Srngaramanjari Katha

Author(s): Bhojdev, Kalpalata K Munshi
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 82

THE PURPOSE OF THE WORK
and Preyas. The common Srigara-rasa, which is called the ratiprakarsa-sṛngāra in the scheme, is the sentiment which with its various aspects becomes the subject of delineation and analysis of the alamkarikas. We shall now see how Bhoja treats of this sṛngāra
rasa.
Srigara-rasa, asserts Bhoja, is the foremost of the rasas because rati is the best amongst the bhāvas. 15 Bhoja has emphasised its importance by devoting 19 chapters out of 36 in the SP to it. He calls this Srigara 'Kamaśṛngāra' also. He states that Rasa-sṛngāra is चतुर्वर्गेककारणम् i.e. it is śrigara only that prompts men to different activities for the achievement of the four puruṣārthas: Dharma, Artha, Käma and Mokṣa. Corresponding to these are four śrngāras, dharmaśṛngāra, arthaśṛngāra, kāmaśṛngāra and mokṣaśṛngāra.16 Bhoja identifies this Kamaśṛngara with the rati-prakarṣa-śṛngāra. 17 In the 22nd chapter of the SP which deals with Anuragasthapana Bhoja says that amongst these four Kamaśṛngāra is the most important because it is the cause of the other Sṛngāras. 18
The last 16 chapters in SP deal with the Kamaśṛngāra according to the following scheme:
Kāmasṛngāra* (Chapter XX)
Vipralambhasṛngāra
59
Sambhogaśṛngāra
(chapts. XXIV-XXXII)
(chapts. XXXIII-XXXVI)
The treatment of this Sṛngāra, which Bhoja calls Kamaśṛngāra or Ratiprakarṣaśṛngāra, with its two kinds, Vipralambha and Sambhoga, developed under the four conditions of Purvānurāga, Māna, Pravasa and Karuna in Vipralambha, and the Purvanurāgānantara, Mananantara, Pravāsānantara and Karunanantara in Sambhoga
15. BSP, p. 488, समस्तभावमूर्धाभिषिक्ता या रतेः ।
16. It may be noted that Bhoja's division into dharmaśṛngāra etc. is different from the ordinarily accepted dharmaśṛngara etc. Cf. Sarvānanda, Amarakoṣatikäsarvasva:
त्रिविधः शृंगारो धर्मार्थकामभिन्नः । तत्राद्यो यथा नन्दयन्त्यां ब्राह्मणभोजनम् । द्वितीय: स्वदेशमात्मसात् कर्तुमुदयनस्य प्रभावतीपरिणयोऽर्थशृंगारः । तृतीयः स्वप्नवासवदत्ते तस्यैव वासवदत्तापरिणयः कामशृंगारः ॥
(भा) वो
17. BSP, p. 485 विभावानुभावव्यभिचारिसंयोगात् (वि) प्रकर्षमापद्यमानः प्रधान ... ( रतिर्नाम कामशंगाराख्यां लभते ।
18. SP, p. 1. तत्रापि धर्मार्थशृंगारयोर्हेतुभूतत्वात्प्रधानम् ।
*
Chapter XXII deals with Anuragasthapana, chapter XXIII with the general enunciation of the Vipralambha and the Sambhoga sṛngāras, Vipralambhasambhogaprakāśanam.
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