366. 404 CHAPTER VII

404 CHAPTER VII

however, that is, in his Locana, he maintains that there are only three poetic qualities and that they belong to the æsthetic experience and as such represent a state of the self at the time of the said experience. It appears that there were two independent traditions about the poetic qualities, represented by the two early authorities, Bharata and Bhamaha. One belonged to the dramaturgic school and the other to the poetic. The fact is, as pointed out by' Abhinava, that the division of means of poetic expression is not based upon any principle. It is made for the convenience in instructing novices. The two traditional authorities, therefore, divided the means of ex- ternalisation of poetic vision into two classes: poetic embel- lishments (Alankāra) and poetic qualities, according as the one or the other was looked upon by each as the essential means of poetic expression. The comparative position of the two sets of means is different, according to each of the two authorities. According to the former, Gunas are the essentials and Alankaras are the non-essentials of poetry.ª Hence some of the means of poetic expression, which are included in the list of Alankāras by the Ālankārikas, are counted among the poetic qualities, by the dramaturgists. The number of poetic qualities, therefore, according to them, is larger. The poeticians, on the other hand, maintain the poetic embellishments to be the most important elements of poetry.8 They have, therefore, included in their list of poetic embellishments some of those means of poetic expression which are included in the list of poetic qualities by dramaturgists. The difference of opinion between dramaturgists and poeticians in regard to the relation of the qualities to the word and the meaning or to the æsthetic experience, is not 1. A. Bh., Vol. II. 295. 2. A. Bh., Vol. II. 322. 3. K. A., 2.