Aspect of Jainology Part 2 Pandita Bechardas Doshi

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 491

V.M. Kulkarni
Abhinavagupta elucidates this passage of Anandavardhana by citing a dissimilar example (vaidharmya-drsțānta):
“We are not to examine these statements in kāvya as to whether they are true and consider whether they command us to do something as the Vedic utterances enjoining Agnistoma sacrifice do. They simply contribute directly to giving aesthetic delight (and only indirectly to refining or influencing our character and culture of mind and heart). The aesthetic delight which is essentially of the nature of transcendental camatkāra is not different from vyutpatti.18
The aesthetic delight is evoked in a reader when a vastu or alamkara or rasādi is/are portrayed by the poet in his kāvya. The rasādi-dhvani is accorded the place of supremacy as it is the source of the highest delight next only to that of the realisation of Brahma. Naturally, emotions are the central theme and content of kāvya according to both Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta, the two greatest aestheticians India has produced. Dhvani : The Method of Kāvya
Anandavardhana regards "sabdārthau" (word and sense) as only the outer vesture of kāvya while emotion as its 'ātman'. Emotions, of course, are never conveyed by their mere denomination. They can be conveyed or communicated only indirectly through an appropriate portrayal of their causes and effects. This indirect method of conveying emotions and feelings is called 'dhvani' (suggestion, suggestiveness). This method is extended to two other spheres of theme and content of kāvya, namely vastu (a fact, a bare idea) and alamkāra (figure of speech). Both vastu-dhvani and alarkāra-dhvani can be paraphrased; but rasādi-dhvani can never lend itself to paraphrase. The beauty lent by suggested sense is the greatest alaṁkāra of poetic speech just like bashfulness of women. 18
Abhinavagupta, too, upholds this method of dhvani as propounded by Anandvardhana. In the course of his exposition he often draws our attention to 'gopanasāra-saundarya'17; and in one passage he aptly compares dhvani to a beautiful or noble lady's breasts, partly covered or concealed and partly revealed, the better to excite curiosity and passion, a simile which on account of its inherent beauty and aptness became famous in later alamkāra literature. At one place he makes a perceptive remark: "what charm is there if the sense to be conveyed is done so directly or openly by the power of denotation ?"18
Anandavardhana boldly declares that dhvani (suggestion) is ‘kāvyasya-ātmā' (the soul, the very essence, of poetry, and by extension literature). It may present itself in the form of vastu or alamkāra or rasādi. He is perfectly aware of the importance of rasa-dhvani. But it is Abhinavagupta who gives it the place of supremacy and asserts that the other two dhvanis are only its aspects, and that they are not really valuable in themselves but only insofar as they lead to rasādidhvani.19