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 77

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SAHRDAYĀLOKA "That unique expression which alone can fully convey the poet's intended meaning out of a hundred alternatives before him is to be regarded as 'word'. Similarly that alone which possesses such refreshing natural beauty as to draw the appreciation of delighted readers is to be reckoned as 'meaning' (VJ. I. 9) (Trans. K. Kris. pp. 300, 301 ibid)
Kuntaka also talks of 'word' being dyotaka' and 'vyañjaka'. The exact distinction between these two is not clear, but Dr. K. Krishnamoorthy perhaps renders the terms as 'indicative' and 'suggestive and the two meanings viz. 'dyotya' and 'vyangya' as 'indicated' and 'suggested'. Actually we use 'indicative' for ‘laksaka' and 'indicated' for 'laksya'. This is common practice. These two, viz. 'dyotaka' and 'vyañjaka' varieties are covered by 'vācaka' because, Kuntaka thinks, that the business of a word is to convey meaning, i.e. apprehension of meaning is the main or only function of a word and this attribute is applicable to all types of words including dyotaka' and 'vyañjaka'. Similarly 'dyotya' and 'vyañgya'
varieties of meaning are also covered up by 'vācya' in general. In his gloss on - VJ. I. 8, Kuntaka observes :
"iti, evamvidham vastu prasiddham pratītam - yo vācakaḥ pratyāyakaḥ sa śabdaḥ, yo vācyaścā'bhidheyaḥ so'rtha iti. nanu ca dyotaka-vyañjakāv api śabdau sambhavataḥ, tadasamgrahān na avyāptiḥ, yasmād artha-pratīti-kāritva-sāmānyād upacārāt tau api vācakau eva evam dyotya-vyangyayor arthayoh pratyeyarvasāmányāt upacārāt vācyatvam eva."
Thus for Kuntaka a word i.e. a poetic word is only that which is comunicative of the exact intended sense alone. There may be any number of synonymous expressions, i.e. alternate general expressions in any number, with an outwordly identical meaning. But the unique shade of the particular meaning as intended by the poet cannot be conveyed fully by any or all of them. We may observe here that Kuntaka seems to echo the words of Anandavardhana, who in Dhy. I. viii, observes :
"so'rthaḥ tadvyakti-sāmarthya-yogī śabdaś ca kaścana | yatnataḥ pratyabhijñeyau,
tau sabdārthau mahā-kaveh ll” "That meaning, and that rare word which possesses the power of conveying it, only these two deserve the careful scrutiry of a first-rate poet." (Trans. K. Kris. Dhv. pp. 15, ibid)