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1126
SAHṚDAYALOKA
We knew that aesthetes of poetic art, when they enjoy poetry or literature, undergo an experience of supreme joy. A particular poem or piece of poetry makes an appeal to their heart and they are moved by it. Normally the piece, taken as a whole, as an indivisible organic unity, creates a particular response in the heart of the connoisseur. But when a second thought is given to a particular poem, in moments of tranquillity, the critic is in a position to discern different modes of appeal. These different modes can be held to be responsible for this or that type of classification of poetry in the hands of Sanskrit theorists. Ālamkarikas headed by Anandavardhana have, as suggested earlier, classified poetry into dhvanikavya, guṇībhūta-vyangya-kāvya and citra-kāvya from the point of view of literary criticism. Anandavardhana, and also Abhinavagupta, go to observe that even the so called guṇībhūta-vyangya variety, i.e. poetry with subardinated suggested sense, also can be classed as dhvani kavya, when viewed from the particular angle of resā"di-vyañjanā in it. Thus, in a way, they seem to reject the idea of a watertight classification of poetry and probably from this point of view also, Anandavardhana wisely avoids naming this or that type as 'uttama' i.e. excellent, 'madhyama' i.e. mediocre and 'adhama' or 'avara' i.e. third-rate or low type of poetry. Poetry, if at all it creates any response in the heart of a connoisseur, does it only when taken as a single effort by the poet, one and indivisible, a complex unity. However, in moments of tranquillity or rest, the faculty of subtle analysis starts operating and it divines out different modes of appeal in poetry. Probably this gives rise to a broad form of three-fold classification as above. Divisions an sub-divisions of this or that type of poetry can simply be dubbed as an instinct for either going into the root cause of pleasure or even hairsplitting, so close to the Indian mind in general.
First, we will try to look into illustrations of all the three types of poetry. The 'dhvani-kavya' or suggestive poetry is one in which, as noted earlier, the suggested sense, particularly of the form of sentiment, emotion etc. i.e. rasă"di, becomes the principal source of charm. Of course Anandavardhana also accomodates here vastu-dhvani and alamkara-dhvani as well. "śunyam vāsagṛham vilokya...." etc. is an instance in point where śṛngāra-rasa is predominantly suggested. Alamkarikas are of the opinion that here, the source of poetic appeal lies in the suggestion of the sentiment of love.
But in yet another poem, vig. "anurāgavatī sandhyā....." etc. the expressed sense, i.e. the bare description of sunset by itself is very touching to a responsive heart.
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