209. ABHINAVAGUPTA'S THEORY OF MEANING 233

ABHINAVAGUPTA'S THEORY OF MEANING 233

ABHINAVA'S CONCEPTION OF POETRY.

The suggested meaning is undoubtedly maintained to be the soul of poetry. It would, however, be a mistake to think that it alone is poetry. The presence of a suggestible element in a statement provides as little justi- fication for calling it poetry, as the presence of the all- pervading Self in a jar does for calling it a limited self or jīva. Logically there is nothing to prevent us from calling a jar a jīva, because Self within certain limita- tions is so called. And, as the Self is all-pervading, its presence must be admitted within the jar as much as it is admitted within a human body. However, the latter alone is so called and not the former. Therefore, just as a human or any other living body in a certain condition, with the presence of the Self within, is alone called jīva and not everything wherein the Self is present, so, that body of words and meanings alone, with a suggestible element in it, is called poetry, which possesses the beauty lent to it by the suitable qualities and embellishments cf words and meanings1 (Sabdartha guņalankara). Hence it is that Gangayam Ghosah or Simho manavakah (the lion boy), inspite of the presence of the suggestible element in them, cannot be looked upon as poetry. The relation between the suggestible element in the literary production and the words and meanings, their qualities and embellishments and the style and diction, is very much like that which exists between the body and the soul. Just as human qualities and ornaments are not necessary for the very being of a man, so are not the poetic embellishments and qualities for poetry. And just as the different human qualities and ornaments add to the personal beauty of a man only if they fit in with the

1. Dh. L., 17. 30