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 80

55
Definition and Scope of Poetry and novel utterance peculiar to poetry and quite different from familiar usage. Thus, artistic utterence itself makes for ornament. The poetic process itself is the real ornament. So, it is wrong to presume that word and sense are on one side and that they are to be later connected to some ornamentation which lies separate on the other side. Striking turn of expression itself is ornament which is not external to word and sense. It is inherent in the poetic process, it is natural to a poet's speech; it is an inborn quality.
Further elaborating the concept of 'sāhitya' or togetherness of word and sense that make for poetry, Kuntaka (VJ. I. 16) observes :
"sabdarthau sahitau eva pratītau sphurataḥ sadā || sahitāv iti tāv eva
kim apūrvam vidhīyate ll” "When it is so obvious that word and meaning are ever experienced jointly, what is the special import of mentioning it in the definition).” (Trans. K. Kris. pp. 310, ibid) -
The idea is that the intimate relation of word and meaning is inherent. What then is the special significance of mentioning this togetherness in the definition ?
The point is that here this innate intimate relationship is not meant. This relationship is found even in Panini's aphorisms and even in irrelevant talking of a cart-driver also. This is not covered by this special 'sāhitya’. For in that case we need not go for the descipline of sāhitya, its purpose being served even by the desciplines of grammar, exegesis and logic also. But then even this difference is also well known. What is the purpose of saying it again ? Kuntaka, with a touch of pride replies : (Vịtti, on I. 16, V.J.) :
"What we call sahitya has been invariably referred to by that name in the long course of the history of poetics and yet, so far, there has not been a single scholar who has devoted his attention to explaining even a little of this concept, although the concept itself is very interesting, representing as it does the highest watermark of the poetic art. So, let us undertake for the delight of the bee-like critics, a consideration of the strikingly beautiful essence of the concept underlying all compositions of the best poets and impressing us as containing the collective beauty of the ambroisal drops to be found in the lotus-heart of Sarasvati, the goddess of poetry.” (Trans. K. Kris., pp. 310, 311, ibid).