222. ABHINAVAGUPTA'S THEORY OF MEANING 247

ABHINAVAGUPTA'S THEORY OF MEANING 247

recognises the existence of a meaning which the exponents of the Dhvani theory call "the suggestible." But he explains the rise of this meaning in the hearer's conscious- ness in his own way. His views on this point have a special reference to the verse, which has been given in the beginning of this chapter as an illustration of Dhvani. "Bhrama dharmika." It has been discussed in the preceding pages how the negative meaning, that comes to the hearer's consciousness, cannot be explained in any other way than by the assumption of the suggestive power of language, called Dhvani. Bhatța Nāyaka's position, how- ever, is different from those of the other opponents and may be stated as follows :- The poetic statements are made to one another by characters involved in the presented asthetic situation. But their æsthetic value is to be judged from the effect that they have on the hearer outside the situation. Bhatta Nayaka, therefore, argues that the mere capacity of words to arouse the suggestible meaning is insufficient to bring the negative meaning from the verse under discussion to the consciousness of the hearer. The arousal of such a meaning presupposes the consciousness of the timid nature of the person so addressed. And that is possible only through the æsthetic experience of the emotion of terror on hearing the words proud lion (Drpta simha) on the one hand and religious minded (Dhārmika) etc., on the other1. Abhinava accepts the position. He maintains the power of visualisation on the part of both, the poet and the hearer, to be the most essential factor in the production of a suggestive sentence and its understanding respectively. But what he means to point out is, that the acceptance of

1. Dh. L., 19.