205. ABHINAVAGUPAT'S THEORY OF MEANING 229

ABHINAVAGUPAT'S THEORY OF MEANING 229

sake of analytical study, does not reveal anything, which could distinctly be called by the separate name "Dhvani".1

Even if, for the sake of argument, we were to accept the Dhvani as something different from literary qualities and embellishments, the exponent will find it impossible to establish the Dhvani as he conceives it. According to him, it is the soul of poetry. In order that his view may be accepted, his conception of poetry must conform to what is established by age-long tradition. But the tradition does not recognise any other element as the essential of poetry than the words, the meanings and their qualities and embellishments. Śabdārthan tadguņā lankārāśca. Dh. L., 7. bas

Dhvani, therefore, as conceived by its exponents, is not identical with any one or more of the essential ele- ments of poetry, (as it is maintained that it is not,) and, therefore, cannot be accepted by those who uphold the traditional view of poetry.

Further, even if we were to set aside the traditional view and analyse our poetic experience, we would not find anything in it, corresponding to what is spoken of as Dhvani, the soul of poetry. It may be that the expo- nents do recognise some element in the experience, which they call Dhvani, but so long as it is not recognised by those also who are born and brought up in the tradition, its being cannot generally be accepted. ds mowl

The position of that section of the opponents, who hold that Dhvani represents just a subordinate element in some of the literary embellishments, which has not so far

1. Dh. L., 7-8.