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

Page 69

SAHĶDAYĀLOKA has considered the topics of ‘kāvya-s'arīra' i.e. body of poetry in sixty kārikās or verses, that of alamkāras or poetic figures in one hundred and sixty, of blemishes in fifty, of poetry in seventy and of sabda-buddhi i.e. correctness of words in yet another sixty kārikās. The definitions and illustrations read in his work are believed to be Bhāmaha's own creation, i.e. he has not borrowed the same from elsewhere. We have discussed Bhāmaha's concept of poetry earlier, but here, even at the cost of repetition we will take up some topics as discussed by Bhāmaha, as they serve a useful background for Kuntaka's thought-process.
Bhāmaha accepted the coming together of both word and sense as poetry; - śabdárthau sahitau kāvvam .. but this sāhitya acquires an un alaukikatva - only when it is beset with 'alamkāra' i.e. poetic beauty in beauty of poetic language - vācām alamkritiḥ - is brought about by what is termed as vakra artha' and 'vakra s'abda' i.e. by both poetic/beautiful meaning and poetic/ beautiful word of expression (Bhāmaha, I. 36). Thus both poetic expression and poetic content, make for poetry. Bhāmaha notes very candidly at V. 64-66, that descriptions of brilliant jewels, or of trees lowered by fruits, or of flowers in full bloom, do not cause poetic beauty. They only contribute to advance the beauty of ornaments, garden and garland alone respectively. Beauty of expression is brought about by vakrokti' alone, i.e. by beautiful poetic expression only - (Bhămaha, I. 30) - Literature i.e. - poetry worth its name, takes shape through 'vakrokti' alone. At VI. 23, Bhämaha discusses correct or incorrect usages of words with reference to the practices of poets having beautiful expression' - 'vakravācām kavīnām ye, prayogam prati sādhavah.... etc. Here also it is insisted that the poet's expression has to be 'vakra' i.e. 'beautiful for becoming worth its name. In short, we can not imagine the existence of poety in the absence of this 'vakrokti' i.e. poetic expression.
Though Bhāmaha has insisted on the presence of this element of 'vakrokti' in poetry, he has not attempted any technical elaboration of this concept. Only at the end of the discussion on the poetic figure atis'ayokti - i.e. hyperbole ,, at II. 85, Bhāmaha suggests that 'all hyperbole or extra-ordinary expression is 'vakrokti' i.e. beautiful expression which means expression of that which is 'beyond ordinary - i.e. which is 'lokátis'aya'. He observes : "saisā sarvaiva vakroktih, anayā'rtho vibhāvyate” - all this (atis'ayokti) is vakrokti and by this everything (belonging to the day-to-day world) turns into 'vibhāvas' - i.e. (poetic) determinants, or it is that by which things belonging to the ordinary parlance, become objects of delight. The poet has to be active to realize this element of vakrokti. In fact, which poetic expression or figure is without this vakrokti; and without this where is 'kāvya'? The