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Sanskrit Aesthetics
laksyärtha or gauņārtha) and the vyangyarth the expressed or denoted meaning and in dicated meaning on the one hand and the suggested meaning on the other and holds that the expressed meaning (as well as the indicated meaning) and the words in which it is clothed, constitute the mere body of kavya. They together are the outward embodiment of the suggested meaningthe outward element of kāvya and not its inner soal-feeling or emotion. He attempts to estimate or judge the worth of a poem by reference to this central essence rather than to the expressed meaning. The words and the expressed meaning are really speaking, external features but these alone appealed to the earlier writers on poetics. They misjudged the true importance of the central essence of poetry and assigned to it a subordinate place.2 Anandavardhana concentrates his attention on the suggested meaning which forms the real essence of poetry. Whatever in sound (word) or sense subserves the poetic end in view (rasa, bhäva, etc.,) is a guna; whatever does not, is a dosa. Doșas and guņas are relative in character. There is no absolute standard of valuation for them. They are to be judged only in reference to the inner or suggested meaning which for is the poetic ultimate.
The suggested meaning is threefold :
1 a bare idea, fact (vastu) 2 a figure (alamkara) and 3 rasa, bhäva and the like. If the earlier or older alamkārikus concentrated on an analysis of the outward expression of kavya, Ānaadavardhana occupied himself with what this expression signifies or suggests. The expression is important to him as saly a means of pointing to the suggest.d meaning. Apandavardaina's theory of rasādi-dhvani exacily corresponds to the Upadişadic doctrine of atman. The earlier alamkarikas mista' e the body (sarır a) of poetry for its soul (ätman) - the externals of true poetry for its essence.
Poetry Versus Philosophy :
The alamkarikas often draw our attention to the dichotomy or distinc. tion between poetry and philosophy. We have the oft-quoted verse from Bhā maha on this distinction :
- गुरूपदेशादध्येतु शास्त्रं जडधियोऽप्यलम् । काव्य तु जायते जातु कस्यचित् प्रतिभावतः ।।
- Kavyalankara 1.5 2. इह हि तावद् भामहोद्भटप्रभृतयश्चिरन्तनालङ्कारकाराः प्रतीयमानमर्थ वाच्योपस्कारतयालङ्कार कक्षनिक्षिप्तं मन्यन्ते ।. ...तदेवमलङ्कारा एव काव्ये प्रधानमिति प्राच्यानां मतम् ।
Alamkārasarvasva pp. 3-7
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