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Sanskrit Sähityaśāstra
159
He quotes an example where the Sānta sentiment which is predominant is touched up by the sentiment of Sțngära though the two are, obviously, not complimentary to each other.15 Keeping in mind this aspect of human psychology Anandavardhana chose to illustrate the various points in Alamkāra Šāstra with the help of erotic examples; and his lead is enthusiastically followed by later Ālamkārikas. Are Prakrit Verses Obscene ?
In some quarters it is alleged that the Alamkārikas cite Prakrit verses, which are full of obscenity and which glorify illicit love, as illustrations because the obscenity remains hidden under the garb of the Prakrit language. This allegation deserves consideration. In the classical period there was no compartmentalisation or bifurcation of studies into Sanskrit and Prakrit. The long standing practice of writing dramas in Sanskrit and Prakrit will easily bear this statement out. Again, men like Anandavardhana could write both in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Eminent Sanskrit writers like Dandi Bāņa, Kuntaka have paid ungrudgingly and unreservedly handsome tributes to Sātavāhana and Pravarasena for their Prakrit works. This fact corroborates the statement that there was integration of Sanskrit and Prakrit Studies. Naturally, the Alamkārikas appreciated first-rate Prakrit works and freely drew upon them for illustrations in their Alamkāra works. It is, therefore, nothing but an insult to these Ālamkārikas to allege that they quoted Prakrit verses with an ulterior motive.
Now let us examine the charge of obscenity against the Prakrit verses. Traditionally, poetry has been condemned on three grounds (i) it is full of lies (ii) it offers wrong advice and encourages immorality and (iii) it is full of obscenity. These objections have been refuted by Rājasekhara in his Kāvyamimāṁsā16. His defence of obscenity in literature is, however, not very convincing. To say “Because the Vedas and the Sāstras contain obscene matter one should not take exception to obscenity in literature" is not at all logical.
The Ālankārikas have defined in their works what constitutes the fault of obscenity. .Use of words which give rise to feelings of shame, of disgust or convey the sense of inauspiciousness-such words are taboo in cultured and polite society-is condemned by them as obscene. They have, with their sharp intellect, recorded and denounced as obscene even particular combination of letters giving rise to words meaning the names of the private parts of the human body. So there is no question of defending obscenity.
These Prakrit verses fall into two groups : Those which are highly erotic and those which portray illicit or clandestine or adulterous love. We must clearly distinguish between the erotic and the obscene. The writings of great poets, both Sanskrit
15. HON HARAT TAT: HET I frat: 1 ..किन्तु मत्ताङ्गनापाङ्गभङ्गलोलं हि जीवितम् ।।
-Dhvanyaloka III. 30-31. 16. Kāvyamimāṁsā (GOS edition, 1934) Ch. VI, pp. 24-28.
