Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Major findings and Concluding observations� of the study on the Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara: a poetical encyclopedia from the 9th century dealing with the ancient Indian science of poetics and rhetoric (also know as alankara-shastra). The Kavya-mimamsa is written in eighteen chapters representing an educational framework for the poet (kavi) and instructs him in the science of applied poetics for the sake of making literature and poetry (kavya).
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Chapter 6 - Major findings and Concluding observations
The present chapter is devoted to bring out the major findings of the study, which is carried out in the previous chapters. We have made a throw analysis of the works of Ჹś especially in his Kāvyamīṃsā Here his life; works and his special contribution in the field of Sanskrit Poetics have been analyzed. And in depth study through the process of adopting qualitative interpretation some significant facts have been emerged and those facts are stated as the major findings of the study in the following pages. The Kāvyamīṃsā is a wonderful creation in the world of Sanskrit Poetics. To compose this poetical work Ჹś might be influenced by the term īṃs and ٳīṃs in the selecting his voluminous magnum opus Kāvyamīṃsā however Ჹś does not propounded any new doctrine in the domain of Sanskrit Poetics but he complies the views of his predecessor ṃk첹 and critically analyses those and further expresses and established his own theory. In this work Ჹś had to used the various prominent Śāstric texts i.e. Vedas, 貹Ծṣa岹, ʳܰṇa, Epics, ٳśٰ, 峾śٰ, Vyākara-śٰ, Dramas etc. There he also cited the views of different intellectual persons i.e. Āparājiti, Drauhini, 峾, ṭa, ܻṭa, , 貹پᲹ, ԳīܲԻ岹ī, ĀԲԻ岹Բ, , Bhavabhūtī, 岵 and ܳ etc.
Life, works, ancestry, poetical scholarship of Ჹś have been discussed in the first chapter of the thesis. It appears from the writings of Ჹś that he was born in Brahmin family speciall in the Saiva sects and he was born immediately after ĀԲԻ岹Բ. His father name was Durduka or Duhika and mother name was Ś屹ī and also great-grandson of Mahārāṣṭracūrāmani Ajalada in the Maharastra. But he spends the last part of his life in the śī (modern Varanasi). He was the adorable court-poet and guru of the kings ѲԻ and his son and successor Ѳ. His wife ԳīܲԻ岹ī was a learned person in poetics, daughter of Cauhana family. Therefore it is believe that Ჹś composes six dramas and one monumental poetical works Kāvyamīṃsā, but at present time only four dramas and the first section (kavi-rahasya) out of eighteen section of Kāvyamīṃsā in present in our hand.
The study reveals that, most of the ṃk첹 from Bharata to ĀԲԻ岹Բ concentrated their mind about the major theme of 屹ⲹ (poetry), but they are ignored the matter of kavi, the creator of 屹ⲹ (poetry). However, willingly or unwillingly they are lay down two or three stanza for the poet in their works. Their main ambition was to find out the main factor of poetry and thus they are says their own views and established the different school based on major element of poetry. Though, in the Ծ-ʳܰṇa says something about the poet and given the equal position of kavi (poet) with the , the supreme creator in the world of poetry.[1] But Ჹś is the only one in Sanskrit Poetics who first time touches and elaborately discusses the absolute matters of 첹-śṣ� (creation or education of a poet). There he also has given the some guidelines and limitations in scientific way. Thus his theory get very much popularity in the further rhetoricians and know as the founder of śṣ� School.
It appears that, Ჹś has not only given the position of ٲⲹ- or ṃkśٰ as the fifth disciplines but it is also soul of other four disciplines.[2] And it is also the fourteen branches of knowledge. In this way Ჹś given very high status to ٲⲹ- with the others thirteen sources of knowledge i.e. four Vedas, six ձṅg, three Śٰ. There his advice for the poets as they must acquire knowledge of Śٰ and purify their mind then they goes to composes 屹ⲹ (poetry). He also says ٲⲹ- as the seventh ձṅg, because without their proper knowledge one cannot able to understand the meaning of Vedas, thus ṃkśٰ is another important one. Because without proper knowledge of ٲⲹ- one can’t able to recite the Vedas and it also help to study the Śٰ. Therefore, here found the Ჹś’s Vedic wisdom when he interoperates one Vedic śǰ첹 �屹 ܱ貹ṇ� sayujā sakhāyā sanṛṃvakṣa�� in poetical purpose.
It also reveals that although, before the time of Ჹś five poetical schools were developed but his treatment goes all the schools in Sanskrit Poetics. Only the Aucitya School is propounded after his time, there he also has given some concepts about this.
Ჹś is the first ṃk첹 who says about the soul of poetry as rasa and given the essentiality of ṃk and ṇa in whole literature as define his concepts of 屹ⲹ as:
�guṇavadalaṅkṛtañca vākyameva 屹ⲹm �
-Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-VI, Pp- 24
Therefore, he also says about the ṃk with their profounder names, which is not given any ṃk첹 before and after him. To the concepts of īپ, Ჹś dedicated complete one 첹ṇa and posits ܱԲ as the founder of īپ, but in this time it is not available to us. He also given the classification of kavi from the concepts of Dhvanyāloka, but he does not say more things about Dhvani. Because when he flourished those times Dhvani theory was very much criticized by the anti-dhvani theorist. There Ჹś’s concepts of Vakrokti is much elaborated than Kuntaka’s theory. However Kuntaka known as the founder of of Vakrokti School but his theory is limited only 屹ⲹ, but Ჹś’s concepts of Vakrokti goes to beyond the 屹ⲹ and touches the matter of Lokas and Śٰ. The last major theory of Sanskrit Poetics is Aucitya. Though, Ჹś directly not given any concepts about it but in the interpretations of Vyutpatti of Ჹś we can seems his knowledge on it.
Ჹś’s Kāvyamīṃsā may be considered as an ambitious work like is the epic in the domain of Sanskrit Poetics. So far its sections and volumes are concerns. There the Kāvyamīṃsā also projected by Ჹś into long eighteen sections to describe the absolute thing of Sanskrit Poetics. However it is our bad luck that, there only first section (첹ṇa) is found, which is also divided into eighteen chapters. Thus Ჹś also posits as the name ղ𱹲 of Sanskrit Poetics. Ჹś divided all the major treatise of Sanskrit Poetics i.e. kavi-śṣ�, Ukti, Rīti, Anuprāśa, Yamaka and Citra-屹ⲹ, Ś岹-ś, Vastava or 屹ǰپ, Upalaṃkāra, پśǰپ, Artha-ś, Ubhaya-ṃk, Vinodas, Nātyaśٰ, Rasa, ٴṣa, ҳṇa, Aupniśadika etc. and projected to write individual eighteen section for each one. But it very much destroyed matter to us that the only first section named kavi-rahasya is available at present times.
Whatever, to keep this acute pain in our mind for the missing parts (sections) of Kāvyamīṃsā, we can find and observe some of the aspects to study the first section of Kāvyamīṃsā as:
The kavi-rahasya 첹ṇa of Kāvyamīṃsā, Ჹś has made help of the dignified famous works i.e. Kāmasūtra, ٳśٰ, 屹ṃk (of 峾) of 峾, 屹ṃk (of ܻṭa) of ܻṭa, purāna, Dhvanyāloka and Vākyapadiya etc. in this part Ჹś cited various opinions of different known and unknown ṃk첹 in many context and lastly he gives his own views. There he also adopted ūٰṣy style to write this work but there he does not subscribing himself to any particular school of Sanskrit Poetics.
Then Ჹś the idea of description of genesis of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa� is incorporated from the -ܰԲ. Here we can see that:
In this description, Ჹś challenging to the ancient tradition of believes, which is posits ī쾱 as the 徱-첹. But Ჹś here established Kāvya -ܰṣa� as the composer of first metrical speech, the great sage śԲ is the second and the ī쾱 is placed in third position. Therefore the śǰ첹 �yadeta屹ṅmaya� viśvamarthamūrttyā vivarttate � is places as the first specimen of poetic art in the place of ī쾱’s � Ծṣād� پṣṭ� ٱ� śśī� sa� �
* The concept of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa� is certainly developed to the concepts of Veda-ܰṣa�[3], which is represented in the Vedas and its treatises on the philosophy of ղ첹ṇa-śٰ[4].
* The concepts of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa� is an improvement on the ancient concept of Veda-ܰṣa� by imagining and establishes poetry as a human being and shows that the order to constitute an appealing poetry a clear got to be struck in human note.
* The description of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa� expresses a vital debate and serious controversy its own self. Because the logical and the rational confessors mind is always reluctant to established the nature of poetry as like as a human being. But the clarified reader or an observer enters the realm of poetry than their rational intellect ceases to function like inspire the aesthetic sensibility and consequently the unreal is also being relished.
* The concepts of constitutes of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa�, is seems to fully a metaphorical expression. Because the infant is introduced by his mother and she has blesses it to the expression. The expressed as it’s body, the language of Sanskrit as its face, the ʰṛt dialects as its limbs (arms), the 貹ṃśa speech as its legs (thigh), the ʲś峦 as its feet and the mixture of different languages as its breast (bosom). His speech is elevated, the delectable state of rasa is soul and the metrical composition is the pores (hair). The jugglery of words questions and quizzes is discourse and the poetic figures of alliteration (Գܱś), simile (upa) employed to embellishment[5]. This is the attributing the qualities of one to another.
* In this description Ჹś adopts a comprehensive view of poetry and highlight the charm is to be infused in a specimen of poetic art not only a polishing chiseled views and poetic figure but it is a admixture of different languages i.e. Sanskrit, ʰṛt, Paiśāci, Ѿś and 貹ṃśa etc. which have a special charm. Those languages are consequently incapable being translated to another without any resultant loss of charm.
* In the description of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa� emphasizes the importance of metaphor in poetical works, which have impresses the poet and the refined reader to necessary of proper adjustment between thought and emotions and also recognizes the necessity of presenting the charm of poetry.
* In this description of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa�, Ჹś refer a śǰ첹 which is the first creator of a śǰ첹:
�yadeta屹ṅmaya� viśvamarthamūrttyā vivarttate |
so'smi 屹ⲹpunamba pādau vandeya tāvakau || � [ iti ]- Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-III, Pp- 6
But it is opposite of ancient believes of tradition in Indian Literature, where ī쾱 is the first creator of a stanza and his poetry is known as Ādi-屹ⲹ .
* Therefore in description of 屹ⲹ-ܰܲ�, when ī (Godess of Learning) went to the Ҳṅg after placing the infant on a slab of stone and seen by the sage śԲs took the infant to his hermitage. There the infant broken out in metrical speech to the astonishment of the great sage. This type astonishment experienced of sage is common to all refined readers and appreciators whose mind is filled. Thus we can think that wonder by the diction and experience of poetry. This type astonishment is generated by poetic creation is the prime important and it has the capacity to excite their wonder that lies at the root of all such elements, which are essential in poetic composition.
Therefore, in the description of both ⾱ٰī (geniou for creative poet) and 屹⾱ٰī (genious for appreciative reader) پ Ჹś’s discussion is very logical. However they are different in nature but sometimes they also places together.
�첹ṇ� te matirubhayathā ⲹ� nastanoti �
- Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-IV, Pp- 14
Then the concepts on ⾱ٰī (geniou for creative poet) and 屹⾱ٰī (genius for appreciative reader) پ of Ჹś seems to very much perfect. Because ĀԲԻ屹Բ, Abhinavagupta, վśٳ, Բٳ and as well as Ჹś all the ṃk첹 are the example on this matter. They all are not only poet but also a well known critic. Beside this, in the Bengali literature world famous poet 鲹Իٳ Tagore, Vankimcandra etc. also have both types of ⾱ٰī and 屹⾱ٰī پ. These two types پ is connected to each others.
ĀԲ屹Բ and Kuntaka also recognize these two types of پ. Because, the ⾱ٰī پ creates aesthetic production and another 屹⾱ٰī پ makes its reproduction of critical thoughts. There the ⾱ٰī پ is a genius and 屹⾱ٰī پ is judge the poetic genius. Thus the ⾱ٰī پ denotes kavi (poet) and 屹⾱ٰī پ denotes ṛdⲹ (critic or reader). The ideal reader always able to read to the mind of kavi (poet) in properly. In this type of ideas in ṃkśٰ, Ჹś was the first ṃk첹 who introduces it in the Indian literary criticism.
The other important features is that, Ჹś is the only ṃk첹 who discusses the theory of 첹 in great details and cited the different views of Ѳṅg and ԳīܲԻ岹ī, whose are otherwise unknown. Here his discussion throws a good deal on the most important aspects of 첹 and perfection of both meaning and expression. ĀԲԻ岹Բ also says it by the term of Aucitya or propriety. In this type of 첹, the values of literary composition are to be realized. Where the meaning reposes in the tissue of words and each word finds a perfect embedding in the integral tissue.
There Ჹś’s warning is very much important to the aspirant poets that they always be a good poet through practicing those 첹. Never would be bad poet, because to compose a bad poetry as like as death.
�ⲹⲹⲹٲ� 屹ⲹ� Բ paripacyate |
hānopādānasūtreṇa vibhajettaddhi vuddhin || �- Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-V, Pp- 21
Therefore, in the portion of Kāvyartho, Ჹś adopts his discussion based on ղ첹ṇa-śٰ (science of grammar). There we can seems the grammatical intellection of Ჹś, when he analyzing the different characteristics and varieties . There he discusses the art of reading with its importance and best type of reading. The art of proper reading can be acquired through steady practice and it is the result of experiences in earlier birth. His advice about correct and proper reciting is the first time seems in the Sanskrit Poetics. In Sanskrit Poetics there no any ṃk첹 has given any theory on it before or after Ჹś. His described earnests, sweetness, accomplishment of high and low pitches, elegance in the harmonization of compound words are remembered to be the qualities of good reading.
The treatment of artha-پ� is simply on appearance and it does not exhibit the actual facts uncolored by the feeling of poets. There the appearance is certainly no identical with real nature of a thing.
Ჹś’s description on poetic assemblies and their activities is very much helpful for the budding poet of creative genius. Here the aspirant poet able to collect the ideas and expression in better way. To refer the poetic tradition i.e. prohibitation of cerebrals and conjunct consonants in the court of a king is very much interesting. Because in this description of daily routine and duties of a poet makes one to think own self his life dedicated for creative purposes. It is also gives the idea that the poets were got high status in those times in society. However in this present time this position is something decreases and it lost their position.
Then the next concept of Ჹś is Ჹṇa (appropriation or Plagiarism) seems to be presented in a new garb of varied striking expression. This concepts is something similar with a protagonist in a drama, who appearance changes altogether his new dresses in a new character. Here Ჹś’s treatment made tremendous advance over his reputed ancestor critic ĀԲԻ岹Բ in the history of Sanskrit Poetics. There he is the only ṃk첹 who gives an elaborate and through-going expression of the entire subject matter there his idea may be the aspirant poet who should be aware of the power of words and always able to chose correct words in proper place. Here it is also be notice that, in his inordinate love of thirty-two division and sub-division he is quietly overlapping in classification. Therefore, in the present time Ჹś’s idea of Ჹṇa or appropriation reveals his help and to being to light on the genuineness of poetic concepts or ideas. It would be very much helpful and interesting if anyone tries to examine it with the modern concepts of originality.
Kavisamaya or Poetic Convention related to a پ (genus), dravya (substance) and (action) and to attribute ṇa and to objects in the celestial and nether worlds as on the earth is another unique concepts of Ჹś. However ancient ṃk첹 does not recognizes the alaukika type descriptions in 屹ⲹ (poetry), but Ჹś also accepted such type of description if they are case of beautifying factors of poetry. In the ʰDz첹ṇa of 屹ṃksūṭra-ṛtپ of 峾Բ also cautioned to the aspirant poet that, the vigilant of the errors that may occur due to ignorance of grammar and prosody. There Ჹś gives detail discussion about it and gives suitable example from the works of various authors. Therefore, Ჹś’s Svargiya and Pātālīya Kavisamaya or Poetic Conventions are like Bhauma Kavisamaya. There he cited only few sweet examples from here and there in different works. These types of idea of Poetic Conventions are very much helpful to the budding poets and given the guidelines to Poetic Composition to write a good poetry.
However it is vague of journey and very much difficult to find out the genesis of different types of Kavisamaya. There Ჹś try to find out a new path in this description, because most of the ancient poets and poeticians are very close to the nature. Thus most of them are described about nature in their poetry and their observation endowed about nature in their poetic imagination gave rise to many newly concepts in poetic composition. This is the full credit goes to Ჹś in Sanskrit Literature that he fully and systematically deals with this matter, where no other school of poetics does not deals with this aspects.
There both of the concepts of Ჹṇa (appropriation) and Kavisamaya (Poetic Conventions) of Ჹś are take the role as advisor or rector and given guidelines for the budding poets to write good poetry.
In the last part of Kāvyamīṃsā is interestingly related to the knowledge of Geographical regions and different types of seasons, which are helpful for the poetic composition. There Ჹś says about the concepts of the world and especially in the ٲṣa (undivided India) for the proper description of different region of countries, mountains, rivers, trees etc. in poetry. Because if any poet have not sufficient knowledge about the geography of different places thus he does not able to describe about it and his poetic composition goes to lack of poor descriptions. There Ჹś’s description of different region of ٲṣa is a store house and his treatment on this matter is like an encyclopedia to write a good poetry. Though, Ჹś is not the first who at first deal about this matter, there ʲٲñᲹ and Manu also given the same treatment on panchronic perception of religious and cultural aspects of different regions. Therefore, Ჹś is the first ṃk첹 who is elaborately given details about this matter in the history of Sanskrit Poetics. Here Ჹś’s view is significantly different from the views of ʲٲñᲹ nad Manu.
In this part Ჹś described to appreciates Sanskrit as the Ҳḍa, 貹ṃśa of Punjab, ʰṛta as the ٲ and the recitation of the poets of ܰṣṭ. Those all regions are impure, fallen and mixed region in the concepts of ancient Dharmaśٰ. In this part Ჹś describes all the region of ٲṣa in the glory of the land and the cultural geography in Ჹś is much evenhanded and generous to the concepts of Patanjali and Manu. In this way Ჹś’s description of cultural geography is very much significant for its approaches and it’s newly content. However, Ჹś flourished in the premodern times but his treatment is compared with Risley, the well known modern anthropologist. Beside those, in any historical reconstruction of culture, anthropological and linguistic history of ٲṣa thus this Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś would be very much useful tool to helping this work.
In the description on rtu or seasons in the Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś the whole world of ideas and images connected with human life and activities. There Ჹś deals not only poetically but scientifically also. The descriptions of or seasons with their six varieties and characteristics are commenced with a narration of the computation of time in ancient India. Here Ჹś is very much influenced by the ancient work ղܱܰԲ and ’s Ṛtu ṃh. It is also connected to the Sanskrit poetics in the 첹-śṣ�, because if any aspirant poet is unable to know on which times or seasons which types of activities are described in poetry thus his poetical work may be under the lack of charming and causing for ignorance. Thus poets are always to be aware about these types of concepts.
In this way, the whole concepts of the Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś are very much informative for the budding poets in its content. There we found the name of various little known ṃk첹 in Sanskrit Poetics i.e. Āparajita, Drauhini, Ѳṅg and Syāmadeva etc. there Ჹś also cited the names of kings i.e. ܻ𱹲, ٲԲ, Sūdraka and Sahasāṅka etc. all are the patrons of learning, who are encouraged the experts in 屹ⲹ (poetry) and Śٰ (science).
To sum up about the Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś, it is remarkable that this work must be very much helpful for the aspirant poet in the matter of unfamiliar concepts in applied Poetics. This work certainly a great manual for the both poet and appreciative reader to understand and test the charm of poetry. This magnum-opus Kāvyamīṃsā posits in the high place in the history of Sanskrit Poetics. Therefore, we can hope and wait for those times when the whole 첹ṇas can be discover then creates a revolution in the Sanskrit Poetic world.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ծ-ʳܰṇa: Ch- 339/ 9
�apāre 屹ⲹsaṃsāre kavire ka prajājati� |
yathāsmairocate viśva� tatheda� parivartate || �
[2]:
Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-II, Pp- 4, “pañcamī sāhitya� iti yāyāvarīya� |
[3]:
Ṛg Veda- 4.58.3
�catvāri śṛṅgāstra (tra) yo'sya pādā dve śīrṣe saptahastāso'sya |
tridhā vaddho vṛṣabho roravīti maho devo martya(rtyā� ā)viveśa || �
[4]:
Nirukta�13. 18
[5]:
Kāvyamīṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-III
�śavdārthau te śarīra�, saṃskṛta� mukha�, prākṛta� bāhu jaghanamapabhraṃśa�, paiśāca� pādau, uro miśram | sama� prasanno madhura udāra ojasvī cāsi | ukticaṇa� ca te vaco, rasa āt, roṇi chandsi, praśnottarapravalhikādika� ca vākke li�, anuprāsopadayaśca tvāmalaṅaku rvanti |