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'Classification of Poetry (Criticism Oriented)
973
The learned men, meaning those who know the truth about poetry, have taught, through an unbroken tradition, that the soul, i.e. essence of poetry has been named 'dhvani' i.e. suggestion. This they have confirmed by an all round examination and then declared as such. But although it is felt so by cultured critics in their minds, there are others who affirmed the non-existence of dhvani. These are the different views of the non-believers in Dhvani.
We will examine this dhvanivirodha or views of anti-dhvani theorists later in a separate chapter, but for the present we attempt to explain the form and varieties of dhvani as laid out by Ā. After suggesting the opposition to the concept of dhvani, Ā. (= Anandavardhana) observes : “tena evamvidhāsu vimatișu sthitāsu, sahrdayamanaḥ prītaye tat-svarūpam brūmah.” “In view of the prevalence of so many conflicting opinions, we propose to elucidate the nature of suggestion for the delight of the perceptive critics.” (Trans. K. Krish. pp. 7, ibid)
Ā. observes : (Dhv. I. i.; vịtti) - "tasya hi dhvaneh svarūpam sakala-kavikāvyópanisad-bhūtam, ati-ramanīyam anīyasībhir api cirantana-kāvya-laksanavidhāyinām buddhibhir anunmīlitapūrvam, athaca rāmāyana-mahābhārataprabhịtini laksye sarvatra prasiddha-vyavahāram lakṣayatām sahțdayānām ānando manasi labhatām pratisthām iti prakāśyate." - i.e. “Suggestion itself is both the quintessence of the works of all first-rate poets and the most beautiful principle of poetry though it remained unnoticed even by the subtlest of the rhetoritions of the past. However, refined critics are certainly alive to its primary presence in literary works like the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhārata; and with a view to placing their delight on a secure footing, we shall explain its nature (in detail)."
(Trans. K. Kris.; p. 7, ibid)
For preparing the base or ground work for his theory, Ā. (Dhv. I. 2. 3. 4 & 5) observes that, “That meaning which wins the admiration of refined critics is decided to be the soul of poetry. The 'explicit' and the 'implicit' are regarded as its two aspects. (Dhv. I. 2) (Trans. K. Krish., p. 7, ibid)
"Of these, the explicit is commonly known and it has been already set forth in many ways through figures of speech such as the simile by other writers, hence it is not to be discussed here at length.” (Dhv. I. 3, pp. 7, ibid)
"But the implicit aspect is quite different from this. In the words of the first-rate poets it shines supreme and towers above the beauty of the striking external constituents even as charm in ladies.” (Dhv. I. 4. pp. 7, ibid)
"That meaning alone is the soul of poetry; and so it was that, of yore, the sorrow
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