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944
SAHṚDAYALOKA
one another. Now, in this case how can these are-forms be pleasing to the taste ? The answer is "No". H. says that in prayers to the deities, which are conceived either as males or females, śṛngāra is seen to be delineated everywhere. But we do not find any contradiction here. Same is the case with these art-forms which carry only apparently contradictory statements. We may observe that H.'s words here are from the A.bh. (pp. 171, NS. Ch. IV. G.O.S. ibid). H. quotes directly from the A.bh. and observes that the description in male or female form depends on the prayer to the deity concerned. It is therefore, that in Cūḍāmani dombika we read : "he devi dombi etc. etc.
In such art-forms as rāga-kāvyas e.g. rāghava-vijaya there is a message of the four-fold aims of life. (caturvargópadeśa). Actually H. defines 'kavya' but here the term 'rāga-kāvya' is read as in Abh. After A.bh. again H. suggests that in dombikā and the rest, the prominent emotion is that of clandestine love. Once again H., quoting from A.bh. (pp. 172, ibid), observes that in case of such art-forms as Bhāṇa, preraṇa, bhānikā etc. the theme is in the nature of parables and tables, anyápadeśa, arthántaranyāsa and nidarśanā (in A.bh. we read 'dṛṣṭanta' for nidarśana), inculcating adivce to man through description of the acts of wild animals; and this is something like a bit of the pañca-tantra, cast in a semidramatic form. We may observe that H. chooses to follow Abhinavagupta in suggesting the nature of bhāṇa to be diadectic as against Bhoja's bhāṇa which is devotional and it extols gods.
After this observation, H. discusses the difference between pāṭhya-rūpaka and geya (upa-rupaka). He suggests that in 'pathya' variety (i.e. in major ten rūpakas) both 'anga' movement of limbs and 'gita' are not certain. This means that in these drama-forms to dance with movement of limbs is not obigatory. 'Kata', 'karana', 'cari', 'maṇḍala' etc. which are useful for 'anga', are uncertain in nature because of irregular rhythm, in case of rūpakas. These are practiced with the dominance of 'rasa' in focus, and hence this uncertainty in rūpakas. But, observes H., in geya (upa-rupakas) movement of limbs i.e. anga and gīta (= song) are of fixed nature in themselves. This means that as in case of a 'mantra' or charm there is no change of letters, similarly here in case of these minor art-forms, the pattern of laya (rhythm), yati (stop), etc. is fixed as per the special type of art-form concerned. Of course, at times 'anga' (or movement of limbs) is predominant as in 'prasthana', or at times 'vāda' speech is central as in bhāṇaka when there is practice of bhagnatāla or parikramaņa. Or, as in case of singaṭaka we have predominance of the narration which is presented through song (giyamāna-rupakábhidheya-prādhānyam).
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