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Śabdavșttis; recognised in the works....
205 for being treated as important topic independently. So, as in case of some other sources of still earlier age such as the Nirukta, Mahābhāşya, Vākyapadīya etc. which we will make it a point to examine while treating each sabda-vrtti separately, even in case of Bhāmaha and the rest, we will have to find out direct and indirect occurrences and references that may reveal their approach to different sabdavsttis. Thus all references concerning any indication of their acquaintance of knowledge of abhidhä, laksanā and vyañjanā will go to suggest once again the heritage that proved to be a shaping influence in crystallizing the concepts of different śabdavrttis in the hands of later ālamkārikas beginning with Anandavardhana, Mammata, Hemacandra and the rest. We will also, in the next chapter look into the topic of implicit sense or 'pratīyamāna-artha' in these earlier masters. Whether Bhāmaha and the rest, the predecessors of Anandavardhana were cognisant of the fact of implicit sense in poetry, whether they collected it through vyañjanā or otherwise, will be an interesting enquiry paving the way to Anandavardhana's recognition of vyañjanā and dhvani. Thus begins our exercise to get at the exact amount of, either only a nodding acquaintance or a fully conscious approval, of various sabda-víttis and pratīyamāna sense in the works of ancient ālamkārikas beginning with Bhāmaha to Rudrata. This enquiry will pave the way to the topic of scientific treatment of various sabdavrttis and dhvani by later ālamkārikas. We are taking up the consideration of the earlier alamkārikas first because independent and scientific enquiry concerning the topics of sabda-vrttis and dhvani follows this rich heritage..
Once again, it should be noted at the outset that, the earlier writers whose works have come down to us such as Bhāmaha and others, do not discuss the problem of śabda-vrttis or pratīyamāna artha i.e. implicit sense theoretically like later writers such as Mammata and the rest. So, we cannot expect any definite mention of this subject in their works, nor an attempt to define and classify a given śabda-vrtti. However, we meet with passages which go to show that the authors were familiar with the idea of the various functions-vrttis-of a word. We will go by the authors individually accepting the chronology as suggested by Dr. S. K. De in his Sanskrit Poetics.
Bhāmaha :- We begin with Bhāmaha. We come across direct or indirect references to abhidha as below :In the verse I. 9., he reads -
"sabdaśchando'bhidhānărthā itihāsāśrayāḥ kathāḥ,
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