Kavyanushasana Critical Study

SR No.: 001713
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: A N Upadhye
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 558
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Kavya
File Size: 10 MB

Page 434

the) arts, and pride, heroic, mighty, vigorous, familiar with the codes, and a just observer of laws."196
This list of Gunas is intended to make the Hero 'समग्रगुणः ', as Hemachandra has characterised him in the gloss on VII. 1. There, Hemachandra states that the Hero should be possessed of all good virtues, the qualities and traits of personality which make him fit to be the leader (Neta) of a play and the other physical qualities (Sattvikaguņas) of his will be enumerated next. It will be noted that Dhananjaya includes the quality of Sastric vision in the list of the essential qualification of a hero. Viśvanatha (S. D. III. 20) sums up the qualities required of a Nayaka thus: "Munificent, clever, high-born, handsome, youthful, enthusiastic, prompt, devoted to people, powerful and tactful is the nature of a hero."
The Natyadarpaṇa, however, is extremely brief : "The Hero is one who achieves the fruit and does not suffer calamities." 197
The Eight Sattvika Gunas of the Hero
Such a Hero is possessed of eight physical (Sattvika) qualities. It should be noted here that the author of the Dasarūpaka takes up these qualities for description after it has dealt with the first and the second classifications of the Hero198 (11.3,6) and the other subsidiary male characters (11.8 and 9). He enumerates the eight physical qualities in 1.10 and describes and illustrates each of these in the subsequent portion.
It is thus obvious that Hemachandra has altered the order of the topics a little bit. However, the eight "physical qualities" of Hemachandra are the same as those of Dhananjaya. They are Sobha, Vilasa, Madhurya, Gambhirya, Sthairya, Tejas, Lalita and Audarya. Dhananjaya characterises these "Paurusaḥ gunaḥ" or "manly qualities" which spring from "'one's nature".
as
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