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Classification of Poetry
865 also very delicate in nature. This means that it treats of love and such graceful movements but it is also described as imitating the gait of elephants and other beasts and thus some rough or wild movements also get in as a result. We will see that Bhoja describes pravāsa or travel of the lover as its theme. Here also the idea of 'pravāsa' is seen in “krtvā pravasanam tathā.” Dr. Raghavan observes (pp. 549 ibid) that, the nature of this type as defined here, and how, where and why imitation of the gait of elephants is introduced is not clear. Probably, as the lover going on pravāsa would go by elephant or horse or by a bullock-cart, the representation of the gaits of these animals are included here.” But our understanding is that in literature a fair lady with graceful movement is described as "gaja-gāmini" i.e. one having her gait like that of an elephant. So, here also perhaps the same is intended. The word 'tulyām' supports our understanding. The prasthāna is carried out in an elegant style of the gait of an elephant which by itself is awe-inspiring as well as graceful to look at.
Dr. Raghavan further explains (pp. 549, ibid) that, "an observation of Abhinavagupta in a different context however, would ask us to take the animals depicted as the central theme, and understand them as "anyápadeśa” or something like edificatory animal fables in dance. (Abh. I. p. 174) We have it perhaps on pp. 172 (Abh. ibid) Abhinavagupta observes : "simha-sūkara-bhallūka-kasarā"di-varnanenā'pi bhāņa-preraņa-bhānikādāv aprastuta-praśamsárthántaranyāsa-dęstāntā"dinā purusārthasya eva upadeśa-darśanād iti prayojana-bhedādapi na bhedaḥ.”
The idea is that perhaps through animals depicted on stage-perhaps through imitation only-some advice, through anyápadeśa is given. The medium is of course dance. This also could be prasthāna.
Again, under NS. iv. 253, pp. 166 (Abh.) Abhinavagupta observes : tathā hi - gītam eva tadányártham tadanyagatatvena nșttā”di, yathā dombikā”dau. tatra hi parikramaņādy api sukumāreņaiva angena. tatrā’pi varṇanánga-prādhānyam kvacit. yathā prasthānā”dau. Thus he seems to give another feature of prasthāna here.
But Bhoja has a clearer definition of prasthāna - He says (pp. 466, śr. Pra., ibid) :
"prathamánurāga-māna-pravāsaśộngāra-samśrayam yat syāt, prāvrd-vasanta-varṇana-param anyad vā’pi sotkantham,
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