198. ABHINAVAGUPTA'S THEORY OF MEANING 221

ABHINAVAGUPTA'S THEORY OF MEANING 221

Can Liaksana explain the negative meaning, conceived by hearer on hearing the positive statement under discussion ?

The opponents of the theory of Dhvani maintain that it can, as follows :- The statement contains expressions such as "proud lion" (drptasimha) and "religious man" (Dharmika). The meanings, conveyed by these, cannot be so related as to form a harmonious whole, if they be associated with positive assertion "roam about freely". For, how can a religious man freely and fearlessly roam about at a place where a lion has come in place of the dog, which he used to fear, and has given a proof of his ferocious nature by killing the dog? The incongruity in the ideas so conveyed will, therefore, by the force of Laksaņā, convey the idea of negation instead of that of assertion and thus present the complex as1 a harmonious whole.

UNSOUNDNESS OF THE OPPONENT'S POSITION. Let us take the two instances, (i) the classical instance of Lakşaņā "Gangāyām Ghosah" and (ii) the one, under discussion, together and see if the impossibility of any harmonious mutual relation of the ideas, conveyed by them, is the same in both the cases. No doubt it is impossible to relate the hamlet with the current of water in terms of the relation of location and located (Ādhāradheyabhava). But can any body say that the roaming about of pious Brahmana is equally impossible when the dog, of which he was afraid, has been killed ? Are the primary meanings, as they arise in the conscious- ness after hearing the words, as impossible of being put in a harmonious relation as Gangayam and ghoșah ?

1. Dh. L., 16.

222 OXIXAN CHAPTER IV JUDAVAMIEHA Is there no power of visualisation involved in getting the idea of negation ? After disposing of the opponents' criticism of the theory, we shall discuss the necessity of the additional power of language, Dhvani, to explain how a negative meaning arises from a positive assertion. REVIEW OF THE POSITION OF THE OPPONENTS OF THE THEORY OF SUGGESTED MEANING. The various poetic theories in general are the results of a critical study of existing literature. The creative period in every literary history precedes that of the critical study, for the simple reason that critical study requires facts and they are supplied by the creative minds. As the facts are studied more and more thoroughly and from different points of view, more and more accurate conclusions are reached. Accordingly different theories are formulated, one improving upon another, according as they are based upon new facts, discovered by their exponents, as a result of more intensive and extensive study with different intellectual equipments and gifts of nature. But when a theory is formulated by a genius, who discovers certain facts uuknown before, and reveals them to others, who are less gifted than himself, he gets a follow. ing. Thus a tradition is formed and is followed till a greater genius comes, finds out fresh facts and formulates a theory which, though apparently different from those of his predecessors, is yet simply an improvement upon theirs, inasmuch as it has to take those facts also into consideration, on which the previous theories were based. Thus every later writer is substantially helped by the discoveries of the earlier workers in the same or similar fields of literary activity.