Essay name: Alankara Sastra (English study)
Author:
V. Raghavan
Affiliation: University of Madras / Department of Sanskrit
This book studies some concepts of Alankara Sastra, also known as “Lakshana� or “Bhusana�, and refers to the study of poetic and dramaturgical adornments as detailed in ancient Indian texts, particularly those on poetics and dramaturgy. The concept is attributed to various scholars, with significant contributions from Bharata in his work, the Natya Sastra.
Page 38 of: Alankara Sastra (English study)
38 (of 342)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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THE HISTORY OF LAKṢANA 15 VIII
Coming to Abhinavagupta's own view of Lakṣaṇa-the
main thread of his view must be caught in the bewildering text
on this concept in various places in this chapter. He points
out even at the outset that these views cannot stand to
be logical when we consider the 36 Lakṣaṇas themselves
one by one in the light of these views; for, to a certain
extent, the views have been purely speculative, spinning round
the word Lakṣaṇa having its counterpart in the Sāmudrika-
lakṣaṇa of the human body, without relating themselves
to the nature of the individual Lakṣaṇas. So Abhinavagupta
makes a convenient suggestion that the 10 views cannot be
exclusively and separately followed.
एतेष� पक्षेष� अन्यतमग्रह� विशेषणान� � संगच्छन्ते स्पष्टेन पथ� �
[eteṣu pakṣeṣu anyatamagrahe viśeṣaṇāni na saṃgacchante spaṣṭena pathā |
] p. 381.
One comprehensive and definite view must be made
out of the cloud of these several Pakṣas. Abhinava adopts
shades of each view and gives his own definite idea of
Lakṣaṇa, which itself takes conclusive shape only as he
proceeds further and further. Here and there Abhinava can-
not help pushing new wine into old bottles in his difficult
task. One line of thought he has definitely rejected and
that is, the association of Lakṣaṇa with Nāṭaka only and
taking it as something like Sandhyangakas. He refutes this
view in this chapter and elsewhere also while dealing with
the Vithyangas. He says there-
नन्वेषाम� ( वीथ्यङ्गानाम� ) उक्तिवैचित्र्यरूपत्व�
अलंकारादिभ्य� को भे� इत� �
चेत् लक्ष� [ म्
[nanveṣām ( vīthyaṅgānām ) uktivaicitryarūpatva�
alaṃkārādibhya� ko bheda iti |
cet lakṣaṇa [ m
]
