Sahrdayaloka Part 01

SR No.: 006908
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Tapasvi Nandi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2005
Total Pages: 602
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 14 MB

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Definition and Scope of Poetry 261), “Those who were unable to explain properly this essential principle of poetry as they had only a glimmer of it (and nothing more), have brought into vogue the theory of styles.” And also, “Once this theory of poetry is fully understood, even the
o called 'Modes' relating to the nature of sounds as well as to the nature of meanings will becomes intelligible.” So, when Bhāmaha pays scant respect to the vaidarbha and gauda styles, it is presumably first to discourage imitation and hypocracy and to promote individual talent. This is exactly the consideration which drives Kuntaka to divorce the concept of styles from any local i.e. geographical colouring and name even the poetic excellences in a different way using his own terminology. However, Kuntaka gives some reasonable consideration to the concept of this or that style - call it by any name and it is rose only - simply because we do find common cultural and educational heritage playing a positive part in an artist's creation. But Bhāmaha was perhaps fed up with imitations and so categorically declares that : (Bhāmaha I. 36) -
“na nitāntā"di-mātreņa jāyate cărutā girām
vakrā'bhidheya-sabdoktih istā vācām alamkrtiḥ 11" "Not only by usages such as 'nitānta' etc. (i.e. use of soft consonants as advocated by the so called vaidarbha style), beauty in poetry is caused. (only) The ukti-expression - of vakra i.e. beautiful sense and (vakra, beautiful) expression (or word) is acceptd by us as the alamkrti - or (only) source of beauty in language (i.e.
language). Vācām alamkrtih' is beauty of language. The word 'alamkrtiņ' is used here by Bhāmaha in the wider sense of source of beauty in poetry, or poetic beauty, and not in the narrow sense of a figure of speech only, which by itself is, of course, included in the former. The use of the term 'alamkāra' in its wider connotation of poetic beauty - saundaryam - is specifically noted by Vāmana, if we look at available documents only. But the thought current had its origin even prior to Bhāmaha or even Bharata. The point is that we do not have to wait for the arrival of Vāmana to understand this underlying basic concept of poetic beauty, for Bhāmaha's concept of beautiful expression and beautiful content - vakra śabda and vakra artha, are enough for this. This vakratā or poetic beauty is the highest or only quality a poet has to aspire for in the making of poetry. This is absent in ordinary expression, i.e. 'loka-ukti'. So, sāhitya, i.e. coming together of beautiful expression and content is poetic creation, i.e. kāvya, poetry.
With this Bhāmaha also talks of 'āśraya-saundarya', i.e. beauty pervading the whole composition. A sort of an idea of contextuality is also engrammed in it, for, observes Bhāmaha, that collyrium though black, when applied in the eye of a