Studies In Sanskrit Sahitya Shastra

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

Page 39

Sanskrit Sahityaśdstra
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birds, etc. at first hand. Their observation coupled with their lively imagination and desire for finding symbols in Nature may have given rise to the conventions about Cakravāka, Cakora and Cātaka. Some of the conventions may have had their source in the principle of extension. Thus we find the convention 'Every mountain has gold and jewels. The restriction on the existence of things (e. g. 'pearls exist only in the Tāmraparņi'). may have been due to the fact that certain places were especially noted for certain things. The assigning of colours to certain things (e. g. fame and laughter are white) may have had its origin in human psychology. We like certain colours very much and dislike certain others. Things desirable were probably assingned good colours and bad things bad colours. Or, the whiteness of laughter may have had its origin in the brilliance of teeth and redness of anger may have been due to the effect of anger to be seen on one's face, tip of the nose and eyes, which turn red. Or, probably the colours of affection, anger, etc. were derived from the philosophical ideas : Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are associated respectively with whiteness, redness and darkness. Kāma and Krodha springing from Rajast are naturally red. Again, describing darkness as ‘süchibhedyh' is nothing but a highly figurative way of describing intense and pitchy darkness. Again, the dark spot on the moon may have appeared to one poet as a hare, to another as a deer; but as the same spot presents two different forms, the Saśānka and the Mrgalāñchana have been regarded as identical. Some conventions, such as "The Asoka blooms beneath the touch of the beloved's foot”, are entirely due to the poet's wild and romantic imagination. It is thus possible to trace the origins of various poetic conventions.
In no other literature the critics have taken note of and dealt fully with this topic of poetic conventions. It redounds to the glory and credit of Rājasekhara that he should have exahaustively dealt with this topic as far back as in the 10th century A. D.
1 Cf. 614 TT Tha gu (
F
EAqua: 1-Bhagavatgirå, III 37. a