Kavyanushasana Critical Study

Author(s): A N Upadhye
Publisher: A N Upadhye

Page 46

Poetry and Morality
Now, Hemachandra clarifies one point connected with the instruction that a poem may provide. The poetic advice may be good or bad. One may point out examples of poems with distinct immoral overtones. As an example of such a poem, he quotes in the Viveka, a verse containing a harlot's indecent, unsocial and queer advice to her daughter, which is attributed to the Karnatic poetess Vijjikā in the anthologies. Such poems provide immoral advice. So the conclusion is unavoidable that such advice is unfit to be accepted. To this contention, Hemachandra agrees, but says : "Such verses are only apparently immoral in tone; but in real terms, they serve to dissuade the readers from acting in the way shown in the verses." This forthright stand of Hemachandra on an important question of morality in literature is noteworthy.
Mammața's Aims of Poetry Criticised
While Mammața has laid down six purposes of poety, Hemachandra has mentioned only three, viz. Ananda, Yaśas and Kantātulyatayopadeśa. He has thus omitted Mammata's wealth, culture and knowledge and freedom from evil. And he has very good reasons for his selectiveness here because in his gloss as well as in his commentary, Hemachandra defends his stand and refutes criticism of his choice. In the gloss, he makes it clear that he has deliberately avoided the mention of wealth, wordly knowledge and removal of evils in the list of purposes of poetry as wealth is not definite and of poetry alone and knowledge can be accomplished by reading the scriptures and evils can be warded off by other means as well. He reverts to this question in his commentary Viveka and criticises Mammața and others for giving examples of Sriharsa and Dhāvaka, as also for stating that wealth, shrewdness in worldly life and warding off of evils accrue from poetry. Wealth, for instance, can not definitely be said to accrue from poetry at all times. He reinforces his position on
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