Indian Treatise on performing arts, encompassing theater, dance and music.

Bharata, who is one of the great rhetoricians, has tried to explain how this aesthetic pleasure takes place. He has tried to give the theory of ‘rasa’ in one sutra aphorism. He says that-

vibhava anubhava-vyabhichari-samyogad rasr-nisapattihi.

विभावानु भाव व्यभिचारी संयोगाद रस निष्पतिः।

જે ભાવને નિમૂળ ન કરી શકાય અેને 'સ્થાયીભાવ' કહેવાય.

જે સ્થાયી ન હોય તે વવ્યભીચારી, સંચારીભાવ કહેવાય.

This means that rasa develops from the blending of vibhava, anubhava and vyabhichari. It manifests itself when the sthayi bhava, the emotion of the reader is correlated with the following three aspects presented in a piece of creative literature-

 • Excitant

• Ensuing response 

• Transitory feelings

These three should be combined into one. Many theoreticians have tried to explain the above-mentioned aphorism in different ways. Bhattlollata, Srisankuka, Bhattanayka and Abhinavagupta are the major commentators who have tried to explain the theory of rasa from their different and individual points of view.

 

 Here is types of Rasa

So, Before we understand the structure of ‘rasa’ in detail. We have to understand the following four terms in some detail. These are as follows:

1).Sthayibhava - permanent emotions or feelings

2).Vyabhicharibhava - transitory (fleeting) emotions.

3).Vibhava - excitant or stimulating determinants.

4).Anubhava - Consequent or ensuing response.

1).Sthayibhava

Sthayibhava means permanent emotions inherent in all human beings. They are dormant, inborn and innate emotions that are acquired by training or education. They are permanent feelings deeply embedded in the human psyche. They are eight in number but some rhetoricians have added three more.

Let us have a look at the main eight or nine sthayibhavas which given by BHARATMUNI.

These sthayibhavas are manifested into the following rasas:

Sthayibhavas are comparatively stable and last longer. They are frequent and more powerful. Generally, all human beings experience them now and then.

2).Sanchari bhavas or Vyabhichari bhavas

Sanchari bhavas contain ancillary emotions. The sanchari bhavas or vyabhichari bhavas are said to be 33 in number.

1).Nirveda (Despondency or indifference)

2).Glani (Weakness languishing)

3).Sanka (Apprehension)

4).Asura (Envy or jealousy)

5).Mada (Intoxication)

6).Srama (Fatigue)

7).Alasya (Indolence)

8).Dainya (Depression)

9).Cinta (Anxiety)

10).Moha (Delusion)

11).Smrti (Recollection memory)

12).Dhrti (Contentment)

13).Vrida (Shame)

14).Capalata (Inconstancy)

15).Harsa (Joy)

16).Avega (Agitation)

17).Gaiva (Arrogance)

18).Jadata (Stupor)

19).Visada (Despair)

20).Antsukya (Longing)

21).Nidra (Sleep)

22).Apasmara (Epilepsy)

23).Supta (Dreaming)

24).Vibodha (Awakening)

25).Amarsa (Indignation)

26).Avahitta(Dissimulation)

27).Ugrata (Ferocity)

28).Mati (Resolve)

29).Vyadhi (Sickness)

30).Unmada (Insanity)

31).Marana (Death)

32).Trasa (Terror)

33).Vitarka (Trepidation)

3) Vibhava

The vibhavas or determinants help in development of a feeling in sentiment. These vibhavas are of two kinds: 

1).Alambana (supporting) 

2).Uddipana (excitant).

દા.ત., લેખકના પાત્રો એના વિભાવો છે. અને વિભાવોથી રસની નિષ્પતિ થાય છે.

4).Anubhava

Anubhavas are the consequences or reactions to these determinants. Thus according to Bharata, through the union of vibhava, anubhava and sancharibhava rasa is manifested.

Let us take an example of karuna rasa. The view play, for example, experiences the feeling of grief (see manifest in the performer. A number of vibhavas are such cases such as death of some loved one, misfortunes, sufferings etc. They depend on visaya, asraya, and uddipana. vibhava of soka takes different visible forms depending on the nature of the experience. Abhinaya indicates the sthayibhavas. Bharata uses the word ‘nispatti’ (rendering) of rasa through bhavas in sahrdaya. In the sentiment of soka (grief), there may be anubhavas like mourning (vilapa), weeping (rudana), shedding of tears etc. Sattvikbhavas would be indicated through tears, change of voice etc. In abhinaya, we find actions like weeping, paleness of face, change of voice, deep breathing, fainting, immobility, loss of memory etc.

According to Bharata, each rasa has three subtypes based on three gunas–

1).Sattva

2).Rajas and 

3).Tamasa

The quality of vibhava, the source of sthayibhava determines the types of correlated rasa. Even karuna rasa may be sattvika, rajasika or tamasika depending on the cause of grief. The theory of rasa is related with yoga as well as the Vedantic philosophy of India. In the succeeding chapters, we shall deal with individual ‘rasas’ in some details.

Dhvani

શબ્દ અને અર્થ બંને ગૌણ બની જાય, તેવુ બને એને ધ્વની કહેવાય.

આનંદવર્ધને ધ્વનીના ત્રણ પ્રકાર આપ્યા છે.

1).વસ્તુધ્વની

2).અલંકાર ધ્વની

3).રસ ધ્વની

The Dhwani theory was founded by Anandavardhana. He announced that dhwani is the soul of poetry. He said that the element of Dhwani, whether prominent, subordinate or indistinct is necessary in every type of poetic beauty. There is no poetry unless it has ‘dhwani.’ Anandavardhana incorporated and revised the theories of alamkaras, guna riti and rasa in the light of dhwani theory. He gives us extensive examples of practical criticism and literary analysis. He says that- 

"When there is a suggestion (vyanjana) in a literary composition, it is dhwani: The greatness of creative art lies in dhwani. Meanings echo after statements have been made".

Dhwani means suggested sense which is expressed when the sound and the sense of the text fade into insignificance. According to Anandavardhana, ‘dhwani’ is dominating while alamkara, guna and vritti are its various parts. He refuted the alamkara school by saying that it is the means of embellishment of the body of poetry. He rejected ‘riti’ by saying that it is nothing but a form of composition.

જે કાંઈ બોલાય છે, જે કાંઈ લખાય છે, તેનુ આપણે અર્થઘટન કરતા હોઈઅે છીએ. અને અર્થઘટન અેટલે પરીચીત અર્થ અને અપરીચીત અર્થ.

Anandavardhana proposes three levels of meaning-

Abhidha

દરેક અર્થો સ્વીકારી શકાતા નથી, કેટલાક જ અર્થો સ્વીકારી શકાય તે અભિધા છે.

દા.ત- મીઠાં મધુર…

Laksana 

લક્ષણામાથી સીધો અર્થ ન મળ નીકટનો અર્થ લેવાનો હોય.

દા.ત- મીઠા મેહુલા રે…

Vyanjana

વ્યંજનામાથી સીધો અર્થ મળે પણ છતા તેના બદલે બીજો અર્થ લેવાનો.

   

He integrates rasa theory with dhwani theory. Dhwani is the means of evoking ‘rasa.’ In fact, dhwani theory has both elucidated and strengthened the rasa theory.

Auchitya

Auchitya is a Hindi word taken from Sanskrit. It means justification, propriety, decency.

Father of Auchitya theory: Kshemendra 

He introduced Auchitya in his book AuchutiyaVicharCharcha. Kshemendra was born in the present day Kashmir. He is one of the best Sanskrit poets of the 11th century. Kshemendra was the pupil of the famous philosopher and poet Abhinavgupta.

Ksemendra made ‘aucitya’ the focal element of literary excellence. He defines ‘aucitya’ as the propriety of expression. Ksemendra in his Aucityavicaracarca enumerates the area of literary compositions where the concept of aucitya can be appropriately applied. According to him, these areas are as follows:

(1) Pada (phrase). (2) Vakya (sentence). (3) Prabandhartha (meaning in the entire compostion). (4) Guna (excellences). (5) Alamkara (figures of speech). (6) Rasa (state of being). (7) Karaka (case-ending). (8) Kriya (verb). (9) Linga (gender). (10) Vacana (number). (11) Visesana (adjectives). (12) Upasarga (prefix). (13) Nipata (redundancies). (14) Kala (time, tense). (15) Desa (place). (16) Kula (family). (17) Vrata (custom). (18) Tattva (truth). (19) Sattva (inherent element). (20) Abhipraya (motive). (21) Svabhava (nature). (22) Sara Sangraha (essential properties). (23) Pratibha (innate abilities). (24) Avastha (condition). (25) Vicara (Vichara) (thought). (26) Name (nama). (27) Asirvada (blessings).

Famous Poetic Works On Auchitya

• Auchitya Vichar Charcha

• Kavikanthabharana

• Suvrittatilaka

Like all the poets Kshemendra also said that 

“Auchitya is the soul of the poem.”

This is the only theory that is accepted by all the poets without any arguments. Thus, it is also called the “Theory of coordination” because it regulates all the constituents of the Natya Shastra.

To use the elements of a poem such that they deliver essence in their appropriate place is called “Auchitya”. For example, to use Rasa, Alankara, Riti, etc.. in an appropriate place is Auchitya. The poem should explain or incorporate a Rasa wherever needed else it loses its beauty.

Like Guna/Dosa, aucitya also did not enjoy the status of independent school or theory of poetics. It did remain an important principle with almost all noteworthy theorists. Ksemendra’s contribution to ‘aucitya’ is remarkable as he discussed it from both the angles viz. that of the literary artist and that of the reader (bhavaka).

Vakrokti

Vakrokti is another remarkable school of poetics in Sanskrit. It is a theory of language of literature. Vakrokti means oblique utterance or markedness of language. Kuntaka is one of the pioneers of this school who made Vakrokti a full-fledged theory of literature. He defined Vakrokti as “both words and meanings marked by artistic turn of speech in his book, Vakrokti-Jivitam. Vakrokti means Vakra (oblique), Ukti (statement or utterance). But in fact it is a deviant or marked expression. It can also mean special denotation.

Kuntaka classifies Vakrokti into six heads:

1).In syllabus or their arrangements. (Varna)

2).In the base substantives (Pada purvardha)

3).In inflicted forms of substantives (Pada parardha)

4).In sentences and figures of speech (Vakya)

5).In topics or section (Prakarana)

6).In the entire composition. (Prabandha)

પ્રકૃતિના છ પ્રકાર છે

1).વર્ણવિન્યાસ વક્રતા

2).અદપુર્વાર્ધ વક્રતા

3).પદપરાર્ધ વક્રતા 

4).વાક્ય વક્રતા

5).પ્રકરણ વક્રતા

6).પ્રબંધ વક્રતા

વર્ણાનુ સૌંદર્ય જેમાં વ્યક્ત થયું હોય તે વર્ણવિન્યાસ વક્રતા , પદપરાર્ધ કોઈ પ્રત્યય લાગેલ હોય એના માટે કોઈ પરંપરામાંથી મળતું, અથવા મૂળમાંથી લઈ એના આધારે પોતાનું આરોપણ કરીને લખે તે પ્રકરણ વક્રતા.  દાખલા તરીકે....

1) બોટાદકર - ઉર્મિલા 

2) વિનોદ જોશી સૈરન્ધી 

3) કાંત નું અતિજ્ઞાન 

આખી રચના પોતે જ કાંઈક સૂચવતી હોય એમાંથી જે કોઈ સૂચવાતું હોય તે પ્રબંધ વક્રતા. દાખલા તરીકે રામાયણ અસત્ય પર સત્યની વિજય.

According to Kuntaka, ‘Vakrokti’ is a striking mode of speech born out of poetic proficiency. This means that it is a poetic element which produces super world charm. Kuntaka said that the six kinds of “Vakroktis’ described above together individually create poetic brilliance.

This Vakrokti theory is a useful framework for stylistic analysis of literature. Kuntaka in fact incorporates ‘rasa’, ‘alamkara’, ‘riti 'and ‘guna’ theories into this theory of Vakrokti. What is called Dhwani by Anandvardhan is termed ‘Vakrokti’ by Kuntaka. He declares that Vakrokti’ is the soul (jivita) of poetry.

Thank you so much....

Have a great time.