Abhidha

Author(s): Tapasvi Nandi, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 31

[22]
Anandavardhana and his followers who present a perfect scheme and the other by such writers as Mukula, Kuntaka, Bhoja, Mahimā, Dhanañjaya and Dhanika and some others who do not fall in line with the Kashmir school of thought. We will continue with Kuntaka who also forms part of the shaping influence that moulds Bhoja's thinking, Mukula being the earlier one.
As seen above Kuntaka, though not accepting the thinking of the Kashmir school in a sense that he does not welcome the fool-proof scheme of the functions of a word, on the otherhand follows the author of the Dhv. when he talks of 'the unique expression' as 'word'. He observes: (VJ I. 9 pp. 14, ibid)
"sabdo vivakṭitārthaikavācako' nyeṣu satsu api, arthaḥ sahṛdayahlādakāri
sva-spanda sundaraḥ."
"That unique expression which alone can fully convey the poets' 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 marked as 'meaning'. (Trans. K. Kris. pp. 300-301, ibid)
That Kuntaka's scheme is broad enough to embrace vyañjanā and vyangyārtha is borne out by the famous illustration from Kumārasambhava, viz. "dvayam gatam..." in which he pin-points the use of the special word "kapalinaḥ", that is the source of beauty. He observes (pp. 15, ibid)
"atra, parameśvara-vācaka-sabda-sahasra-sambhave'pi kapālina' iti bībhatsarasa-ālambana-vibhāva-vācakaḥ śabdaḥ jugupsä"spadatvena prayujyamānaḥ kām api vācaka-vakratām vidadhāti." "Though a thousand and one synonyms are possible to refer to the Almighty Lord Siva, the poet has chosen here the word, "One whom only skulls adorn", in order that, it may suggest disgust through a word which serves here as a pointer to the primary sentiment of the 'horrid'. And he succeeds in endowing the verse with artistic beauty of expression." (Trans. K. Kris. pp. 302, ibid)