Studies In Sanskrit Sahitya Shastra

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

Page 98

Studies in
interpretation. Abhinava quotes different views as to the nature of avamarsa, He himself holds that vimarśa is 'sandehātmaka.' He argues that even after sambhāvanā (or possibility of attainment) samsaya is possible when some unforeseen obstacle appears in the way of achievement of the desired object. The hero reflects over the new situation and realizes that he can attain the end if he surmounts a specific difficulty. He takes courage in both the hands and does his best to surmount the obstacle. This obstacle may be caused by a curse or anger or selfishness or temptation.
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The KS. literally borrows one of the passages quoted by the Abh, to explain Bharata's definition of vimrśa:
That part of a play where the blja about to fructify loses its progress and seems to return to its original state on account of interruption caused by the wrath of the opponent or selfishness of the rival or some calamity like a curse etc., is called vimarfa. The word vimaria is here taken to mean 'vighna', the bija as the bljaphala and artha as nivṛtti. The definition as given by the SD. is however, quite unambiguous:
That part of a play where the blja (lit., the principal means to the end) has developed further than in the garbha and faces some obstacle due to curse and such other reasons is called vimarśa.
The concluding part of a play where the incidents and events which occurred in the first four sandhis and which contained the bija and were distributed in due order are brought together to one end is called nirvahana".
In connection with the five sandhis Jagirdar remarks that Bharata has done. nothing great except coining some technical words. The five stages of development mentioned above (ie., the five sandhis) are just the five members of a syllogism in
34 See NS. III 42 and Abh. Pp. 26-28. The Avaloka paraphrases avamarśa as avamarśanam' paryalocanam-reflection.
35
KS. p, 454. The word artha has several meanings of which nivṛtti is one : अर्थोऽभिवेय वस्तु प्रयोजन निवृत्तिषु | Amara III.
36 Not nibarhana as suggested by Hall. For Nirvahana which means "carrying to the end', completion' is the proper word here instead of nibarhana which means destruction.
Dhruva, it may be noted in passing, names the five sandhis thus the initial division (mukha), the pro-initial division (pratimukha), the medial division (garbha), the dubious division (vimarśa) and the completive dlvision (nirvahana).
Pandey says that "These parts of the drama, following the analogy of the human body, have been called, as for as possible, by those very names, by which the parts of human body are called. The first part for instance is called Mukha, the second Pratimukha and the third Garbha." This is unconvincing since pratimukha is no part of human body, and there is no sequence in them which is to be found in the sandhis.