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picture of Kävya Puruga-word and meaning constitute the body suggestion (Dhvani) the vital breath, Rasa the soul, Excellences (Guņas) are like heroism and other qualities, similar and other figures are like necklaces and other ornaments. Rītis or styles are like organic structure and the blemishes in Kāvya are like physical defects deafness etc. in a human body.
Ilnd Kirana treats first the nature of word and its sense because they basically form the body of Kāvya-Puruşa. In the treatment of the concept of Sabda, Kavi Karnapūra is influenced by the Semantic speculations of grammarians especially Bhartphari. Sabda according to him in its subtlest form is nothing other than Sabda Brahman. It is the ultimate germ which gives rise to sound. The audible sounds may appear different and momentary for they are the product of illusion. But the word essence Sabda Brahman out which they emerge is transcendental reality which lies beyond time and space and cannot be described by positive and negative predicates. According to grammarians 'sphota’ is the bearer of meaning which conveys the sense. The sounds like ka, pa, ma, la etc. pronounced by our speech organs are by themselves momentary and transient. But they serve the purpose of revealing the sphoța which alone signifies and expresses the meaning.
Regarding the connotation of words Karṇapūra gives the views of grammarians and mimānsakas and so on. The grammarians believe that the words connote attributes (upādhi) belonging to an individual and not the individual itself. The attributes which the word connotes are four (i) class element (Jāti) (ii) Quality (Guņa) (iii) Action (Kriyā) (iv) Denomination (Dravya) Jāti is an eternal attribute which inheres in all individuals belonging to a particular class. Quality is a differentiating factor which marks an individual off from others belonging to the same genius or to a different one. An action is comprised of a number of subactions amongst which there is a definite sequence. The word 'Pacati' does not refer to a single act but to a series of movements beginning from lighting of fire to putting it off. Dravya refers to the substance itself as Ditha or Davitha. Mimānsakas hold that all terms connote universal (Jāti) and hence the conventional meaning of words is universal and not the attribute as held by the grammarians.
