1. Concept of poetic blemishes in sanskarit Poetics Jha CSS

THE CHOWKHAMBA SANSKRIT STUDIES

Vol. XLVII

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES

IN

SANSKRIT POETICS

BY

BECHAN JHA M A, D. Lıtt. Sahıtyacārya Head of the Department of Sanskrit University of Bıhar, Muzaffarpur

THE CHOWKHAMBA SANSKRIT SERIES OFFICE Post Box 8, VARANASI-1 ( INDIA ) Phone 3145

OPINION

M M Gopmath Kavıraj M A, D Litt, Padma Vibbushana,

Dr Bechan Jha has rendered a useful service to the cause of literary criticism in Sanskrt by his critical and systematic study of the problem of 'blemish' ( dosa ) in Sanskrit Poetry He has approached the problem from different points of view and discussed it in all its aspects and bearings, in course of which he has made a careful survey of practically the entire field from Bharata down to Mammata In this connection he has taken note of the views of eminent critics like Bhamaha, Dandın, Vamana, Rudrata, Ananda-Vardhana and Mahıma Bhatta His own exposition is generally marked by clarity, precision, critical discernment and thoroughness I congratulate him on his valuable production and I sincerely beheve that every earnest student of Sanskrit Poetics will find it useful and appreciate his labours in the field

Sıgra, Varanası 8th Jan 1965 Gopinath Kaviraj

FOREWORD

It gives me unmixed pleasure to be invited by the author to write a foreword to his remarkable book on literary defects From very ancient times which cannot be precisely dated specula- tions on merits and flaws of literary compositions began to crvstalise into more or less definite shapes What constitutes the secret of the aesthetic appeal of poetrv still remains a matter of speculation Such has also been the fate of what are consi- dered as flaws which mar or detract from the effects produced by indifferent or bad poetry In India we have got a systematic development of the study of this important problem from the Nātya-sāstra of Bharata down to Mammata and Vtśvanātha Mammata is deservedly esteemed as the paragon of the writers on Sanskrit poetics But luis reputation rests on a skilful marshalling of data and adjustment of the topics in a systema- tised form and not on originality From the recent discovery of older works it has become obvious that Mammata is indebted to his predecessors to a degree far more extensive than it was possible to imagine in the past

Dr Jha has given a systematic exposition of the subject which enables a modern scholar to discren the historical links of the course of evolution of thought The obligation of Mammata Bhatta to Mahima Bhatta in the treatment of literary defects is, though unacknowledged, immense Of all the chapters which are undoubtedly possessed of value, the most remarkable Is the treatment of Mahima Bhatta's speculation on literary drawbacks in the present work Mahima Bhatta's treatment of this important topic is diffused and cumbrous. Dr Jha has

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done a service to the cause of Sanskrit scholarship by his remarkable representation He had to omit many a detail in order to focus attention on the salient features Mahima Bhatta is an original writer and his treatment of Dosas is a tour de force. Dr Jha may necessarily shara with the original author a claim to appreciation and serious consideration His work Is exhaustive, nothing of importance has been omitted and he has avoided the temptation of inflating his treatment with jejune details I am definitely persuaded that his book will recene unqualified appreciation from scholars who are interested in the subject This work has fetched him the D Litt Degree of Patna University, a fitting recognition of his work I am optimistic that this work will find a place in every respectable library of India

Calcutta 1 5th December 1964 Satkarı Mookerjee

ABBREVIATIONS

A Bh Abhinava Bhāratī commentary on the Nāțya-śāstra A K Amara-Kosa A P Agnıpurāna

A S B Asiatıc Society of Bengal

AT Ātmatattva-viveka of Udayanācārya

B G Bhagvad-Gītā

Bhämaha Kāvyālankāra-sūtra-of Bhāmaha

Bhāravi Kırātārjunīya of Bhāravı Br Dev Brhad devatā Dh Ā Dhvanyāloka Ekāvalī Ekāvalī of Vıdyādhara

Encl R E Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics by Rapson GOS Gayakaward Oriental Series, Baroda Hist Alank Lit History of Alankāra Literature of Mm Dr P V Kane Hist Skt Poet History of Sanskrit Poetics by Dr S K De

JASB Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal K Ā Kāvyādarśa of Dandın K K Khandana-Khanda-Khādya of Śriharsa K P Kāvya Prakāśa of Mammata Bhațta

K Pr Kāvya-Pradīpa of Govında Thakkura

Locan. Commentary of Abhinavagupta on the Dhvanyâloka

M B. Mahābhāsya of Patanjalı

( x )

N C Naısadhīya-carıta of Śrīharsa N K Nyāya-Kusumānjalı of Udayana N Ś Nātya-Sāstra of Bharata N S or N S G Nyaya-Sūtra of Gautama Pānını Astādhyāyī of Pānını RAS Royal Asiatıc Society R G Rasagangadhara of Jagannātha Rudrata Kavyālankara of Rudrata Ś B Šānkara-bhāsya on Bhagavad Gītā S D Sāhıtyadarpana SD S Sarvadarśanasangraha S K Sıddhānta Kaumudī of Bhattojīdıksıta SKÃ Sarasvatī-Kanthabharana of Bhoja S Kā Sānkhya Kārıkā S M Sıdhāntamuktāvalī Ś V or Māgha Śıśupālavadha of Māgha Tait up Taittırīyopanısad T S Tarka Sañgraha T V Tantra Vārtıka of Kumārıla Bhatta V B Vātsyāyana Bhāsya on Nyāyasūtra VP Văkyapadīya of Bhartrharı VS Vaıśesıkasūtra of Kānāda V V Vyaktı-viveka of Mahımabhatta VVV Vyaktı-vıveka-vyākhyāna of Ruyyaka Vāmana Kavyālankāra-Sūtra of Vāmana Vıdyānātha Pratāpa-Rudra-yaso'-bhusana of Vıdyā- nātha

Yāska Nırukta of Yāska Y S Yoga-Sūtra of Patañjalı

PREFACE

Sanskrit Poetics, in spite of its antiquity still contains remarkable thoughts and speculations, which have every right to be regarded as striking contributions in the field of literary criticism The poets did not follow the code of rules, recipes and prescriptions to produce tneir works They followed the guidance of inspiration and created works of artistic excellence Poets have vision of truth in their own way and accordingly have their philosophy or what is called Weltanschaung They had the natural aptitute for spotting out the aspect of beauty and joy in this otherwise arid, matter-of-fact world Nature revealed her secrets to poets, the secrets of beatitude, which elude the obser- vation of the scientist The professional philosopher, who appro- aches and studies Nature with instruments of logic and endeavo- urs to arrive at synthetic and consistent interpretation of reality, also is not competent to deal with the aesthetic side The rainbow inspires the poet by its beauty and the poet communic- ates his visions to appreciative critics and enables them to have the same experience recreated in their mind It may please the physicist to decry the poet's representation as the play of fancy uncontrolled by the rules of logic, or the methodological devices of scientists, but this will be an unfortunate finding It should be understood that reality has an infinite number of facets The scientist's field of study does out exhaust the entire gamut

The poet ought not to feel discouraged if his representation does not appeal to persons of special interest and aptitude The poet on the other hand, like the philosopher, cannot ignore or under-estimate the value of the scientist's conclu- sions Bhämaha has aptly sized up the situation when he expounds the poet's mission in the following words -

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There is no science, no art, which does not provide the wherewithal to the poet to construct his poetry It is true that the poet depends on a specialised kind of imagination for envisaging reality But this imagination has a logic of its own The poet has also a methodology and he cannot .be an indisci- plined reckless rattler of verses The critic certainly came after the poet He is also a sort of kindred spirit with the poet He is enraptured by the poet's creation But to understand it, he seeks to find out the laws and the principles which underlie and guide the poet's inspiration in well-defined channels of expression In other words the critic is scientific and logical in his approach He discovers the rules as they are immanent in poetry produced by the best poet The poet's instruments are words and meanings He also puts them in different metrical forms As such the poet has to conform his compsition to the rules of grammar, metrics and prosody Furthermore the poet cannot take undue licence with the laws of society, morals, religious condition and conventional etiquette Bharata is insistent on the observance of the conventional code of behaviour, dress, manner of conversation, etiquette and decorum, which have received sanction of society for a long time As we have observed before the poet is not free from the restraint of rules But these rules and restraints are not imposed from outside by any authority ex-cathedra These rules are the spontaneous expresion of the poet's mental movements His inspiartion will not be perfect if he does not find adequate vehicles of competent diction But there is a deeper and profounder aspect, which gives the poet and his creation the stamp of the individualty of his genius Words and meanings are determined by convention and no man can make free with ıt Kātyāyana has formulated his first Vartika, the rule of grammatical exigesis-siddhe sabdartha sambandhe-words and meanings and their relations are unalterable fait accompli. But ordinary words and meanings are not competent enough to give unfettered expression to the poet's surging emotions and

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thoughts He therefore invests the words with an unwonted power The words become symbols in stricter sense in his hand and they suggest what they cannot denote by their primary power of signification-Abhidha The secondary deno- tation called Laksana is also bound by rules of logic and is incompetent to convey any further meaning that is not logic- ally connected with the primary meaning But the power of suggestion ( Vyañjana ) has almost unlimited scope It commu- nicates subtle nuances and and shades of meaning which the poet intends Milton voices this truth-'where more is meant than meets the ear' This constitutes, according to Anandavar- dhana and his faithful and powerful exponent, Abhinavagupta the life and soul of poetry

It is the critic who has investigated the realm of poetry and has tried to discover the laws and rules which govern it as immanent principles It is natural that the findings have been tentative and the thoughts and speculations of subsequent generations have compelled the revision of older findings It is not my purpose to deal with all these different aspects, which have been dealt with in several standard works I propose to deal with a rather unpleasant seamy side of this beautiful subject As observed before the poet has his own logic though it is not the formal logic of academies Mahimabhatta in his stately work Vyaktivneka, tried his level best to bring these poetic rules within the compus of formal logic His work is a monument of unorthodox ingenuity, which has not succee- ded in carrying conviction He ploughs a lonely furrow poetry is not amenable to the rules of formal logic But it is not a reckless enterprise either It has a logie of its own The infringement of the laws of the logic of poety and ruies of social life will detract trom the merits of the poet's work These are offences and faults, which are to be avoided by the poet In my proposed thesis, I shall occupy myself with treatment of these faults and blemishes, which mar the effect the poet wants to produce I shall follow the classification of the Alankarikas, the writers of Indian poetics in the main and go further afield to modern writers I shall evaluate the results

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achieved by my predecessors and give my re-actions where I dıff er

I owe a profound debt of gratitude to professor Dr Satkarı Mookerjee, Dırector, Nawa Nālandā Mahāvıhāra, Nālandā, and formerly Sir Ashutosh Professor and Head of the Depart- ment of Sanskrit, Calcutta University for his acts of kindness, encouragement and advice, and to Mahamahopadhyaya Dr Gopinath Kaviraj for his kind opinion and blessings

I am also endebted to my teacher Kaviśekhara Pandıta Śri BadarInatha Jha, Professor, D S Sanskrit College, Muzaffarpur, who evinced great interest in progress of my studies of Alankāra Śāstra

I consider it my duty to record my thankfulness to the writers whose works I have consulted and derived benefits from

Patna, College 22nd September, 1960 B JHA

CONTENTS

Page

Preface VII

System of transliteration adopted for the DevanagarI alphabet Abbreviations XIII

Chapter I Introduction 3

II Treatment of Dosa ın Bharata's Nātyaśāstra 14

III Bhāmaha's speculation on Dosa 26

IV Dandin's critique on Dosa 57

V Väman's Concept of Dosa 71 VI Rudrata's Examinination of Defects 97

VII Anandavardana's Approach to the Problem 120

VIII Maimabhatta's evaluation of Dosa 134

IX Mammata Bhatta's Examination of Dosa 154 X Conclusion 255

Appendıx 269

Postic dosas as given in the Agnipurana Dosas as dealt with by Bhojarāja Bibliography 274

Index 279

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System of Transliteration adopted for the Devanāgarī alphabet

Vowels

(1) Sımple vowels a, a, 1, i, u, ū, [, r, I

(11) Diphthongs e, o, aı, au

Consonants

(1) gutturals ( Velars ) K, Kh, g, gh, ñ (11) palatals c, ch, J, jh, ñ (111) cerebrals t, th, d, dh, n (ıv) dentals t, th, d, dh, n (v) labıals p, ph, b, bh, m

Semi-Vowels

y ( palatal ), v ( labıals )

Liquids

r ( cerebral ), 1 ( dental )

Sibilants Ś ( palatal ), S ( cerebral ) S ( dental )

Aspiration h

Pure nasal

m-Anusvära ( after sonna )

Voiceless spirants

h ( vısarjanīya ), h (jīhvāmūlīya ), h ( upadhmānīya )

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A word of apology is needed for the choice of the subject- matter of my research It is a matter of gratification that scho- lars have made researches in the various branches of Indian culture, both in the West and in the East As regards the study of Alankārasastra, that is, Sanskrit Poetics, a general survey of the contour has been made by Dr Jacobi, Mm Dr P V Kane, Dr S K De and also Dr Raghavan and others Recently Dr N N Choudhary of Delhi University has publi- shed his researches on the most fundamental topics and prob- lems of Sanskrit Poetics, and they go deeply into the knotty problems and controversial issues which have exercised the minds of generations of writers and scholars Dr Choudhary has followed the method adopted in the Kavya-Prakasa of Mammata Bhatta which is a classical work I propose to follow up his line of study involving the detailed consideration of the texts and begin with the chapter on Dosas-literary defects and if circumstances permit I contemplate to deal with the subjects treated in the Kavya-Prakasa in the remaining chapters I have finished my study of the problem of literary defects as treated by Indian writers in the original Sanskrit texts down to the latest contributions

I need not dwell upon the importance of the subject of my research which I have tried to elucidate in the last chapter of the present dissertation The methodology I have followed is both historical and speculative I have begun from Bharata who is the first writer to deal with literary defects in the Natyaśastra as a side issue There seems to be no reason for doubting the existence of a prolonged course of speculation on defects of words and meanings previous to Bharata Much

4 CHAPTFR I

misunderstanding is due to the bad choice of words and cons- tructions of sentences particularly when they are obscure or ambiguous In the Nyayasutra' we meet with certain defects of linguistic expressions which are regarded as evidence of scholastic delinquency in the formulation of logical arguments These defects have also been taken up for study in Sanskrit Poetics But as the aim and object of literary criticism are wider than those of logic the list has been supplemented by writers on Poetics Logic has little to do with literary grace or aesthetic perfection But literature, particularly belles lettres are concerned with graceful terms of expression and the aesthe- tic and emotional values of sound and sense Bharata sets the ball rolling It is a pity that all ancient works preceding Bhamaha are lost There is obviously a gap of centuries between Bharata and Bhāmaha

After treating of Bharata's classification of literary defects as elucidated by Abhinavagupta I have taken up Bhamaha's treatment of the subject Bhāmaha's text as available to us is far from perfect It is also a matter of profourd disappoint- ment that Udbhata's commentary on Bhamaha's work Kāvya- lankara is also not available Certain views have been ascribed to Udbhata by later writers There is no doubt that Udbhata's commentary, had it been available, would have made our knowledge and understanding of Bhamaha richer and more comprehensive Without this much desiderated help we are left to our own resources I have tried my best to make Bhämaha's classical work intelligible to the modern reader Bhämaha had a logical turn of mind He propounded the thesis that "all sciences and arts, grammar, semantics, logic and philosophy are contributory to the evolution of a poet's

I NSG, V 2 1-Pratjnahanıh Pratijiintaram Pratijnavirodhah Pratijnasamnyasah Fetvantaram Arthantaram mrar hakam avıjnatartham aparthakam Apraptakalam Nyunam Adhikam Punaruktam Ananubhasanam Ajnanam Apratibha Viksepo Matanna Faryyanuyojyopeksanam Nıranuyo yanuyogo' pasıd- dhanto Hetvabhasasca Nigrahasthananı

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 5

work "2 He himself admits that this constitutes a heavy burden but the poet cannot shirk the responsibility There is no doubt that the poet must be a man of genius But his genius must have a field of data to operate upon The deeper and wider the range of his study, the better and richer becomes his work Genius (sakti) must be re-inforced and supplemented by scholarship (Vyutpatti), which gives as it were, the ballast to the ship of the literary product Bhämaha is perhaps the only writer who has introduced logical fallacies into the category of literary defects He was conversant with the logical and epistemological contributions of Vasubandhu and Dınnāga He does not give evidence of his acquaintance with Dharmakirtti and it seems justifiable to place him chronologically before Dharmakirtti who must have flourished by the end of the 7th cent A D Bhamaha is no doubt influenced by Bharata and he adopts the classification of Dosas given by the latter mutatis mutandis One easily notices the advance made by Bhamaha upon Bharata's treatment I have treated Dandn next who flourished towards the beginning of the 7th Cent A D3 I do not propose to enter into tengled problem of chronology as to which of the two, Bhamaha and Dandin, is prior There are points in favour of each being the predecessor of the other There are also texts which seem to suggest unmistakably that each was acquainted with the views of the other I am inclined to think that Dandmn came after Bhamaha In literary grace Dandin should be given the palm of superiority over Bhamaha But Bhamaha is more logical and scientific He is not a lover of elaboration like Dandın It is a matter of historical fact that Bhamaha's influence on subsequent writers on Sanskrit Poetics Is more pronounced and specific than that of Dandin Of course, Dandın is respected by all Dandin's influence on Vāmana, Bhojaraja and lastly on Panditarāja Jagannātha, the writer of

2 Bhamaha, V 4- Na sa šabdo na tad vācyam na sa nyāyo na sā kalā / Jayate yan na kavyangam aho bharo mahān kaveh // 3 S K. De, Hist, of Skt Poet, Vol I, p 70

6 CHAPTER I

the celebrated classic the Rasagangadhara, 1s indubious In his treatment of literary defects Dandin inclines more to Bharata than Bhamaha He curtly dismisses4 the logical subtleties introduced by Bhāmaha

I have treated Vämana next He flourished some time between 750 and 850 A D5 He quotes from the Vemisamhara and the Śisupalavadha Vāmana is a sober writer possessed of deep insight and capacity for critical judgment and logieal analysis He is the most systematic writer in the old school. He, for the first time, differentiates between Śabdaguna and Arthaguna and Sabdadosas and Arthadosas which are treated in a lump by Bhamaha and Dandin He has adopted all that is good in his predecessors and assimilated them in his treat- ment of Dosas when he gives unmistakable evidence of his original contributions His work is a classic noted for its studied brevity, clear exposition and depth of insight In his conception of Poetry, he inclines more to Bhämaha than Dandın.6 In his preference for Gunas and Ritis he evidently follows in the footsteps of Dandın and makes a remarkable advance In his treatment of Dosa he sets up a pattern which is followed by subsequent writers Hıs dıstınctıve classifica- cation of Sabdadosas and Arthadosas, as we have just observed, is a definite step forward which makes for clear understandng In the course of treatment of individual dosas I have pointed out the points of agreement and difference between him and his predecessors

After Vämana I have come down to Rudrata who, as it appears from the name, may have belonged to Kashmir He

K A III 127 Pratijnahetudrstantahanir doso na vidyate / Vicarah karkasah prāyas tenālīdhena kim phalam // 5 S K De, Skt Poet , Vol I, p 82 6 Ct Bhamaha's definition of Poetry 'sabdarthau sahr'au kavyam' with that of Vamana 'Kavyasabdo' yam gunalankāra-samskrtayoh sabdārthayoh partate' and contrast with that of Dandin-'istartha-uyavacshinna padāvalī'

CONCEPT OE POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

seems to have flourished sometime in the 9th Cent A D7 Except Danndin, all these authors most probably flourished in Kāshmir and made their motherland the cradle of Alankāra- śāstra Rudrata undoubtedly succeeded Vāmana and internal evidence evinces his deep acquaintance with works of the previous authors just surveyed by us Rudrata had an open mind, generous outlook and acute understanding, fine aesthetic sense and a wonderful mastery of Sanskrit idiom He writes in evcellent Ärya metre and his style is compact without being obscure One may notice eclecticism in him but this is not the outcome of indiscriminate choice He adopts Bhamaha's definition of Poetry and accords co-equal status to sound and sense He is not a blind compiler but exercises his indepen- dent judgment In treating of ślesa ( double-intender ) he differs from Udbhata who propounds the singular thesis that wherever there is a combination of ślesa with another Figure of Speech Ślesa will have the upper hand Rudrata strikes an original note and asserts that in upama ( simile ) even a Verbally similar attributes though admitting of two meanings, may serve as the common attribute Thus upama in combina- tion with Slesa will prevail over the latter His view is endorsed by Mammata and Viśvanātha who quote Rudrata's ipsissima verba in support of their contention against Udbhata's thesis Rudrata again seems the first writer amongst the ancients to admit Rasa as an important factor of Poetry He does not relegate Rasa to the rank of a figure of Speech as has been done by Bhämaha and Dandin, nor does he accept Vamana's view that a rasa is a constituent element of Kanti- a literary quality 9 He however leaves out the consideration of the relative importance of rasa, guna and alānkāra, and

S K De, Skt Poct , Vol 1 I, p 88 K P, p 521-'Sakalakalam puram etat jatam samprati sudha- msubımbam ıva' ity ādau sabdamātrasāmye'pi sā yuktaiva Tatha hy uktam Rudratena-'sphutam arthalankarav etāv upama-samuccayau kıntu Aśrıtya Šabdamātram samānyam iha* pi sambhavatah // 9. Vamana, III 1 I4, Dıptarasatvam Kāntıh

8 CHAPTER I

their inter-relation He is again the first writer to broach the issue of rasa dosas which have assumed the most prominent position in the works of Anandavardhana, Mammata and others who are loyal to the Dhvan theory We thus notice a remarkable advance in Rudrata's treatment of Poetry and parti cularly of Dosa Rudrata, of course, could not find a school of his own but he was the precursor of the modern school and particularly Rasa-school His work abounds in original speculations He strikes the modern reader with admiration for his unbiassed judgment, independence of thinking and his liberalism which makes him accept all that he considers good in his predecessors He has agamn given his considered views on the relation of morality10 and artistic creations We have shown in our treatment of Dosas listed by him the points of his agreement and divergence Anandavarahana is a prodigy who eclipses his predecessors by his stupendous genius He propounded the Dhvani theory which marks a remarkable departure from the old schools Abhinavagupta observes that the Dhvanyaloka is the first work which gave a systematic treatment of the theory of Dhvanı, though it was a moot question among his elder contemporaries His theory did not find easy acceptance As is usually the case with the promulgator of an original theory, he provoked a strong criticism from his contemporaries and also from subsequent writers Bhattanāyaka seems to have been the most powerful critic who wrote the book, Hrdayadar pana or Sahrdayadar pana for the demolition of Dhvan theory It 1s a cause of profound disappointment that this work has been lost We only get stray quotations from his work which show the astounding intellect of the author After him Mahimabhatta wrote his celebrated work the Vyaktiviveka in which he has sought to demonstrate11 that the so-called Dhvani is only a

10. Rudrața XIV. 12- Na hı kavinā paradārā eștavyā na pi copadestavyā / Kartavyataya'nycsam na ca tadupāya' bhidhātavyah // 11 V V p 6 'Darpano hrdayadarpanakhyo dhvanidhvamsa- granthah'.

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETIGS 9

case of inference12 He has most ruthlessly attacked Ananda- vardhana and reveis in pointing out his defects both in compo- sition and the subject matter Kuntaka, of course, preceded Mahimabhatta and tried to prove that Dhvani was nothing but different intances of Vakrokti ( a figure of speech ) Next, Ksemendra in the Aucityavicaracarca has tried to subsume Dhvanı under aucitya ( propriety ) It is a matter of wonder that all these writers in spite of their extraordinary ingenuity and skill failed to overthrow the position of Anandavardhana It is no doubt that Abhinavagupta did yeomen's service to the cause of Dhvanı But Mahimabhatta came after him and also criticised his defence Mahimabhatta was shown to be in the wrong by Ruyyaka who wrote a commentary on the Vyaktıviveka The sole purpose of the commentary seems to be the refutation of Mahima's contentions No doubt Ruyyaka may be accused of disloyalty to the original text which usually a commentator has to defend as a part of his task Ruyyaka's service to the Dhvani theory is stupendous He also wrote a commentary on the Kāvya-Prakāsa of Mammata and as such must have been his successor Before we deal with Mammatabhatta's contributions, we have to consider Mahima's work Though an implacable critic of Anandavarthana his ingenuity and scholarship are objects of envy and he has profoundly influenced Mammata Mahimabhatta's treatment of dosa is remarkable He does not deal with verbal defects (sabda-dosas) or rasadosas He has for- mulated only five classes of literary defects and his treatment 1s original and elaborate Mammata has adopted many of his views without explicit acknowledgment We have drawn atten- tion to these issues in our treatment of Mahima's lucubration on dosas Bho jarāja of Dhāra has written two voluminous works on Poetics, viz, the Sarasvatikanthabharana and the Śrngāra- Prakāśa. It ıs in the Sarasvatıkanthabharana that he deals

12 V V, I 1- Anumane'ntarbhavam sarvasyava dhvaneh prakāsayıtum/ Vyaktıvıvekam Kurute pranamya Mahima Paramvācam//

10 CHAPTER I

with the conventional topics of Poetics, viz, gunas, dosas, alankaras, ritis and rasa The most remarkable feature of this work is love of elaboration of details The author is a reactionary and shows his preference for the old school He has sought to subsume Dhvani under the literary excellence called gambhirya ( depth of meaning )13 He has inflated the list of dosas and gunas' He makes occasionally wise obser- vations But in the main he does not show much originality or depth of insight He is much too prolix He has not been able to attract followers and obviously has failed to bring into discredit the theory of Dhvanı In the Agmipurana we find the same reactionary spirit as we do ın Bhojarāja's Sarasvatıkanthabharana The section on alankaras in the Agmipurana is the work of a medicore- intellect It is difficult to determine whether the Agnipurāna preceded Bhojarāja's sarasvatikanthabharana or followed t There is no doubt that the compiler of the Alankara section of the Agmipurana is posterior to Anandavardhana whose Dhvanr theory is criticised by the former The treatment of dosas in the Agnipurana does not show any originality and follows the time-honoured convention The prestige and popularity of Anandavardhana are not the accidents of good luck The chief merit of Ananda- vardhana lies, in our humble judgment, in the wonderful synthess of the categories and concepts of Poetics in an organc unity He admits totidem verbis that rasa is the ultimate essence of Poetry which the poet suggests by words and meanings Gunas, 1 e, literary excellences conveyed by graceful turns of expression, select choice of sounds and syllables and also appealing sense are reflected in the mental dispositions produced by them which invariably accompany the experience of rasa What are regarded as beauty and grace of word and meaning are so because they contribute to the mental disposition and attitude appropriate for the aesthetic enjoyement This enjoyment is rasa Anandavardhana is the first thinker, who makes gunas the direct qualities of rasa, I3 S K A. I, 73-'Dhvanimatta tu gambhīryyam'

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 11

and words and meanings are their remote ancestors14 The so-called ritt or style, which was held by Vamana to be the soul of poetry, is thus psychologically traced to rasa experience as its accompaniments There is a charm in the style of composition but its aesthetic appeal is derived from its organic relation with rasa-experience Poetry must culminate in rasa The plot, the delineation of characters and the description of events and actions and of natural scenery-all culminate in rasa experience The so-called alankāras (Figures of Speech), which consist in turns and twists of verbal expression and the novel combination of ideas, are appreciated only because they make the words and their meanings the competent vehicle of rasa The poet's diction differs from the bumdrum common- place and hackneyed modes of expression of the common man and woman because it ( poetic diction ) is the exponent of poet's original approach and artistic view of things The poet finds unusual relations which may appear fanciful to the uninitiated He finds the beauty of the moon and the lotus in the face of a charming damsel These unusual relations are expressed in different ways of expression which are called Figures of Speech, alankaras These alankaras are the embelli- shments of words and meanings They have acharm of their own and strike admiration in the hearts of a man of aesthetic taste Bhämaha and Udbhata found in these modes of expressions the essence of poetical charm It was Anandavardhana who assessed their true value and assigned them to their proper position in the hierarchy of aesthetic values The alankāras are to be prized in proportion to their contribution to rasa. Their importance consists in their capacity to make words and meanings the reflector of rasa15 Rasa regarded as an objective

14 Dh A II 6- Tam artham avalambante yenginam te gunah smitah / Angaśrıtās tv' alankārā mantavyāh kațakādıvat // I5 Dh A II 16- Rasakşıptataya yasya bandhah śakyakrıyobhavet / Aprthag yatnanirvartyah so'lankaro dhvanaumatah //

12 CHAPTER I

fact inherent in words and meanings is equivalent to the Platonic conception of beauty Beauty enjoyed 1s Rasa Alankaras are of value in so far as they contribute to the beauty of Poetry

Anandavardhana 1s emphatic that Alankaras should not overshadow beauty and Rasa If they require extra effort for their creation they become so many hindrances Art requires restraint and discipline Too much of anything defeats its purpose Anandavardhana is rightfully intolerant of the artificial decorations and ingenius manipulation of words as in yamaka16 and the so called pictorial poetry (citra Kavya) They must be shunned in the delineation of soft sentiments like Srngara (Erotic), Santa (quietistic , Karuna (pathetic, etc ) We thus find a strictly judicious and intelligent appraisal of diffe- rent factors of the apparatus of poetry This has resulted in a synthesis which is lacking in ancient writers

Mammatabhatta is the writer of a standard work which has become a classic in the field of poetics. It is no doubt a difficult work but it is a paradox that its difficulties have contributed to a large extent to its wide study It has attracted commentators from every corner of India The chief merit of this work, in our humble opinion, consists in its thorough- ness and balance Mammata is a close follower of Ananda- vardhana and Abhinavagupta Considered topic by topic the Kāvya-Prakasa is not a very original work Almost all the views embodied in the Kāvya-Prakaśa are derived from the works of his predecessors His indebtedness to Anandavar- dhana and Abhinavagupta is overwhelming in magnitude But he has produced a work which is original in its texture The elements have all been taken from the previous writers but they have been so dovetailed that they from a new pattern Mammațabhatta does not show his mettle in treatment of Alankāras The scientific classification of Alankāras was

16. Ibid, II 15- Dhvanyātmabhūte Srngare yamakādınıbandhanam / Saktāv apı pramāditvam Vipralambhe Viscsatah //

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 13

made by Ruyyaka in the Alankarasarvasva which has been followed by the subsequent writers with minor change of detail But Mammata excels in treatment of dosas He 1s not unduly elaborate and prolix like Bhojaraja Again he 1s not much too brief as Anandavardhana Anandavardhana has only dealt with Rasadosas Mammatabhatta follows Ananda- vardhana with meticulous attention and care He has how- ever been more elaborate than Anandavardhana Mammata 1s fortunate in his commentators among whom we find Govinda Thakkura occupying the position of the doyen of exponents We have preferred Govinda Thakkura's interpretation in the majority of cases In Mammata's treatment of dosas we find a comprehensive analysis of the several classes of literary defects He begins with the verbal defects which relate to words, syllables and sentences He has shown the defects which are common to all of them and also the peculier defects which belong only to sentences His classification of Artha- doșas is almost perfect In controversial issues we have had the help of ingenious subtle distinctions drawn out by Govind Thakkura In treatment of Rasadosas Mammata, as we have observed before, scrupulously adheres to the plan adopted by Anandavardhana Mammata knows how to be brief and also comprehensive His commentators have supplied the neces- sary details which make Mammata's work self-content and self-sufficient We have not dealt with Hemacandra's treatment of dosas since we do not find in it anything new So also Viśvanatha, the author of the Sahtyadarpana does not give any additional information A student of the Kavya-Prakasa will find in these works only a re-statement of Mammata's views and opinions As regards later writers we only find new illustrations and examples which are however only adoptions of those given by Mammatabhatta Vidyādhara in the Ekavali follows the line of the treatment of Mahimabhatta We have drawn attention to this fact in our treatment of Mahimabhatta's speculations on dosas Mahimabhatta has been elaborate and has gone deep. Vidyādhara only ımitates Mahima without his logical skıll

CHAPTER II

TREATMENT OF DOSA IN BHARATA'S

NATYAS'ĀSTRA

The Nātyasastra of Bharata is regarded to be the oldest 'extant work on the theory of Sanskrit Poetics It is divided into 36 chapters according to some recension and into 37 chapters according to others The date of the Natyasastra is not certain, but it may be taken to be anterior to Bhāsa and Kālidāsa Kālıdāsa, in the Vikramorvaśiya, mentions that Bharata staged a drama called Laksmisvayamvara before the celestials Several scholars1 have discussed this problem of the age of Bharata and various dates have been assigned to him But the view that he flourished in the beginnmng of the Christian era appears to be more plausible 2 There is no doubt however that Bharata's Natyasastra in the earliest available work on Poetics It is principally concerned with dramaturgy and deals with all the aspects of theatrical performance Bharata's conception of Poetry is dramatic The word Nātya means drama The anukarana representation of the exploits of gods, demons, kings, householders as well as of the great sages in this world, is called drama 3 Drama is a copy of life,4 mirror of custom and reflection of truth The principal theme of the Nātyasastra is the drama It is ency- clopædic in its scope It discusses various other things directly Vide, P V Kane S K De (Hist Skt Poetics), Vol I p 21 12 2 Prof E J Rapson, Ene Rel Ethies, Vol IV, p 886 and Mm Pt H, P Sastri, J A S B 1913, p 307 3 N S XIX 145- Devatanām rsīnāmca rājnām cotkrsta medhasām / purvavrttanucaritam natakam nama tad bhavet // 4 N S XIX, 144- Yo'yam svabhavo lokasya nanāvasthāntarātmakah / so'ngadyabhınayaırukto natyam ityabhidhiyate //

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 15

or indirectly connected with it The subject-matter of the Nāțyasāstra is divided broadly into (a) What drama presents as its ultimate objective, that is, rasa and (b) the means of its presentation The latter is technically called Abhinaya (acting) which is divided into four types -

(1) Angika-relating to the artistic poses of body, (11) Väcika-relating to beautiful speech, (111) Aharya-relating to dress and make-up and (ıv) Sāttvika-relatıng to the various emotive states

The original meaning of the word Rasa is Somarasa in the Veda By process of natural transference Rasa, Ananda and Atman were identified 5 In the Vaisesika System it is one of the 24 gunas defined6 as 'rasanagrahyo guno rasah', that is, the quality, which is cognizable through the sense of taste is Rasa Thus it is physical in character In Ayurveda it means the essence extracted from food by the digestive system In ordi- nary parlance it stands for juice of fruit or flower In the context of Aesthetics it means æsthetic pleasure It is the central element of beauty Bharata analyses this concept and explains its manifestation In the sixth chapter of hıs Nātya- sastra Bharata speaks of essentiality of Rasa He says, 'Nahi rasad rte kascıd arthah pravartate" and 'Vibhāvā'nubhāvavya- bhıcārısamyogādrasanıspattıh ' This Sutra of Bharata has been interpreted in various ways.

The four types of Abhinava mentioned above are the means of the representation of Rasa Among them the Vacika Abhinava is mainly concerned with the subject of Poetics Bharata in the seventeenth chapter of his Nātyasastra gives an account of poetic elements, namely, Laksana, alankāra, dosa and guna which are related to Rasa

Bharata's chief concern is dramaturgy and the technique employed in the composition of drama But as verbal expre

5. Tait Up. 7- Raso vai sah Rasam hy eva labdhva'nandı bhavatt TS p 25 6

16 CHAPTER II

ssion occupies a dominant place7 in drama and the diction is in the main of dignified character he has to deal with various ways of expression and the modes which add beauty, force and dignity to speech have been treated incidentally He has set forth certain Figures of Speech in this connection As defective expression detracts from the beauty of verbal and formal aspect of poetry, Bharata has taken note of defects and blemishes which are to be avoided by the dramatists The list of defects propounded by Bharata appears to be the oldest formulation and later writers have made it their starting point The subsequent development is speculations of several cen- turies We, with this prefactory remark propose to deal with the list of dosas (defects) detailed by Bharata in hıs Nātyaśāstra

Bharata enumerates ten types8 of faults in poetic composi- tion such as,

I Gudhartha-circumlocution, II Arthantara-superfluous expression, III ArthahIna-want of sigmficance, IV Bhinnartha-defective significance, V Ekartha-tautology, VI Abhiplutartha-want of synthesis, VII Nyāyadapeta-logical lapse, VIII Visama-unevenness metrical defect, IX Visandhi-hiatus, and X Sabdacyuta-grammatical impurity Further each dosa is defined by Bharata and elaborately explained and illustrated by Abhinava in his commentary on the Natyasastra as follows -

I. Gudhartha (circumlocution) 1s 'Paryāya-Śabdābhıhıta' 9 Abhinava explains the term to mention a thing by means of a manufactured synonym An example of this defect is 'Ekādhıka

7 N S XIV, 2 - Vaci yatnas tu kartavyo Natyasyaısā tanuh smrtā / Ānganaıpathyasattvanı Vakyartham Vyañrayantı hı // 8 Ibid, XVI 88 y Ibid, XVI 89

CONCEPT OE POET C PLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 17

nava Vimana' for Dasarath Abhinava further adds that proper names cannot be denoted by synonyms10 calls it 'gūdhaśabdābhidhāna Bhāmaha It is regarded as the blemish because it defeats the purpose of the speaker and tends to perplex the sense of the reader There is no justification for making a long winded statement when the same thing can be expressed more directly and intelligently The speaker's purpose is to make his intended meaning understood by the auditor And it is certainly bad form and perhaps also taste to make statement which is deliberately calculated to bewilder his auditor for whose edifi ation and delight it is meant This is certainly a defect and highly objectionable in Poetry II Arthantrra ( Superfluous expression ) is 'Avarnyam Varnyate yatra'l' 1e when anything not to the point is described, it constitntes the fault called Arthantara This is regarded so because it is uncalled for repetition smply because it expressly states what is implicitly contained in the essential nature of the subject Abhinava gives an example of this defect as 'Cint moham anngam anga tanute Vipreksitam subhruvah'-The beautiful lady's look spreads indeed love as well as anxiety and insen- sıbilty Here the mention of anxiety and insensibility is not needed Love includes these states of mind and thus they are understood and should not be mentioned 'Uktārthānām aprayogah'1- It is comparable to what is called by Kant analytical proposition, where attributes predicated directly are deducible from analysis of the subject Though such statements are not nonsensical but are of illogical character It may not be out of place to observe in this connection the appropriate remark ot Srtharsa in the Naisadhryacartia13 that

10 AB on N $ XVI 89-'na hi yadrcchasabdah paryayabhajah' 11 N Ś, XVI 89 12 M B I 23 Vol II, p 89 13 NC LX 8- Aye mamodasıtameva rihvayā dvaye'pi tasminnanati prayojane / Garau girah pallavanārthalāghave mitañca sārañca vaco hi vagmua //

2

18 CHAPTER II

these are the two enormous defects as harmful as poison to speech, viz, excess of elaboration culminating in mere verbosity and dearth of corresponding import Effective speech consis- ting in a few measured words pregnant with meaning, this is the real eloquence III Arthahina (Incoherence) is divided into (a) asambaddha (contradictory) and (b) Savasesa (1ncomplete) 1+ An expre ssion which is irrelevant or which remains incorplete is a case of the defect arthahlna Abhinava illustrates such an expression-Adyāpı smaratı rasālasam mano me Mugahāyãh Smaracaturani cestitan, ie, my unconscious mind still recalls the amorous sportings of the little unsophisticated damsel Here the mugdha heroine is described as clever in the art of love and amorous tactics designed to attract the admiration of lover This suffers from the incompatibility of ideas indulging in self contradiction There is juxtaposition of incompatible ideas almost as preposterous as a square circle There can be no logical connection between the subject and the predicate (b) Śāvaśesa-Abhınava illustrates by 'Sa mahātmā- bhagyavasan mahapadamupagatab' This may be construed as mahātmā bhāgyavasāt mahapadam and may mean that the high minded person through good luck reached high position or the high minded person fell into trouble through ill luck Here the sentence admits of two cold constructions yielding two meanings, one giving a pleasurable information, the other an unpleasant one Ambiguity is by its very nature deceptive and puzzling In the case under consideration, one meaning spoils the effect of the other Of course, the context may help in deciding the particular meaning meant by the sentence But a sentence which fails to give a meaning self contained and which depends on extraneous consideration for its com- pletion is indeed a defective one It does not reflect the credit on the speaker It only shows his incapacity to give unfettered expression to his intention Taken by itself the sentence yields the meanng, which is calculated to create confusion and doubt This is the reason whv such statements are censured

14 N $ XVII 19

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 19

IV Bhinnartha (defective significance) is divided into three kınds,15 viz (a) abhıvijñeyam-where the relationship of diffe- rent parts of speech is not straight and easily understandable but is interrupted by irrelevant expression The example of such an expression is as follows - 'Jvaram bhuñjīta sañjātamalapākam cirasthitam / Ajā dugdho danam hanyāt tridosotkopasambhavam // Here the subject, object and verbs are interspersed between One word is followed by another the meanings of which are not susceptible to direct syntactical relation Of course, the whole sentence is not open to the charge of unintelligibi- lity or irrelevancy if the words are put in logi al order which is not found in the sequence of words in the sentence Of course, in poetry for exigency of metre words are put in such a way as to require readjustment in simple prose Where the syntax is intelligible without undue effort it is not regarded as a fault It is worthwhile to observe that the logicians lay down three conditions for the construction of sentence, They are called-(a) Ākānksā ( mutual dependence ), (b) Yogyatā ( competency and relevancy ) and ( c ) Sannidhı ( proximity ) of the relevant words Thus the third condition is not observed in the first example given by Abhinava The logici- ans assert that if there is an unconscionable interval of time, say an hour, this is in respect of time and another is in res- pect of utterance-'Gırır bhuktamagnıman Devadattena' The mountain is eaten on fire by Devadatta This arrangement of words is very unfortunate or juxtaposition as you may call it As they are juxtaposed without regard to logical connection It seems from the Mahābhasya of Patafijal116 that ill juxta- position of words which is tabooed by logicians, is not re- garded as an impediment to understanding of the relation of the word's meaning, provided the sentence is capable of yield-

15. N. Ś, XVI 90-91 16 M B I 1 58 ananuptirvyena'pı samnıvısțanam yathestam a bhısambandho bhavatı/ tadyatha - anadvaham uđahari yā tvam harası sırasā kumbham bhagı nı sīcīnam abhıdhāvantam adrakşırıti

20 CHAPTER II

ing a consistent meaning by readjustment of words in naturat order In the Nyayabhasya-7 of Vatsyayana we come across a statement which is very interesting to students of semantics 'Yasya yena hı sambandho dūrasthasyāpı tena sah' The pur- pose of this statement is that the distance does not stand in the way of relationship of the meanings of words Arthatah sannıkrstānām ānantaryamakāranam' So very aptly Abhinava observes that this is rather excusable Second type of this defect is (b) grämyam ( vulgar or which is not refined ) Abhinava illustrates it as 'Bhadre bha jasva mam ıdante dāsyāmi' 'O lady, love me and I shall give you this This expression is bad in form and offensive to good taste and decorum It is the meaning that constitutes the fault. The first variety is rather a defect of sentence and thus of a verbal nature The third type of defect is ( c ) Vivaksıto'nya evārtho yatrā- nyärthena bhidyate, the changing of the intended sense to un- intended one by insertion of subordinate clause Example of which is given 'Syaccedesa na Ravanah' This is quoted from the Mahaviracarita Here Rāmachandra in opposition to Laks- mana's forthright condemnation of Rävana sets forth comm- endable habts of his character, but inserts the clause 'provided he was not Rävana' This implies that apparently good featu- res are rather found in an undesirable person This is also in consonance with Ravana's general character Bravery in a man of vicious charactor is not worthy of praise Here Ramachandr a chimes in with Laksmana But the last sentence 'Kva nu pu- nah sarvatra Sarve gunah'-where can one find all virtues in one person-again contradicts the previous assertion This 1s also a case of defect of meaning V Ekartha ( tautology ) 'avısesābhıdhānam yat' 18 means indiscriminate use of many words for a single purpose Abhi- nava cites an example of this defect as -'Kundendu hāra-hara-

17 VBon N S ₲ 1 2 9 18. N Ś XVI 92

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHS IN SANSKRIT POETICS 21

hasa-sitam yasaste' Your fame is white like a kund flower, the moon, the garland of pearl, and the laughter of Siva Here all words have practically the same purport Any one sımile would have been enough Each sımile here serves the same purpose and hence tautology has occurred Here we may state tnat yasah is regarded to be white in poetic convention Hasa is also regarded white It consists of re-duplication of the same ndea without adding to sense or improving the effect But one may legitimately pose a question why should such a redupli- cation be regarded as a fault when you find such repetition in Sastras, particularly dealing with religion and ethics ? In the hymn to the goddess SaraswatI it is described almost in the same form, e g 'ya kundendu tusara-hara-dhavala' In the Upanisads and the Bhagavadgita you find the immortality of soul is des- cribed repeatedly in many verses Abhinavagupta is of course conscious of this fact He observes that in the sastras the main purpose is to produce an indelible impression on mind of the enquirer of the truth of the proposition Samkarācārya obser- ves19 that mere reduplication is not a fault because it serves a legitimate purpose and produces some salutary effect The mystery of self is not easily intelligible and so the assertion of it in different verses, in different manners and in different words is quite necessary to persuade the reader to accept its truth Accordingly Abhinavagupta observes20 that poetry is not an ethical description and does not seek to convey moral lesson So here the reduplication is a fault Thus the hymn to SarasvatI is not guilty of this defect because it is to produce an unshakable belief

VI Abhiplutartha ( Want of Synthesis ) Yat paden samā- pyate'21 1e when a sentence is completed with each foot of a

19 S B on B G II, 24 na etesām slokānām paunaruktyam coda- mıyam durbodhatvad atmavastunah punah punah prasangam āpādya sabdantarena tad eva vastu nırūpayatı 20 A B on N S XVI 92 Na hı Kavyam sastravad upadeśyam, Kascıt kicij jānīyād it1 pravartate 21 N S XVI 92

22 CHAPTER II

verse it is an instance of this defect An example of this blem- ish 1s -

'sa rājā nītikuśalah sarah kumudaśobhitam Sarvaprıyā vasantasrīr grīsme mālatıkagamah' Here all the four feet contain four complete sentences which are not connected with one another by sense A verse should be one organic whole yielding a complete proposition in which each part contributes to the whole In the example mentioned above practically we have four sentences and four propositions having no logical relation with one another This only indi- cates the poor craftmanship of the poet and also his lack ot the sense of propriety VII Nyayadapeta ( Logical lapse ) is defined as Pramāna parivarjitam22 1e an expression devoid of reasoning is an example of this blemish Abhinavagupta divides it into two ( a ) desakālaviruddha-defying the limitation of place and tıme and (b) Kalāśāstrādı-viruddha-contradictıng with established notions of arts and science etc Bhamaha also follows Bharata and states 'desakālakalā- loka-nyāyāgama-virodhitā ( IV 28 )' This is the logical lapse of impropriety consisting in statement which is divorced from and is in conflict with the accredited testimony of the recognised sources of knowledge. Abhinavagupta gives two varieties of ths defect The first is. opposed to or incompatible with time and place and the se- cond is one which is at variance with the established con- clusion of the science of Aesthetics and different disciplines ( Śästras ) He has given the example of the first type - SauvIreșvastı nagarī Mathurā nāma Viśrutā Aksotanārıkelādhyā Yasyāh paryanta bhūmayah 'There is city called Mathura in Sauvira ( the Punjab ), whose vicinities abound with oilnuts and coconuts ' The city of Ma- thura is not situated in the Punjab but it is situated in the United Porvinces This shows the lamentable want of the knowledge of geography on the part of the writer Oilnuts

22 Ibrd XVI 93

CONCEPT OF POET'C BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 23

grow in Kashmere and coconuts in the seaport of Madras and the Gangetic Plain of Bengal Coconuts flourish in the adjacent regions of the sea and oilnuts in cold mountainous regions This is in conflict with geographi al and topogra- phical data Abhinavagupta has not given any instance of the second type of defect Perhaps on the ground that we can easily infer to the examples of such impropriety, e g, if the Buddhist is represented defending the personality that will be flagrantly inconsistent with his creed becau,e the Buddh.st does not beleve in the metaphysical reality of a person Again if a Naivayika is to be found to declire the objective world as an illusion like the vijnanavadins it will be a case of logical and philosophical contradiction VIII Visama ( metrical defect) is defined as 'vrtta- bhedah 23 Lapse in the metrical struct ire is called metrical de- fect If in one verse yo i find the mixture of two metres, it is a case of visama, It causes the ibsence of symmetry An ex- ample of this defect is - Ayı paśyası saudham āśrıtām avirala sumanômālabhārınīm Here the intended metre is the vaitaliya, in the second foot of which there should not be a collocation of six short letters as we have here Hence this is the defe t called visama Here the rale of vrtta is not followed IX Visandhi ( disjoined ) is defined as Anupaślısta śa- bda24 ie when words, which should combine in sandhi, are kept separate constitute the defect called visandh Here we may note that grammatically want of euphonic combination in a sentence, prose or verse, does not constitute a case of solecism Sandhi is complusory25 in a word, which constitutes a part of speech, in upsarga and verbal root and in the compound In other cases it depends on the writers and speakers But in a verse Sandhi is regarded as complusory in hemistitch It is made complusory by poetic convention

23 N S XVI 93 24 1bd XVI 94 25 S K,p 175- Samhitaikapade nitya nitya dhatupasargayoh/ Nıtya samāse vakye tu sā vivaksam apeksate//

24 CHAPTER II

X Śabdacyuta ( grammatical impurity ) is defined as Aśa- bdasya yojanam 26 If the expression consists of ungrammatical words, it is a fault because it cannot give any meaning Abhi- navagupta has not given its example thinking it to be very much known

It deserves to be mentioned in this connection that Bha- rata was perhaps the originator or one of the ancient writers on poetical merits and demerits He has not a clearcut divi- sion of Śabdadosa ( formal defect ) and Arthadosa ( meterial defect ) As a matter of historical fact the logical demarca- tion of formal from material detects occurred at a very late period It is only in Vamana we find the first logical divisio i of it Vamana and Dandin virtually toe the track of Bhrta Though there is some noticeable improvement in treatment Furthermore Bharata was interested in dramaturgy and his re ferenc to purely poetic composition is only a matter of sub- sidtary importance with him Of course these poetic defects are common to Drama The germs are developed in subse- quent works on poetics It however shows that even in ancient times the science of criticism was not unknown Poetry or Drama never enjoyed the prerogative of uimixed and indis- criminate admiration There were critics who evolved the standard of evaluation of the relative merits Originally three principles, viz, the figures of speech ( alankāra ), merits ( gunas ) and defects (dosas), occupied the mids of critics With the growth of logical thought the standard of criticism arose higher and higher in this field Ultimately we come to Mammata Bhatta who consolidated the results ot these specula- tions of centuries, which were carried on without interrup- tion for a long period of time Thus it has become imperative for the modern scholars to trace the evolution of the concepts of the poetics, which became clearer and more logical in each sub- sequent stage It is rather a pity that progress in original think- ing came to a dead stop with Mammata His successors only dittoed his views with slight difference There were, however, some original thinkers in the field of Sanskrit poetics, such as

26 N S XVI 94

CONCEFT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 25

Appaya Diksıta and Jagannätha But their works are frag mentary in character and do not cover the entire gamut of poetical speculations It will be our endeavour to trace out changes and developments both in form and matter from the comparatively primitive stage to latest historical developments in field of speculation on defects

CHAPTER III

BHĀMAHA'S SPECULATION ON DOSA

A comparison of treatment of dosas by Bharata and Bhā- maha clearly shows that the latter has followed the former and has taken some of the poetic faults in name and substance from Bharata's work But we cannot lose sight of one important fact that Bhamaha in his elaborate treatment is certainly ahead of his predecessor Besides dealing with the list of ten faults of Bharata he has spoken of other sets of faults and enumerated ten more such defects which relate to literary composition, such as those of logic and sımile At the same time it is interes- ting to note that he does not agree with Bharata that dosas are positive entities and mar poetic beauty universally He maintains that under special circumstances they enhance the poetic effect also For instance the blemish of Ekartha ( re- dundance )1 under the influence of fear, sorrow, jealousy as also of delight and wonder will heighten the poetic effect All his successors agreed with him on this point, which we shall show in the proper context In his list he speaks of faults which arise from improper use of usual words or collection of words forming a clause or sentence and also improper and unmusical sounds Here, of course, we do not find any funda- mentum divisionis and phonetic, verbal, material faults and also faults of indvidual words ard flaws of sentences are all lumped together The logical classification and division were effected by Mammatabhatta and his followers Bhamaha has included what are purely logical defects in the list of literary blemishes, though they have literal bearing on literary com- position Here we see a distinctive advance in the conception and elaboration of literary faults from the inchoate tabulation of faults in Bharata It is quite surmisable that all these ad- vances were made possible by the speculation of previous - 1 Bhamaha, IV, 14- Bhayasckabhyastyasu harsa-vismayayorapı/ yatha'ha gaccha gaccheti punaruktam na tad viduh/!

CONCEPT OF POET.C BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 27

writers referred to by Bhämaha, but they are only names to us as their works are not extant

It is exteremely a kontty problem whether Bhāmaha pre- ceded or succeeded Dandın Prima facie Bhāmaha seems to controvert some of the views of Dandin and the latter too, seemns to condemn him in saveral places This mutual recrimi- nation confronts a modern student with an intractable pro- blem It is probable that they follow different schools foun- ded by previous writers, though both Bhamaha and Dandın nave received respectful recognition from subsequent writers lıke Abhinavagupta Bhamaha's definitions of alankaras have been quoted with approval by Abhinavagupta Dandın's ex- treme elaboration of upama and also other alankāras does not seem to have much influenced the later writers Bhamaha's criticism of the division of Poetry into Gaudi and Vaidarbhi is not approved by Dandın, but Vamana and Rudrata have elaorated his conception of Riti ( style or mode of composi- ton ) Anandavardhana has given a critical appraisal of the "erits of the torm of composition, of letter, words, com- pounds which are the distinguishing marks of the Riti ( stvle ) He has shown that the different forms and styles are not pos- sessed of intrinsic merits but are necessary media of Rasa After all Bhamaha and so also Dandin are persuaded that the cha- rm of Poetry lies in the salection of words and their different modes of expression which constitute alankaras They include even rasa, etc under different alankaras Vāmana, though more scientific and precise than the two, does not find any- thing other than gunas and alankaras as the inner essence of Poetry The gunas are nothing but the agreeable sounds and mean- ings It is therefore quite natural that Bhamaha does not speak of Dosas ( faults ) other than those pertuning to Sabda ( word ) and artha ( meanings-primary or secondary) Rudrata among the ancient writers, speaks of rasadosa Anandavar- dhana regards Rasa as the most foundamental principle of Poetry and he develops the conception of defects of rasa with precision and insight.

28 CHAPTER III

But for the work of Bhamaha we would have no means to trace the development of the evolution of the speculation in the field of Poetics Bhämaha is brief and not elaborate His dic- tion is not as agreeable as that of Dandin but he shows great- er logical insight and sense of proportion than Dandın Bha- maha's treatment of Dosa is more comprehensive and more scientific than that of Dandmn It is noteworthy that Dandin is elaborate where Bhamaha is brief And sometimes he dis- misses with scant courtesy the elaborate treatment of dosas and alankäras by Bhämaha These two writers are rather com- plementary to each other There are points of agreement, but those of difference are much greater than the former Dandmn is more poetical than logical whereas Bhämah seems to be the opposite It is a historical fact that Bhamaha's influence on later writers in so far as the treatment of dosa is taken into account, is much more pronounced than that of Dandın Even Vamana who obviously follows Dandin in the concept of Riti and guna, has taken up the conception of Poetry as consisting of both śabda ( word ) and artha ( meaning ) from Bhämaha, and his treatment of dosa is influenced by that of Bhamaha In spite of their difference both Bhämaha and Dandin are agreed upon the necessity of scrupulous avoidance of defects in poetic compositions 2 Both of them are emphatic on the condemnation of bad Ipoetry and Bhamaha seems to go one step further

We now propose to deal with dosas ın the Kāvyālankāra of Bhamaha We give four lists of defects, two consisting of ten dosas each in the First and Fourth Chapters of his work In the second chapter he deals with seven upama-dosas ( defects of simile ) and lastly he discusses the logical fallacies in the Fifth Chapter

2 Cf Bhamaha, I 11- Sarvatha padam apy ekam na nıgadyam avadyavat/ Vılaksmana hı kavyena duhsuteneva nındyate// Dandın, I 7- Tad alpam apı nopekşyam kāvye dustam kathañcana/ Syad vapun sundaram apı svitrenaikena durbhagam//

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 29

The following is the detailed study of each of these dosas A 'The First Ten Defects I Neyärtha-Far-fetchedness II Klista-Obstruction of the sense III Anyartha-Disappearance of the sense IV Avācaka-Inexpressiveness V Gudha-sabdabhidhana-Hidden meaning VI Ayuktimat-Improper VII Śruti-dusta-Offensive to the ear VIII Artha-dusta-Implicitly indecent IX Kalpanadusta-Difficult conception x Śrutikasta-Unmelodious or harsh in sound I Neyärtha ( Far-fetchedness ) is a fault when the proper meaning does not follow from the logical order of words, but has to be forcibly dragged out by clever persons according to their own desire without any basis on the laws of language The cardinal rule regarding speech is that all the word should be employed to give the intended meaning If such words are not employed there is violation of the laws of language It follows that this defect consists in the use of insufficient words Dandın appears to support this view indirectly in his statement- 'arthavyaktır aneyatvam arthasya' His use of the word 'aneyatvam' and his example clarify the above statment An example of this defect is 'Mayeya bhadra', 1e, deceit is auspicious Bhamaha calls it 'Asādhvi prakal- pana' ( improper supposition ) Deceit is never auspicious, so this statement is an improper supposition If however we introduce 'Venudareh' and understand the Māya belonging to Venudari, then there is some sense He was an asura ( demon ) and so his māya may be useful for some good purpose and being an asura he must excel in māyā II Klista ( Obstruction of the sense ) is a defect in which the comprehension of intended meaning is remote and the composition is laboured Bhamaha3 does not elaborate it but 3 Bhamaha I 88- Neyartham niyate ynkto yasyarthah krtibhır balat/ Sabdanyayanupārudhah Kathancit svabhısandhına//

30 CHAPTER III

briefly defines as "Klıstam vyavahitam vidyat", 1e where the meaning is obstructed it becomes the case of the flaw called Klista Vāmana agrees with this view and illustrates it as- 'Daksātmajādayıta-Vallabha-Vedikānām' 1e, Chandrakāntavedikānām (of silver platforms ) This mean- ing can be comprehended only in a very roundabout way and thus it is a defect It puzzles the mind of the hearer and Is censured III Anyartha (Disappearance of the sense) is a defect where the accepted meaning of a word is absent An example of this defect is given by Bhāmaha- 'Vıjahrus tasya tāh śokam krīdāyām', 1e, they disported his sorrow in love's dalliance This noa- sensical statement is caused by upsarga 'vi' Because the root 'hr' if preceded by 'vi' means to play and not to take away In the example cited above the intended meaning is 'they took off his sorrow by playing' but by using 'vijahruh' the meaning 1s changed The upasarga* changes the meaning of the verbal roots, e g Ahāra, samhāra, Vihāra, etc IV Avācaka ( Inexpressiveness ) is an expression which is not universally accepted as connected with the intended mean ing It is a fault because it is unintelligible to the reader Bhā- maha gives an example of this fault as- 'hımāpahāmıtradharaıh Vyāptam Vyoma', 1e, the sky is covered with clouds Here the word 'hımāpa- hamitradhara' is made to evolve the meaning 'cloud' Hima 1s snow, its apahā ( destroyer ) is fire, its amitra ( foe ) is water and that which carries it ( water ) is a cloud This roundabout expression is certainly a defect and it is called avācaka by Bhämaha Bhoja5 takes it to be an example of the defect Klt- statva V Gūdha śabdābhıdhāna ( Hidden meaning )-use of diffi- cult expression with a hidden meaning is a defect. Poetry with 4 S K p 175 upasargena dhatvartho baladanyah pratiyate/ praharaharasamhāra vibāraparıhāravat// 5 SK A I 11 - düre yasyārthamvıttıh Kliştam neştam hı tat satam

CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS 31

such an expression fails to appeal even to a learned reader who finds it difficult to appreciate the beauty on account of it An example of this defect is- 'asıtartıtugadrıcchıtsvahkşıtām patır advıdrk, amidbhıh subhradrgdrstair dviso jeghnīyısısta Vah', 1e, 'May the son of fire destroy your foes entirely by his white and terrible glances, he, who is the piercer of mountain and lord of the inhabitants of Svarga and is possessed of more than two eyes' Here in this verse we find the clear example of Gu- dhasabdābhidhāna (a ) asitarti, he who has a black ( asita ) path ( rti )-Fire, his son ( tuk ) is Lord Skanda ( b ) adrı- cchit = piercer ( chit ) of a mountain ( adri ) ( c ) svahksi- tam patih-the lord ( pati ) of the dwellers ( Ksitām ) of hea- ven (svah) He is the commander of the army of gods ( d ) ad- vidrk- not having two ( dvi ) eyes ( drk ) , hence, many-eyed, may destroy again and again ( jeghniyat ) your enemies ( vah dvisah ) with his fearful ( amidbhih ) and white ( subhra ) glan- ces ( drsta ) We may note the difference between this dosa and avacaka Here meaning is directly conveyed though not appar- ent While in the aväcaka the intended meaning is not trace- able to the word directly VI Ayuktımat ( Improper ) is a fault if a poet makes the cloud, the moon, the wind, the bee, the bird Hārlta or Ca- kravaka the messenger in Poetry How can creatures without speech or with indistinct speech perform the duty of a messen ger? Such delineations do not fit in with reason Hence, it suffers from impropriety which is a great defect However, Bhamaha modifies his statement and observes that if these are addressed by one from an excess of longing it is not a fault In the face ot Kaldasa's Meghadūta which is a perfect piece of Poetry how can this objection stand ? Thus he declares that such employ- ment is justified if it is done by poets of outstanding genius VII Śrutidusta ( offensive to the ear ). This defect occurs where words conveying good sense remind of another vulgar meaning. Bhamaha enumerates some words which are objectio- nable and defective, e g Vn-means Vaisya ( merchant class ), also excrement Varcas-'valour', also 'semen'

32 CHAPTER III

Klinna-'wet', also 'drenched in blood' Chinna-'cut', also 'broken' Vanta-'given out' also 'vomited' Pravrtti-'engagement', also 'discharge' Pracara-'broadcasting', also 'motion' Dharsita-'insult', also 'outrage on woman' Udgāra-'an outflow', also 'belching' Visarga-'release', also 'emission', and Yantrita-'fixed up', also 'bound in intercourse' Bhamh further gives a list of words which give is a whole goud sense but their portion reminds a bad sense, e g hıranyaretāh ( fire ) Here the whole word 'hiranyaretah' means 'hre', whereas the part 'retah' 'reminds one of the bad sense 'semen' The follow- ing words belong to this class-sambādha, pelava, vākkātava and the like Objection to the use of sucn words lies in the fact that they remind vulgar meaning which is repulsive to the hearer for whose edification Poetry is composed Vāmana regards it as an example of aślila because they produ.e the feeling of shame ( vridādāyı ) VIII Arthadusta ( implicitly indecent ) is a fault when a statement uttered gives also an idea of improper significance, e g. hantum eva pravrtțasya stabdhasya vivaraisınah/ Patanam jāyate'vaśyam Krcchrena punarunnatıh// IX Kalpanadusta-If two words are so juxtaposed that out of them a new combination comes out which suggests indecent meaning, it constitutes a case of Kalpanādust, e g 'sa sauryabharanah' This expression aenotes one whose ornament is valour But in bringing together the two words saurya and abharana we get the combination of yabha which means sexuil inter- course Hence, it is a blemish This has been regarded by later writers as a case of Visandhi 6

6 Vamana II 2 7-8 Virupapadasandhi visandhth and padasan- dher vairupyam visleso' slzlatoam kastatvam ca Cf, Rudrața VI 14 who illustrates Visandhı as 'mantharaya bharata ahūtah'

CHAPTFR III 33

X Srutikasta-is unmelodious or harsh in sound Words like 'ajıhladat' are harsh of sound People with sensitive hearing do not like them Bhamaha further states that words lıke 'ganda', 'klinna', etc are gramya and are not used by people of refined society Bhamaha however observes that some of these objectionable words lose their deterring effect and attain grace due to peculiarity of their position, just as collyrium though despicable in itself enhances beauty when applied to the beautiful eyes of a damsel Green leaves appear pretty when interwoven With flowers in a graland Thus the word 'ganda' is gramya if used alone but becomes graceful when combined with words like 'pandu' This idea of the inconstancy of some of the faults observed by Bhāmaha 1s taken up and elaborated by later writers which we shall observe in their proper context

B The Second List of Ten Dosas

Apartha-absence of collective meaning 1 II Vyartha -- with conflicting statement Ekārtha-tautology IV III Sasamsaya-ambiguity V Apakrama-reversal of order of statement VI ŚabdāhIna-ungrammatical VII Yatibhrasta-deviation from the rules of metrical pause VIII Bhinnavrtta-metrical defect IX Visandhi-disjunction of euphonic combination X Deśa-kāla kalā-loka-nyāyāgama - virodh1- incon- sistency with regard to place, etc Apartha ( absence of collective meaning ) That com bination of words which as a whole has no meaning, consti- tutes a fault called apartha, e g 'Ten pomegranates, Sıx cakes' èto In this connection the observation of Patafijalı7 may be noted He says, "A string of unconnected words such as cow,

Mahabhasya I p 38-"gaur asvah puruso hastī Dasa dādı- man: Sadapupah Kundamajājnam palalapındah adharorukam etat kumāryah sphaıyakrtasya Pitā pratısinah." 3

34 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

horse, man, elephant does not convey a complete sense as there Is no connection between them owing to lack of Ākānksā ( Syntactic Expectancy ) The same view has been maintained by the Mimāmsaka8 also A word is a collection of letters having a meaning and ending in nominal or verbal termination Collection of words dependent on each other constitutes a sentence relating to a single idea This simple distinction of a sentence as a collec- tion of words is found as early as in the Brhaddevata9 Bhamaha raises a question that ,how can there be congrega- tion of things which do not co exist at the same time and in the same place Varnas 1 e syllables are uttered successively and when the second is uttered the first is perished But the sentence is felt as one unit It is on this ground that Vaiyā- karana's postulate sphota, a metaphysical entity which 1s eternal and imperishable This succession of syllables does not affect the numerical identity of sphota Sphota is not generated but only made manfest by the syllables uttered in succession There are degrees of clearness in manifestation The first and succesive syllables are not contributing factors to the clearness of manifestation, which attains its maximum when the final syllable is uttered This is the theory of Sphota sponsored by Vaiyakaranas -from very ancient times Accor- ding to them the word is eternal ( nıtya ). Bhamaha has adversely criticised this theory He, therefore, sets forth the theory of Naiyayikas, who also do not believe in any eternal word Cne of the theories accounts for the synthetic unit of words and sentences by appeal to experience Those who believe that words are momentary sounds have to admit that when the first syllable is uttered it perishes immediately and so does not co-exist with second or third, etc How can there be a grouping or collection of such evanescent entities ? A

8. TVI P 455- “Ākānksa sannıdhānañca yogyatā ceti ca trayam / sambandhakaranatvena klptam nānantaraśrutih //

9 Br Dev 11 117 "Padasanghatajam vakyam varnasanghata- Jam padam

CHAPTER III 35

group or collection is only possible for things which co-exist, e g books, men, etc This is out of the question with regard to syllables ( varnas ) Yes, one of the theories maintans that though the syllables are evanescent and perish immediately after they are uttered, their impressions persist and these combined with last syllables give the notion of whole word or sentence Of course all these theories have been subject to controversies and none has commanded universal acceptance Bhamaha is aware of this controversy and so he does not commit himself to any particular theory Being of a logical bent of mind, he is not afraid of logical and metaphysical issues He therefore takes stock of logical defects which are set forth in works of logic and does not think that they are irrelevant from the standpoint of literary criticism Dandin disposes of this question by a short remark that these are stifi for the students of poetics Here lies the fundamental difference of these two exponents of the discipline Bhamaha is inclined to raise the literary criticism to the level of science ( sāstra ) whereas Dandin is averse to philosophical speculation, which he considers to be out of place in a work on poetics ( Alankārasāstra), Bhāmaha however does not enter into a detailed analysis of different theories for avoiding a diversion He implicitly refers the curious students to standard works of logic He now comes to the matter of present discussion, viz poetic demerits Apartha 1s a blemish that when the collection of words does not give a related whole, but consists of rather several unconnected statements, it becomes apärtha, 1 e lacking in collected meaning such as 'ten pomegranates, six cakes' etc II Vyartha ( with conflicting statement ) 10 When the subsequent statement contradicts the previous one it is the case of the defect called Vyartha, e g sakhı mānam prıye dhehı laghutāmasya mā gamah / bhartus chandānuvartınyah prema ghnantı na hı strıyah // 1 e,'O friend do show your anger towards your lover,

10 Bhamaha IV 9 Pürvāparārthavyāghatad viparyayakaram

36 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

do not become mild to him, women who follow the wishes of their husbands do not hamper their love' Here 'manam dhehi' ( show anger ) and 'chandanuvartinyah' ( followers of husband's wishes ) are opposed to each other and thus produce contradictnry effect III Ekartha ( tautology )11where statements convey the same meaning as stated before, it is a case of Ekartha It 1s called Punarukta by other writers It is divided into sabdapu- narukta and arthapunarukta Bhāmaha does not exemplify the former and calls it sthula ( obvious ) He further notes that repetition is not defect if the same word is repeated under the influence of fear, sorrow, jealousy, etc, e g "gaccha gaccha', 1 e go away, go away Bhämaha however exemplifies the arthapunarukta as follows- Tām utkamanasam nūnam karotı dhvanır ambhasām / Saudhesu ghanamuktānām pranālımukhapātinām // 1 e., "the sound produced by the rain falling from the clouds on the roof of the house and discharging through the mouth of spouts render her anxious" Here the word 'utka' inclu- des the meaning of 'manah' in its own meaning and so the use of the word 'manas' is futile Dandin follows Bhamaha His example is- utkām unmanayantyete bālām tadalakatvisah / 1 e, 'the clounds which are the same colour as her hair, make the unsophisticated girl highly perturbed' The raison d'etre of the defect lies in purposelessness of the repetition of the sense IV Sasamsaya ( ambıguity ), It is defined as- Šruteh sāmānydharmānām vıšesasyānudāhrteh /12 1 e the State of conflicting judgment of mind is called doubt, which arises from the recognition ( hearing ) of properties common to many objects but with no differentiating quality set out. Where the speech produces the above-described

1I. Ibid IV 12 Yad abhınnartham annonyam tad ekartham pracaksate / 12 Ibid. IV 17,

CHAPTER III 37

state of mind it constitutes the defect Sasamsaya The sentence is meant to give a definite meaning and not an indefinite one which tends to create confusion and tension in the readers' mind An example of this fault is-

Vyālavanto durārohā ratnavantah phalānvitāh / Vısamā bhūbhrtas tebhyo bhayam āśu pramādınām // 'Kings or mountains are causes of fear to the careless, which ( kings or mountains ) are with rogues or snakes, are difficul to access or to climb, possess gems, have fruits and are croo- ked' Here the hearer is in doubt as to whether the verse refers to a king or to a mountain because both of them kave the common properties-such as, vyālavattva, durārohatva, ratnavattva, phalanvitatva and visamatva, and the differentia- ting quality is wanting It is obvious that Bhämaha gives the raison d'etre of doubt as a physical event in conformity with the Nyayasutra13 of Gautama and the Bhāsya of Vātsyāyana 14 V Apakrama-Reversal of the order of statements Synta- ctical regularity demands that the things attributed should follow the order of the first statements Violation of this regularity results in defect Apakrama15 The example of this defect is- rathāngasūle bıbhrānau pātām vah śambhuśārnginau / 'Mãy Śiva and Visnu protcct you, they, who carry the disc and trident' Now it creates confusion in the mind of hearer due to the reversal of the statement of adjectives VI. Śabdahina ( ungrammatıcal )-It is a defect in which the words are not approved by the rules of Pānını and Kātyā- yana This is vital defect because it is not found in the usage of apta ( authoritative person ) The word 'apta' 1s significant and has been defined ın the Nyāya Bhasya as ,aptah khalu sāksātkrtadharmā'16, 1 e one who has perceived things by his

13 N S I 1 23 14 Vide V B on 1bid 15 Bhamaha IV 20- yathopadeśam kramaso nırdeso'tra kramo matah / tad apetam vıparyasad ity akhyatam Apakramam // 16 VB I 1 7.

38 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

own intuition He must be free from bhrama ( error ), pramāda ( invigilance ) and vipralıpsā ( will to deceit ) Patañjali defines ıt, 'āpto nāmā'nubhavena vastutattvasya kārtsnyena nıścayavān'. Nāgeśa Bhatta has also quoted in hıs work Maňjūsā- 'āptah pratyayıtā-viśvastah' An example of this fault is- Sphurattadıdvalayıno vıtatāmbho garīyasah / tejas tirayatah sauram ghanān paśya divo'bhitah // 'Look at the clouds all round the sky which are encircled with flashing lightnings, which are big With water and obstruct effulgence of the sun' Here the use 'divo'bhitah' is against the rule of Kātyāyana-'abhıtah parıtah samayānıkhasāhāpra- tiyoge'pi'17 by which the objective case is enjoined with the word 'abhitah' but here the genitive case has been 'Dıvam abhitah' would have been the correct form VII. Yatıbhrasta-Deviation from the rules of metrical pause It is a blemish where the rules of metrical pause- caesura-have been ignored As for example, Vıdyutvantas tamālāsıtavapusa ıme vārıbāhā dhvanantı / 'these clouds, shining with lightnings and dark as the tamala trees are thundering', Here the yatı ( caesura ) falls between the letters a and si of the word astta which is the middle of the word It is against the rule of Metrics Vamana18 has clearly and elaborately discussed and pointed out that yati In the middle of the nominal and verbal forms is a fault VIII Bhinnavrtta-Metrical defect Where the use of long or short vowel is in the wrong place or there 'is absence or short vowel is in the wrong place or there is absence or abun- dance of them it constitutes the defect called Bhinnavrtta As for example, Bhramatı bhramaramālā Kānanesūnmadā' sau / Vırahıtaramanīko 'rhasyadya gantum // 'this garland of intoxicated bees is roaming round the forest, you, separated from sweet-heart, should go now' Here in the fourth quarter of this verse there is omission of one syllable, the want of which makes the quarter jar upon the ear. 17 Katyāyana on Panini II 3 2 18 Vamana II 2 3-4

CHAPTER III 39

IX Visandhi-Disjunction of necessary euphonic combi- nation It is a defect when there is absence of euphonic combination in a verse Bhamaha cites an example of this defect as- Kānte induśıroratne ādadhāna udamśunī / Pātām vah śambhuśarvānyau 'May Śiva and pārvatı protect you, who wear beautiful and resplendent moon and forehead gem' Here there is no sandht between the final letter of the first word and the initial letter of the second word Similar is the case with the following words also Such a collocation of words is rhetorically a defect although it is not ungrammatical because the dual number ending in i, u and e are called Pragrhya and are debarred from sandh by the rule of Panini It should be noted that in poetry this type of euphonic licence is permissible If it occurs only once

X Deśa-kāla-kalā-loka-Nyāya-Āgama-Virodhı This is very obvious and Bhämaha takes them up one by one separately ( a ) Deśa-Virodhi-inconsistency with regard to place "Yā deśe dravyasambhūt rapı vā nopadıśyate Tattat virodhı Vijfeyam svabhavat tad yathocyate", 1 e, whichever object is described as being produced in certain countries or as not being so produced, in describing the country contrarywise, it becomes a defect named Deśavirodhı e g Malaye Kandaropānta-rūdha-kalāgarudrume / Sugandhı-kusumā namrā rājante devadāravah // The trees of Agaru and Devadaru are not available in tropics of the south in which the Malaya mountain stands Agaru is available in Agartala of Tripura State and Devadāru trees in the Himalaya region This shows the poet's poor know- ledge of the geography and hence it is defect (b) Kala-Virodhi is a defect where the statement is incon- sistent with the season, e g to describe mango blossoms in the winter is a defect named Kālavirodhi (c) Kala-Vırodhı-inconsistency with regard to crafts is a flaw-

40 CONCEPT OE POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Kalā samkalanāprajňā śılpānyasyāś ca gocarah / Vıparyastam tatharvāhus tadvirodhakaram yathā // Kala includes fine arts and mechanical crafts A statement in violation of the rules governing them is liable to be defect called Kala-virodhi Th's may again be sabdivided into different types due to difference of arts Bhāmaha cites an example of a statement against the rules of Music and says that contradiction in the case of other arts also constitutes a blemish

(d) Loka-Virodhi-inconsistency with worldly usage World is divided into immovable ( inanimate ) and moveable ( anımate ) Divergence from the nature of them is a fault A statement inconsistent with regard to the nature of the world will make poetry unreal, e g tesām katatatabhrastaır gajānām madabındubhih / prāvartata nandī ghorā hasty-aśva-ratha-vāhınī // Dhāvatām saınya-vāhānām phena-vārı-mukha-cyutam / Cakāra Jānudaghnā'pān pratıdın mukhamadhvanah // Here army of the elephants and horses is described The ruts coming out from the cheeks of the elephants flow in the form of a big river and the foam coming out from the mouth of the horses make the path knee-deep with water This description is too much exaggerated to make it real Such poetry produ- ces repulsion in the mind of the reader for whose edification it exists (e) Nyāya stands for sāstras-Nyayāh sāstrānı-which deal with three ends of life ( tri-varga ), viz Dharma ( duty ), Artha ( wealth ) and Kama ( pleasure ) To this list we may add DandanIti ( Political Seience ) etc That which does not conform to these sāstras 1s called Nyāyavirodhı ( contra- dictory to science ) As an instance of this defect Bha- maha refers to the famous story of Vatsarāja Udayana in the Brhatkathā "The king of UjjayınI wanted to marry his daughter with Udayana He thought that only he (udayan) would make a good match but he was his enemy and the King of Ujja- yinI wanted to imprison him He thought out a device.

CHAPTER III 41

Vatsa took delight in trapping elephants by melody He used to produce it by playing upon a lute which he had got from Vasuki The King of UJjayinI got a dummy elephant prepared to deceive him after the pattern of the Greeks who had also sent a wooden horse with warriors to defeat the Trojans He put a good many warriors in it under the command of Salankayana They attacked hım while he was alone in the forest But it was not easy to defeat him He is described to fight bravely and killed many warriors Ultimately he was attacked from behind He fainted and was taken prisoner"

Bhämaha shows the defect of diplomacy in this version that Udayana 1s described without a spy He fails to know the deceit of the elephant with a hundred warriors in it There can be no government and state-craft without a spy ( cara )19 Bhamaha shows that it is against common experience that Udayana killed many of the warriors and the latter even with several types of weapons could not kıll Udayana Thus the improbability lies in the fact that a number of warriors were killed by a sıngle indıvidual Bhāmaha makes attacks against poets who so narrated Udayana's story as to run counter to the dictates of Sastra and worldly experience The poet appears to be very careless in describing such absurd situations and events This also reflecis on his knowledge of warfare and things of battle Bhamaha means to emphasise that a poet should be equipped with knowledge of arts and sciences so that he can give a faithful picture of the activities of the heroes and heroines and the dramatic personae Thus ın 'Namo' stu tebhyo yıdvadbhyo ye'bhıprāyam kave rımam / sāstralokāvapāsyaıvam nayantı naya-vedınah' // Bhāmaha gives here an ironical comptiments to a poet who does not 19 S V II 117- Anutsūtrapadanyasa sadvrttih sannibandhana / 'Sabdavıdyeva no bhati rajanītir apaspasa !/ cf Malli's quotation from the Nītivakyamrta on Bharavi I 4 "Svaparamandale Kāryakāryāvalokane cārās caksūmsı Kşitī- patīnăm"

42 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

know how to describe the ways of a king and utterly ignores the science of warfare and human experience

(f) Agamavirodhi-A description which is contradictory to scriptures ( Agama ) constitues a fault, sinee Dharma-Sāstras are final authorities You cannot ask reasons for their asser- tıons nor dıctate terms ( Nıyogaparyanuyogānarhatvāt ) The example given by Bhamaha is not clear His successors, however, like Dandın and others have given clear examples To bathe during the night is prohibited and if it is described without special occasion like the Lunar eclipse, it would involve the breach of the injunctions laid down in the Scrip- tures

C The Seven Faults of Sımıle

Bhamaha Mentions seven faults of Simile ( upama-dosas ) after his predecessor, Medhavin 20 They are-

Hinata-Deficiency II Asambhava-Impossıbılıty III Lingabheda-Disparity of gender IV Vacobheda-Diversity of number V Vıparyaya-Dıssımılarıty VI Upamānādnıkatva-Redundancy in upamāna VII Asadrsya-Dissimilarity I Hmata-Deficiency in the standard of comparison ( upamãna ) is a defect of simile It is repulsive to the fine taste of a connoisseur As for example- Sa mārutākampītapItavāsā bibhrat sallam śasıbhāsam abjam / Yadupravīrah pragrhītasārngah sendrāyudho megha ıvā'babhāse // 'The hero of Yadu clan, with his yellow dress shaking from the wind, playfully bearing his conch which shone like the moon and holding his särnga bow looked like a cloud accom- panied with a rainbow'. Here Lord Krsna, who is wearing

20 Bhamaha II 39-40

CHAPTER III 43

yellow garment, bearing his moon-white conch and holding his bow sarnga is compared with a cloud with rainbow This sımile is defective because here with the upameya there are three adjectives while with the upamana only one is set out The features corresponding to the 'pitavāsāh' and 'sasıbhāsa mabjam' are not set out in the upamana That 1s, the two objects the moon and the lightning which resemble the conch and yellow garment have been left Hence the defect Deficiency

II Asambhava-Impossibility-is a fault when something absolutely impossible is mentioned Bhamaha quotes a verse of Śākhāvardhana to illustrate ıt nıspetur āsyad Iva tasya dīptāh sarāh dhanurmandala madhyabhājah / Jājvalyamānā iva vārıđhārā dınārdha- bhājah parıvesino'rkāt // 'The burning arrows emerged from the middle of his bended bow They looked as if they were coming from the mouth, just as effulgent showers of water falling from the sun at midday when surrounded with a halo' The burning arrows coming from the bows are compared with effulgent showers of rain falling from the sun But how could the burning stream of water fall from the sun? This comparison is certainly impossible and defective It should be noted that Mammatabhatta takees it to be defect of the meaning and remarks that it is an impropriety ( anaucitya ) of meaning III Lingabheda-Disparity of Gender-is a fault when the gender of the object compared is different from that of the standard of comparison For example- avigāhyo'sı nārīnām ananyamanasām apı / Vısamopalabhınnormır āpagevottītirsatah // 'You are unfathomable even to lades devoted to you as a river whose waves are broken by rugged stone to a person desirous to cross it' Here the upameya ( object compared ) 'tvam' (the King) 1s masculine while the upamana ( the object compared with ) 'apaga' ( rıver ) ıs feminine Sımi- larly 'nartnām' and 'uttitirșatah' are in different genders Thus this type of simile suffers from the disparity of gender

44 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

IV Vacobheda-Diveruty of Number in simile-is a fault when the upamana ( object compared with ) and upameya differ in number In the above-cited example, the words 'titirsatah' and 'narīnam' have different numbers, the former is in singular whereas the latter has plural number Thus it 1s a case of the Diversity of Number which is a fault Bhämaha raises an objection here that diversity of gender cannot be treated as a blemish in view of the usages of great poets There are several examples that words llke pānth of masculine gender are compared with the words like kamalam of the neuter gender In reply to this objection Bhämaha admits that such usages are indeed frequent but he adds that such comparisons between words of the masculine and feminine gender is not desired

According to others the difference in gender between stan- dard of comparison and object compared is absolutely prohi- bited Dandın21 brushes aside this point simply remarking neither difference in gender and number nor inferiority or superiority at which the critics are not displeased is sufficient to constitute a blemish in sımile Vāmana ın hıs Kāvyālankāra- Śutra clearly mentions that disparity of genders in cases of masculine and neuter is allowable The forms of the two words in the two genders are similar, e g 'Candram'iva mukham pasy- atr' But where the forms are different such diversity of genders however is not allowable, e g 'Indurıva mukham bhātr' Though the Kamadhanu observes that the expression 'evam- prāyantu necchantı' indicates audāsīnya ( indifference ) of Vāmana in this matter Vamana relaxes this rule in cases of sımile employed in ordinary parlance, e g 'sa tasya chāye'va ' Here Šah ( masculine ) 1s compared with chāyā ( feminine ) V Vıparyaya-ıs dissımilarity between upamana ( the object compared with ) and the upameya (the object compared). Dissımilarity may be due to hinatva ( inferiority ) and

21. K A II 51- na lıngavacane bhinne na hınādhıkata'pi va / upamadūsanayā'lam yatrodvego na dhImatăm //

CHAPTER III 45

adhikatva (superiority) And thus this defect is of two types Bhämaha examplifies these two types in the following order ( a ) Viparyaya of the inferior type- Kvacıd agre prasaratā Kvacidāpatya nıghnatā / Śuneva sārangakulam tvayā bhınnam dvisām balam // 'You have broken the army of your enemy sometime marching forward and sometimes attacking all on a sudden just as a dog worries the herd of deer' Here 'tvayā' ( the brave king ) is compared with the 'suna' ( the dog ) which is obviously quite inferior to the former Impropriety is the root cause of this defect (b) Viparyaya of the superior type- ayam padmāsanāsınaś cakravāko Virajate / yugādau bhagavān brahmā vinirmitsur iva prajāh // 'This cakravāka seated on the lotus appears lıke Lord Brahmā desirous of creating the world at the beginning of creation' Here cakravāka bird has been compared with Brahma, far superior to the former Mammata includes these two types of viparyaya into hīnapadatva and adhıkapadatva respec- tıvely VI Upamānadhikatva - Redundancy is a fault when a superfluous object is mentioned with the upamana An example of this defect is quoted from the work of Räma- sarman-

sa pītavāsāh pragrhīta-sarngo manojnabhimam vapur äpa Krsnah / Śatahradendrāyudhavān nıśāyām Samsrjyamānah sasineva meghah //

'Krsna, clad in yellow garment and holding the bow sarnga in his hand appeared both beautiful and terrible He looked like a cloud with lightning and rainbow, and accompamied with the moon' Here Lord Krsna is compared with the upamana cloud possessed of lightning and rainbow and having contact with the moon Thus it is clear that the first two objects of upamäna-side, viz, lightning and rainbow, have their counterparts yellow garment and sarnga bow of the

46 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

upameya, but with regard to the contact with the moon on the upamana-side its counterpart on the side of upameya is not stated Mammata22 remarks that this example involves the defect of Redundancy in absence of any mention of the conch - and the like in connection with the upameya

VII Asadrsata-dssimilarity is a defect when there is no resemblance between upameya and upamana Thus the com- parison is not appealing to the hearts of 'sahrdaya' e g vane'tha tasmin vanıtānuyāyinah Pravrtta-dānārdrakatā matangajāh / Vicitrabarhā-bharanāśca barhino babhur, dīvī, va' mala vıgrahā grahāh // Here the infatuated elephants and peacocks with variegated plumes are compared with shining planets Bhāmaha points out that this is the example of defect 'asadrsata as there in no resemblance between elephants and peacocks and planets either in point of brilliance or fierceness After having enumerated the defects which detract from effectiveness of the simile, Bhamaha embarks on a discussion of the logic underlying these rhetorical defects noted by writers of poetics headed by Madhävin He has set forth seven types of defects of simile Among which hinatā ( defi- ciency ) of upamāna ( the object with which a thing is compa- red ) and excess of upamäna have been mentioned we have already alluded to the logical bent of Bhamaha Thls does not allow him to acqiesce in what has been stated by his prede- cessor without examination He raised the question of similarity being assumed in quantitative terms First of all he sets out the proposition that no two objects can be similar in every respect 23 This was noted by Indian Philosophers, who spoke of the diversity ( vaicitrya ) Accor- ding to Sankhya creation is possible only by disturbance of equilibrium in Primordial matter ( Prakrt ) Absolute equa- 22 K P. 774 'atro' pameyasya 'Sankhader anirdese sasino grahanam atırıcyate ıtyadhikapadatvam' 23 Bhamaha II 43 'Sarvam sarvena sārupyam nāstı bhāvasya kasyacıť'

CHAPTER III 47

lity is found only in the dissolution of the world in undifferen tiated matter No two things are absolutely sımilar This feature of nature of things was first formulated in precise language by Leibnitz He called the Iaw-the Indentity of Indiscernibles McTaggart in his Nature of Existence formu lates this law more explicitly as the diversity of reals There are no two things exactiy alike There are many interesting stories of the Queen of Prussia who was also a pupil of Leibnitz disputing the truth of the law But critical examina- tion with microscope proved the truth of Leibnitz's contention Bhamaha evidently anticipates Leibnitz and asserts that things may be similar only in certain respects and not in every respect Absolute similarity will entail identity If any two things are discerned they must not be identical We have tried to bring out the logical implication of Bhamaha's position Granting the truth of Bhamaha's conten tion one may legitimately pose a question about the nature and quality of similarity that may be regarded as the condition of sımıle ( upamā ) There are thinkers who hold that similarity is an ultimate category which cannot be reduced to simple terms, In India Prabhakara held this view Among modern thinkers Hobhouse also maintains this view The Naiyayikas have disputed this claim and maintained that similarity is constituted by the possession of a large number of common attributes 'tadbhi nnatve satı tadgatabhuyodharmavattvam' It is postulated that similarity is a relation or quality between two numerically different things, 1 e which are not identical 'Tādātmyapra- tıyogıtākobhāvo bhedah' But this definition of Naiyāyikas, it must be admttted, suffers from vagueness and imprecision How many common attributes constitute similarity ? This 1s clear from the nature of the cases not determinable in mathe- matical terms It has been shown by Vidyadhara24 in his work Ekavali that any thing can be likened to any other thing in respect of the attribute of existence But this does not constitute the ground of similarity necessary for simile. Poets 24 Ekāvalī P 197 'Sadharmyam tu guna-krıyārūpam anugatam ıha bhaved ekenaıva slıstena-slıstcnopadanam arhatı'

48 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

have taken latitude in comparing things which may have only a dubious sımilarity necessary for sımile Poets have taken latitude in comparing things which may have only a dubious similarity and wide difference It is highly creditable on the part of Bhämaha, a very ancient writer ( if not the oldest ) of Poetics that he was aware of the problem He accordingly propounds that only resemblance which is regarded as appropriate by the poets and critics should be deemed sufficient ground of similarity in sımile ( upamā ) Besides, the conven- tion of poets should also be the decisive factor A lady's face is compared to the full-orbed moon The similarity 1s superficial The effulgence of the moon and brightness of a young damsel's face can be regarded as nmilar by a stretch of imagination In Sanskrit Poetry the face of a beautiful woman and even of a handsome young man is frequently compared to the moon It must however be laid down that the similarity between terms of comparison should be striking and made as full and adequate as appeals to the poetic sense of the poet and critic Bhamaha cites an example, Sūryāmsusammilıtalocanesu dīnesu padmānilanırmadesu / Sadhvyah svagehesviva bhartrhInāh Kekā vınešuh śıkhınām mukhesu // In this verse the simile is inadequate because the points of sımilarity are not explicitly stated in upamāna In the verse cited as an example of Assambhava 'nıspeturasyad' etc the simile is regarded as preposterous Bhamaha observe that one eannot compare the moon with the fire. But he concludes the discussion by affirming the exceptions and limitation of the dictum that similarity should be set forth in respect of all points between the upamana and upameya As regards the question of impossibility he offers a wise caution In upamā and utpreksa similarity may be drawn between a real and an imaginary datum

Thus in verse puňjībhūtam ıva dhvāntam esa bhāti matangajah / sarah śaratprasannāmbho nabhah-khandam ivo'jhitam //

CHAPTER III 49

an elephant is compared with darkness massed in a lump and a lake with lumped water is compared to a piece of the firma- nent So the defects of similarity constituted by deficiency or improbability should not be pushed too far and hard So far as the figures of speech are concerned, the basic of similarity need not be mathematically calculated or logically real The criterion of similarity should be one which is calculated to bring home the comparison without giving rise to a feeling of repugnance As has been observed by Dandin25 yatrodvego na dhīmatām we felt compelled to enter into this tangled discussion in order to remove a possible misconception and elucidate the far reaching implications of Bhamaha's pithy assertions After all a problem can be understood only by meticulous analysis of all its aspects and bearings Poetics aims at unfolding the logic of poetry, though apparentlv poetic conceits may not be congruent This is our apology for making this apparent digression, which however may help an inquisitive mind to comprehend the significance of the poetic figures employed by poets Bhämaha is the first systematic writer of poetics so far as the available data are taken into account He gives a treat- ment of faults of poetical composition on a logical basıs takıng the clue from standard work on logic We shall see later on that the conception and treatment of poetic defects have taken a different course, more aesthetical than logical in subsequent Speculations Logic has its place even in poetry within an aesthetic frame-work Poetry cannot be absurd Originally it seems logic dominated the literary critic's mental horizon This 1s almost obvious from Bhämaha's treatment of logical falla- cies in his speculation on poetic defects Bhamaha is conscious of the incongruity of logical discussion in poetry and therefore makes an apology for embarking upon this question of the epistemological problems as a prelude to his task of literary cr.tcism

25 K Ā II. 51 4

50 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

The logical defects arising from the omission or bad formu- lation of the thesis ( Pratijna ), probance ( Hetu ), probandum, (sadhya), etc, through they have remote bearing on poetry are still being discussed with a view to acquainting the students of poetry with logiral problems in general outlmne On account of the difficulty students of mediocre intellect are afraid of the study of scientific work "My idea", says Bhamaha, "is to give the students an opportunity to understand abstruse problems through the mediun of poetry 26 The poet's is an arduous task He has to compose the poetry of which word, meaning, logic and aesthetics form ingredients" This is in substance the justification of Bhamaha There is truth in his contention that poetry cannot ignore reality and the philosophers' analysis of its characteristics With these apologetic words, he enters into the question of pramanas ( sources of knowledge ) and prameyas ( objects of knowledge )

Bhämaha undoubtely appeared in time when the Buddhist logicians dominated the academic field And so he follows the pattern of epistemology ushered in by Vasubandhu and Dinnāga There are two pramānas ( sources of knowledge ), viz perception and inference Of these perception takes note of the peculiar features which mark out an individual from others of the same class Inference is concerned with only generic features of a thing Thus the inferred fire is not any particular individual but a general sort which can fit in with all members of the class In this context Bhamaha discusses the definitions of perception given by Vasubandhu and Dınnāga These definitions have been subjected to criticism by Uddyota- kāra and his exponents Dinnāga defines perception as a species of cogmtion free from Kalpana Kulpana is stated to consist of the association of name, class-character, substance, etc This Kalpana is an ideal contraction of the mind and has nothing to do with the nature of a real Vasubandhu's cryptic

26 Bhamaha V 2- Prayena durbodhataya'sastrad bibhyaty amedhasah/ TadupacchandanayaıSa hetu nyāyalayOccayah//

CHAPTER III 51

definition-'tato'rthat' is also on the same line based upon the presupposition that the particular alone is real Ths is refuted by Bhamaha He avers that without a class- character the individual has no being Next he examines the thess of the Buddhist idealist that it is consciousness which appears bifurcated into subject and object In this view the paiticular is only an appearance As regards Vasubandhu's contention that perception is corres- pondent to a real object and it is only "rūpa" ( coloured matter ) which is real, it only amounts to the assertion that our perceptions of chairs and tables etc are illusions Bhamaha obviously does not subscribe to these extereme views He now defines inference in terms of Buddhist definition- as a cognition which arises from a probans ( linga ) possessed of triple form A true probans must exist in the subject ( paksa) and be found in the kindred instances ( sapaksa) eg kitchen for the inference of fire and be absent in a counter-instance (vipaksa ), e g a lake It may be defined as based upon the observation of an object invariably associated with another Thus smoke is a ground of inference of fire because of its necessary concomittance (vyaptt ) with fire The subject is the locus of the attribute about which there is difference of opinion between the proponent and opponent Thus the state- ment of this subject together with the disputed attribute 1s called pratyña or thesis There may be several defects of thesis (pratijña ) (1) Self-contradctory-my father is a celibate monk c om his boyhood (2 ) The second is illustrated by a case which is a subject of dispute 'The soul exists or prakrti exists', the existence of soul oi prakrti is disputed by others e g Buddhists (3) The third case is one of contradiction of an accepted conclusion Thus sound is perishable according to Vaisesika and eternal accordıng to Mīmāmsaka If the Vaisesika asserts- sound is eternal, it will be a case of contradiction of siddhanta ( accepted conclusion ) (4 ) The fourth case is illustrated dy the contradiction of a position which is universally accepted. 'The body is pure'-

52 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

this is in flat contradiction with assertions of all schools of philosophy Similarly the assertion that there are no pramanas is a case in point (5) What again is accepted by all and not subject to doubt does not require an express statement This will only be a truism As for example "sound is audible", "Fire is hot " (6) The sixth statement which contradicts a fact which 1s perceived by all or asserts an attribute which is opposed to perceptual evidence is another case Thus, "Fire is cool", "Colour does not exist", "The moon is hot" These are the faults of thesis

Now the defects of probans A probans must be accepted by both the parties as ( 1) existing in the subject, (2) exist- ing in the like case-homologues, (3) absent in the opposite case-heterologues The infringement of any one constitutes the defects of probans (hetu) Of course the proponents thesis is opposed to that of the opponent so also the probans ( the middle term ) If a probans is not acceptable to either party it will be abortive The sapaksa or homologue 1s sımilar to the subject ( paksa ) on account of the presence of the probandum in it In other words, it must be an undisputed instance of the probans and probandum existing in it The heterologue is one which is entirely dissimilar to the paksa ( subject ) in that the probans and so also the proban- dum are absent in it The true probans must be present in the paksa ( sudject or minor term ), present in homologue and absent in the heterologue An example ( drstanta ) 1s the state- ment of a homologue in which 'hetu' and 'sadhya' are present A counter example will be one where both are absent Confutation ( dusana ) consists in the omission of probans, subject or the like This is called deficiency A statement of an excessive factor will be equally a defect called excess There are certain species of false confutation ( dusanābhasa ) based on mere analogy These are called jatis, 1 e specious refutations These are logical topics which have no bearıng on kāvya ( poetry ) Bhämaha also admits this and so refrains from

CHAPTER III 53

elaboration He expressly states47 that these defects have been employed differently in poetry Poetry is concerned with empi- rical truths and scriptures and scientific treatises are concerned with real truth Thus the propositions-( 1) 'The firmanent 1s black like the sword', ( 2) 'Sound comes from distance', ( 3) 'The water of the ocean is the same' (4) 'Stability of the great lights of the universe is wonderful' These statements pass muster in poetry, though scientifically and metaphysically they may not be correct

In ordinary parlance pratyña means promise which con- sists in acceptance of an act to be done This may be classified into four heads on the basis of dharma ( religous merit ), artha ( temporal advantage ), kāma ( enjoyment ), and kopa ( anger ) The first is illustrated thus Puru promised to take old age of his father upon himself and he did so This exemplifies the fulfilment of a promise ending in religious merit The example of Hanumat in successfully tracing Sita in consonance with his promise is the case of fulfilment of pratyña ending in temporal advantage King Vatsa promised to procure Vāsava- datta, the daughter of Mahäsena and he did it This is the case of the third type Bhima's vow to drink the gushing blood of the enemy and his successful accomplishment is an illustration of the fourth type Any other type of vow which should not be undertaken, nor the vow following under the four types should be abandoned The breach of promise of Duryodhana that he would fast to death and his abandonment of it for the recovery of his kingdom exemplifies fault of breach of promise Yudhisthira's vow not to decline a challenge to gamble in dice is an instance of a vow which is opposed to the second approved type Its fulfilment entailed the loss of his kingdom So it is the case of a bad vow A vow of Bhisma to live like a celibate is in opposition to the claims of normal enjoyment ( Kāma ) Jāmadagnya ( Parasurama ) had to aban-

27. Bhamaha V 33- Tajjñaıh kavyaprayogesu tatprāduskrtam anyathā/ Tatralokāsrayam kāvyam āgamas tattvadarsınah//

54 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

don the vow of killing Ksatriyas after being defeated by Rāma. This consists in the breach of the fourth type Bhamaha28 refers to certain statements in which the thesis is not stated but understood by implication Rhetorical ques- tions are instances in point The triple character of probans is no doubt the indicator of the probandum But it is understood by the formulation of the question itself By concommitance in agreement ( anvaya ) and that in difference ( vyatireka ) also sometimes suffice for arriving at conclusion, e g 'There is a big lake around this forest' This is deduced from hearing the cries of the birds and smelling the fragrance of lotuses Though these grounds are not stated, they are known from experience and easily under- stood from the context There is of course reason for every conclusion but it may not be employed and an implic't reason is also as effective as an expressed one There may be statements which contain reason as an adjective of the subject ( Minor term) eg 'The night became devoid of the sun being illumined by bright lamps' The sunset is, here, affirmed to be the result of illumi- nation by poetical fancy The poetical reason or probans is also liable to be vitiated by the triple defects which violate the triple character of pro- bans Bhāmaha gives several examples of these defects due to ignorance or doubt or false knowledge Thus the statement- 'The Kaśas captivate the hearts of people by fragrance of their flowers' This is a wrong statement because the Kasa has no fragrant flower , it ts evidence of the ignorance of the speaker The poetic reason-fragrance of flower-is non-existent in the subject Take again the statement "All these are to be under- stood as harmful or injurious on account of their vicinity to water" This is calculated to give rise to doubt bacause it is not established that all things growing in the neighbourhood of water are harmful Another statement "Certainly this is

28 Bhamaha. V 46- Kımındrıya dvısā jacyam ko mırakriyate'riribhih/ Ko va gatvaram arthibhyo na yaechatı dhanam laghu//

CHAPTER III 55

cakora because it has white corners in the eyes"-is based on false knowledge The cakora bird is known for red corners in its eyes So this statement gives false information and reason "white corners" is falsely attributed to the bird The drstanta29 (example) consists in stating a parallel to the subject Bhamaha does not illustrate it because of its obviousness The kitchen in which smoke and fire are found together is cited as an example for inferring fire in the hill on the basis of smoke observed in it Bhämaha now refutes the contention that simile is a case of inference There is no statement of 'hetu'-probans in simile The statement of probans and prabandum is only appropriate in the cases already noticed 'The face is like a lotus' is a case of simple simile without reference to probans and probandum The simile above is entirely different from the following state- ment-'You are pre-eminent even in this fallen age, just as you have been taught by men of superior intellect and wisdom, just as people were in the older age ( Kitavuga )' Here one comes across a probans and probandum along with an example But examples are not always illustrative of concommitance of pro- bans and probandum, e g Bharatas tvam DilIpas tvam et 'You are Bharata, you are Dilipa' etc Having disposed of defects based on logical grounds Bhā- maha vouchsafed certain silutary intructions regarding the use of words Even one word, provided it is correct, is to be preferred to new fangled expressions which are of doubtful purity The reversal of this procedure ends in reversal of one's reputation A form of poetry, which is repulsive and difficult to understand, is regarded as charmless though it may voice a beautiful sentiment ( rasa ) 30

29 Bhamaha V 27- Sādhyena linganugatistadabhave ca nastita/ Khyapyate yena drstantah sa kilānyair dvidhocyate// 30 Bhamaha V 62- Ahrdyam asunirbhedam rasavattvepy apesalam/ Kāvyam kapıtthamamam yad kesāācıttādršam yatha//

56 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Bhamaha's intructions regarding the use of certain ima- geries are illustrative and not exhaustive He sums up this none-too-pleasant discourse by making significant observa- tions A word and meaning which are original, that is to say, not used in humdrum commonplaces and have a strikingly original look, are conducive to invest poetry with beauty They constitute embellishment of speech Bhamaha admonishes an ambitious poet to avoid words which are contradictory in sense of unintelligible meaning and which require to be padded out by insertions of superfluous words and which are calculated to confound the reader 31 He gives a suitable example in which these defects are present in abundance Elātakkolanāgasphuta bakulalatā candanaspandanādhyah Srkkākarpūracakrāgaru kamanaśılādhyāmakāvyāptatīrah / ŚankhavrātākulāntastımımakarakulākīrnavīcipratānO Dadhre yasyāmburāsıh saśıkumudasudhākshīraśuddhām sukırttım// 'The ocean bore his fair fame which resembled in whiteness the moon, the white lily, nectar and milk-the ocean whose shores were covered with trees of the following descriptions -- cardamoms etc whose edges were full of conches, the expanses of whose waves thronged with fishes like timı, makara, etc In the example the adjectives of the ocean and also of fame are absolutely superfluous without adding to the sense Practically Bhämaha's work on poeties ends with the Fifth Chapter The Sixth Chapter consists of the discussions of certain grammatical forms and their meanings Incidentally he criticises the theory of Sphota and the Buddhist theory of 'apoha' He prescribes certain grammatical forms which may be used in poetical composition He ends the Sixth Chapter by paying handsome tributes to Panini 32 It is remarkable that Vāmana follows the example of Bhamaha and gives as supple- ment to his work thelast chapter called 'Sabdasuddhi prakaranam'.

31 151d. V 67- Vıruddhapadamasvartham bahupuranamakulam/ Kurvantı kāvyam aparė vyayatabhīpsaya yathaļ/ 32. Bhamaha VI 63. Sradheyam jagtı matama hı Panınīyam

CHAPTER IV DANDIN'S CRITIQUE ON DOSAS

Next after Bhämaha, from the point of view of both the chronology and the evolution of the conception of poetry, comes Dandin ( circa 700-750 A D ) 1 There is no doubt Dandın like Bhāmaha, expresses his indebtedness to his predecessors He does not mention any one of them by name but he gives clear evidences of utilising their works His work Kavyudarśa occupies a prominent place among the works of Poetics ( Alankāraśastra ), both on account of the clearness of exposition and merits of style The book is intended as a guide to aspirants after literary fame and not an exhaustive treatise on lılerary criticism Dandin's conception of Poetry is materially different from that of Bhamaha Bhamaha defines Poetry as 'sabdarthau sahitau kāvyam', 1e, words and meanings together constitute poetry He lays stress on the intimate association of word and meaning and their co-equal status It is obvious from the word 'sabdarthau' in the definition of poetry Sabdarthau is in Dvandva compound in which all the constitutent members have the equal status 2 Neither of them is subordinate of the other According to Bha- maha poetry is constituted by figures of speech which are forms of statement different from the ordinary mode of speech This ıs called Vakrokt A sentence gains in effectiveness in propor- tion to its departure from the ordinary mode of speech, ordi- nary manner of statement Bhämaha raises the question whether these figures of speech have bearing on word or sense or both There were some thinkers before Bhämaha who held that words or expressions ( sabda ) held the predominant position and alankāras have relevance to them In one word it is good diction ( sausabdya ) which constitutes the beauty of poetry. Meaning plays a subordinate part

1 S K De, Skt Poet Vol p 70 2 S K p 67 'Ubhayapadarthapradhano Dvandvah'

58 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Bhamaha, on other hand, holds that both word and meaning are important So both of them are substrata of alankara. Neither of them 1s Bahiranga-external embellishment This fundamental standpoint of Bhāmaha was adopted by Kuntaka in his erudite work Vakroktijivita The word 'sahitau' in Bha- maha's definition of poetry is very significant Kuntaka Iays stress on the ultimate co-relation of word and meaning which calls sabdartha-sahitya Sahitya as the name of belles letters 1s perhaps derived from this pregnant expression of Bhämah

Dandin as is usual with him tries a divergent note His definition of poetry makes diction (padavali) the central element of which the meaning is the subordinate ally This view was taken by Pandıtarāja Jagannātha3 who defines poetry as word expressive of delectable meaning It is to be noted however that except Jagannātha no remarkable writer on poetics has accepted the position of Dandin Mammata follows Bhamaha almost veroatım in his definition of poetry as 'sabdārthau kāvyam' Of course he being the follower of Anandavardhana does not accord exclusive importance to alankara Anandvardhana too, seems to agree with Bhamaha in regarding word and meaning both as co essential elements of poetry Dandin defiines poetry as series of words replete with delec- table meaning 4 The other scholars have shown what consti- tutes the body and what the embellishments of poetry The body consists of a series of words calculated to aptly convey a desierd meaning Dandin at first differentiates between two things which are different from each other, one of which 1s the body and the other is embellishment Dandin further des- cribes kāvyasarıra and gives the attribute ista to the sense ( artha ), The second element of the kavya consists of the alankāras The word alankara is used in general sense of embellishment and not in the narrow sense of figure of speech Thus Dandin is the first to deal with the body of poetry The other elements dosas, gunas and margas are all ancillary to it

3 RG. p 9 'ramanīyarthapratıpādakah sabdah kavyam' 4 K Ā I 10 Śarīram tāvađ ıștārtha-vyavacchinnā padāvalī

CHAPTER IV 59

Dandin holds that even a slight blemish should not be over- looked in poetry It is sure to mar the effect of poetry just as even a slight leprous spot renders a handsome body loathsome. He vehemently emphasises the importance of good expressions and says, "If the light called word did not illumine the affair of the world then these worlds would be shrouded in complete darkness By the favour of words the worldly transaction is accomplished" 5 He further warns the poet to be very careful and cautious about the use of it He says, "Word well used is declared by the wise to be the wish-milking cow, but the same ill-used, however, manifests only the ox-nature of the speaker" Thus Dandin insists upon avoidance ( heyatva ) of dosa ( poetic flaw ) as the very word indicates-dusyatt itt dosah-it has a deterring effect on poetry With this brief preamble we now pass on to our subject of discourse-the treatment of dosas by Dandin In the third chapter of the Kavyadarsa he speaks of dosas-poetic defects- to be avoided in poetic compositions He accepts the second list of Bhämaha in name, substance and even in order of enu- meration His definitions of dosas correspond to those of Bha- maha in idea and expression All this will be clear as we pro- ceed with the treatment of the individual defects Bhmaha has given the list of dosas and in the end has simply observed that dosas sometimes become gunas But Dandın illustrates every dosa and shows with appropriate example how it turns to be guna under special circumstances The ten dosas of Dandin are as follows I. Apartha-absence of complete meaning, II Vyartha-self-contradictory, III Ekartha-tautology, 5 KĀ I 4- ıdam andhantamah krıtsnam jayeta bhuvanatrayam/ yadı sabdahvayam jyotır asamsāram na dīpyate// cf Yaska, h 2 'anıyastvācca sabdena samjnākaranam vyavahā- rartham loke' and Bhartrhari, I 123- Na so'stı pratyayo loke yah śabdanugamadrte/ anuviddham iva jnanam sarvam sabdena bhasate//

60 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

IV Sasamsaya-doubtful utterance, V Apakrama-non-sequent, VI SabdahIna-grammatical mistake, VII Y itibhrasta-defective in Caesura, VIII Bhinnavrtta-defective in metre, IX Visandhi-non-coalition, X Deśakālakalālokanyāyā'gama Virodhi-inconsistent with place, etc I Apartha6-when word or sentences as a unified whole yield no meaning it is a case of defect called Apartha Dandın however observes that this would be faultless assertion in the case of the delirious, of the intoxicated, of the infants and of discomposed minds As for example, Samudrah pīyate devair aham asmı jarāturah / amI garjantı jimūtā harer aırāvatah priyah // 'The ocean is being drunk by gods, I am stricken with old age, these clouds are roaring , Airavata is dear to Indra' These four sentences of the above verse have no mutual relationship and thus they fail to give a composite meaning Hence it is a defect II Vyartha7-when the earler statement conflicts with the later on account of contradictory senses it is a fault called Vyartha ( self-contradictory ) It may happen in a single sentence or in one composition For example, Jahı śatrubalam krıtsnam jaya vıśvambharām Imām / na ca te ko'pı vıdvesta sarvabhūtānukampinah // 'Kill the entire force of your enemy and conquer this earth, there is no enemy to you, who are compassionate towards all beings' This statement is obviously self-contradictory and faulty Dandin however declares that such assertions are sometimes appreciated when they are indicative of a peculiar

6 K A III 128- Samudaya rthastnyam yat tadapartham itisyate/ unmatta-mattabalanam ukter anyatra dusyatı// Ibid, III, 131- ekavākye prabandhe va purvaparaparāhatam/ vıruddharthataya Vyartham

62 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

repeated verbally with a view of expressing extreme compas- sion and sympathy Bhāmaha also takes such cases as exceptions to this fault, he says when the same word is repeated from the influence of fear, sorrow, etc it is not a dosa Vamana, as we shall see below, agrees with this view and contends that when there is a desire of expressing Visesartha ( special meanings ) words like 'karnavatamsa' do not suffer from this defect because special significance is connoted by them IV Sasamsaya9-If expressions intended for the sake of bringing about certainty give rise to doubt, that is, the defect known as sasamsaya ( dubious ) As for example, manorathaprıyālokarasa-loleksane sakhı / Ārād vrttirasau mātā no ksamā drastumīdrśam// 'O friend, you are with eyes agitated with passion for seeing your lover who is dear to your wish The mother is in the distance ( or near ), she will not be able to see ( or tolerate ) such th'ng' Here the expressions-'arad vrttih' and 'na ksama drastum' are doubtful 'arat' means distance and proximity both 10 Such doubtful utterances mar the beauty of Poetry Dandın however observes that if such expression is purposely used to create doubt it ceases to be defect and turns out just an embellishment As for example, pasyāmy anangajātankalanghitām tām anındıtām / Kālenaıva kathorena grastām kım nas tađāšaya // 'I see that that flawless beauty is overpowered with an effliction caused by Cupid (by no physical disease ) but is under the influence of unbearable season ( just the god of death ), what purpose is served then by our looking upto you " This speech is dubious as to weather the lady is afflicted by cupid or by the heat of the season The lady messenger uses this in frolic with a special purpose to confound the young lover It assumes the form of alankāra

9. K Ā III. 139- Nırnayartham prayuktanı samsayam Janayantı cet/ Vacāmsı dosa evāsau sasamsaya it1 smrtah// 10 A K p 241 'arad dūrasamīpayoh

CHAPTFR IV 63

V Apakrama-where the sequence of enumeration is not conformed to in a subsequent reference to the things, it is a case of the defect apakrama 11 As for example, sthitinirmāna samhāra hetavo jagatām amī / śambhu nārāyanāmbhojayonayah pālayantu vah // 'These gods Śambhu, Nārāyana and Brahmā (lit lotus-born ) may protect you, the causes of maintenance, creation and dissolution of these three worlds' Here the lack of natural order in mentioning Nārayana, Ambhojayoni and Sambhu creates difficulty in syntactical construction ( anvaya ) and understanding the meaning of the sentence Hence it is a defect Dandin states that this violation of the sequence is not regar- ded as defect provided a special effort is made for the ready comprehension of the reference in order For instance,

bandhutyāgas tanutyāgo deśatyāga it1 trisu / ādyantāv āyataklesau madhyamah ksanıkajvarah // 'Of the three the leaving of kinsmen, the leaving of one s body and the leaving of one's motherland-the first and the last bring a long injuring pain whereas the middle one is evanes- cent' Here the syntactical relation is not difficult to compreh- end because the reference to each is quite definitely stated In strict conformity to the literal procedure the last should have been stated after the first and second But here this specific reference to the first and last in one expression and the middle in the last by definitely expressive word do not put strain on the understanding of the order Hence it is not regarded as a blemish VI. Sabdahina12 -- ıs grammatical mistake The use of words, the usage of which ( 1 ) has no warrant from gramma- tical rules and ( 2) no sanction by the convention of the poets

11 K Ā, III 144- Uddesanuguno'rthanam anuddeso na cet krtah/ apakramabhıdhanam tam dosam acaksate budhah// 12 Ibid, III 148- Śabdahīnam anālaksya-lakşya laksana padhatıh/ padaprayogo'sıştestas Sistesțas tu na dusyati//

64 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

constitutes the defect sabdahIna Thus it is clear that a word which is grammatically wrong is, no doubt, defective But a word grammatically correct and not sanctioned by the conven- tion of the poet is also regarded to be a case of this defect For example, avate bhavate bāhur mahīm arnavaśakvarīm/ mahārājan na jijñāsā nāstītyāsām girām rasah// 'Your arm protects the earth, which has the ocean for its girdle O great king, there is nothing to be known' In these words, there is no rasa of any kind Here the words, avate, bhavate, sakvarim and maharajan are grammatically wrong The root 'ava' is sanctioned in the parasmaipada termination The use of atmanepada is a case of the transgression of the rule of Pānını Sımılarly bhavate for bhavatah, arnavasakvarım for arnavasaka- rıkam and maharajan for maharaja are examples of grammatical mpurity ( śabdahīna ) The second type of this defect is the use of words like darvata in the masculine gender This word though also mas- culme in gender is never used by poets in it The root han has got the sense of going and killing but by convention poets use it in the latter sense Thus the use Kunjam hantı krsodarı ( the slender-bodied one repars to the forest ) is a case of sabdahIna It is called cyutasamskrtı by letter wrters Agnipurāna how- ever calls it asadhutva 13 VII Yatıbhrasta14-The separation of words at particular places in the verse is called yatı, a composition lacking in this is a case of defect yatibhrasta For example, strīnām sangītavıdhım ayam ādıtyavamśo narendrah Pasyaty aklıstarasam ıha śıstaır ametyādı dustam// Kāryākāryāny ayam avikalāny āgamenaiva paśyan Vaśyām urvīm vahatı nrpa ıtyastı caıvām prayogah//

13 A P p. 232 'Sabdaśastraviruddhatvam asadhutvam 14 K A III 152- 'Slokesu nıyaıasthānam padacchedam yatım viduh/ tad apetana yatıbhrastam śravano'dvejanam yatha//

CHAPTER IV 65

'The king, born in solar race, witnesses with experts the musical performance, full of aesthetic pleasure as given by these women This king superintending the duties in confor- mity with the sastras supports the earth' Here in this verse which is an example of Mandākrānta metre there should be yatı ( pause ) after the fourth, sixth and seventh letters which have been left out and therefore it is a case of yatibhrasta It is regarded as a serious defect because it has a jarring effect on the ear VIII Bhinnavrtta15-Metrical defect-where a shortage or excess of syllable or incorrect disposition of long and short vowels occurs it constitutes the defect called bhinnavrtta This , defect, says Dandin, is highly reprehensible Examples are -- ındupādāh śıšırāh sprsantı / 'The cold rays of the Moon are touching ( it )' This foot of the verse suffers from the shortage of a syllable and sahakārasya kısalayāny ārdrānı / 'The mango-blossoms are wet' This has an excess of syll- ables Incorrect disposition of long and short vowels is illus- trated in the following verse

Kāmena vānā nısıtā vimuktāh mrgeksanīsu = 'The sharp arrows have been darted by the cupid at the fawn- eyed damsels' In this foot the incorrect use of long vowel kā in 'kamena' is also an example of bhinnavrtta 16 Sımılarly, smarasya vānā nısıtāh patantı/ Vāmeksanāsu Here the use of short vowel sma in the first word is a case of bhinnavrtta because an Indravajrā metre starts with a long vowel

15 K A III 156- Varnanam nyunatadhikye guru laghv ayathasthitih/ tatra tad bhinnavrttam syad esa dosah suninditah// 16, Kusumapratıma p. 346 -- upajatıvıkalpānām sıddho yadyapı sankarah/ tathapı prathamam kuryāt purvapādāksaram laghu// 5

66 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

IX Visandhi17-Non-coalition of words without the reason of the grammatical rule is a defect called visandhi Regard- ing the rule of coalition Bhattojidiksita observes that it is com- pulsory in a single pada, in verb and prefix, and in compound But in a sentence it is on the option of the speaker to employ it But in poetry when words are not euphonically joined it is regarded as a fault though grammatically it is not incorrect Dandın however may permit non-coalition if itis due to therale lıke-plutapragrhya aci nityam 18 It may however be noted in this connection that such non coalescent use of pada is rot permissible if occuring more than once Dandin refutes the view of Bhamaha who does not like Visandhi even on the ground of pragrhya- mandānılena calatā anganāgandamandale/ luptam udbhedi gharmämbho nabhasy asmad vapusy api// 'The gentle breeze has taken away the growing dropes of per- spiration upon the cheeks of the women and also upon our person in the month of śravana Here the last syllable 'a' of the word calata is not combined with the first vowel 'a' of the word angana Dandin however permits it when it is due to pragrhya As for example,

manersye ıha siryete strinam hımartau priye/ āsu rātrisv itı prājñaır āmnātam vyastam Idrśam// 'O darling, in these nights of winter the pride and pretended anger of women van'sh away' This is not the case of visan- dhi because non-coalition here is due to pragrhyasamjñā X Desadıvirodhi19-Not conforming to the place, time, etc Here Dandin states that a poet has to observe the pro- priety accepted by the tradition and convention about country, mountain, forest, nation, day, night, season, arts such as dan- cing, singing, behaviour proper to movable and immovable

17 K A III 159- na samhitam vivakSamity asamdhanam padesu yat/ tad vısandhītı nırdıştam na pragrhyādı hetukam// 18 Panım I 1 11 and 6. 1 129 19 K A III 166

CHAPTER IV 67

word, logic and scriptures If in all these anything whatso- ever contrary to the convention is described by a poet out of carelessness, it is called the defect Desadivirodhi The follow- ing examples will clearify the point- (a ) Deśavrodhī- Karpūrapādapāmarsasurabhır malayānılah/ Kalıngavanasambhūtā mrgaprāyā matangajāh// 'The malaya-breeze is sweet-scented on account of the touch with camphor-trees The elephants born in the forests of Kalinga resemble the deer in their sıze' These statements are non-con- forming to the country Camphor-trees do not grow on the malaya-mountain In Kalinga elephants are not found This shows the poor topographical knowledge of the poet Such descriptions will render the poetry unreal (b ) Kālavırodhī- padmıni naktam unnıdrā sphutaty ahnı kumudvatī/ madhur utphullaniculo nidagho meghadurdinah// śravyahamsagiro varsāh śarado mattabarhinah/ hemanto nırmalādıtyah śisırah slāghyacandanah// 'The lotus blooms at night, the lily comes into full beauty in day , the spring makes the nicula break open, while the sum- mer days are cloudy The voice of swans is delightful in rainy season and the autumn makes the peacock excited , the sun shines clearly in Hemanta season while sandal-paste 1s appreciated in winter' All these are contrary to the natural facts (c ) Kalavırodhī-Dandın briefly deals wtih the mode in which contradiction with arts takes place Vīraśrngārayor bhāvau sthāyınau krodhavismayau/ Purnasaptasvarah so'yam bhınnamārgah pravartate// 'The dominant passion of the Heroic and the Erotic are wrath and astonishment Here is being enchanted a melody consist- ing of all the seven notes from which discordant sounds are excluded' These statements are all antagonistic to the establı- shed convention of arts The sentiments of the Heroic and the Erotic do not have wrath ( Krodha ) and astonishment

68 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

( Vısmaya ) as domınant passıons ( sthāyıbhāva) Utsaha anđ ratı ( valour and love ) are universally accepted as their domi- nant passions Sımılarly, bhınnamarga can not be pūrna- saptasvara (d) Lokavirodhi -- It is the case of conflict with the ordi- nary experience of the world the example of which is given in the following veres ādhūtakeśaro hastī tīksnaśrngas turangamah/ gurusāro'yam erando nıhsārah khadıradrumah// (e) Nyayavırodhı-when the statement goes against the established tenets of Hetuvidya-the science of Logic, it is the defect NyayavirodhI For example, satyam evāha sugatah samskārān avinaśvarān/ tathāhı sā cakorāksı sthıtaıvādyā'pı me hrdı// 'Lord Buddha is correct to state that Samskaras ( impressions ) are permanent and hence that lady having eyes like those of cakora remains in my heart even today' This proposition will be a case of NyayavirodhI on the part of a Buddhist The Buddhist's supposition is that all things are momentary ( sar- vam ksanıkam )20 and all things are transient ( sarvam anityam)

Again, Kāpılaır asadudbhūtıh sthāna evopavarnyate/ asatām eva dršyante yasmād asmābhır udbhavāh// 'The followers of Kapila rightly remark that the world grows from non-existence ( wicked only prosper ) because we do notice the growth of wicked persons' This assertion illustra- tes contradiction of sämkhya position which believes in satkār- yavāda (theory of the pre-existent cause ) The cause is nothing but the unmanifested effect and the effect is manifested cause Kapila maintains that the effect is existent only in latent state in the cause It is made patent by causal operation, it is not newly created The oil is already in oil-seed but by the causal operation of the efficient force it is brought out mn a manifested condition The only difference between the cause

20 cf S. D S p 19.v

CHAPTER IV 69

and the effect is that the cause is not manifest as effect to the senses whereas as by causal operation it becomes perceptible 21 Sabdo mtyah-the sound is eternal This proposition on the part of the exponent of Vaisesika will be a case of apasiddhanta-wrong assertion Their supposition is that words are impermanent whereas the Mimamsakas and Vaıya- karanās hold that they are permanent A contrary statement on the part of these philosophers will be a case of Nyāyavirodhi (f) Agamavirodhi-Dandin records also cases of conflict with scriptural authority For example, a Brähmana who has not performed the ceremony of agnyadhana is not authorised to do the sacrifice called vaisvänara on the birth of his son Further who is not vested with sacred thread ( yajñopavita ) is not entitled to study Veda A description of this adds in violation of Scriptural injunction causing the defect agama- virodha -- conflict with Scriptural authority Dandın however records cases where instances of conflict with reality, convention or scripture are made inoffensive by the skill of poet under peculiar circumstances Due to poet's imaginative power these deviations do not seem unnatural and cease to be defect As for example, tasya rājñah prabhāvena tadudyānānı jajñire/ ārdrāmsukapravālānām āspadam suršākhınām// 'Due to prowess of the king his garden became the abode of celestial trees whose tender leaves furnish ladies with fresh garments' Here the deviation of place is obvious The celes- tial trees do not grow on the earth But these descriptions serve to accentuate the unwanted majesty of the king and are regarded to get beyond the range of flaws And again, rājām vināsapısunaś cacāra Kharamārutah/ dhunvan Kadambarajasā saha Saptacchadodgamān// 'The violent wind foretold the ruin of the king as it blew

21 Cf Sankhyakārıka 9 asadakaranādupādanagrahanad sarvasambhavābhavāt/ śaktasya śakyakaranat kāranabhavacca sat kāryam// and cf Gita 11 16-Na'sato vidyate bhavo na'bhavo vidyate satah/

70 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

shaking the sprouts of saptacchada trees along with pollen of Kadamba flowers Here the co-incidence of rany season with autumn is described as an ill-omen because of its unnatural- ness, cf akāle phalapuspānı deśavıdravakāranam/ 'The calamity in the country is inferred if fruits and flowers grow out of season'

And lastly, prameyo' pyaprameyośı saphalopy ası nısphalah/ Ekas tvam apy aneko'sı namas te viśvamūrttaye// 'Though knowable, you cannot be known, though full of fruits you have to win no fruit, though one you are multiform, I pay you homage, O Visvamurtti' Though conflicting ideas are expressed such assertions do not lead to any blemish as they serve to emphasze the infinite and indescribable nature of God

CHAPTER V

VĀMANA'S CONCEPT OF DOSA

Vāmana ( c. 750-850 )1 defines Poetry as consisting of word and meaning embellished by gunas and ālankāras These latter serve to contribute to the beauty and excellence of poetry This can be effected by the avoidance of blemishes and appro- priation of excellent forms of expression and Figures of Speech What constitutes gunas ( excellences ) and alankāras ( beautify- ing forms of expression ) can be understood by study of the science of Poetics such as set out in the present work Ulti- mately Vamana finds in style (rtt) the very soul and essence of Poetry-rıtır atmā kāvyasya Rıtt (style ) consists of the composition and juxtaposition of distinctive expressions The distinctiveness is formed by the gunas which he defines later on Of these there are three different styles of composition ( rtis) which have been made conventional in Vidarbha. Gauda and Pāncāla and are respectively called Vaidarbhi, Gaudı and Pāñcāli He lays special emphasıs on Pratibhā ( genius ) as the main spring of Poetry This genius is a short of felicity which is acquired by prolonged cultivation in past life This is in sketch the introduction to the subject of Poetics by Vāmana As already stated Vamana recognises the fact that the dosas ( defects ) detract from the beauty of poetry and gunas are contributory to it In accordance with this dictum, he Sets out the different blemishes Some dosas ( blemishes ) are by nature the opposites of excellences ( gunas) They can be easly deduced from study of the nature of gunas (excellences) Yet elaboration of these types of blemishes or defects is resor- ted to for convenience of understanding and easy comprehension

1 S K De Hast Skt Poet Vol I p 82

72 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Vāmana's poetic theorv presents remarkable advancement of ideas on those of his predecessors The vague and unsys- tematic description of dosas disappears in his treatment. He deals with this topic systematically and elaborately Here we find distinct improvement in approach and clarity of concep- tion In hıs Kāvyalankarasūtra Vāmana lays down that Kāvya ( poetry ) is acceptable on account of alankära ( in the wider sense of beauty ), poetic beauty is gained by avoidance of dosas and acceptance of gunas and alankaras 2 It is to be noted that he gives precedence to dosahana ( avoidance of blemishes ) over acceptance of gunas and alankāras Gopendra in hıs Kāma- dhenu,3 an excellent commentary on the Kāvyalankārsūtra of Vamana, observes that Vamana has significantly put the word dosa first to indicate that the poet must be careful and avoid dosas in his composition This procedure is probably inspired by the maxim that evil should be averted prior to one's pur- suit of desired object The whole of the second chapter ( adhikarana ) of Vāmana's work deals with dosas and is aptly called dosadarsana ( a notice of defects ) We have seen that Bharata held that dosas in poetics are positive entities and gunas signify nothing more than their negation For the first time in the history of Sanskrit Poetics Vamana goes directly against the opinion of Bharata and maintains that dosas are opposite to gunas* and they may be known by implication One may raise an objection that when gunas are positive elements in Poetry an exposition of them in the first instance will entail knowledge of the precise nature of defects5 and this makes separate treatment of dosas superfluity. Vamana however anticipates such an objection on the part of the critic and answers that dosas are dealt with

2 Vamana I I 3 'sa dosa guna' lankara hana' danabhyam' 3 Kamadhenu on Vamana I 1 3 'ıstānuvarttanāt kuryāt prāga- nışta nıvarttanam' iti nıtya gunalankārādānāt pūrvam dosa- hanam eva kavınā kartavyam itı sūcayıtum dosahānasya pratha- mato nırdesah krtah 4 Vamana II I. 1 'guna-viparyayatmano dosah' 5 Ibid II I 2 'arthatastadavagamah'

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separately only for the sake of clear understanding6 by the neophyte and not for experts He therefore classifies them under the following four heads A Pada-dosa-defects of words B Padartha-dosa-defects of the meaning of word C Vakya-dosa-defects of the sentence and D Väkyārtha-dosa-defects of the meaning of the sentence This divisions of defects was appreciated and consequently adopted by other writers like Mammata As regards pada-dosas Vämana has the following sub- classes 1 Asadhu -- grammatically wrong, II Kasta-unmelodious, III Gramya-vulger, IV ApratIta-unknown and V Anarthaka-meanıngless I Asadhu-It is contrary to the rules of grammar Bha- rata, Bhamaha and Dandin call it sabdhahina An example of this defect 1s anyakāraka-vaıyarthyam. Grammatically it is wrong and it should be anyatkārakavaıyar- thyam, because the addition of duk is compulsorily enjoied by the rule of Paninı7 This is after all ungrammatical expression and it shows the utter incompetence of the writer or the spea- ker Of all defects solecism is worst and most repulsive It has therefore been giveu the place of priority by Vāmana II Kasta-A word which is ummelodious or harsh in sound and is unpleasant to the ear-srutivirasam8-is a defect For example, acūcurac candı kapolayos te Kāntıdravam drāg Viśadah śaśānkah/

6 Ibid II I $ 'saukaryaya prapancah' Panını VI III 99 aşasțhy atrtīyāsthasya'nyasya dug āsīrāsā- sthasthitotsukotikāraka-rāgaccheșu. 8. Vamana II. I 6

74 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

'O angry one, the clear moon has stolen the lustre of your cheeks'-Here the word acucurat and drag are harsh and jarr- ing to the ear Bhamaha9 and Abhnava10 have given exam- ples of this fault in words like ajthladat and trnedhi respectively The logic of this defect consusts in the fact that it offends the sense of hearing and thereby alienates the sympathy of the reader It injures the case of poets and receives short shrift at the very first utterance III Gramya-A word which is rustic and is not caused by the learned but only by common people who are not refined in speech is the defect gramya 11 For example, Kastam Katham rodıtı phūtkrteyam / 'Oh, how she cries with puffing sound' Here the word Phutkrta 1s the speech of rustic This is slang ( grāmya ) Bhamaha does not mention it but illustrates it in words like 'gandam apy apare necchanti' and here this 'ganda' is slang Vāmana further adds some more words to illustrate this point as talla, galla and bhalla which are endorsed by Mammata who illustrates- tāmbulabhrtagallo'yam tallam jalpatı mānusah/ IV Apratita-A word which is used only in technical treatıses ( sāstramātraprayukta )12 is a case of defect apratita. Vämana means to say that the poet should not use vulgar words and equally they should also not use the technical terms which are used in different branches of science alone. It should be marked that Vamana is the first to introduce the defect called apratita His example 1s Kım bhāsıtena bahunā rūpaskandhasya santı me na gunāh/ gunanāntarIyakam ca premeti na te'styupālambhah// 'What is the use of my saying much > I know I am wanting in the excellence of physical organism; and as love also is the invariable concomitant of that excellence I do not complain Here word rupaskandha and nantariyaka are not the part of

9 Bhāmaha I 53, yatha'jihladađ ıtyādı srutikasțam ca tad viduh 10 Locana P 214, Śrutikastastu adhaksīt aksotsīt trnedhītyādı 11 Vamana II I 7 'lokamatra prayuktam gramyam' 12 Ibid II. I 8

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current coin The former is a technical term of the Buddhist philosophy and the latter is that of the Nyayasastra There- fore these are the examples of the defect apratita The use of such expressions in poetry only gives the impression of obtru- sive pedantry Now the pride of learning as of virtue gives offence off hand to a man of taste Of course people of parti- cular profession are fond of talking shop But there should be a limit to it The use of such learned terminology in ordinary parlance seeks to put up a barrier between academic people and ordinary men By using such expression and putting on academic airs seek tto separate the learned section as an intel- lectual aristocracy from the common run It is too obvious an offence to require further comment

V Anarthaka -- When a meaningless or superfiuous word is inserted in the sentence simply to fill up the gape ( pūra- nartham )13 it constitutes the defect called anarthaka Vamana contends that poets sometimes ınsert ındeclinable particles like ca, tu and hi for the sake of filling up the requisite number of syllables in the metre and when such insertion does not serve the purpose of lending a graceful form to the sentence it 1s regarded as superfiuous It obviously points out the weak- ness of the poet and his poor command of language And thus it prejudices his case in advance As for example, udıtas tu hāstıkavınīlamayam tımıram nīpīyā kıranaıh savıtā/ 'The sun has risen after having drunk up, with his rays the darkness which was as densely black as a group of elephants' Here the particle tu has been inserted only for the sake of metre Neither its meaning 'bhedavadharana' ( differentiation ) 1s suited to the context nor its introduction brings home any grace to the composition Vamana gives an exception to it and states that when such insertion of particle adds to the beauty of the com- position -it is not a blemish As for example, na khalv ıha gatāgatā nayanagocaram me gatā/ 'Passing hither and thither she did not come within the range of my eyes' Here the word khalu serves to add grace to the

13 Vamana II I 9

76 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

sentence and hence it is not a case of flaw Bhāmaha calls it bahupūrana Vāmāna has given it a correct name which has been abopted by later writers The following are sub-classes of Pdarthadosas I Anyartha-Deviation from the conventional meaning II Neyärtha-far fetched sense III Güdhärtha-used in an uncommon meaning IV -Aslila-vulgar meanıng V Klısta-distant meaning I Anyärtha-when a word is used in a sense entirely diffe- rent from its accepted denotation ( rūdhicyutam )14 and the intended sense is deducible only from the etymology, it is the case of anyartha Vamana observes that the ordinary misuse of the word is not meant by his sutra, say, the use of the word 'ghata' ( a jar ) for 'pata ( cloth ) is too manifestly wrong to be mentioned Persons who do not understand even such man1- festly wrong uses are not fit for instruction in the niceties. As for example, te duhkham uccāvacam āvahantı ye prasmarantı priyasangamānām/ 'Those people experience great pain who recall the association of dear ones' Here the wrod 'avahanti' meaning 'doing' is used in the sense of 'carrying' which is deducible from the root vah-to carry Sımılarly prasmāranti' meaning 'forgetting' is used in the sence of 'remembering excellently' which may be deduced from the etymology of the root smr-to remember Vämana here draws attention to the fundamental rule of meaning These are words whose meaning is determined only by component parts analysed in etymological derivation. For example, the word pacaka ( the man who cooks ) is derived from the root pac and aka ( the agent-suffix ) These are called yaugika words derived from the combination of two verbal forms, the root and the suffix Though it is held by some lin- guists that all nominal bases are drived from varbal roots15 - 14 Vamana II I 12 15. Nırukta I 12 'tatra nāmāny ākhyātajānı itı sakațāyanah narukta- samayaś ca na sarvanī, tı gārgyah Vaiyakarananancaike'.

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but it is recognised that etymology does not in all cases bear on the conventional meaning of the word A word should be used to denote a meaning which is sanctioned by popular usage The linguists' speculations regarding the genesis of word from a radical have little influence upon its current mean- 1ng Thus avahati means 'doing' but is used here in the sense of 'bearing' Again prasmaratt is used in the sense of 'remem- bering with vividness' Though the meaning is derived analy- tically from the prefix pra and the root smr It is not the acceptation of the word Prasmarati means vismarati ( forgets) This is summed up in the dictum 16 'anyad hı śabdānām vyutpattınımıttam, anyacca pravrttinimittam' 1 e, the etymological and the conventional meanings in which the word is used are not necessarily the one and the same II Neyartha-When a word is used in fancful meaning ( kalptärtham )17 which is guessed out with great difficulty it 1s the case of defect called Neyärtha Vāmana means to say that the meaning desired to be conveyed is such as the word is never known to have, e g sapadı panktıvıhangama-nāma-bhrt- tanayasamvalıtam balaśālınā/ vipulaparavatavarsı Sitaih śaraih plavagasaınyam ulūkajitā jitam// 'The army of monkeys led by the sons of Daśaratha was de- feated by the conqueror of Indra by means bf sharp arrows showering thousands of mountains' Here the word 'pankti vihangama-nāma-bhrt' is made to signify Daśaratha Pankti, a metre consists of foot of ten syliables Hence panktt dūsa ( ten ) Vihangama is the name of the bird in general but here it will give the meaning of a particular bird 'cakravaka = ratha ( chariot ) Thus the whole word means dasaratha Again the word 'ulukajta' 1s made to signify 'Meghanadena' The word Kauśika18 denotes uluka ( owl ) as well as Indra. Thus Indra and ulūka are regarded forcibly to be synonyms and

16 S D P 36 17 Vamana II J 13. 18 A K p 398 Mahendra-guggulūlūka-Vyalagrāhışu kaušikah

78 CONCEPT OE POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETI CS

Indrajita is spoken of as ulukajita These are examples of the defect Neyartha Vamana here clarifies that use of words like 'rathanga-nama' for the bird 'cakravaka' is not tabooed Such usage has been accepted in common and is regarded as having its remote and indirect indication ( laksana) well recognised ( nırudha ) There are two kınds of laksana-nırūdha ( well esta- blished by long usage ) and the one that has recourse to for producing an effect Thus word kusala means skilful though its primary meaning might have been 'one skilled in collecting 'kusa' ( sacred grass )' Though it is a secondary meaning it is regarded as good as prlmary meaning because of long usage When the relation between primary and secondary meanings 1s far-fetched and much too strained the secondary meaning does not meet with approval It is called Neyartha whose meaning is to be deduced with extraordinary difficulty III Gudhartha-A word that has more than one signifi cation and if it is used in a rare signification ( aprasıddhartha prayuhtam19, it constitutes the defect called Gudhartha As for example, sahasragor ivā'nīkam duhsaham bhavatah paraih/ 'Your army is as invincible by your enemy as the army of Indra' Here the word 'sahasragu' is used to denote Indra This meaning can be got at by taking the word 'go' in the sense of eye-Indra having thoysand eyes But this signification is not generally attached to it The strain requred to arrive at a meaning spoils the charm of poetry It is called 'Gūdhasabda- bhidhana' by Bhāmaha The poet should not forget that his mission is to commun- cate thoughts and feelings to his audience Ifhe makes his meaning understood by reason of unfamiliar and unusual ex- pressions he fails to that extent Not only the poet but even ordinary speakers and writers should try to make themselves understood without much ado Circumlocution, unless it yields additional meaning calculated to add to the charm of the expre- ssion, also comes under this head. One of the secrets of good style is to avoid unitelligible expressions A good poet's, as also a good writer's, thoughts are deep enough and require reflection 19 Vamana II I 14

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on the part of the reader If the writer aggravates the diffi- culty by using word in strange senses they only show his bad craftmanship Padmapāda and Vācaspati give the compli- ments to Sankarācārya for lucidity of his diction inspite of the profundity of the meaning-Bhasyam prasanna-gambhiram IV Asllartha-It is indecorous word It is of two kinds ( a ) A word which has a double meanng with one which is unparliamentary ( asabhyarthantaram ) For example the word varcas means glory, splendour, and also human excreta (b) A word which is used in harmless meaning, but when taken by parts it may smack of indecency and indecorum { asabhyasmrtıhetuh ) For example the word Kıkātika, the part of which katika reminds an indecent meaning of the bier { pretayāna ) 20 The word 'srila' means which has grace, and aslila means ungraceful It is derived from 'a-srı' ( kāntyabhāva ), absence of loveliness It is further divided into three sub-classes, viz ( a ) rousing shame Words lıke Vākkatavam and hiranyaretas mean harshness of expression and fire respectively but their parts kata and retas, give the indecent significances of male organ and semen respectively ( b) rousing disgust, e g the word kapardaka means shell but its part parda has a vulgar sense or (c) rousing the sense of foreboding evils, e g samsthitah means established and also dead Bhamaha includes this defect in his Śrutidusta and arthadusta Vamana cites exceptions21 to his defect Words whose indecent meanings are ( a ) concealed ( gupta), ( b) indicated (Laksita) or entirely shrouded ( samvita) are not regarded as defective By 'concealed' is meant such words the unparlia- mentary meaning of which is not known in common, e g the word 'sambadha' Its famous meaning s obstacle ( sambādhe suravinam ) while the other indecent meaning of 'male organ' is concealed Similarly the words like Janmabhu ( motherland ) and subhaga (beautiful) have their indecent meanings farfetched

20 Kamadhenu quotes Varjayantı 'Preta-yanam khatıh katıh' 21 Vamana II I 16 'na gupta laksıta samvrtāni'

80 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

and shrouded by the common usage and as such these expres- sions are approved forms Vamana in support of his conten- tion quotes samvītasya hı lokena na dosā'nvesanam ksamam / Šıvalıngasya samsthāne kasyā'sabhyatva-bhāvanā // 'It is not proper to hunt out flaws of words that are accepted in ordinary usage When indecent significations are entirely shrouded from view, for instance, what man can have any no- tion of impropriety with regard to the Swvalinga ( the icon of Siva )', It is only man with morbid mentality or extremely cen- sorious indisposition or anti-religious bigotry who can scent any indecent suggestion Vämana concludes that words which are understood to have decent meaning by all should not be regar- ded as unparliamentary and an indecent import should not be read into it with labour V Klista-A word whose meaning is arrived at in an indirect and roundabout manner ( vyavahıtärtha pratyayam )22 1s called defect klista ( laboured) In other words it is a case where a word is used in a sense that does not proceed from it directly but is associated with it in a remote way, e g Daksātmajā-dayıta-vallabha-vedikānām / Jyotsnājusām Jalalavās taralam patantı // 'Drops of water are falling upon the platforms of silver in the moonlight' Here the meaning 'the platform made of moon- gems' of the word 'daksātmajā-dayıta-vallabha-vedikānām' ıs not directly conveyed and understood It is konwn in a round- about manner Daksatmajā means the daughter of Daksa (star), her dayıta ( beloved ) ıs the moon, and daksatmajā-dayıta-valla- bha-vedıkānam means candrakāntavedıkānam (the platform made of silver gems ) Obviously it is an involved expression which yields the intended meaning by putting unwonted strain on the understanding of the reader Vämana, however, main- tains that word wbose meaning is understood without lobour is not a case of this blemish For instance-kancigunasthanam- the girdle zone ( waist )

22 Vamana, II. I 21

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It is no doubt a case of circumlocution But it is not always regarded as an offence if its meaning can be easily understood In the example cited the meaning is understood by regular intellectual gymnastic But if any such expression has the sanction of usage it would not be regarded as fault Vamana observes that these two faults 'aslila' and 'klısta' may occur in sentences also and thus they may be regarded as faults of sentences as well We may note here that Vamana has followed Bhämaha and has accepted all his defects except 'avacaka' and 'ayuktımat'-dealt with in the first chapter of Bhämaha's work Defects of the sentence ( vakyadosas ) are the following - I Bhinnavrtta-deficiency in metre, II Yatibhrasta-misplaced caesura, and III Visandhi-unharmomious euphony I Bhinnavrtta-It is a metrical defect when it involves the breach of the rule of the metre ( sva-laksana-cyuta-vrttam ),23 ayı paśyası saudham āśrıtām / avırala-sumano-māla-bhārinim // 'Do you see ( the lady ) on top of the house, adorned with a garland of thickly studded flowers ? This is an instance of the metre 'vaitalīya' Here in the second foot six short syllables are used continuously which is against the rule II Yatibhrasta-That in which the caesura is so misplaced as to make the sentence unmelodious and unpleasant ( virasa- viramam )24 is called a defect 'yatibhrasta' ( misplaced Caesura) It occurs ( a) when a verbal root or nominal stem is broken up or ( b ) where the coalition of vowels is omitted. Examples are as follows ( a ) example when the verbal root is broken up- etāsām rājatı sumanasām dāma kanthāvalambı 'the garland of flower hanging by the neck of these ( women ) looks beautiful'. It is an example of the metre called mandā- kranta According to the rule of prosody this metre requires caesura on the 4th, 6th and 7th syllables of foot. Here the

23 Vamana, II II 2 24 Vamana, II II 3 6

82 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

fourth syllable is 'ra' of the verb 'rajati' This leads to the break- ing up of the verb 'raj' which is a defect Sımilarly the break- ing up of a nominal stem due to caesura leads to this fault

Vamana points out an exception to this defect He observes that breaking up of words at a point other than verbal root or nominal stem is not regarded as defect, e g, Šobhām pusyaty ayam abhinavah sundarīnām prabodhah 'This fresh awakening of beautiful girls enhances the charm' This is the foot of the metre mandakranta Here the caesura is on the fourth syllable 'Sya' It disjoins the conjugational affix 'ti' and the root is left intact Hence it is not the case of mis- placed Caesura Similarly in the case of the noun where it dis- connects the noun with declensional suffix and does not break the nominal stem, it is not the case of this blemish Vamana further adds a condition that where the disjunction is due to the collusion of vowel-sounds, it is not the case of this blemish Vāmana anticipates an objection to the separate treatment of misplaced Caesura ( yatibhrasta ) from the defect of metre (bhinnavrtta) Caesura forms a part of metre, so misplacement of Caesura should be considered as a defect of metre and as such should not be regarded as a different defect In answer to this objection and in support of his position Vamana contends that though Caesura is an essential part of metre the wrong use of it does not constitute metrical defect The definition of a metre and that of a Caesura are different and therefore the two should not be confounded A metre consists in the adjustment of long and short syllables If the number and arrangement of sylla- bles do not exceed or fall short of the requisite condition, there will be no defect in the metre Misplacement of Caesura does not involve the breach of metre It offends the poetic sense by reason of the unjustifiable split-up of an individual nominal stem or verbal root The commentator points out that if the Caesura be properly placed and there be malad justment of long and short syllables it will be a case of breach of the metre If the arrangement of long and short vowels be properly observed there is no case of metrical defect, but there may be a wrong use of Caesura, So the two cases should be kept apart

CHAPTER V 83

It should not be considered that too much importance has been attached to metre There is a saying 'one can put masa for masa which is quite unjustifiable for the sake of preserving metrical purity but under no condition breach of metre' 'apı māsam masam kuryāt Chandobhangam na kārayet' III Visandhi-The cacophonous is that where the collusion of words is unharmonious s Collusion is of two types, one 1s of vowel sounds and the other is mere juxtaposition, the draw- ing together of words When it turns into an unharmomious euphony it is regarded as a flaw called visandhi This unhar- monious euphony is of three kinds, ( a ) the disjoined, ( b) the indecorous and ( c ) the discordant ( a ) Disjoined-where each word stands apart by itself without being combined the adjacent syllables of other words when such combination is possible by rule, it is a defect We may note the observation of Mammatabhatta on this topic He says that even a single omission of the collusion is a fault, where it is omitted without any reason except the wish of the speaker or writer, but when the omission is due to grammatical rule precluding the combination then it is to be regarded as cacophonous only When in a single verse there are more than one omissions it is a defect according to poetic convention 25 As for example, Meghānılena amunā etasmınnadrıkānane / lolālakānubaddhānı ānanānı cakāsatı // Here the combinations have been omitted between the words anılena and amuna, amuna and etasmin, and again between anubaddhānı and ānanānı And agaın, Kamale ıva locane ıme anubadhnātı vilāsapaddhatıh / Here the collusion is omitted on account of grammatical rules precluding such collusion in the case of dual case-endings. Although it is not ungrammatical but such collocation of words is rhetorically reprehended

25 Kamadhenu on Vamana II II 8. 'atra pragrhyādıhetukama vısandhı na bhavatı ıtı sakrt prayoga-vışayam ıdam draştavyam, asakrt-prayoge tu dustam cva'

84 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

(b) Indecorous-It is that collusion which indicates some thing indecent suggestive of shame ( vrīda ), disgust ( jugupsa ) and inauspiciousness ( amangala ) Examples are (1) Shame-vırecakam ıdam nrttam ācāryābhāsayojitam / Here the sound yabha in the combination acaryabhasa 1s shameful ( 11) Disgust- Cakāse panasaprāyaıh purī sandamahādrumaıh / Here due to juxtaposition the sound of sepa in the combination of words cakase and panasa, and the sound of purisa in the combination of words puri and sanda, are suggestive of disgust ( 111 ) Inauspiciousness- Vınā śapathadānābhyām padavādasamutsukam / Here the collusion of words vina and sapatha brings the sound of vinasa ( destruction ) which is inauspicious (c) Discordant-when the collusion of vowel sounds is painful to the ear it is a case of defect For example mañjaryy udgamagarbhās te gurvv ābhogā drumā babhuh / Here the collusion of vowel sounds in manjaryyu and gurvva are unpleasant to the ear After disposing of the formal defects of the sentences Vamana introduces those of the meanings of sentences These are sıx in number- I. Vyartha-incompatible II Ekartha-redundant III Sandıgdha-dubious IV Ayukta-improper statement V Apakrama-break of sequence VI Loka-vidyā-viruddha-opposed to popular and scientific conceptions I Vyartha-when the meaning of one word contradicts with that of other ( vyahatapuirvottarartham )26 it is a defect called Vyartha As for example, adya'pı smaratı rasālasam mano me mugdhāyāh smaracaturānı cestitānı / 26 Vamana, II II. 10

CHAPTER V 85

'My longing mind still recalls the amorous sportings of the unsophisticated simple gul' The statement 'amorous spor- tings of the unsophisticated ( mugdha )' is incompatible A mugdha is uninitiated to the artful tactics of love-making Mugdha is ratau vāma

11 Ekartha-when a word expresses a meaning which has alreadv been conveyed by another word ( uktārtham padam )27, it constitutes the defect called ekartha For instance, cintāmoham anangam anga tanute vipreksitam subhruvah / 'O friend ' the glances of the one having charming eyebrows produce in my mind thoughts of love giving rise to anxiety and stupefaction' Love expresses itself of the form of cinta ( anxiety ) and moha ( stupefaction ) Thus the mention of both cinta and moha becomes superfluous Vāmana however contends that redundan y is not regarded as a blemish if additional meaning is intended to be signified Vämana seems to be the first writer to draw attention to cases of apparent pleonasm Here the specific mention of a word the meaning of which is included in that of the substantive does not appear to involve pleonasm, but is not really one since it gives an additional meaning by implication For instance, the word jya means the string of a bow, so in the expression dhanurjya the mention of bow (dhanus) 1s likely to strike one as redundant But it is a legitimate form of expression since it imples that the string is actually attached to the bow. The string of the bow may be kept loose from it So the specific mention of dhanus in dhanurjya is justified Pleonasm is a defect when the meaning of two expressions is actually one and the same without a shade of difference. The exception cited above shows that it is not a case of mere duplication There are other expressions such as Karnāvatamsa ( ear- ring ), Śravana-kundala ( ear ornament ) and sırahsekhara ( the garland on the head) The word avatamsa means an orna- ment of the ear, so the express mention of karna ( ear ) as an adjective is superfluous Similarly the remaining two words

27 ıdıd, II. II 11

86 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

sravana and sirah are apparently superfluous But the express mention of adjectives ear etc is significant of an important fact It implies that the ornaments are actually attached to the ear and in case of sekhara which means head garland the mention of sirah ( head ) as the qualifying adjective is likely to appear as superfluous But it conveys the meaning that the garland is actually mounted on the head 28 It is not necessary that the ornamental decoration should be actually associated with parts of the body-they are fit to adorn. Likewise expression muktāhāra is apparently a case of redun- dancy because hara means a necklace of pearls So, the express mention of mukta as qualifying adjective is redundant But it is justified because it means that the necklace consists of pearls alone and not mixed with other gems Similarly mala which means a garland of flowers need not be qualified by puspa ( flower ) But the expression puspamala is signi- ficant because it means a garland of excellent flowers Of course the word mala ( garland ) is also used in such expre- ssions as ratnamala ( garland of gems ) and sabdamala ( garland of words ) and they have no reference to flowers But these uses are figurative and the word garland is used in a metapho- rical sense The word mala ( garland ) used tout court means a garland of flowers and nothing else Again the expression karı-kalabha is also an exceptional case Kalabha means a young offspring of an elephant, so, the use of karı-kalabha smacks of repetition But here it means that the young one is virtually a full-fledged elephant by reason of its strength and height Similarly an apparent repetition is not to be censured if the mention of the quali- fying adjective is needed in giving an additional significance For example, jagāda mađhurām vācam višadāks arasālınīm / 'He spoke sweet words with distinctly articulated syllables Speaking implies the use of words but not of special quality Vāmana has cited these examples as exceptions because they are found to be used by men of unquestionable authority 28 Vāmana, II II 14 'Karnavatamsa sravanakundala sırah sekhareşu karnadınirdesah sannıdheh'

CHAPTER V 87

and mastery of diction He however utters a word of caution One should not make use of such expressions if they are not sanctioned by authoritative use 29 Thus the use of mtambakāncı ( a girdle on the buttock ) which is unwarranted because that is the meaning of the word kanc and the express statement of the word nitamba ( buttock ) constitutes pleo- nasm So also with ustra kalabha In one word, one should not multiply such uses on analogy without the sanction of tradition III Sandigdha-The senten.e which, due to mention of common properties or due to non mention of distinguishing features, gives rise to doubt ( samsa, akrt )30 1s the case of a defect called sandigdha ( dubious ) As for example- sa mahātmā bhāgyavaśān mahāpadam upāgatah / It is dubious if this sentence means that the high-minded person unfortunately ( abhagyavasat ) fell into trouble ( apadam upāgatah ) or fortunately ( bhāgyavaśat ) reached a high position ( maha-padam upagatah) Such sentences are bound to create confusion in the mind of the reader when there is absence of crucial evidence such as the context and the like IV Ayukta-That sentence the meaning of which is illusory due to māyā etc ( māyādıkalpitārtham )31 is the case of the defect ayukta Vāmana does not illustrate it The Kāmadhenu however cites an example from the Vidagdha mukha mandana' prāhur vyastam samastam ca dvır vyastam dvıh samastakam / tathā vyastasamastam ca dvir vyastakasamastake // Vāmana means to say that riddles, puzzles and also mystic utterarces are instances of this defect. V Apakrama-A sentence where the idea expressed is not in proper sequence ( kramahInārtham )32 is called apakrama

29 Vamana, II II 19 'tadıdam prayuktesu' tadıdam, uktam prayuktesu naprayūktesu na hı bhavatı yathā sravana kundalam 1t1 tatha nıtamba kañcı ıtyapı Yathā va karı-kalabha it1, tathā usțrakalabba ity api 30 Idid II II 20 31 Idid II II 21 32 Vamana II II 22.

88 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

( unsymmetric ) There should be a definite order and r la- tionship in the subject and predicate of the sentence If order and relationship are reversed the sentence suffers from this defect As for example, Kīrtıpratāpau bhavatah sūryācandramasoh samau / 'Your fame and glory are like the sun and the moon' Here it is desired to express that fame is like the moon and glory is like the sun Such is the poetic convention And thus the word 'moon' ( candra ) should have preceded the sun ( sūrva ) Candrasuryau, therefore, should have been proper instead of sūr yācandramosau Vamana givas an alternative explanation of his dictum that the prior mention of the more important thing in a sentence is a Krama and the absence of this constitutes the defect apakrama In the light of this explanation he illustrates turangam atha mātangam prayacchā'smai madālasam / 'Give him a horse or an intoxicated elephant' Here the pre- sents should be mentioned in order of their value A more valuable thing is named before a less valuable one The ele- phant should, therefore, be mentioned before the horse. Mammata calls it duskrama VI Loka vdyā-viruddha-This comprehends desa ( place ), kāla ( time ), loka ( world ) and vidya ( science ) Thus a state- ment which is opposed to experience and expresses ideas con- trary to nature of these, constitutes a defect Vāmana splits it up into two-(a) Lokavruddha and (b) Vidvaviruddha. ( a ) Loka-vıruddha Loka ıncludes desa, kāla and loka when a description is opposed to desa, kala and loka it aliena- tes the sympathy of the audience A few examples will clear this point Desaviruddha- sauviresv astı nagarī Mathurā nāma viśrutā / Aksoța nārıkelādhyā yasyāh paryantabhūmayah // In the State of Sauvira ( the Punjab ) there is a famous city called Mathura, the lands of which are full of walnuts and coconuts'. This statement is improper as it expresses ideas

CHAPTER V 89

against experience Mathura is not situated in Sauvira, nor do walnuts and coconuts grow in lands adjacent to it The Kamadhenu states that walnuts are found in the mountainous regions as Kashmir and Mathura is on the bank of the river Yamunā in Uttara Pradesa ( formerly United Provinces) Coco- nuts grow neither in Mathura nor in Sauvira It grows only in the seacoast or the Gangetic Delta Kālavruddha-

Kadamba-kusumasmeram madhau vanam aśobhata / 'The forest shone with flowers of Kadamba in spring' Thıs statement is contrary to the nature of time Kadamba blossoms during the rains and not during spring Similarly, if the poet makes a statement aganst the nature of things it shows the poor knowledge of the poet and is a defect The Kamadhenu however contends that descriptions which have the sanction of the convention of poets lose the nature of defects and are regarded as embellishments due to the conven- tion dominating everything which is current among poets For example-13 Susıtavasanālankārāyām kadācana kaumudī mahası sudrśı svaıram yāntyām gato'stam abhūd vidhuh / tadanu bhavatah kīrtıh kenāpy agīyata yena sā prıyagrham agān muktāśankā kva nāsı śubhapradah // 'Once a certain woman dressed in white garments and orna- ments was going at her sweet will when the moon disappeared, after that your fame was sung by somebody, by means of which she went to her lover's place without fear Where are you not a source of happiness " This is also acase of poetic exaggeration but it does not strike a student of poetry as absurd because poets stretching over gene- rations have likened fame to a white substance A sweet dic- tion is again likened with milk and so it is described śrosyasi srotrapeyam' 34 There are many such poetic conventions which

33 Kamadhenu on Vamana II 2 23 Lokaviruddham api kvacit kav samayaprasıddheh prabalyat na dustam 34 Meghaduta, 13

90 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POET'CS

have been taken by the poets and readers as variety of the first order At any event their reality is not called in question on account of the longstanding custom (b) Vidyā-viruddha-It comprehends the principles of (1) arts and (11) sciences Statements which are contrary to the established principles of arts and sciences ( Kala catur vargaśāstra-viruddhānı ) constitutes this fault Kalāvıruddha- Kālıngam lıkhıtam ıdam vayasya patram patrajňaır apatıtakotıkantakāgram / 'O friend, this is a Kalinga letter having its corner not turned down' That is the characteristic of the Kalinga that the alpha- bets are written with curves on their heads But here it is des cribed that the letters are without such overhead curves This is opposed to the art of writing in vogue in Kalınga Śāstravuuddha- Ahankārena jIyante dvısantah kım nayaśrıyā / 'Enemies are conquered by pride. What is the need of policy"' This statement is against the view of Political Science ( artha- sastra ) The enemies are to be conquered by observance of the rules of Statecraft but not by pride And again, devatābhaktıto muktir na tattvajūāna sampadā 'Salvation is attained by devotion to gods, not by knowledge of Reality' This obviously contradicts the contention of the sastras which proclaim salvation by knowledge It is the con- clusion of all the systems of Indian Philosophy that our bond- age and loss of freedom are due to the ignorance of the ultimate truth, and salvation is achieved by true konwledge 35 But Bhakti ( devotion to God ) has a place of paramount impor- tance in the lives of spiritual aspirants But Bhakti ( devotion ) must be enlightened by the knowledge of the object of love and cannot be blindly directed Again, Bhakti leads to knowledge God is pleased by devotion of the individual and exhibits His true nature and that of the world and the relation of the indivi-

35 NSG I 1 1 'pramanaprameya nıgrahasthananam tat- tvajnanan nisśreyasadhigamah'.

CHAPTER V 91

dual and of God in their full bearings It is said in the Gita in which the way of the Divine Love is described as the way of perfection that "by devotion and love the devotee knows Me and knowing Me in reality as I am he enters into Me",36 This is also the interpretation of Svāmi Vıvekānanda He admits para bhaktı ( supreme devotion ) and para vdya (supreme know- ledge ) are one and the same thing Even Śridharācārya, the celebrated commentator of the Gita who is noted for his theistic perferences has not been able to throw knowledge of the Truth overboard He avers that knowledge is the function of devo- tion just like the hot burning of the fuel is the necessary condi- tion of cooking Thus we see that Vamana deals with dosas elaborately We find the distinct improvement in his approach and clarity of conception For the first time in the history of Sanskrit Poe- tics he classifies dosas under four heads which we have already dıscussed At the end of the treatment of these dosas Vamana observes that these defects are to be known by poets for their avoidance There are suksma-dosas also which have been dealt with in the chapter on Gunas His commentator further elabo- rates this point and finds out the underlying significance He says that the four types of dosas discussed aboveare to be taken as the sthuladosas ( gross faults) which can be detected even by men of superficial knowledge Vāmana has again divided them into two different aspects, viz, ( a ) sthula dosas, defects which mar poetic beauty in general and ( b ) suksma dosas37 which are not competent enough to hinder the charm of poetry These suksma dosas do not detract so much from the poetic beauty as the former but they are to be avoided in the best types of com- positions Thus the distinction of nitya ( constant ) and anitya ( transitory ) dosas was also perhaps hinted at by Vāmana They may be opposites of gunas and correspond to viparyaya dosas of Dandin They prevent poetry reaching perfection

36 Gita XVIII 55 Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas ca'smi tattvatah / tato mam tattvato jñatva visate tad anantaram // 37 Kamadhenu p 67 'Suksmah kavyasaundarya ksepanatiksamah'

92 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

They may not rob poetry of its rightful place in the domain of poet.cal art, but stand in the way of reaching the highest top of excellence Vāmana enumerates six upama dosas in the second adhyāya of the fourth adhikarana of his work They are as follows -

I Hinatva-deficiency II Adhikatva-excess 1II Lingabheda-difference in gender IV Vacanabheda-difference in number V Asadrsya-absence in resemblance, and VI Asambhava-ımprobabilıty We deal with them in their proper order

I Hinatva-where upamana ( the object compared with ) 1s inferior to upameya ( the object compared ) in ( a ) caste ( b) magnitude (c) quality, it constitutes the defect Hinatva-defi- ciency of simile

(a) Caste ( Jatı )- Cāndālaır ıva yusmābhıh sāhasam paramam krtam / 'You have done the act of daring as a candala', Here the com- parison of brave man with candala is too broadly offensive to the taste (b) Magnitude ( Pramãna )- Vahnısphulınga ıva bhānur ayam cakāstı 'The sun shines like the spark of fire' This is the case of infe- riority of magnitude The comparison of the great sun with insignificant spark of fire is improper (c) Quality ( dharma )- Sa munır lānchito maunjyā Krsnājinapatam vahan / Vyarājan nīlajīmūtabhāgāślısța ıvā'mśumān // The sage with girdle string and putting on the black antelope skin, appeared like the sun surrounded by dark clouds' Here - tadıt ( the lightning ) corresponding to the girdle string made of muñja is not mentioned in the upamana, the sun It Is the case of hinatva due to deficiency of essential qualities in the upamana It cannot be contended that the statement of the black mass of

CHAPTER V 93

cloud involves the flash of lightning because the two are not necessarily concomitant The rule of implication or involve- ment holds good only in cases where, on account of necessary concomitance the presence of one implies that of the other So, the expressed statement of the latter is not necessary, e g madhuprsatpingah payobindavah' 'drops of water resembling yellowish drops of honey', or, 'Kanakaphalakacaturasram Śronıbımbam' 'hips are as smooth as a seat of gold' The raindrops are compared to yellowish drops of honey The yellowish shape is not mentioned because it is implied by the yellowish colour of honey Such is also the case when the buttocks of a lady are compared with a square plate of gold The yellow colour is not mentioned because it is invariably concomitant with gold There is a definite deficiency of the corresponding qualities in upamana but this is not regarded as a fault because all the qualities stated together serve to make it fit object of comparison ( upameya ) to the upamana, 'Chaste ladies bereft of their husbands', as in the example- Suryāmsu sammīlita locanesu dīnesu padmānilanirmadesu / Sādhvyah svagehesv ıva bhartrhīnāh kekā vinešuh śıkhınām mukhesu // II Adhikatva-The same law governs the cases of excess Examples are- ( a) Caste- Visantu vistayah sīghram rudrā iva mahaujasah 'Let the servants ( vistis ) enter like the mighty Rudras' There is a gulf of difference between the upamana and the upameya, in respect of status So also in the following case which illustrates extraordinary excess in respect of magnitude (b) Magnitude- 'pātālam iva nābhıs te stanau Kșıtıdharopamau' 'Your navel is like netherworld and breasts are like mountains, All these cases serve to show that there is glaring disparity bet -. ween upamana and upameya and as such the similitude is in- adequate and inappropriate.

94 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

As has been pointed out in the Kamadhenu that cases of defi- ciency and excess in respect of social status and magnitude have relevancy to individual object But the case of disparity caused by the deficiency or excess in terms of comparison involves camparison between two propositions ( vākyārtha ) The attri- butes of upamana and upameya are stated in the form of sen- tence The comparison, then, extends to the terms together with their qualifying adjectives Deficiency and excess are relative terms and the presence of one in either term involves the oppo- site in the other. The rason d'etre of the defect lies in the aeficiency of similitude and parallelism between the two terms constituted by this excess or by diminution of the common qualties, which form the basis of similarity

Though there is divergence of opinion among philosophers whether similarity ( sadrśya ) is an ultimate category ( padārtha ) as held by the Prabhakara School of Mimāmsists and Patañjali, the author of the Mahabhasya or is a syntactic concept consti- tuted by a number of striking common attributes between two numerically distinct concepts as maintained by the Nvaya Vaisesika school 38 It is undeniable that sımilarity 1s understood on the basis of common attributes. The difference is more metaphysical than epistemological Even those who maintain that similarity is an ultimate category irreduct- ble to any one of these categories, endorsed by the Nyaya- Vaisesika school, have to admit that similarity is revealed by common attributes though not constituted by the latter The problem of poetics fortunately steers clear of this metaphysical tangle The essential point in simile is the question of sımila- rity as understood by a student of Poetry who may be uncon- cerned with Metaphysics The similarity must be strikingly ađequate and graceful The defects enumerated above only tend to show that the basis of comparison in the simile under consideration does not fulfil the requisite condition

38 NSM p 59-Sairsyam api na padarthantaram, kintu tadbhin- natve sati tadgatabhuyodharmavattvam. Yatha candrabhin- natve satı candragatahladakadımattvam mukhe candrasādrsyam,

CHAPTER V 95

III Lingabheda-When difference of gender occurs between upamana and upameya it is a defect, e g, Saınyānı nadya iva jagmur anargalānı Here the object compared sainyant ( armies ) is in the neuter whereas its upamana is in feminine gender IV Vacanabheda-When there is difference in number of upamāna and ut ameya it is a fault, e g Pāsyāmı locane tasyāh puspam puspalıho yathā / Here aham' ( understood ) is singular while its upamāna madhulhah is in plural, and again, locane ( dual ) is compared to puspam ( sıngular) This is an example of disparity of Number V Asadrsya-when there is absence of resemblance in the qualities of upamāna and upameya ( apratitaguna-sādr- syam )39 it constitutes the fault of simile grathnāmı kāvyaśaśınam vitatārtharaśmım Here there is no resemblance between the qualities of poetry and moon It is a clear case of asadrśya VI Asambhava-when something absolutely improbable is described it is a case of asambhava, e g, cakāstı vadane tasyāh smitacchāyāvıkāsınah 'Smile looks beautiful on her shining face as the moonlght on the blooming lotus' The blooming of the lotus-flower with the moonlight is impossible Hence the above statement is an instance of asambhava Difference in Number and Gender is regarded as a defect in so far as it detracts from the understanding of similarity between upamana and upameya Where by reason of long usage, tradition or common ways of looking at things the similitude is not affected by the formal difference of number and gender and the like the simile is regarded as perfect As a matter of fact there should be concordance between upamāna and upameya and the elements of this concordance must not overwhelm the similarity between them Patañjalı, the author of the Mahabhasya propounds a rule of exegesis ( parıbhāsa )-'nan ıva yuktam anyasadr-

39 Vamana IV. II 16

96 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

sadhikarane tatha hy arthagatih' It means a word with negative prefix na or with iva as a suffix denotes a different object which is similar because this is the way in which the meaning of such expression is understood Thus 'many men say a non-Brähmana should be appointed for the task' The word 'non-Brahmana' means not anything different from Brahmana stock or stone but a human being who is like a Brähmana in other respects than caste. But the crux appears in the expresion-anyasadrsadhikarane ( an object sımilar but different ) According to Nyāya Vaisesika philosophers 'similar' means different because similarity is predicable only of two numerically different obje ts But here different ( anya ) and sımilar ( sadrsa ) are both mento- ned as the adjectives of alhikarana ( dravya) Either of them is redundant but Patañjali who is very critical and scrupulous in the use of words cannot be charged with igno- rance of the implication of the word employed by him He is the last man to commit looseness of expression According to him similarity is an ultimate category which is compatible even with identity Similarity is indefinable because it is analysable into proper constituents It can be described as that which is the object of the sense of sımılarıty-sadrsam ıtt dhıvısayatvam sādısyam So the doctrine that similarity is an ultimate category is as old as, if not older than, Patañjalı Prabhākara, the founder of the school of Mimamsa called gurumata only resurrects an old theory Hobhouse upholds this theory of ultimacy of similarity It is not reducible to identity in difference as contended by the Nyāya-V aisesika theory

Thus it may be observed that Vamana has followed his predecessor and accepted upamadosas as catalogued by Bhamaha and Dandin He however does not accept Vipar- yaya upamadosa as both of the varieties, viz, hīnopama and adhikopama have been included in the general hinatva and adhikatva It is clear that he has been influenced by Dandin in this respect. Vamana, like Bhāmaha, does not take an exaggerated statement as a defect in simile.

CHAPTER VI

RUDRATA'S EXAMINATION OF DEFECTS

Rudrata evidently came after Bhämaha, Dandın, Udbhata and Vamana He flourished between 825 and 875 A D1 He does not simply reproduce the thoughts of his predecessors or blindly follow them in the expression of his own views He has given abundant evidence of his originality He has utilised the contributions of his predecessors and made some remark- able advance and introduced new concepts It is sure that he was deeply influenced by Bharata's Nätyasastra and his chap- ters on rasa and incidentally the defferent varieties of heroes and heroines are definitely reminiscent of Bharata's Natyasastra In the old school Rudrata seems to be the first writer on poetics to introduce rasa as a prominent element2 of poetry it is how- ever not clear whether he makes rasa a co-ordinate factor of poetry with gunas and alankaras He evidently assigns a very important plåce to rasa but makes it a means to the realisation of caturvarga, the fourfold end of life, Dharma ( Religious merit ), Artha ( Economic affluence ), Kāma (Enjoyment of legitimate pleasure of the world ) and Moksa ) ultimate eman- cipations from the limitations of life of worldly existence In this he seems to be influenced by Bhamaha's views 'The culti- vation of good poetry brings efficiency in fourfold end of life, and produces fame and pleasure' 3 But he evidently prepares the way for the supremacy of rasa in poetry which has been advocated by subsequent writers It is not deniable that Rud- rata has exercised far-reaching influence on the later writers

1 S K De, Hist Skt Poet Vol I p 28 2 Rudrața, I 4 'Jvalad ujjvalāvakprasarah sarasam kurvan mahā- kavıh kāvyam' 3 Bhamaha, I 2 dharmārtha kāma moksesu vaicaksanyam kalāsu ca / prītım karotı kīrtım ca sadhukavyanıbandhanam //' 7

98 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

His justification of poetry on the ground of its yielding various advantages4 is endorsed by Mammata and others His conception of poetry is in line with that of Bhamaha He accords co equal status to sabda (diction ) and artha ( mean- ing ) Though he agrees with Dandın in many cases he does not seem to endorse the extraordinary view of Dandın regard- ing the character of Kävya ( poetry ) in which artha has been subordinated to sabda But Rudrata is noted for his eclec- ticsm His conception of sakti ( power ) also called pratibha ( genius ) is in agreement with that of Dandın And his defini- tion of Vyutpatti (the knowledge of different branches of study) is taken up by Mammata with the difference that Rudrata re- gards it as conducive to the emergence of power for poetic composition, whereas Mammata makes it one of the triple con- dition of poetry Following Rudrata's Ipse dıxit Jagannātha seems to chime with Rudrata regarding the efficiency of know- ledge for the development of poetic power The assertion of Rudrata that all words and meanings provide the wherewithal to the poet to produce his composition is only a paraphrase of Bhamaha's dictum 5

All the ancient thinkers were of the opinion that the poet must have first hand knowledge of the world in all its aspects This will make his creation rich in quality and edification Rudrata is emphatic in his insistence upon the equipment of the poet His treatment of alankāras both formal and mate- rial is a record of the advance and improvement he made upon his predecessors His definitions and illustrations are his own production They show clearness of conception and mastery of diction In spite of all these striking traits of originality, freshness of outlook and broad liberality of spirit are strong enough to shake off the prejudices fostered by traditions in the alankāra school It is nothing short of a miracle that Rudrata had no follower and consequently no school was founded in

4 Rudrata, I. 4 to 10 Verses, K P, P 6 Kāvyam yasase' rthakrte vyavahāra-vide sıvetara-ksataye / sadyah para-nırvrtaye kāntā-sammita-tayo' padesa yuje // 5 Rudrata, I 19 and cf Bhamaha, V 4

CHAPTER VI 99

his name It is difficult to assign him to Alankara School of Bhamaha, to Riti School of Vamana or to Rasa School although he incorporated in his work the characteristic contributions of these schools In one word he was eclectic in his views and taste though he is very seldom led under contribution by modern writers He seems to pave the way for the advent of the modern school headed by Ananda- vardhana

Of course we do not find in Rudrata's work any antici- pation of Dhvant theory Furthermore the logical assessment of guna, alankara, ritt and rasa is not found in Rudrata This was reserved for modern school Rudrata seems to be a solitary figure in the field of Sanskrit poetics but he was the first man of the old school to trace the importance of rasa 6 H1s examples are apt and appropriate Though he has devoted considerable space to the treatment of sabdālankāras lıke yamaka ( chime ), ślesa ( paranomasia ), he always utters a word of admonition that the poet should make judicious use of them at the end of every chapter In the course of his discourse on slesa in chapter IV of his work he has expressed his view that even a mere similarity of verbal expression also can function as the link between upamana and upameya, just as the similarity of meaning, quality or action does In the controversy between the followers of Udbhata and Mammata followed by Vlśvanātha regardıng the independence or otherwise of ślesa as a figure of speech both Mammata and Visvanatha quote Rudrata's opinion in support of their contention In spite of the fact that Rudrata did not find a successor to continue the development of his views he has won esteem and appreciation from later writers As we have observed, according to Rudrata, sabda ( word ) and artha ( meaning ) constitute poetry In this he follows in the footsteps of Bhamaha It is remarkable that except Dandmn all writers on poetics have given co-equal status to diction and meaning as the constituent element of poetry. Of course Dandin does not ignore the part played by

6 Rudrata, XIV 38

100 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

meaning but he makes the latter a subordinate though inevi- table appendage of words This is supported by Jagannatha alone with plausible arguments These arguments have been shown to be based upon partial appraisal by Nāgeśa Whatever be the merits of this theory Bhamaha's original position has been endorsed by all noteworthy writers and commentators 7 Rudrata holds that gunas are all negations of faults and thus he follows Bharata He divides poetic faults broadly into two groups (1) verbal and (2) material In the begin- ning of the second chapter of the Kāvyālankāra he enume- rates six dosas in general and maintains that the absence of these faults constitutes the excellence of poetry These faults are as follows I Nyunapada-deficiency of word, II Adhikapada-excess of word, III Avācaka-inexpressive, IV Dustakrama-wrong position of word, V Apustartha-inadequate meaning, VI Acärupada-unpleasant to ear These faults have been explained and illustrated bv Namisadhu, the excellent commentator of the Kavyālankāra I Nyunapada-It is a sentence with absence of an essen- tial word Due to insufficiency it may cause (a) dustartha- pratiti-Apprehension of undesired meaning or (b) vivaksı- tārthapratiti8 -- absence of intended meaning, e g Sampado Jalatarangavilolāh yauvanam tricaturānı dınānı / Šāradābhram ıva pelavam āyuh Kım dhanaıh parahitāni kurudhvam // Fortunes are ephemeral like bubbles of water, youth lasts for few days only, life is as fragile and unstable as the cloud in autumn What is wealth worth ? Do good to others' Here the last sentence-Kım dhanaıh parahitāni kurudhvam-expres- ses undesired meaning in absence of the word Karyam after the

ıbid, II 8 8 Namisadhu on Rudrata II 8

CHAPTER VI 101

word dhanath The sentence ıs Kim dhanaıh kāryam, parahitāni kurudhvam ( what is the use of wealth ? Do good to others ) The defect springs from the ambiguity of construction giving two meanings, one good and the other bad Dandin calls this defect Neyartha Namisādhu9 further cites an exception to this defect as yaś ca nımbam paraśunā yaś caınam madhu-sarpısā / yaś caınam gandhamālyābhyam sarvasya kațur eva sah// 'The margo tree is bitter to all, whether one cuts it with axe, sprinkles it with honey and butter or whether one decorates it with scent and garland of flowers' Here the verbs are not stated but they are easily understood Thus the omission of verbs does not make it unintelligible Hence it is not a defect II Adhikapada-When the same intended meaning which is expressed by word is again conveyed by another word it is a case of the defect adhikapada ( excess of word ) e g Sphāradhvānāmbudālī valayaparıkarālokanam premadāmnah / Here the meaning 'mass of clouds' is conveyed by the word 'ambudāli' and again the use of 'valayaparıkara' constitutes this defect 'Valaya means 'circle' and 'parikara' means 'mass' Unnecessary addition of words without corresponding addition in meaning is obviously a fault This shows that the writer simply wants a padding out for meeting the demand of metre III Avacaka-That which does not express intended ideas is a case of ths defect, e g lāvanyasındhur apareva hı keyam atra yatrotpalānı śaśınā saha samplavante/ unmajjatı dviradakumbhatațī ca yatra yatrāpare kadalıkāndamrnāladandāh // Here words saśı, utpale, dvıradakumbhatatī, kadalıkāņda and mrnaladanda are used in the senses of face, eyes, breasts, thighs and arms respectively to which their denotations do not extend It is true that a lady's face is usually compared with the moon The sea of loveliness here stands for the lady The lilies here stand for her eyes, the two lobes of the elephant represent the 9 Namisādhu on Rudrata, II 8 'atra cheda sekā-lamkarah anuktah apı pratiyante nahı tesam chedadar anyah vyaparah iti'

102 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

heaving breasts, trunks of plantain for thigs and stalks of Iotus for arms Here the upamanas are stated and upameyas are sup- pressed This ıs set forth as a case of sadhyavasānā laksana and cited as an instance of the poetic figure atisayokti ( hyperbole ) in the Kāvyaprakaśa The intention of the speaker is to stress the complete indentity of the two in order to bring out the uncommon beauty of the damsel So the characteristic of this instance as an expmple of avācaka is not accepted by later writers Bhamaha10 defines it as 'saksad arudham vacye'rthe' and gives an example 'himapahamitradharaih' (clouds ) This is taken to be an example of the defect Klista by Bhojaraja 11 IV Dustakrama-wrong position of word This 1s syntactic irregularity or grammatically wrong prosition of word It is illustrated by the following expression- Vadanty aparnāmıtı tām purāvidah Namisadhu states that the word 'iti' should have directly followed after 'puravidah' It corresponds to Mammata's Vākyadosa 'akrama' PradīpaKāra adds12 "that this is a nipatadosa" and he exemplified as 'udbahur iva vamanah' V Apustartha sabda-inadequate meaning It is a fault when without special significance several words are used to convey an idea which can be done so by a single one For instance- 'dvādasā'rddhārdha locanah' for trilocana ( Śiva ) It may be called 'adhikapada' of Dandın The circumlocution is absolutely unwarranted as it creates neither a graceful meaning nor an adequate sense Namisadhu observes that by use of word 'sabda' in 'apustārthasabda' the defect 'apaśabda' is also hinted It

10 Bhamaha, I 41

11 S K Ā I 11 12 K Pr, P 230. akramam avıdyamānah kramo yatra tat yatpađa nantaram yat padopadanamucitam tato'nyatra tadupadānam yatretyarthah evam ca yam doso nıpata-visayah yatha upasarga- nam dhatoh purvam eva prayogah , udbahur iva Vamana ityadāv apyayam eva dosah

CHAPTER VI 103

consists of use of words which are grammatically incorrect Several examples are quoted by him to illustrate the point This is the case of solecism It is called 'asadhu' by Vamana It ıs Mammata's 'Cyutasamskrtı' It is devoid of gramma- tical purity and is a serious defect, e g 'Samdhyā-Vadhum grhya karena' Here the from 'grhya' is incorrect because the suffix 'ktva' is changed into 'lyap' in the case of compound only13 cf Pragrhya, Vigrhya, etc VI Acarupada-unpleasant to the ear Rudrata observes that a poet should be careful to choose and use words 14 The poetic language should be different from the language of common people The former should be such as does enhance the grace of poetry whereas the latter is simply an instrument of information Thus the poet should pick up words which are pleasant to ear and capable of making the composition graceful An instance of this defect is- 'Tarvāly urvy evarse' for 'tarupanktır asankatā eva mune' ( O sage, the row of trees is wide ) This sentence is jarring to ear and defective. In the sıxth chapter of hıs Kāvyālankāra Rudrata takes up the verbal defects ( sabda dosas ) He subdivides them into two, viz Padadosas and vakyadosas His padadosas are as follows 15

Asamartha-incapable of giving sense, 1 II ApratIta-unintelligible, III Visandhi-ugliness of sandhi, IV ViparItakalpana-having its meaning such as to be guessed out, V Grämya-vulgar, and VI Deśya-slang They are defined and illustrated in the order -

13 Panini VII 1 37 'Samase ananpUrve ktvyo lyap 14 Rudrata, II 9 'Racayet tameva sabdam racanāya yah karotı carutvam' 15 ıdıd VI 3

104 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

I Asamartha-A word which is incapable of giving sense is a case of this defect Rudrata mentions four kinds of it (a) A verbal root with a preposition used in a sense which it has without it, eg Pra stha in the sense of stha It is called 'rudhicyuta' and anyartha' by Vāmana and Bhamaha respectively Mammata takes it as 'avacaka' (b) The second type of this is when a root used in a sense given in Dhatupatha, is not sanctioned by usage e g 'Surasrotasvınīm esa hantı' Here the use of the root 'han' in the sense of going consti- tutes this fault as it is never used by standard authors but 1s only found in grammar or dictionary Vāmana calls it gudhartha (c) The third type of this fault is when a word used in a sense, which though consistent with etymology, is not sanctioned by usage, eg Jalabhrt for ocean, because it means 'cloud' according to usage (d) The fourth type is when the sense of a word is not decisive eg 'meghacchavim ārurohasvam'-'he mounted the horse of the colour of the cloud' Here it is contended that the sense is not clear Cloud changes its colour as well as shapes It is difficult to understand what particular colour the horse has got. So the meaning is not decisively understandable It may be Bharata's 'Savasesa' Rudrata sets forth several exceptions to this Where the meaning of a word is determined easily by abhinaya ( poses of limbs like hand, etc ), e g Sā sunđara tava virahe sutanur ıyanmātralocanā yātā / etāvatīm avasthām yātā dıvasaır ıyanmātrah // Here the meaning of the word 'iyanmatra' ( so much ) is indicated by gesticulation of hand It is not a case of the defect asamartha so also is the case where the meanng is understood from context or from the accompanying words As for ambiguous words the definite meaning is easily understood from the context or accompanying words This is only a brief summary of the criteria given by Bhartrhari

CHAPTER VI 105

and quoted by Mammata Bhatta16 and others which give the reason to understand the particular meaning II Apratita-unintelligible A word which is used in a sense not sanctioned by usage only on the basis of etymology It may give a meaning (a) which is doubtful ( samsayavat ) or if not doubtful (b) is only forced ( asamsaya ) Examples are - ( a ) Samśayavat, eg Hımapaha It may mean the sun or fire, as both of them are the destroyer of cold ( b ) Asamśaya apratıta-includes synonyms which are manoeuvred e g 'aśva-yośın mukhārcisam' for 'Vadavā- mukhāgnım' Namısādhu calls it alpadosa ( a slıght defect or peccadillo ) because such usages have been accepted by poets 17 These two 'asamartha' and 'apratita' cannot be subsumed under 'avacaka' because 'avacaka' is one which does not give the meaning in any situation, but asamartha and apratita do convey the meaning though owing to absence of convention they are not used in that sense in the particular cases noted above

III Visandhı-ugliness of sandnı Sandhi is samhitā- close proximity of letters When letters are close they generally combine into new formation It is brought about in two ways-(a) when there is no sandhi or (b) when the sandht rouses the sense of indecency ( a ) The first type when there is no sandhi can be possible in two ways-when the speaker or writer does not like to combine It may be permissible but in verse this type of disjunction is not tolerated Secondly grammar

16 K P p 63 'Samyogo viprayogas ca sahacaryam virodbita / arthah prakaranam lıngam sabdasya'nyasya sannidhih // Samarthyam aucıtī desah kālo vyaktıh svarādayah / Śabdarthasya'navacchede viseşasmrtı-hetavah // 17 Magha P 'Turanga-Kantamukha-havyavahajvāleva bhittva jalam ullalasa

106 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

sanctions some cases where sandh does not take place 18 These are the cases of 'pluta' and 'pragrhya' vowels This kind of disjunction is also not admissible more than once Rudrata like other poets takes this fault to be serious and warns that such disjunction is to be avoided by all means,19 e g Kānte ınduśıroratne ādadhāne udamśunī Here disjunction is due to grammatical prohibition but its repetition causes jarring sensation on the ear and is defective, (b) When the sandhi rouses the sense of indecency, it is a serious defect and should be avoided by all means, e g Mantharayā bharata āhūtah Here the samhita of the last syllable 'ya' of the word 'Man- tharaya' and the first syllable 'bha' of the word 'bharata' give the sound of 'yabha' which arouses the sense of sexual act It is repulsive and indecent IV Viparīta Kalpana-having its meaning such as to be guessed out A word, whose meaning may appear contrary to intended meaning, constitutes this fault, e g 'akāryamıtra'- its meaning is a true friend ( not attached by consideration of advantages ) but it suggests a sense of an associate in criminal acts V Gramya-vulgar A word, which 1s improperly used is an instance of this flaw Rudrata gives the following types of it - ( a ) Vaktr grämya There are three types of speaker by nature, viz uttama ( superior ), madhyama ( mediocre ) and adhama ( inferior ) Different types of words are to be used by them and a deviation from it constitutes this blemish, e g Men of superior status such as king should not address their superior as 'bhattāraka' ( b ) Vastuvısaya grāmya If a person of hıgh status lıke sage is impoperly addressed it will be a case of this type

18 Panini, I I 11 and VI 1 125 19 Rudrața, VI 15 'duram tu varjaniyam viruddha sandhi prayatnena'

CHAPTER VI 107

of defect Bharata has given elaborate cases in appropriate addresses ın his Nātyaśāstra (c ) The third type of gramya defect is possible when a word reminds of an indecent meaning, eg 'Klinna ganda' ( wet cheek ) It may remind boil emitting pus Rudrata further observes that disregard of convention in use of well known forms like ranita etc also constitutes the defect of grämya 20 Mammata, however, calls it 'prasi- ddhihata' VI Desya-slang A word which has not got derivation and is used only in a part of the country is desya Use of such word in poetry is a defect, e g Madaha, dahaha, etc These words though current in provincial dialects, yet do not possess their origin to Sanskrit They should not find excess in Sanskrit through ignorance Namisadhu21 adds that new words which express suitable meaning and are etymologically derivable from Sanskrit roots may be intro- duced in Sanskrit idiom Such as tala ( plam tree ) is called 'bhumi pisaca' ( land ghost ), durvā ( grass is called 'chinno dbhava' ( one which springs up into life even after it is cut ) Śtva 1s called mahānata ( a great actor) A tree is called parasuruja ( which suffers from axe ) These expressions are said to be coined on the analogy of current forms of dialect but they are permissible excession to Sanskrit vocabulary on account of their being expressive of some characteristic attributes of objects concerned After survey of some prominent defects relating to indi- vidual words Rudrata sets forth exceptional cases 22 Thus repetition of words is not a fault if it is inspired by joy, fear, sorrow, astonishment, etc or used in praise or censure for instance-'Vada vada jitah sa śatruh'

20 Rudrața VI 25 21 Namısadhu on Rudrata VI 27 'savyutpattıkam desyam kadācit prayuñjıta 22 Rudrața VI 29 Vaktā harşabhayādıbhir aksiptamanā stathā stuvan nından / yatpadamasakrd vrūyat tat punaruktam na dosāya //

108 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Repetition of words or its apparent synonyms or in comprehensive reference ( Vipsa ) is not regarded as a fault It is also not regarded as a fault if it is current by popular usage For instance 'Kalakala' in the sense of noise and 'rana ranaka' in the sense of anxiety Repetition is also not a fault where it is necessitated for the enlightenment of the hearer It is used for riveting the attention of the person addressed A word having usually a different meaning is used as an expression of admiration In such cases repetition is not liable to censure Namisādhu notes certain instances e g 'muni-sardula'-a tiger of sage This is obviously used for expressing admiration for the prominent sage Sımilarly Sir Ashutosha Mukherjee was called the Royal Bengal Tiger So Dr Shri Krishna Sinha, the Chief Minister of Bihar, 1s called Bihar-Kesari ( the lion of Bihar) Again instances lıke 'cūtabrksa', 'malayācala', etc though repetition are used as words of praise Rudrata gıves three vākyadosas23 - I Samkirna-confused II Garbhita-parenthetical and III Gatärtha-unnecessary repetition of a thing which has already been stated I Samkirna-confused Where the words and phrases of one sentence are mixed up with another sentenee and coufuse the meaning it is a case of the defect 'samkirna' e g Kımıtı na paśyası kopam pādagatam bahugunam grhānemam / nanu munca hrdayanātham kanthe manasas tamorūpam // 'Oh do you not see the lord of your heart, the abode of qualities, fallen on your feet? Embrace him and give up your anger, the darkness of your heart' This is the intended meaning of the verse in question, but due to wrong juxta- position of the word it conveys the undesired sense-'See your anger and give up your lord of heart' Hence it is a defect Vıdyānātha calls ıt 'Vākyasamkīrņa'

23 Rudrața VI 40

CHAPTER VI 109

II Garbhita-parenthetical When a sentenec is inserted in the midst of another sentence and conveys its meaning with difficulty it is a case of parenthesis, e g yogyo yaste putrah soyam daśavadana laksamanena mayā / raksaınam mrtyumukham prasahya laghu nīyate vivaśah // Here 'raksa enam' this sentence is inserted in the main sentence by way of parenthesis As long as it is not taken out, it creates difficulty to understand the meaning of the main sentence Hence it is a defect 1II Gatartha-In long description some poets some- times cannot resist the temptation of describing a scene or a situation in different sentences though one of them 1s sufficient to describe This is obviously a repetition and a case of this defect Verses in the description of the Hımalaya mountain in the Kiratārjuniya are cited as examples of this defect Rudrata concludes his discourse by offering some instruc- tions about the composition of poetry Rudrata mentions the following arthadosas24 I Apahetu-bad reason, II ApratIta-having an unusual sense, III Niragama-statement against scripture, IV Badhayat-contradictory, V Asambaddha-irrelevant, VI Grāmya-vulgarıty, VII Virasa-incompatible sentiment, VIII Tadvān-explicit statement of an implicit, IX Atimātra-enormity of exaggeration They are illustrated in proper orders I Apahetu-bad reason When one part of statement appears as plausible by the reason assigned but is contra- dicted by the subsequent part of statement it constitutes the defect called apahetu Tava dıgvijayā'rambhe baladhūlıbahalatoyajanıteşu / Gagana-sthalesu bhānoścakram abhūd rathabharābhijfam // 'On the ocassion when you were carrying on expedition to

24 Rudrața XI 2

110 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

subjugate four quarters with your massive army, the huge masses of dust raised by your soldiers formed solid regions of land in the firmanent and in consequence the wheels of the sun's chariot became conscious of the excessive weight The poet seeks to eulogise the king for his military exploits by embhasisıng the enormous number and equipment of his army The army was so big that in the course of its movement on the earth the solid crust of land was pounded to powder and the profusion of dust created by its massi- veness formed solid regions in the firmanent The sun 1s described in mythology to move in car through firmanent from east to west The wheels of the chariot were caught up mn the solid region and by the poetic conceit are said to have experienced for the first time excessive weight of the chariot, On accout of obstruction caused by solid blocks of earthy regions formed by masses of dust The poet is justifid in imagining the formation of solid block by massive volume of dust raised by the army But he 1s unaware of the absurdity of his imagining the existence of solid regions in vacant sky without any support So the absurdity of his second statement exposes praise of the king as fulsome flattery II Apratita25-having an unusual sense when a word is used in a sense in which it has not been used by any poet inspite of the fact that the sense of the word is suppor- ted by dictionary, it becomes an instance of the defect 'apratīta' As for example - 'Śarad ıva vıbhātı tanvī vıkasat pulakotkare'yam' 'This slm-bodied ( lady ) with her hair standing on its end shines like the autumn abounding in pulaka trees' This 1s an instance of 'apratita' because the word pulaka has never been used in the sense of tree of that name

III Niragama26-statement against Scripture When a statement does not confirm with agama ( scripture ), rather goes against it, is a defect For instance-

25 Rudrața XI 5 26 Ibid XI 6

CHAPTER VI 111

Satatam sa rājasūyair Ije Viprośvamedhaiśca 'That Brahmin always performed sacrifices called Rajasuya and Asvamedha This statement is against the authority of the scripture which enjoins that these sacrifices are per formed only by an emperor IV Badhayat27-contradictory If the subsequent state- ment conflicts with the previous statement of the same speaker, it is a defect called badhayat For instance- 'Mrgāksı netre tavānupameya' 'O fawn eyed lady thy eyes are without comparison' This statement is obviously contradictory In the first place the eyes are compared with those of a fawn and immediately after are described as having no comparison This dcfect has been called 'Vyartha' by Bhāmaha, Dandın and Vāmana V Asambaddha28-irrelevant When an expression does not bear significance as relevant to the context or to the statement it constitutes a defect As for example- 'Gata te kīrtir bahuphenam jaladhım ullanghya' 'Your fame has reached far off after crossing the sea which is full of froth' Here the adjective bahuphenam ( full of froth ) to the sea has no bearing on the extensiveness of the fame

VI Gramya29-vulgarity It consists in mnappropriateness in behaviour, in outward appearance, in dress and in speech with reference to country, family, caste, learning, wealth, age, position and character A poet should never neglect the propriety of the situation A deviation from the nature of these constitutes the flaw 'gramya' To illustrate it Rudrata cites a few instances When one describes the forward aggressive behaviour in love on the part of an unsophisticated girl, or describes the spontaneous artlessness ingenuous behaviour of a courtesan, or describes the clever behaviour ( urban culture ) of common poeple ( rural ) or describes the cunningness and deceptive

27 Ibid XI 7 28 Ibid XI 8 29 Ibid XI 9-10

112 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

behaviour of highborn ladies, one commits the offence of grāmya

VII Virasa30_incompatible sentiment This flaw arises from the description of a sentiment incompatible with what 1s relevant to the context or situation Namisādhu comments that this arthadosa can be better understood from Prabandha Kävya 31 However the following illustration may serve as à bare indication Tava vanavāso'nucitah pitrmaranaśucam vimuñca kım tapasā / Saphalaya yauvanam etat samam anuraktena sutanu mayā // 'You should not resort to forest for practising austerity Give up grief of death of your father Make this youthful age ( of yours ) fruitful by enjoyment along with me who am attached with you' This is shockingly mnappropriate The son of HayagrIva went to the city of Narakāsura in order to give him safe conduct to his own He came to know that Narakāsura was killed by Lord Krsna and his daughter was intent upon repairing to forest for practice of austerity He addresses these words of undisguised lustful- ness to her This obsolutely ill-accords with the situation of the girl, who was not in a mood to appreciate amorous advances on the part of an unknown man Rudrata further points out another type of this dosa virasa that when continuously a rasa though appropriate and not out of tune is developed to excess is a case of this defect Too much of anything is bad-atı sarvatra varjayet-an over- elaboration of even rasa is bound to create distaste Nami- sadhu points out the sixth act of the Venisamhara as an instance of this defect

VIII Tadvan32 explicit statement of an implicit The statement of a quality or an action which is invariably con- comitant with a substance, is a fault This is done only for the sake of filling the metre For instance-

30 Ibid XI 12 31 Namisadhu on Rudrața XI 12 'yasmat sa viraso'rthadosah prabandhebhyo mahakavyadibhyah samyag vijnātum sakyate'. 32 Rudrata XI 15

CHAPTER VI 113

Kvanu yāsyanu varākās taru-kusumarasaıka lālasā madhupāh / bhasmikrtam vanamtad davadahanenātitIvrena // 'where wul go the poor hlick bees who are greedy of the juice of flowers of trees ? That forest is burnt to ashes by violent forest-conflagration ? Here violence 1s necessarily inherent in forest fire and the statement of 'atitivrena' is redundant Such statements are in flagrant violation of the dictum 32 Sambhava Vyabhciārābhyām Syād viśesanam arthavat / Na Šaityena na cosnena Vahnıh Kvāpı Viśisyate // An adjective becomes appropriate provided it is compatible with the character of substance ( Visesya ), and is found even in another substantives Thus to say-fire is cold-is absurd because coldness is unnecessary adjective because it is the necessary alienable quality of fire But in the expression 'a blue lotus' the adjective is perfectly legitimate, since it 1s possible and also variable A lotus need not be invariably blue, it may be white as well IX Atimatra-enormity of exaggeration When a descrip- tion surpasses limit of common experience it constitutes a fault 'atimatra'33 For example 'Tava vırahe harınāksyāh plāvayatı jagantı nayanāmbu' Tears shed by the fawn-eyed lady in your separation drawn all worlds' This oversteps the lunit It shows the lack of the sense of proportion Even when tears are shed in full capacity they can suffice only to wet the clothing A statement which makes a decisive departure from the norm involves a flaw which shocks one's æsthetic sense It does not, however, constitute an offence when the state- ment of irrelevant facts shows the absurdity of the behaviour of an eccentric man Thus with regard to a person who changes his opinions too frequently and is not ashamed of inconsistency a man may say "what can be absurd in this person, who says one thing in the beginning and just opposite in the end, well, it is like the case when one plants the seed of pulse and it turns out to be a plant of rice " The latter would

32 Kumārila Bhatta 33 Rudrata XI 17 8

114 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

not be more absurd than what man behaves Rudrata34 points out certain exceptions where even absurdity is not felt as inappropriate A mad man and idiot or a person distraught with anxiety for his beloved make incoherent statements which do not cause any surprise As for example- He hamsa dehi kāntām sā me bhavatā hrteti kım mithyā / Nanu gatırıyam tadīyā vānī saıve'yam atımadhurā // 'O royal swan give me my beloved, she has been taken away by you how can it be false ? Because I find her gait and sweet voice in you' This statement of a person upset with anxiety in separation from his beloved does not shock æsthetic sense and is not regarded as inappropriate

U pama dosas- Rudrata recognises anly four kinds of defects of sımile ( upama dosas ) 35 They are - I Sāmānya sabda-bheda-Where the simile involves split up of the word expressive of common attribute ( which is the ground of comparison ) II Vaisamya-the case of mncomplete parallelism, III Asambhava-where the standard of comparison is an 1mpossibility, and IV Aprasiddhi-strangeness of the standard of com- parison. Rudrata further adds that these are the only four glaring defects of sımile His commentator Namisädhu brings out the significance of this statement and observes that Rudrata dis- misses the views of his predecessors and maintains that there are only four defects of simile and not seven as stated by Medhāvin and Bhāmaha 36 Namisādhu quotes the seven defects of sımıle of Medhavin as given by Bhāmaha, viz (1) Hinata ( deficiency ), ( 2) Asambhava (ımprobabılıty), ( 3 ) Lingavacobheda ( difference in gender and number ),

34 Rudrata XI 19 35 Ibid XI 24 36 Bhãmaha II, 39-40

CHAPTER VI 115

( 4-5 ) Viparyaya ( dıssımılarıty due to inferiority or super1o- rity ), ( 6 ) U pamanadhikatva ( excess of words in the object of comparison ) and (7) Asadrsata ( absence of resemblance ) Rudrata includes these seven types under the four types men- tioned above and coins almost new terms Namısādhu states37 thar Rudrata's sāmānyasabdābheda includes not only lingabheda ( difference in gender ) and vaco- bheda ( difference in number ), but also kālabheda ( difference in tense ), Kärakabheda ( difference in grammatical case ) and vibhaktıbheda ( difference in case endings ) and is more reaso- nable and comprehensive Lingavacobheda is not a flaw with- out samanyabheda For example-

Anyadā bhūsanam pumsah Ksamā lajjeva yositah / Parākramah parıbhave vaiyātyam suratesviva // This verse of the great poet Mägha in spite of the presence of difference in gender is not to be regarded as defective Dandin has also pointed out this position The two dosas viz 'hinata' ( deficiency ) and adhikya (excess) of upama are covered by Vasamya of Rudrata Again these two are not regarded as defects when one desires to express censure or praise For instance Catura-sakhījana vacanaır atıvāhıta-vāsarā vinodena / Nıśı cāndāla ıvāyam mārayatı viyoginīś candrah // 'The days have been beguiled by the diversion of the conver- sation of clever friends but the moon kills the ladies separated from their lovers like a pariah ( proverbially famous for his wanton cruelty ) in the mght Here certainly the comparison of the moon with pariah involves a great person with a low-born one But it does not strike as an inappropriate in the present context because the conduct of the moon towards a helpless girl is shown to be as censurable as that of a candala Similarly in praise the superiority ( adhikatva ) or inferiority ( hinatva ) of the upamana and upameya does not appear defective

37 Namisadhu on Rudrata XI 24 'Kinca lingavacobhede dosa- tvenā' śriyamāne kālakāraka-vibhaktıbhedā nās'rıtāh, sāmānya- sabdabhede tu te'pi samgrhītāh'

116 CONCEPT OE POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POET.CS

Rudrața accepts the asambhava dosa in upama of old writers His fourth upama dosa is 'aprasiddhi' Rudrata, by implica- tion, rejects 'asadrsya' as a separate defect of simile The reason for this omission is pointed out by Namisadhu to lie in the fact that dissimilarity is out of the question in simile If there be not a shed of similarity there can be no simile at all So dissimilarity between the two terms of comparison cannot be a case of the simile at all No mar in his senses, being aware of the bare nature of simile, can seek to compare them It is too obviously absurd to deserve a separate enumeration as a defect Defect of simile only arises when the similarity between the two terms-upamana and upameya-is not fully drawn out

I Samanya sabda-bheda33-when the simile involves split- up of the word, expressive of common attribute it is a case of a blemish in simile The raison d'etre of this defect consists in the fact that it necessarily involves in the change of the common attributes in respect of gender ( linga ), tense ( Kāla ), gramma- tical case ( Karaka), case endıng (Vibhaktı and number ( Vacana ) for possible syntactical construction

Candrakaleva sugauro vāta ıva jagāma yah samutsrjya / Dahatu śıkhīva sa kāmam jivayası sudheva māmālı // 'He ( the hero ) is as white as the digt of the moon, he parted forsaking me lika the wind, let him burn me like fire, O friend, you are reviving me like nectar' Here in the first simile he ( the nayaka ) is as white as the digit of the moon, the word 'sugaurah' when construed with candrakala ( upamāna ) has to be changed into 'sugauri' Here these two words 'candrakalz' and 'sah' are respectively feminine and masculine So there is a touch of inappropriateness The second is-'he parted forsaking me like the wind' Here the hero's departure (jagama) is past event whereas the wind's movement is perpetual occu- rence This comparison involves change of tense The wind moves and the lover moved away

38 Rudrața XI 25

CHAPTER VI 117

The third is-'Let him burn me like fire' Here the word of common atribute is the act of burning But the Iover is an agent of the verb in the imperative mood (dahatu), where- as the fire is that of the verb in the indicative mood ( dahati ) The last sımile is-'O friend, you are reviving me like nectar' Here the upmeya is given in the second person and the upamana in the third person Nectar restrores life as a matter of course and so it is to be stated in the third person And so in the following example- 'Kuvalayam ıva dirghe tava nayane' 'Your eyes are as elongated as leaf of lotus' Here is difference in number Even poets of surpassing merits are found to be guilty of such defects So one should be on one's guard against such lapses Rudrata here performs the thankless task of a critic, who has to call a spade a spade and does not care to gloss it over by a euphemism like a digging machine II Vaisamya-The case of incomplete parallelsm Where one of the terms of the upamana or the upmeya contains an adjective without corresponding one in the other, it is a case of vaisamya 39 It may be ( a ) a categorical or ( b ) a hypo- thetical Examples are in order

( a ) ViparIta rate sutanor āyastāyā vıbhātı mukham asyāh / Śrama-vārı bındu-jālaka-lānchitamıva Kamalam utphullam // The face of the beautiful lady in unusual pose of love's dallia- ance shines like adorned with network of drops of perspiration induced by excessive labour is compared to a blooming lotus without corresponding attribute like bespated with drops of dew

( b ) Muktāphala-jālacıtam yadīndubmvam bhavet tatastena / ViparItarate sutanor upamīyetā'nanam tasyāh // 'The face of the beautiful lady in unusual pose of love's dalliance can be compared with the moon if it be suffused with a net of pearls' Here the corresponding quality-sramavari- is not mentioned in the upameya. Hence it is a defect

39 Ibid, XI, 29

118 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

III Asambhava40-Where the upamana is impossibility When the adjectives of upamana ( the standard of comparison ) are not factually present it becomes a case of this fault As for instance- Sutanurıyam vımalāmbara-laksyorumrnālamūlalālıtyā / Ajala-prakrtıra dūra-sthita-mıtrā gagana-nalınI 'va // In this example the beautiful lady ( sutanuh ) is compared to a lotus-plant in the sky ( gagana-nalint ) Here not only the lotus-plant does not grow in the sky but also it is not delivered in a hypothetical way It is a case of absurd comparison IV Aprasiddh141_Strangeness of the standard of compa- rison Where the upamana ( standard of comparison ) is strange it is a case of this blemish Poet should not make upamana of an object which is not sanctioned by tradition As for example- Padmāsana-sannıhıto bhātı brahmeva cakravāko'yam / Śvapacasyāmam vande harım ındusto bako'yam ıtı // Here the cakravaka bird is compared with Brahma, Harl 1s compared with Svapaca and the bird 'baka' is compared with the moon Such upamanas are not endorsed by poetic conven- tion It is a fault Rudrata concludes his discourse by offering some instruc- tion about the composition of poetry He maintains mn con- formity with Bhamah's theory that it is a figure of speech that adds grace to a poet's language But he asserts that if the meaning is beautiful, the absence of a formal figure of speech does not make it unworthy performance But a bald statement of a dry-as-dust matter of fact cannot be regarded as a good poetry For ınstance 'Devadatta gām abhyāja suklām dandena' ( fetch the white cow with your stick) But the opening stanza of the Kiratarjunrya though bereft of figure is a good poetry because of its lofty import It is regarded as mediocre poetry by Rudrata because he is under the influence of Bhämaha and Udbhata who give the palm to figure of speech It 1s

40 Rudrața, XI $2 41 Ibid, XI, 34

CHAPTER VI 119

worthy of remark that Rudrata has the aesthetic sense not to dismiss these fine pieces of poetry Latterly when rase came to occupy the position of pivotal importance in æsthetic specula- tion the figures of speech were relegated to a subordinate pos- tion They are acceptable only in so far as they contribute to the comprehension of rasa Rasa is the only important thing in poetry and poetry does not suffer from the omission of figures of speech if it breathes a beautiful sentiment Rudrata seems to be fully alive to the æsthetic significance of charming meaning which is competent enough to rouse Sahrdaya's delight He advises a poet to creat poetry which may have delightful meaning for which he coins a new name 'pustarthalamkara' 42 But poetry where both the formal figures and delightful meanings are absent, s called by him 'yatkimct'. Namisadhu also says that a poet should not have any room for such statement which has neither beautiful sense nor figures of speech inspite of its being free from rhetorical flaws Thus at the end of his speculation on defects of word Rudrata like his predecessor points out how defects cease to be so when they occur in imitation Other writers like Bhoja and Mammata also hold the same view The fact of the matter is that a poet has to depict the various types of men and nature in diverse and complex circumstances When a mad man or a fool is imitated his nonsensical utterances quoted by poets do not reflect any discredit on the poet Namisadhu shows an instance in which a friend of the poetess Vikatanitambā deplores her friend's ill-fortune of being wedded to a man who is nothing short of an idiot It is a pity that Vikatanıtamba has been given in marriage to a man ( who has not even the elementary knowledge of arthoephy or ortho- graphy ) who, for instance, uses māsa (pulse) for masa (month) and who cannot correctly pronounce ustra ( camel ) and omits either 'r', or 's' 1 e he pronounces it as 'usta' or 'utra' We shall show in details how defects ceases to be defect in special circumstances when we shall examine Mammata's position

42 Rudrața, VI 46 'pustārthālamkāram madhyamam apı sadaram racayet

CHAPTER VII

ANANDAVARDHANA'S APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM

Anandvardhana, a contemporary of Avantıvarman of Kashmır ( 855-883 A C ) is by universal consent the promul- gater of the Dhvam theory and as such his epoch-making work Dhvanyaloka is made the point of departure from the ancent schools According to Bhamahal word and meaning are the basic elements of poetry and their superiority or excellence is constituted by Alankara since Gunas and vittis are included under Alankaras 2 In Dandın we come across the distinction of Gunas and Alankaras But he regards the Gunas as the very life of Vaidarbha styles and for that matter of poetry as such though the logical basis of differentiation of Gunas from Alankaras is not formulated by him in expliuit form Vamana effected this desiderated improvement He gave the different classification of Guna as formal ( Sabdaguna ) or material ( Arthguna ) These Gunas* constitute according to Vāmana the essence of Ritt or Style And style in the ultimate analysis consists in the juxtaposition of sound and sense In Rudrata we find a definite advance, in that he incorporated all the elements described by previous writers as Gunas and Alankaras and adds Rasas as an essential element in addition to the previous categories Though Rudrata laid emphasis on Rasa, he does not defintely accord primacy to it over the other elements It is in perfect conformity with the position taken up by Rudrata that he for the first time gives us the list of defects which detract from Rasa He sets forth two Rasa dosas viz, Abrupt interception of Rasa which makes it inchoate and undeveloped In other words the failure of development of

1 Bhamaha I 16 sabdarthau sahıtau kāvyam 2 K A II 1 kāvya-sobhakarān dharmān alamlārān pracakate 3 K A I 42 it1 Vaidarbha-margasya prana dāsa gunah smrtāh. 4 Vamana III I I, Kavya-sobhayah kartāro dhaimah gunāh

CHAPTER VII 121

Rasa to its full stature makes poetry defective and charmless Another serious defect is according to Rudrata the over-elabo- ration of Rasa It suffers by excess whereas the former by truncated development Rudrata is highly eulogistic of the function of Rasa in poetry and one may feel tempted to regard him as the precursor of the modern school in which Rasa became the central essence, nay, the soul of poetry But Rudrata seems unclear regarding the relative status of Rasa, Guna and Alankara What he lacks is preciseness of conception and definiteness of expression Rudrata is not free from the drawbacks inherent in eclecticism We find in the Sarasvati- kantha bharana of Bhojaraja the same limitation which arises from the eclectic attitude Though Bhojaraja, Kıng of Dhārā ın Malva, is the putative author of the work and came long after Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta he has dıstinctive preference for the old schools He repudiates the theory of suggestion ( Dhvant theory ), propounded by Anandavardhana In this he seems to be influenced by Dhanañjaya and Dhanıka, who were proteges of King Muñja, his predecessor These two were the authors of the Dasarupaka and its commentary, an exellent work on dramaturgy Though these two authors gave pre-eminence to Rasa they refuted the contention of Ananda- vardhana and his followers that V yañjana or Dhvam ( sugges- tion ) is the vehicle of Rasa In the Agmi Purana which is a sort of encyclopaedia we come across a section of Alankāra The author5 of this treatise unmistakably criticises Anandavar- dhana and seems to be aligned with Bhojaraja They may be regarded as reactionaries so far as the Dhvan theory 1s concerned

Anandavardhana is deservedly admired by the subsequent writers, who consolidated and popularised the Dhvant school as the pre-eminently modern school of thought in poetics He ( Anandavardhana ) has a capacious intellect and comprehen- sive outlook He does not ignore the findings of his predeces- sors and puts them in proper position mn relation to Rasa- dhvanı

A P 345, 18 eşam ekatamasyaıva samakhya dhvanır ityatah

122 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

As we are for the present concerned with the treatment of poetic defects ( kavya-dosas ), we have to restrain ourselves form the examination of the merits of the Dhvant theory and the wonderfully synthetic conception of poetry in which the pre- vious speculations of Gunas, Ritis and Alankaras and vrttis are all integrated into an organic whole Anandavardhana observes that Sabda and Artha ( words and expressed meanings ) from the body of poetry and Rasa and Bhava are the soul of it Gunas and Alankāras are only contributory elements to Rasa In fact they derive their utility and charm from Rasa In so far as they subserve the manifestation of Rasa they are to be considered as useful elements of poetry Alankara and Gunas serve to heighten the capacity of words and meanings for con- veying Rasa to the appreciative critics Apart from the relation of Rasa they have no particular significance and poetical charm Dosas are in the same position with Gunas and Alankaras with reference to Rasa Dosas ( defects ) verbal or material are those obstructive factors which detract from the realization of Rasa Anandavardhana is aware of verbal defects (sabda-dosas) such as śruti6-dusta ( harshness ) and unmelodious expressions which produce an unwelcome impression upon the reader and thus fail to rivet the sympathetic attention of the reader to the beauty of poetry Anandavardhana has shown that the so-called Gunas which were supposed by Dandin and Vāmana to be concomitant with the juxtaposition of letters and words are in realty bound up with Rasa Thus the quality of sweetness ( Madhurya ) is apposite to the Raudra, the sentiment of anger and the like The quality called Ojas which is unfolded by spirited diction characterised by long compounds is really worthy of acceptance, because it helps the manifestation of sentiments such as Raudra, the sentiment of anger Alankāras too have direct relevance to word ( sabda ) and meaning (artha) which are made by them fit vehicles for different sentiments All the beauty and charm that have been credited to Alankaras are really derived from their competency to suggest the Rasa

6 D Ā II 11 srutı-dușțadayo doșa anıtyā ye ca darsıtah, dhvanya- tmany 'eva srgare te heya ity udahrtah

CHAPTER VII 123

Sımilarly defects are to be shunned because they hinder the realisation of Rasa The defects have been shown to be eternal and necessary ( Nitya) and also ephemeral ( Anitya ) according as they prove to be invariably obnoxious or occasionally innocuous Thus harsh sounds are defects only in relation to the sentiments of love ( Śrngara ) and the like But outside these sentiments they are not regarded as defects because they do not spoil the senument On the contrary they are quite in keeping with such sentiments as the heroic ( vira ) and the furious ( Raudra) Old writers such as Bhamaha noticed that these dosas are not universal but they could not seize hold of the secret It is from relation to the sentiment which is suggested by the words and meanings that these dosas derive their raison d'etre This classification of defects as universal and occasional is capable of explanation only in the Dhvant theory Dhvant is the suggested meaning and is shown to be of three types, viz, Vastu ( matter of fact ) Alankāra ( figures of speech ) and Rasa ( sentiment ) It is the last type which is the Dhvant par excellence The other two types are only possessed of relative value because they are independent of the expressed meaning ( vacyartha ), while they culminate in Rasa It is only the emotive value of poetry which gives it a distinctive character Poetry is not an intellectual discourse nor is it a mere historical account of events Because it evokes an emotional response in a man of æsthetic taste and sense of beauty, poetry has exercised an eternal influence upon the human mind Historical truth, fidelity to the events of nature and consistency and harmony with the accepted conclusions of science and philosophy cannot be overridden by the poet, since this act of infringement will make the poet's work appear as unreal nonsense The poet's approach to truth is from an angle of vision which is different from that of the scientist, historian and philosopher The poet's appeal is to the heart and not particularly to the intellect But as we have just said, the poet cannot give a wide berth to the truths discovered by the different disciplines without running the risk of being sus-

7 Locana P 85. Tena rasa eva vastuta ātmā, vastv'alankāra- dhvani tu sarvatha rasam pratı paryāvasyete.

124 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

pected of ignorance ending in the creation of a fantastical picture This will stultify the poet's mission We must be made to feel that Rama, Sita and Rāvana were real persons The beauty of the Kadambari cannot be appreciated unless the reader is persuaded of the reality of Candrapida, KadambarI and Mahäśvetā It is for this reason that the writers of Sanskrit poe- tics (Alankārasāstra) have laid due emphasis upon Vyutpatti 1 e intellectual equipment of the poet The chief merit of Anandavardhana lies in the harmoniza- tion of the truths, discovered by previous writers following the rule of thumb, in a hierarchy of poetic values in which Rasa occupies the uppermost position Defects are defects only if they have an adverse effect upon the evolution of the sentiment The Gunas and Alankaras are not mere embellishments of dic- tion or the brute facts conveyed by them They are regarded as things of value in so far as they contribute to the manifes- tation of the emotive properties of poetry If poetry does not produce an emotional effect it ends in failure In conformity with these fundamental laws of poetry Anandavardhana formulates only defects which retard or spoil the realization of Rasa In one word he deals with Rasa-dosas alone and leaves to subsequent writers the task of a comprehensive treatment of poetic faults This task was performed with consummate ability by Mammatabhatta in his classical work Kāvyaprakāśa It may not be out of place to advert to cartain sage observa- tions of Anandavardhana regarding tne choice of appropriate words In the sentiment of love harsh sounds must be avoided Moreover long compounds should be studiously shunned The poet must not aim at creating sklilful feats of verbal jugglery which are pre-eminently exemplified by such artificial figures as yamakas etc The attention of both the poets and readers is diverted from the central theme to the task of unravelling the tangle of words Even poets of acknowledged superiority could not resist the temptation of exhibiting their skill in the

8 D A II. 15 dhvanyätma-bbüte śrngāre yamaak'dı nıvandha- nam, saktāvapı pramādıtvam vipralambhe viseșatah

CHAPTER VII 125

manipulation of strange words These varbal tricks are nothing but legerdemain The poet must not deliberately divert his attention to the creation of fig ires of speech but only concen- trate on the use of words and meanings, acts and events, which have particular bearing on Rasa If figures of speech come out spontaneously without requiring special attention and effort for that purpose they are to be accepted 9 The languege of the poet must conform to the sentiment If the diction is out of tune with the Rasa it is convicted of inappropriateness ( Anaucitya ) Anandavardhana specifies the different varieties of poetic compositions such as prose, romances, epics, drama and lyrics He gives salutary instruction regarding the use of proper diction He is not tired of harping on tne appropriate- ness of diction to the sentiment The story or the plot may be borrowed from the Rāmāyana and the Mahabharata and the Puranas or may be entirely inven- ted by the poet himself The plot however is to be managed and adjusted in such a way as all the incidents do converge on the realization of the principal Rasa or sentiment The poet need not indiscriminately record all the facts of the story when it is borrowed from the Ramayana or the Mahabharata, which are regarded as the store-house by all poets. The poet must exercise his discretion in omitting what is antagonistic to his purpose and should exercise his liberty to create any episode in conformity with the principal Rasa The playwright must not slavishly follow the directions of the dramaturgical works These directions are rather piovisional and not universal Bhattanārayana in tne second act of the Vemisamhāra introduces a love scene in obedience to the direction of Bharata This is entirely out of tune with the principal heroic sentiment This is an instance of lapse from propriety The incidents ought to be so adjusted as not to lose their- remote or imme- diate bearing on and relevancy to Rasa For this purpose also there should be appropriate stimulation and suppression of the relevant and irrelevant sentiments The principal senti-

9 D Ā II 16 Rasākşıptatayā yasya bandhah sakyakrıyo bhavet/ aprthag yatna-nırvartyah so'lamkaro dhvanau matah //

126 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

ment must not be lost sight of and if by pressure of circum- stances it may be shoved to the background for the time being, it mus be revived and brought to the foreground, as soon as the occasion arises Anandavardhana properly elaborates this idea in the com mentary on the karıkas 10-14 The vibhava 1 e the hero and heroine and environment, the abiding sentiment, the passing emotions all should be so depicted and the acts and words should be so adjusted as they should form as a whole an organic expression of principal sentiment The acts and words must not strike the reader as something inapropriate or absurd The principal character may be a divine being or an ordinary human It will be the height of impropriety if supernatural acts are attributed to a mere human being So if a human being is described as crossing the seven oceans and doing such other impossible feats this will only spoil the sentiments in spite of the graceful description of the poet There are of course found anecdotes which are impossible for a human being, however great or exalted he may be Thus the description of king Sātavāhāna as visiting the region of the divine Nāgas ( serpents ) strikes one as gross exaggeration and as false acco unt The element of verisimilitude is essential for the sympa- thetic appreciation of Rasa Lack of verisimilitude offends against the rules of propriety and ultimately ends in fiasco 10 As regards the five Pändava brothers, they are neither entirely human nor entirely divine but a combination of both So the supernatural exploits credited to them do not offend the aesthetic sense Abhinavagupta observes that only those events are to be described and depicted which do not give a jolt to the aesthetic sense of the reader1I Thus when one describes that a king who is merely a human being, crosses the seven seas, it at once strikes the reader or audience as

10 D Ā p 330- anaucityad rte nānyat rasabhangasya karanam / prasıddhaucityabandhas tu rasasyopanısat para // 11 Locana, p 331 yatra vineyanām pratīti-khandanā na jayate tadrg varnanīyam.

CHAPTER VII 127

absurd and so it fails to produce the edifying effects upon the audience About Rämcandra and the like there is a long- standing tradition behind them which does not allow it to break the sense of verisimilitude But the poet must be on his guard against the ascription of such super-human exploits to a character which is created by him ad hoc Anandavardhana is never tired of emphasızing the supreme fact that the poet should concentrate all his efforts and resources on the creation of Rasa The Indian concept of Rasa is equivalent to the European concept of beauty As Shelly says, "A thing of beauty is joy for ever" Beauty unrea- lised in experience is as good as non existent and when reali- sed and enjoyed it is indistinguishable from what the writers on poetics have described as Rasa Of course Bhamaha has spoken of cäruta which is nothing but beauty Vāmana also has observed that poetry is acceptable when it is possessed of Alankara ( embellishment ) This embellishment is defined as beauty But whereas the ancient writers were persuaded that the beauty of poetry derives from sonorous sounds ( Gunas ) and clever turns of speech ( Alankaras ) which constitute poetic figure, Anandavardhana first discovered for us the philosophy of beauty He has shown that sound and clever manipulation of words and meanings have by themselves no absolute value Their value is relative to their efficiency in contributing to the creation of Rasa, which is a unique experience of aesthetic pleasure enti- rely distinct and different from the pleasure accruing from the satisfaction of material needs It stands in a class of its own with which the fleeting pleasures of senses have nothing in common This Rasa is a kind of spiritual experience and 1s more akn to the experience of the divine joy of the mystic Just as beauty springs from the symmetrical adjustment of the physical ingredients, as for example, pieces of stone or wood or colour, or canvas, so also Rasa arises from the co-ordination of Vibhavas ( heroes or heroines, dramatic personae and the fitting natural environment ) and a dominant passion ( s thāyi- bhava ) which is never submerged by the influx of passing emotions ( vyabhicaribhavas ) and their expression in physical medium ( Anubhava) The ultimate resultant is the arousal of

128 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

a pervasive sentiment of joy in the minds of the apprecitive experients and this is called Rasa 1 The plot, which develops through a series of events both favourable and unfavourable, is only the physical medium through which Rasa has to unfold itself Anandavardhan has given a few sage observations regarding the fit use of events and incidents which should not mar the verisimilitude He refers to the Ratnavali in which the plot progressively adjusts itself to the evolution of Rasa Apart from the propriety and verisimilitude of the story and of events and vicissitudes, the poet must take particular pains to avoid the creation of senti- ments which are destructive of one another 12 This is the first condition Apt illustrations are given In describing a vibhāvo ( a character ) who is characterised by the sentiment of quie tude ( santarasa ) arising from the realization of the futility of material advantages and pleasures, the poet must not intro- duce the sentiment of love as developed by the same person Again when there is misunderstanding or the herome is offen- ded by a real or fancied misbehaviour of her lover the lover should not be made to appease her anger by description of the futilty of worldy things Similarly the hero must not lose his temper and put forth gesture of fury when the beloved is abdurate The breach of this rule constitutes the flaw called mutual hostility of sentiments 2 Too much eleboration even of relevant things again constitutes a drawback If for instance the poet in course of his delineation of love in separation ( vipralambha śrngāra ) dwells on the beauty of hill or natural scene with extra-ordi- nary verve and gusto and employs difficult metres and figures like yamaka it will spoil the aesthetic effect Kālidāsa's Meghaduta is a perfect example of poetic art and the portrayal of scenic beauties which abound in it, but does not hamper the evolution of love There is a continuous shift of scenes, but all are made to converge on the central theme, the indomi- 12 D A III. 18- virodhı-rasa-sambandhi-vibhavadı parigrah / vistarenā nvitasyā'pı vastuno'nyasya varnanam //

CHAPTER VII 129

table desire for union of the hero with his sweetheart The creation of art requires relentless self-restraint and the poet has to avoid the elaborate description of the career of persons even in whom both the poet and the readers may be deeply interested For instance in the Abhijnana-sakuntalam the poet does not care to cater to the curiosity of the reader or the audience by describing the fortunes of Priyamvadā and Ana- sūyā Bhavabhuti does not satisfy our curiosity regarding ŪrmIlā, the spouse of Laksmana Likewise Bānabhatta does not interest himself in the career of Patralekha, who is only used as a foil to KadambarI If the poet yeilded to the importu- nities of the reader he could not create a work of art In other words the performance would have no beauty and conse- quently no Rasa

3 The third drawback arises from the interruption and resuscitation of suspended Rasa in unseasonable moments 13 Anandvardhana gives a hypothetical case Suppose that love between the hero and the heroine is fully developed and each is satisfied with the reciprocation of the other, the hero 1s found to occupy himself with something else This means abrupt interception of the development of the sentiment Analogously the description of the frivolous love episode in the second act of the Venisamhara between Duryodhana and Bhänumati in the tense situation of heightened heroic senti ment is an instance of inexcusable impropriety Anandavar- dhana observes that such lapses on the part of poets occur on account of their pre-occupation with the plot or slavish con- formation to the directives of text book writers The poet forgets that it is his principal mission to cteate beauty and Rasa

4 Furthermore if a poet has succeeded in the creation of Rasa to its fullest development and again takes it up and dwells upon it with great avidity it will end in stultification of Rasa, just like a beautiful flower crumpled and withered by over- much manipulation

13 D Ā p 361 akānda eva vicchıttır akānde ca prakāsanam 9

130 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

5 The inappropriateness in speech and conduct14 and also of the styles of composition such as Kaisıki, Bharati, etc which are contributories to the development of Rasa spoils the æsthetic effect If for instance the heroimitates the conduct of vulgar persons in expressing his desire for the enjoyment of the heroine's company, that will spoil the whole æsthetic effect and alienate the sympathy of the audience Even a poet lıke Kālidāsa is found to be guilty of excess in the delineation of grief ( soka) of Ratı, the spouse of Madana ( God of love ) But the poet's perfect craftmanship does not make the reader feel an unwelcome jerk or cloyed by the surfeit of grief But poets of lesser ability must avoid this temptation The secret of art, as we have observed before, lies in self-control He must never lose sight of the truth that too much even of a good thing produces unhealthy reaction But it is found that even opposite sentiments are introduced by a poet and yet it does not spoil the æsthetic effect or inter- fere with the development of principal sentiments It 1s inevitable that events in life do not run a smooth course There are jolts and jerks even in the best-ordered life of a man Our plans are found to be thwarted by unexpected obstacles and sometimes the visitation of ill-luck creates a stalemate For instance in the Abhijñana-sakuntalam the rejec- tion of the expostulation of Sakuntala and of her relat ons by King Dusyanta and the disappearance of Sakuntalā create a void and reduce the king to an irredeemable sense of despair The course of love is snapped But the pathos of the king's situation evokes feelings of commiseration in the audience Certainly love is here baffled by pathos But this is only a temporary set-back, ultimately love triumphs and the couple are united Accordingly Anandavardhana with his extraordi- nary æsthetic sense and critical acumen observes that the con- flict of sentiment does not mar the æsthetic effect if the opposite stuation is to be worsted by or made subservient to the prin- 14. D Ā III, 19 pariposam gatasyāapı paunah paunyena dīpanam / rasasya syād virodhāya vrtyanaucityam eva ca //

CHAPTER VII 131

cipal Thus in the illness, emaciation and the pining of the lovers in separation owing to obstruction of their union do not produce a destructive effect if they are shown to be tem- porary phases or act as a foil to the prtncipal sentiment of love If there is death of either it will mean tragedy This 1s not a fault if the poet intends to create the pathetic sentiment ( Karuna-rasa ) and the tragic end is the logical expedient to it But this is certainly out of place and inopportune if the senti- ment of love be the dominant key-note If there is death there should be a hope of re-union after reasonable lapse of time This is found to be the case in the Kadambari The flame of love is not extinguished because there is assurance of the re- union of lovers In the Raghuvamsa the death of Indumati makes King Aja perfectly desolate and no amount of consola- tion succeeds in saving his life But after death the king and queen are reunited in heaven Anandavardhana gives illus- trations both from long epics and novels and also from solitary verses In all such cases the conflict is temporary and provi- sional Ultimately the principal sentiment gains the upper hand There will be naturally different sentiments of conflict- ing nature, but one sentiment should be made the dominant key-note If the opposite sentiments do not tend to destroy or neutralize the principal sentiment there is no shock to the æsthetic sense There are sentiments which are not inherently hostile to one another For instance, the Vira ( the heroic ) and Śrngara ( the erotic), Śrngara ( the erotic ) and Hāsya rasa ( the comic ), the Raudra ( the furious ) and Vira-rasa ( the heroic ), and also Raudra ( the furious ) and Adbhuta-rasa ( the wonder- ful ) are not constitutionally opposed to each other The cause of love is subserved by the heroic when the hero's prowess culminates in the acquisition of the lady-love Comic scenes and witticisms are obviovsly conducive to the growth of love. Even the furious ( raudra ) ends in the winning of the hand of the bride and thus subserves the erotic, but there should not be any expression of anger or cruelty to the heroine The heroic ( Vira-rasa ) may culminate in wonder by its achievements Of course this is not true of all sentiments

132 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

There is conflct between the erotic and the loathsome, heroism and cowardice, the furious and the erotic There is innate hostility and incompatability between these pairs But the conflict is overcome if the other sentiment is not allowed to reach optimum development Anandavardhana quotes a verse "The beloved is weeping in one corner and there the bugle of battle is ringing, the soldier's heart is tossed between love for his wife and his enthusiasm for the fight"

Here neither of the sentiments is given the upper-hand Even in long poems of epical dimension or a full-length drama the conflict is overcome by allowing only a subordinate posi- tion to opposite sentiments As regards the opposition of sentiments which occur only in one identical medium, it can be avoided if they are distributed between different persons Thus the courage of the hero and the cowardice of the opponent, even if developed to the maximum level, do not give rise to conflict again the conflict between two hostile sentiments can be overcome if a sentiment agreeable to both is introduced in the interval 15 Thus in the Nagananda of Śri Harsa the deve- lopment of love on the part of the hero who is by nature inclined to asceticism is overcome by the introduction of the sentiment of wonder in between This also holds good in stray verses A poet describes the fate of fallen soldiers in a battle in the following way 16 "They are adorned with gar- lands of Parijata ( of heavenly flowers ) and they look upon their dead bodies dragged by jackals while they are tightly embraced by celestial damsels and so on "

Here there is description of the love and the loathsome in the same person But the conflict is overcome by the introduc- tion of the heroic in the interval

15 D Ā II, 26 ckāśrayatve nırdoșo nairantarye virodhavan / rasantara-vyavadbına raso vyangyah sumedhasa // 16. D Ā p 395 bhū-renu-digdhan nava-parijata-malarajo-vāsita bahu-madhyah / gadham sivabhih parirabhyamanan surangana slista-bhujantaralah, etc

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Anandavardhana winds up the discourse by offering certain wholesome admonitions The poet must avoid conflict which 1s calculated to destroy the principal sentiment He must be particularly on his guard in delineation of love which 1s the tenderest and most delicate of all A slight opposition is enough to destroy it The poet must be very careful and alert with regard to this particular sentiment A slight devia- tion caused by loss of vigil and inadvertence will result in a fiasco

CHAPTER VIII

MAHIMABHATTA'S EVALUATION OF DOSA . Mahimabhatta (c 1020-1060 A C )1 wrote his work V yaktiviveka, one of the most original contributions in the field of literary criticism. His principal objective is to demo- lish2 the Dhvani theory of Anandavardhana, his predecessor and compatriot In the first chapter he has subjected to scathing criticism the definition of dhvan1 set forth by Ananda- vardhana and contended that the whole conception of dhvani as the preponderating significance of poetry is based on wrong presuppostion and vitiated by petitio principu In the second chapter he treats of literary defects and herein he is in his best form It mus be admitted even by a blind admirer that Mahma's genius was more destructive than constructive He was not afraid of incurring unpopularity It is surprising that he had no follower and so he could not found a school as Anandavarthana did He was a master of Buddhist logic and quotes Dharmakirti's texts in support of his position to clinch the argument He is more fortunate in regard to his treatment of literary defects Ruyyaka who has written a commentary on his work is more of a critic than an expositor However in the intro- duction to his commentary on chapter II, he pays handsome tribute to Mahimabhatta and calls him a man of stupendous intellect-Mahamatı3 Mahimabhatta does not deal with Rasadosa* which is more integral ( antaranga ) to poetry than

1 Hist Alam Lit Dr P V Kane p XGIV 2. V V p 152- Anumāne'ntarbhāvam sarvasyaıva dhvaneh prakaśayitum / Vyaktıvıvekam kurute pranamya Mahımā parām vācam // 3. V V p 152 'tadevam mahavıdusām mārgam anusrtya sahrdaya- siksadaraya vicārayato'sya Mahāmater na kaścıt paryanugalesasyā- vasarah 4 V V p. 149 Tatra vıbhāvānubhāvavyabhicārınām ayathāya- tham yo vinıyogas tanmatra laksanam ekam antarangam adyaır cvoktam iti neha pratanyate

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defects of form and meaning which are external ( bahiranga ) He Simply refers to Anandavardhana by way of approval. He does not deal with formal defects, 1 e, the defects of language He only enumerates five defects and shows their extensive application to cover a majority of cases They are no doubt external ( bahtranga ) to the essence of poetry, 1 e aesthetic beauty resulting in aesthetic joy-rasa It must be noted at the outset that Mammata Bhatta follows Mahimabhatta and the strength of his treatment is to a large extent derived from Mahimabhatta's original speculation In the concluding stanza of his work Mahimabhatta expresses his hope in the following words5 "Having set forth views which have not been stated by any of my predecessors I hope that I would be an object of recollection by coming generations of scholars particularly for my researches ( on defects ) which provoke the derisive laughter of critical students or for the attempt to provide the entertainment ( to scholars) by novel speculations on the nature of reality" Originality is usually suspect with scholars One's errors are always original and very seldom one hits upon a new discovery An original writer may provoke criti- cism and become a butt of ridicule or an object of admiration Mahimabhatta's circle of admirers have been very few and he has received cheap sarcasm from many Śriharsa at the end of his work Khandanakhandakhadya 1s effusive in his admiration for Mahimabhatta's work Vyaktivveka which he considers to be a new organ of vision for the whole community of poets 6 Though Mahimabhatta deals only with five classes of defects, his treatment is extremely elaborate It is not possible

5 V V p 456- Anyaır anullıkhıtapūrvam idam bruvāno ntnam smrter visayatām vidusam upeyam / hāsaikakāranagavesanayā navar- thatattvavamaria-parıtosa samthaya va // 6 KK p 414- Dosam Vyaktıviveke mum kaviloka-vilocane / Kavya-mīmamsisu prapta mahımā Mahima'drta //

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lion of Goddess Gauri is shown to be sut generis not to be put under the same class with ordinary lions It 1s It ought

a natural disposition of lions to show their mettle towards an elephant or a roaring cloud But the lion of the Divine mother is unperturbed even toward the Divine elephants of the quarters or the massive rows of clouds which rise on the eve of the deluge ( pralaya ) of the whole world This is the idea of the verse written by Kuntaka We have already shown that the compounding of negative particle 'na' with a noun serves to conceal the prominence of negation and this is inexcusable when negation is meant to be the predicate And exactly this has been done by Kuntaka Secondly, the expression yo'sau 1s meant to convey the idea of which and that The immediate juxtaposition of asau with yah is not capable of expressing these two facts It only lays emphasis upon the relatve pro- noun yah and cannot stand for the demonstrative pronoun In this connection Mahimabhatta dilates upon the role played by the relative and demonstrative pronouns yat and tat The two stand in an indissoluble syntactical relation and the suppre- ssion of one, particularly of the demonstrative pronoun, makes it incomplete The relative pronoun is always subordi- nate and the demonstrative is the predominant element If the demonstrative is suppressed or made a part of the relative the predicate given by the demonstrative will not be understood per se Mahimabhatta confirms this law of intimate associa- tion8 of relative which and demonstrative that by copious illus trations He also opines that the syntactical requirement of yat ( which ) can be satsfied only by tat ( that ) and not by other pronominal forms such as adas ( yonder ) or idam ( this ) He again contends that these two pronouns should be stated explicitly and not be allowed to be merged, one in the other, by euphonic combination This has been done in yo'sau Thirdly the compound ambikākesarı 1s unfortunate The glory and pre-eminence of the lion is due to his association with the Divine mother in the capacity of Her vehicle This can be set forth only by emphasis upon Ambika-the Divine mother It should be stated separa-

8 'yat tador nitya-sambandhah'

138 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS tely as ambıkāvah kesarı, 1 e the lion belonging to Ambıkā- the Divine mother We have already shown the logical necessity of the order of sequence in a sentence The subject should be stated first because it is already known and the predicate thereafter because it is an unknown attribute which is asserted of the noun subject Pre-eminence belongs to tne predicate and this is indicated by its position in the sentence 9 We now propose to deal with the question why the compounding of the predi- cate with the subject deprives the former of pre-eminence Furthermore Patañjalı asserts in the Mahabhasya that the predicate is always an adjective of the subject and as such must be subordinate to the latter Secondly the meaning of the compound and the meaning of the sentence expounding it should be identical If the pre-eminence of the predicate is sub-ordinated in the compound and is expressed only in expla- natory sentence the rule of identity of meaning will be sacri- ficed The contention of Mahimabhatta and the followers, viz Mammata Bhațta, Viśvanātha etc that the predicate 1s superior in status to the subject has therefore no logical basıs In reply to this contention Mahimabhatta observes that there are three types of pre-eminence ( pradhanya ) attaching to members of a verbal proposition The adjective necessarily qualifies the substantive and imparts excellence to the latter In this regard the adjective is subordinate to the substantive But the superiority of the substantive is only verbal ( fābda ) The second type is determined by material truth irrespective of verbal status The third is decided by reference to intention of the speaker ( vivaksa ) Thus in the Vedic injunction (Vidhi) graham-sammarsti10_one shall clean the vessel of the soma juice, the verb is the principal element as it denotes action and in Vedic sentences action is the main thing which comple-

9 V. V p 372 Anuvadyam anuktvaiva na vıdheyam udirayet / Na hy alabdhva'spadam kıncıt kutracıt pratıtışthatı // 10. It is in 'let lakara' and indicates vidh-mjunction, command etc

CHAPTER VIII 139

tes the import of the sentence But the real superiority belongs to the vessel the object of the verb sammarsti According to the rule of exegesis set forth in the Mimamsa system pre emi- nence really belongs to the element which is not known before Thus in this example we find only two types of superiority illustrated-one purely formal and belonging to the action denoted by the verb and secondly material superiority belong- ing to the object graha which has not been stated in any other antecedent sentence. The third type is only found in poetical statements For example-

He hasta đaksına mrtasya śiśor dvijasya Jīvātave visrja šūdra-munau krpānam / Rāmasya pānır ası nırbhara garbha khinna Sītā-vivāsana patoh karunā kutas te // Here in the clause ramasya panir ast-'thou art the hand of Rāma', rāmasya ( of Rāma ) 1s verbally the adjective of pāni ( hand ) It is the hand of Rama and not of any other person This is the obvious import of the sentence and in form the adjective 'Ramasya' 1s subordinate; but if we look deep into the mtention of the speaker the formal adjective has pre emi- nence over the noun Rama here accuses hmself of cruelty and mercilessness for having banished Sita for no offence of her own And this cruel disposition is transferred to the hand because it belongs to Räma So the adjective is significant because of the implication of cruelty This implication is conveyed by the word Ramasya ( of Rama) only when it is stated separately and not in compound as Rama-panth Mahimabhatta cites Panini's1I rule in support of his conten- tion Panin says that the sixth case-ending should not be elided when abuse is meant e g Vrsalyah Kamukah-the lover of a low caste woman and dasyah putrah-the son of a female slave and such like expressions imply opprobrium which derives from the adjectival expression in the sixth case-ending It is not bad to be a lover, or a son of a woman, but to be a lover of a low caste woman or the son of a slave is an unen- viable distinction This injunction of Panini that even in com-

11 Panını VI III 21 'şaşthyā ākrose'

140 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

pound the opprobrious adjective should retan its free status by keeping the suffix intact shows that the adjective is more impor- tant than the substantive But there is a logical contradiction involved in the postulation of both pre-eminence and subordi- nation in the adjective The predicate is necessarily an adjec- tive because it qualifies the subject and as such must be subor- dinate to the latter Again being a real predicate conveying a new information it should be the dominant factor and the subject is affirmed to be subordinate to it Assuredly the same thing cannot be subordinate and principal both But this 1s what Mahimabhatta stipulates for The defect involved in the supression of the supremacy of the predicate in the compound has been dwelt upon at lenght by Mammata Bhatta, but he has not stated reasons for giving the palm of superiority to the adjective over the substantive This anomaly is not over- come by its status even as predicate, being an adjective all the while

This is no doubt a serious objection taken at its face value But Mahimabhatta has already spoken of three types of superi- orıty Formally the adjective may have a subordinate status in the sentence, but by implication it may be superior to the substantive There is no doubt a logicat opposition between superiority and non-superiority provided both belong to the same type The opposition is not real like that between being and non-being ( bhavabhavor iva ), nor is it between terms of the same status The superiority of the predicate is real and its inferiority is only formal In poetry it is the poet's intended meaning that has an aesthetic appeal which is regarded as the most important factor The superiority of the predicate is derived both from his significance ( arthatah ) and also from the poet's intention ( vivaksatah ) Because these types of supe- riority have not the same status and also because they do not belong to the same universe of discourse, opposition between them is only apparent So the objection based upon logical incompatibility does not hold water Let us now discuss the second objection that the compound ( samasa) and the explanatory sentence ( vigraha-vākya )

CHAPTER VIII 141

should have an identical meaning and this is incompatible with the assertion, that in the compound the predicate loses its superior status It is true that such compounds are entirely correct according to grammatical rules Mahimabhatta in reply to this contention asserts that the position he maintains 1s perfeclly in conformity with Panini's rule 12 Pānini makes samarthya 1 e competency and relevancy the ruling condition of compound. In samarthah padavidhth13 .the word samartha 1s highly significant The traditional exponents have only taken a superficial and narrow view of competency They give out the meaning of samarthya as consistency with syntactical relation ( vyapeksa) The words which are competent to be compounded must stand in necessary syntactical relation with one another and when compounded14 they must lose their separate identity and become one word Accordingly a part of a compound, particularly the subordinate element, cannot be syntactically construed with another word standing outside the compound But this interpretation does not give out the full significance of the adjective samartha If a compound fails to convey the meaning expressed by the explanatory sentence in all its aspects it should be regarded as a case of unauthorised and unwarranted licence Thus the compound Rddhasya rajamātāngah in the sense of Rddhasya rājñah matāngah 1 e the elephant of the rich king-is not a legitimate form because the compound fails to express the meaning of the sentence The rule of the identity of meaning breaks down This is too plain not to be understood But superficial gram- marians have not been able to understand that the compoun- ding of a predicate with a subject is equally a case of its legitimate form, because the two forms of expression, one compound and the other free sentence, do not convey the same

12 V V. p 228 na ca'yam arthah svamanīSıkayaıva asmabhır upakalpītah, kın tarhı, acāryasyapy abhimata eva Yad ayam samasavidhau samartha-grahanam krtavān 13 Panımi II I 1 14 V V p 233- Vıdheyo'ddesya-bhavo'yam vaktum vrtyā na paryate / yat tena'nabhidhanam va samartha-grahanam ca va //

142 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

significance Thus the compound ambıkākesari is not only rhetorically but also grammatically unwarranted in the sense of ambıkāyāh kesarī In the sentence the adjective retains its predominance which is lost in the compound So the compound ambıkā kesarı ıs as ıllegitimate as Rddhasya rājamatangah The difference in import between the two forms of expre- ssion is capable of being realized only by a person who is not only conversant with the ordinary rules of grammar but endo- wed with an aesthetic sense 15 It is only persons who are totally lost to aesthetic appreciation and are satisfied with the superficial meaning of the rules and also of sentences think that there is no difference in meaning In poetty particularly the dictionary meaning does not suffice This is the logic of the defect vidheyavimarsa in compound To sum up In a sentence compound between an adjective and a substantive is not permissible16 if the edjective is meant to impart special excellence or otherwise to the substantive or if the adjective is given as the predicate A compound is legitimate only if the two stand in mere syntactical relation The word samartha in Pānini's rule is meant to exclude not merely words out of syntactical relation, because this is too trite a commonplace fact That words which have no syntac- tical relation should not be compounded is too obvious to need a specific injunction It is on the same footing as the expre- ssions-Parents should be honoured The implication is obvious that one is called upon to respect his own parents It is not necessary to add the adjective 'one's own' to parent in the sentence So the meaning of the word 'samartha'-'com- petent' is something more than the trite commonplace of being 15 V V p 233 Kavīnām eva eşa visayo na khandıkopādhyānām ıty anavagata-tadabhıprayaır upeksitam etat. 16 V V p 242- yatrotkarşo pakarso va visesyasya visesanat / tad eva va vidheyam syat samasas tatra nesyate // Anyatra tvartha-sambandha-matre vaktum abhīpsite / Kāmacāras tadartham hi samarthagrahanam krtam //

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compatible with syntactical relation Its implication extends to the cases of subject-predicate relation as set forth above In other words the subjec and predicate should not be com- pounded on account of inadequacy of the compound to express such a relationship II Prakrama-bheda-Breach of uniformity and symmetry We have dealt with this in our treatment of the defects in the Kāvyaprakāśa Mahimabhatta gives copious illustrations The raison d'etre of the defect lies in the consideration that there should be svmmetry between the initial ( upkrama ) and the final ( upasamhara ) forms of expression The breach of un1- formity and harmony gives a jolt to the understanding of the meaning of the sentence It is as disareeable as jerks and jolts experienced by a passenger in a conveyance running along an uneven road An objection has been voiced against the rigid uniformity insisted on by Mahimabhatta After all the varia- tion in verbal expression does not impair the understanding of the meaning without hitch It is the uniformity of the meaning that is important and the variation of the verbal expression is immaterial Mahmabhatta answers the objection as follows -The un1- formity of initial and the final forms of expression partakes of the character of subject and predicate If there is no diffe- rence in meaning the same expression should be used A diffe- rent expression rather tends to make the meaning appear as different The opponent's contention holds good in scientific treatises ( sastra ) but it is out of place in literary composition in which both word and meaning have co-equal importance It is for this reason poetry and belles-lettres are put in a sepa- rate category This branch of literary composition is called sahitya, because words and meaning form one organic whole and are of co-equal status 17 Mahimabhatta contends that the difference of expression entails a hitch in the understanding of the meaning and this is an obstacle to the realisation of

17 V V Vp 268 'na ca kavye sastradivad artha-pratily-artham sabdamātram prayujyate sahıtayoh sabđārthayos tatra prayogāt Sahıtyam tulyakaksatvena'nyunātırıktatvam

144 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

rasa The difference in the symmetrical and assymmetrical expression is not merely a formal difference but affects the understanding This is evident from the change of assymme trical into symmetrical shape For instance -

Sucı bhusayatı śrutam vapuh praśamas tasya bhavaty alamkrıyā / praśamābharanah parākramah sa nayāpādıta-sıddhi-bhūsanah // Here the difference is not felt on account of the beauty of expression employed by the poet The poet's use of different turns of expression causes a hitch in understanding the symme- try But because the turns of expression by virtue of their strikingness as different figures of speech have their special appeal, they do not make the defect caused by want of sym- metry felt by an undiscriminating reader, but it must strike a connoisseur We deliberately restrain ourselves from going into the detailed examples given by Mahimabhatta in order to avoid prolixity In point of fact it ought to be said that he has been rather hard upon poets of undisputed celebrity His treatment is extremely logical and the defects alleged by hım appear too fastidious In Mahimabhatta's defence it may however be observed that precision in the choice of word and meaning cannot be lightly brushed aside A critic must stand by the norm and ideal in spite of the fact that it is not attaina- ble or has not received the attention it deserves from the poets of undisputed merit Poets may fail to satisfy a fastidious precision lıke Mahimabhatta III Kramabheda-Breach of sequence entailed by mis- placement of prepositions, adverbs, conjunctive particles and pronouns Mammata Bhatta has followed Mahimabhatta in his treatment of this defect Mahimabhatta says that the pronoun should not be stated before the noun for which it stands He cites the following line as an instance of this defect 'Tīrthe tadıya gajasetubandhāt pratīpagām uttarato'sya gangām / 'In her landing formed by rows of elephants constitutting an embankment he crossed the Ganga' Here the pronoun her stands for the Ganga, and is not intelligible without reference

CHAPTER VIII 145

to Ganga which is stated later As a rule the pronoun should cone after the noun And again 'Navajaladharah sannaddho'yam na drptanisacarah' "It is a new patch of rloud and not a demon in armour" Here the adjective sannaddha should not have been stated before the negative particle 'na' Basides, the natural order of state- ment is reversed The pronoun ayam should be placed after navajaladharah and not before the substantive drptanisacarah The first impression that it is a demon is rebutted by the asser- tion that it is nothing but cloud The order of the statement should be on a par with 'this is motnerpearl and not silver ( suktıkeyam na rajatam )' The pronoun this shold be cons- trued with the real substantive and not the false appearance which is rebutted by the former Again the misplacement of conjunction gives rise to a false construction As for example- 'Kalā ca sā kāntımatī kalāvatas tvam asya lokasya ca netrakaumudr' Here the second ca shoud be placed after tvam These details are concerned witn syntactical construction The wrong placement of adjectives, pronouns, etc makes a false construction possible This should be particularly avoided in poetry which should deliver its meaning in as straight forward a manner as possible The difficulties caused by misplacement of these expression are comparable to those occasioned by mispunctuation in mordern sentences In this connection we may refer to the view tha proximty ( sannidhi ) of words is a necessary condition for the understanding of syntactical rela- tion It has however been argued that syntactical construction is determined by logical relation One should not make too much of physical proximity of expressions Mahimabhatta does not cambat this contention but poirts out in defence that the misplacement of conjunction and preposition, etc is to be avoided particularly in cases where they can be logically cons- trued with particular parts of speech For instance itr is a particle which is to be placed after a sentenee or clause which is complete in itself If it is placed before or in the midst it is apt to give a wrong impression just like the wrong insertions of quotation marks 10

146 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEM SHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

IV Paunaruktya-tautology Mahimabhatta refers at the outset that tautology has a pointed reference to repetition of meaning and not mere words If words convey different meaning the repetition of words does not constitute an off- ence 18 As for example- Hasatı hasatı svāminy uccai rudaty apı roditı / Dravına-kanıkā krītam yantram pranrtyatı nrtyatı // Here apparently same words are repeated but they convey different meanings Mahimbhatta makes an allowance for the repetition of the same word with the same meaning in the case of latanuprasa In this figure though the words have the same meaning they stand in different syntactical relation It 1s rather an exception which proves the rule Further a word should not be repeated when a pronoun will do A pronoun not only refers to the noun stated before in isolation but also when it is a part of compound So the same words should not be repeated even when it occurs in compound, but referred to by a pronoun, in default it will be a case of tautology If the meaning of the suffix and of the original word be the same it is a case of plain tautology For example, aśviyasamhatıbhıh Here the word aśviya has the sense of plurality because it means a collection of horses and again samhati means collec- tion And then again the use of plural number in aśviya-sam- hatibhih rather aggravates the tautology In the example 'Visa- kısalaya-ccheda patheya-vantah' the use of prossessive suffix matup is tautologous because the meaning is understood from bahubrihi compound without it We have already drawn at- tention to cases where the possessive suffix matup, int, etc are added, though the meaning could be derived from the construc- tion of the expression in bahubrihi compound This is not regarded as a case of tautology when additional meanings are imphed Further the use of taddhua after a nominal stem gives rise to tautology if the meaning be the same without it Thus in jambave pallavani-the leaves of the jambu tree, it does

18 V V P 288 paunaruktyam artham ekam 'evabhyupagantum yuktam na sabdam tasyārthabheđe, saty adusțatvāt na hy arthabhede sabdasām ye' pi kascıd doşah

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not give an additional meaning to what is understood from the plaın statement jambu-pallavanı Then again Vanyakarı and tadiya matanga are cases of tautology because the same mean- ing is understood without the taddhita suffix Again if the adjective be peculier to a noun the mention of the noun is a case tautology, e g 'sitakıranabharano bhavah' Here the word bhavah is unnecessary because the adjective sitakiranabharanah (one who has the cold rayed ( moon ) as an ornament ) implies none else but Siva, because it is an exclusive attribute of the latter The repetition of the particle iva expressing simile when only one suffices will be a case of this defect, e g Dıne dıne sā parıvardhamānā labdhodayā cāndramasīve rekhā// Puposa lāvanyamayān višesān jyotsnāntarānīva kalāntarānı// Here the repetition of the second iva is superfluous and hence gives rise to tautology Again when a metaphor is possible a sımile should not be used because a metaphor implies sımi- larity Thus in 'śātah syāmālatāyāh parašur ıva tamo'ranyavahner ıvārcih' Here the simile should be suppressed by eliding iva ( like ) becaues the resulting metaphor implies it Ruyyaka however regards these expressions as cases of utprekśa and not of upama There is a subtle difference bet- ween upama and utpreksa The former is determined by simi- larity ( sadrsay ) and the latter by presumption of identity ( tadātmya-sambhāvana ) So these are not proper cases of tautology according to Ruyyaka It may however be conten ded that even if utpreksa be meant insertion of iva is unneces- sary because the presumption of identity which is the essence of utpreksa is understood without this particle Thus in exres- sion "cumbatıva rajanımukham sası" iva is not necessary The sentence "the moon kisses the mouth of the night" imples that it is not a case of actual kissing which means the contact of two mouths19 of two persons and this is not literally possible of

19 S K. P 187 Cubi vaktra-samyoge

148 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

inanimate objects like the moon and the night By implication it means not actaal kissing but something like it So the addition of iva is superflous In this connection, Ruyyaka joins issue with the author He points out that there is an additional charm when different forms of expression constitute different figure of speech It is true that a metaphor is stronger than sinnle20 and so also a hyperbole which treats similar things as indentical If this were the vardstick to measure the propriety or impropriety of figures, then in all cases a metaphor or a hyperbole may be preferred to a simile After all, figures of speech are striking modes of expression which spring from the imagination of poets This extraordinary capacity for imagination is called genius It is neither necessary nor desirable that rigid limits should be set to the exercise of the poet's imagination It is for this reason that newer and newer turns of speech are being created without interruption and the human language is enri- ched by them instead of being exhausted like a mine eviscera- ted of its contents The possibilities and potentialities of lan- guage for countless variations by permutation and combination of new ideas are unfolded by succession of poets coming one after another The logical justice of the different forms of expression accounted as different figures of speech is derived from the poet's intention Thus when sumilarity is meant the simile becomes the appropriate figure When identity is asser- ted of two things it becomes a case of metaphor, e g mukham candrah-the face is the noon If this identity is expressed between a given term and another not given it may become a case of utpreksa provided the identity is in the process of for- mation If on the other hand the identity is imagined to be complete it will be a case of atisayokti-hyperbole In this way striking union of diverse concepts has given rise to untold var- ieties of striking expressions and the process has not come to a dead stop The resources of language, which is only an instru- ment in the hands of a man of genius, are simply inexhaustible

20. V V V P 303 upamā' peksayā hı rupakam atıšayoktir vā balīyasī na ca evam prayujyate vivaksāya nānātvāt

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like those of nature Anandavardhana21 asserts this truth with his extraordinary insight Mahimabhatta's egregrious logical predilections are responsible for this love of brevity Mahima- bhatta forgets that poetry is not a science like grammar or logic 22 Grammarians are enamoured of brevity which has given rise to the maxim23 that grammarians look upon the economy of even half a syllable as an occasion of joy like the birth of a son But extreme brevity breeds boring mono tony and even Panini has not made a fetish of it So he uses Vıbhāsā, anyatarasyām vā etc in order to relieve boredom Patañjalı24 compliments Panini for diversity of procedure adopted by hum in framing his rules To revert to the original case the creation of utpreksa in preference to rūpaka ( metaphor ) gives an additonal charm, although Mahima- bhatta seems to apply his blind eye to the telescope

Mahimabhatta quotes from the works of Kālidāsa, Bhāravi, Mägha and other poets of reputation several examples of tautology He lays particular stress on an important prinuiple that what is implied should not be explicitly stated Again if the poet pads out a sentence by words which do not contribute additional meaning or convey any meaning which is not understood by implication it is a case of vicious tautology Mahimabhatta has exposed the disutility of mere bombast and tinsel which has proved an irresistible tempta- tion even to poets noted for their mastery for veabal expre- ssion Let us quote a few samples which have been mercilessly slashed by Mahimabhatta Kara kalıta-nıśātotkhāta-khadgāgradhārā- drdhatara-vinipātacchinna-dustari-kanthah/

21 Dh à P- Vācaspatı-sahasrānam sahasrair apı yatna-tah / nıbaddha' pı ksayam naiti prakrtir jagatām iva // 22 V V V 303 na hı ıdam kāvyam lakşana-sāstram, yena matralaghavam cintyate Tatrapi va na miyamena laghgvam asritam mahadbhih 23 'ardha-matra-laghavena putrotsavam manyante vaiyakaranah' 24 M B 'Vicıtra hı sutrasya krtıh Panineh'

150 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

"One who has cut up the throat of the wicked enemy with a sword of sharp edge held with the hand and striking firmly" Here nine words are superfluous and they should be excised without the least regard for the poet's feeling The idea can be expressed by four words only Khadge-chinnarikanthah ( one who has cut the throat of enemy with his sword ) The adjec- tıves Karakalıtamśata and utkhāta are silly superfluities It goes without saying that the sword should be seized firmly with the hand and should be whetted and lifted up And again the qua- lification that it has sharp edge is known by implication and does not require an express statement The adjective that it should strike with firmness and the adjective 'wicked' added to the enemy are useless appendages because without these in- cidents and qualities the enemy's throat cannot be cut So it is an instance of hopeless tautology which merely makes an empty noise Further in the verse 'Sīdhurasavısaya-pānakrıyā Vaśāvāpta-janm-madavivaśā' / "The intoxication which derives its genesis from drinking the liquor of wine" Here seven words are superfluous and only śidhumada-vivasā will suffice and the rest are only given to pro- duce a high sound It will not serve our purpose to consider all the examples given by Mahimabhatta Tehy are good intel- lectual excercises for a student of literature But one thing should be noted Though unnecessary words should be avoi- ded by poets, they must not be as bald, terse and precise as the writer of a logical definition Poets and students of poetry are required by Mahimabhatta to go through the grind of logi- cal training in order to be able to infer all the ideas implicitly contained in the words selected with a view to extreme eco- nomy Mammata Bhatta seems to strike the middle course by avoiding the Scylla of bombastic elaboration and the Cha- rybdis of extreme brevity befitting a logical definition He does not lay undue emphasis on uniformity of expression which gives rise to the fault called Kathitapadata ( repetition of the same word ) which betrays the poverty of the vocabulary of the poet Again the same manner of expression will only give rıse to anavikrtatā ( mannerism ) There should be varia- tion of expression and of manner of statement in poetry The

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symmetry of the initial and final expression on which Mahima- bhatta' sets inordinate value is needed in a pnilosophical work and not in poetry It cannot be denied that there is too much of logicality in Mahimabhatta's treatment The next and the last defest mentioned by Mahimabhatta in called Vacyavacana which is a blanket term V Vacyāvacana-non-statement of what ought to be stated and statemert of what ought not to be stated Practically all rnetorical faults enumerated by Mahima- bhatta in the previous discourse fall under this head They are all cases of mis-statements In this connection he embarks upon the discussion of the possibility of śabdasaktı- muladhvant 1 e suggestion of another meaning by words susceptible of double meaning He shows that that is not possible Mahimabhatta's critical observation on lapses of poets exposed by h.m in their wriungs are both intriguing and edifying We select one or two examples to show the keen assessment made by the author Prāptā nıtambaśparsam snānottirnāyāssyāmalāngyāh/ Cıkurā rudantı jalabındubhir bandhasyeva bhayena// The idea is this "the long hairs of the beautiful lady after her bath are hanging loose and falling on her buttocks They are letting fall drops of water and the poet imagines that the hairs are weeping in fear of being bound up again Mahimabhatta observes that the act of weeping is the prin cipal factor and thus should have been made the case of utpreksa The other fact 'fear of bondage' will be automati- cally understood The imagery of drops of water as drops of tears eo ipso will make the imagination of fear of bondage intelligible He sums up as follows The addition of an adjective which only sets forth the character of the noun already known and which is not inspired by poetic fancy should be omitted The addition of such adjectives only serves to fill up the exigencies of metre The addition of adjective ın 'atrerlocanasuktımauktika maner', 'the fire born out of the eye of the sage Atri' only fills up the metre because it states a fact which is known by every body

152 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

In this connection a question is raised regarding descrip- tion of Nature or natural phenomena which has been a favourite pastime of poets It is called svabhavokti-description of nature Is it permissible or not? In reply Mahimabhatta observes that a verbil descriptioi of facts does not usually give a vivid picture of the thing described An object has twofold character first, generic ( samanya ) and the second specific ( visesa) Words only give out the general character of the thing which is after all an unreal abstraction and a vague concept The specific nature is only envisaged by perception But words of poets who are gifted with genius can give a vivid intuition of a thing described by them Genius is a kind of capacity for glimpsing the real nature of things which flashes forth when the poet's mind is engro ssed in the contemplation of words and meanings suitable to the evolution of Rasa 25 This genius is akin to divine intuition by means of which all things are intuited by God Hence the poet su ceeds in giving a pen portrait of natural factors which present the natural objects with all their vivid ness to the reader's mind It is a case of true svabhavokti Knowledge by description (1 e mediate knowledge ) here culminates in knowledge by acquaintance ( that is, immediate intuition ) to use the terminology of Bertrand Russell Mahmabhatta quotes two examples of which the last is the description of the deer chased by Dusyanta as the target in the Abhijñāna-šakuntala Grīvābhangabhiramam mahuranupatati etc Here the description of facts serves to present the deer as an object of direct perception to the reader The defects classed under the head avūcyavacana are illustra- tions of defects already treated by the author himself In one word all defects are cases of statement of what is not worthy of being stated or cases of omission of what ought to be stated Mahimabhatta concludes by subjecting the famous 25 V V P 390- Rasanuguna-sabdartha-cinta-stimita-cetasah / Kşanam svarupa-sparsotthā prajñaiva pratibha kaveh //

CHAdTER VIII 153

verse26 of Anandavardhana 'Kāvyasyātma dhvanih' etc to an insisive analysis and proposes an amendation We have been compelled to avod elaborate treatment of Mahimabhatta's most original and astounding study of poetic defects We have however focussed attention upon cases which involve far-reaching discussion of principles We are tempted to think that Mahimabhatta is the original promul- gator of these five types of defects and he shows their extensive application It must be admitted that he shows his amazing originality Mammata Bhatta borrows materials together with many of the examples from the Vyaktiviveka without explicit ackuowledgement The author of the Ekāval has only given a faint echo, In spite of the extravagance of logi ality Mahimabhatta's analysis and exposition of this important problem deserve careful study by students of poetics and literature We are conscious of the imperfections of our treatment of Mahimabhatta which are necessitated by para- mount considerations of maintaining balance and compact ness of our dissertation Mahimabhatta by himself deserves careful meticulous study and thorough exposition which 1s reserved by us for a future occasion

26 Dh A

CHAPTER IX

MAMMATA BHATTA'S EXAMINATION OF DOSA

Mammata Bhatta ( 1050 A D to 1125 A D )1 is a scru- pulous follower of Anandavardhana and Abhinava gupta He believes that rasa is the pivotal essence of poetry and defects of poetry, which were previously formulated on empirical grounds have been traced by him to the fundamental principle of rasa This is in full accordance with Anandavardhana's standpoint But Mammata Bhatta is not prepared to dismiss or disregard the findings of the old school as is the case with his definition of poetry He assigns the old concepts and categories to definite places without leaving out their bearing on the central principle of rasa It is, however, not open to denial that Mammata Bhatta does not pretend to be as precise in his definitions as has become the custom with writers nurtu- red in the dialectic of the Navya Nyaya School His defini- tion of poetry ( kavya ) has been the fashionable target of attack by subsequent writers as for example, Viśvanatha and Jagannätha His definition of dosa is also not free from clumsiness His commentators have to struggle hard in order to give it a logical shape Judged by the strict standard forged in the arsenal of the Navya Nyaya School, Mammata Bhatta is not as exact master of the art of definition But his prominence lies in marshalling of data in compact style His definitions, however, loose as they may appear, are not logically fallacious A modern student particularly with a grounding in the Navya Nyaya discıpline might wish that the terms of defiftions should have been more carefully weighed Thanks to the loyalty of the commentators the definitions interpreted by them have been reduced to logical formulation,

Hist of Alam Lit ( P V Kane ) CVI 1 S K De, Op Cit p 160

CHAPTER IX 155

precise and comprehensive enough to satisfy the requirements of logic and consistency We now propose to get down to brass tacks Mammata defines dosa ( defect as mukhyartha-hatth It 1s the substantive clause, but unfortunately all the words are not free from ambi- guity Mukhyartha has been shown to be the primary mean- ing of the word in chapter II of the Kāvya Prakasa, but that meaning does not suit the context and the logical requirements alike And Mammata Bhatta definitely asserts that the word "Mukhya" here stands for rasa, because Rasa is the principal meaning of poetry Again the word "hati" which is derived from 'han'-to kill, is also not unambiguos Taken by itself and tout court it would mean destruction, but that meaning would be extermely mnappropriate In the gross the word hatt has been explained as apakarsa, 1e detraction, but even this amendment does not make it free from difficulty and from be- ing a source of confusion Rasa is here used not in its usual acceptation It is to be understood in its secondary sense It means whatever is an object of the act of relishing ( rasyate ) and thus Bhava and also Rasabhasa and Bhavabhasa con e with- in its purview The necessary recourse to Laksanā ( secondary power ) is not a commendable procedure It is a gentral rule of exegesis that the conventional meaning, 1e the meaning fixed by usage is independent of and overrides the etyomologi- cal meaning (rudhir yogad balıyası) In cases where the mean- ing intended by the writer is to be determined by etymology, that can be secured by departing from the conventional sense and by having recourse to laksana-the secondary denotation This has been done by Mammata and his commentators by regular tour de force Apart from the difficulties mentioned above the definition would not apply to defects in species of poetry which are not Influenced by rasa This has been called citra-kavya-p.ctori- al poetry It is not regarded as high class work, but still 1s not tabooed by Anandnvardhana and Mammata There is no rasa in such poetry, but only striking use of words and pri- mary meanings It only aims at showing the poet's skill in the use of unusual words or unusual combination of words which

156 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

rather quicken the ingenuity of the reader and does not care to evoke an aesthetic appreciation In order to make the defini- tion applicable to such pieces of composition he asserts that vacyartha ( the expressed meaning ) should also be included in the mukhyartha Not only this, even the verbal expressions should come within the ambit of mukhyartha, 1 e the principal meanıng The expressed meaning ( vacyartha ) is the vehicle of the suggested sentiment ( rasa ) and the actual verbal expre- ssions are also to be comprehended by it as they are the nece- ssary means of the understanding of the expressed and suggested meaning The expression "sabdadyah" does not seem happv 'Sabda' here stands for expressive word, 1 e a word which signifies a meaning The word "adya'-et cetera stands for the constituent syllables ( varnas ) and the style of composition ( racana ) The latter have no meaning, yet a defect in them spoils through a circuitous process the mani- festation of rasa Therefore they are also to be taken into account The et cetera ( adyah ) 1s used to effect this inclu- sion This could have been convemently avoided by taking the word 'sabda' in the etymological sense of being what is uttered ( śabdyate ) This etymological meaning is wide enough to include not only words significant of meaning, but also those constituent elements and also the resultant combi- nation of sentences, because they all share the common property of being voiced by the vocal organ Of course, this would have necessitated the surrender of the primary meaning of sabda and recourse to secondary meaning But Mammata is not aftraid of secondary meanings as "Mukhya" and "Hatt", "Rasa" and also "Vacya" have been taken in the secondary sense And the commentators have to use ingenuity in evol- ving a justifia ble meaning

In spite of all the emendations the definition does not cease to cause trouble The word "hatt" in mukhyartha hati is a hard nut to crack As we have observed before it cannot be taken in its primary sense of destruction It cannot be taken as synonymous with "abhava" ( negation ), which has four var.e- ties, viz, pre-negation ( Pragabhāva ), post-negation ( pradhva-

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msābhāva ), absolute-negation (atyantābhāva ) and also reci- procal negation ( anonyabhava ) of identity, 1 e the numerical difference of things The meaning apakarsa-detraction or degradation does not include all cases Only those defects which detract from the emotional effect produced by rasa would come under it But it would fail to include those defects which serve to preclude the realisation of rasa by the omission of a necessary condition of it Here rasa will fail to materialise, so the question of detraction or degradation of rasa is ruled out The commentator Govinda Thakkura, whose commentary is a masterpiece of logical skill and poetical sensibility alike, voices the charge of the critic facetiously as follows "The definition is just like a very small coverlet of too poor a couple which when drawn up by one leaves tne other entirely exposed"-

Govinda Thakkura, however, saves the definition from the charges Of course he admits that detraction or degradatton does not fit in with all the situations, It is particularly irrele- vant to cases where the primary is not expressed at all, as we shall see in the case ot defect anarthaka ( insignitcant ) and asamartha ( incompetent ) Govinda Thakkura interprets hatt ( apakarsa ) deterioration or degradation in an altogether defterent sense The essence ot dosa ( defect ) lies in its being the condition of the obstruction or frustration of the under- standing of intended meaning In poetry which is possessed ot rasa the 'poet's intention is the understanding by the reader of the meaning which is possessed of rasa uninterrupted and uneffected In compositions, which have no pretension to rasa, the understanding of the meaning of a striking character is the intention of the poet, Now defined as such the defini- tion applies to all cases Thus in defective poetry there is failure of Rasa experience or the deterioration of rasa or inter- ruption of rasa In poetry devoid of rasa ( nırasa kāvya)

2 K Prad P 169 -'tad etat lakşanam atıdarldradampatyoh Krsatara-nısāvagunțhanīyavasanam ıva ekena apakrsyamānam aparam parıharatı'

158 CONCEPT OF POETIC BI EMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

there is either the meaning not apprehended at all, or the apprehension is delayed or it has no striking effect Thus in all cases there is the common failure of the understanding of the meaning intended by the speaker Sometimes this failure of understanding is directly effected as in the defects of Rasa and in other cases indirectly by a circuitous process as in the defects of sabda ( word ) and artha ( meaning) In the latter case sometimes the word fails to present a meaning as in asamartha ( incompetence ) etc Sometimes it is delayed as in nıhatartha ( suppressed meaning) where the usual meaning is understood first and obstructs the intended meaning Some- times the meaning is not understood at all as in cyuta samskrti ( solecist.c expression ) There are some defects such as nırarthaka ( meaningless ) which do not convey any sense and yet are used to fill up the gap These words produce an unhealthy reaction in the critic's mind who understands the futility of these expressions used oy the writer, because he could not find an expressive word in its place This snows the poverty of his voLabulary Secondly, the reader might be unnecessarily exercised for finding a suitable meaning which it has not Sometmies such a word is used as gives out an opposite meaning, this gives rise to defect called viruddhama- tikrtva, 1 e conveying the opposite sense All these issues will be discussed in conne tion with the treatment of indivi- dual defects There are defects which are universally and necessarily reprobated They are to be avoided under all circumstances There are other defects which cease to be so under special circumstances

Though broadly speaking there are two defects relating to the form ( sabda ) and content or meaning ( artha) It 1s expedient to divide the defects into three categories, (1) formal, pertaining to sabda ( padadosa ), ( 2 ) material, relating to the meaning ( arthadosa ) and ( 3) one relating to the sentiment ( rasa-dosa) After all it is Rasa which is the most important principle ef poetry It has been rightly designated as the soul of poetry We have observed in the course of the treatment of Anandavardhana's position that the raison d'etre of defects lies in its adverse influence upon the evolution of rasa and

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the figures of the sound and sense derive their justification from their contribution to the realisation of rasa They are all subservient to the main theme of poetry which is rasa Even the plot, the delineation of character and embellishments are all dependent upon rasa They are acceptable so far as they are found to be serviceable to this prmncipal objective Defects are condemned because they do disservice to the cause of rasa If they do not adversely effect the emergence of rasa thev are not regarded as defects It will be shown that some defects ( dosas ) under some circumstances turn out as excellences ( gunas ) This fact has been noticed by ancient writers like Bhamaha and Dandin also, but they could not go into the bottom of it They were guided by the rule of thumb It was Anandavardhana who discovered their inward signi- ficance and their logic by pointing out the relevancy to the emotional effect of poetry

One issue aboat the method adopted by Mammata in state- ment of poetic defects ( dosas ) demands examination Mam- mata first dealt with the defects of words ( Pada Dosas ) and then the defects of Parts of words (Padamsa Dosas), the defects cf sentence ( Väkya-dosas ), the defects of meaning (arthadosas) and the defects of sentiment ( rasa dosas ) in successive order Is there any logic behind this procedure ? A haphazard treat- ment of all sorts of dosas cannot commend itself There must be a logical justification in the classification and the treatment of individaal cases It is obvious that word as expressive of meaning should call our attention first As regards sentences they are only a combination of words And so one can come to understand it better if the constituent elements ( words ) are understood first The latter is the Pre-supposition of the for- mer But why should Mammata treat of defects of words ( pa- dadosas ) prior to the defects of parts of words ( Padamsa- dosas ) ? In later development of logical thought the question of relevancy of sequence ( sangati ) came to occupy an impor- tant position In all scientific thought which is governed by logical considerations the critical reader is expected to demand an explanation why one topic is treated before or after another

160 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

This is the problem of sangati,3 1e logical relevan.y, which occupies a position of importance in the Mimāmsa school It Is understood that the author of a work must discuss issues which logically arise from the Previous statement He writes in response to an actual or hypothetical question likely to be pat by the student or the enquirer of truth for whose edification the book is supposed to be written Now all assert'ons logically considered, are in the nature of answers to questions immplicitly or explicitly posed The next assertion must be such as natur- ally satisfies the question of the student A general statement is first made This leads to the statement of detail because that is what is wanted to be unerstood This is in a nutshell the nature of relevancy The question and answer mast relate to one and the same thing If one asks for the price of gold and if the price of butter is quoted that will be a case of glaring irrelevancy We have made this digression in order to bring out the logi- cal significance of the question propounded before The ques- tion is why should defects of words ( Pada dosas ) be given the place of honour in the order of treatment in preference to defects of the parts of words ( padamsa dosas ) ? The answer is given by Govinda Thakkura as follows It is the considera- tion of expediency and logical economy which have led Mam- mata to adopt the order The defects of parts of words ( pada- msa dosas ) are fewer in number and are identical with those of defects of words ( pada dosas ) So after treating ( upadesa) defects of words ( pada-dosas ), Mammata speaks of defects of parts of words ( padamsa-dosas) by way of extension ( atidesa) This constitutes economy But if the process were reversed the same advantage could not be secured, because he would have to give fresh definitions of those defects of words ( pada-dosas ) which are not included in the list of defects of the parts of words ( padamsa-dosas ) The definitions of defects of words ( padadosas ) apply to corresponding defects of parts of words ( padāmsa dosas ) and so only a backward reference would suffice in the treatment of the latter

3 Anantarābhıdhanaprayojakajijñasājanakajñanavisayatvam sanga- tih-the usual definition of sangatt given in Navyanyaya

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We have dealt with some important logical questions Firstly we have subjected Mammata's definition of defect ( dosa ) to an incisive analysis by application of logical criteria Ultimately we have given the definition of the Pradipakara, Govinda Thakkura as the most satisfactory acco- unt of the nature of poetical defects We must note that Govinda Thakkura here follows in the wake of Mahimabhatta and adopts his definit on with necessary modification Accor- ding to Mahimabhatta a poetical defect is a case of inappro- priateness which arises from the violation of the conditions of rasa experience* This was pointed out by Anandavardhana5 Mahima regards rasa as the sole and sufficient essence of poetry and leaves no room for any other species of poetry, which has no claim to rasa Accordingly he defines a poetic defect as that which thwarts the realisation of rasa and bhava etc Govinda Thakkura cannot adopt this definition, since it does not apply to pictorial poetry ( citra-kavya ) for which Anandavardhana and Mammata have found a niche in the field of poetry Accordingly, Govinda Thakkura substitutes 'uddesya pratiti' for 'Rasa-Pratitt' in Mahimabhatta's definition We have explained the meaning of this significant expression in our interpretation of Govinda Thakkura's definition In the second place we have dealt with the question of relevancy ( sangati ) This completes our survey of the introductory issues involved in the problem of dosa We now propose to deal with the table of dosas as given by Mammata Bhatta in his work Kavya-Prakaśa and we will deal with questions which arise in important cases Mammata first gives the following pada dosas ( defects pertaining to words ) - I Śrutikatu-unpleasant to the ear, II Cyutasamskrtı-Solecism,

4 V V P 152 Vıvaksıtarasādıpratītı-vighna-vidhāyitam nāma sāmānyalaksanam 5 Dh A P. 330- Anaucityad rte nānyad rasabhangasya kāranam / Prasıddhaucitya-bandhas tu rasasyopanıSat para // 11

162 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

III Aprayukta-unconventional, IV Asamartha-incapable of giving intended meaning, V Nihatartha-having its meaning supressed, VI Anucitartha improper signification, VII Nirarthaka-meaningless, VIII Avacaka-inexpressive, IX Tridha'slila-threefold indecorous, X Sandıgda-ambiguous, XI Apratita-unintelligible, XII Gramya-vulgar, XIII Neyärtha-a word, having a meaning to be guessed out XIV Klista-obscure, XV Avimrstavidheyamsā-having the predicate subordinated and XVI Viruddhamatikrt-of repugnant implication After enumeration Mammata defines and illustrates each of these individual faults We propose to study these in their proper order I Śrutikatu-a word, which is painful to the ear due to its harsh syllables, is an instance of the defect śrutikatu e g ananga-mangala-grha'pangabhangI-tarangitaih / ālıngıtah sa tanvangyā kārttārthyam labhate kadā // 'When will he ( the hero ) have his desire fulfilled, being embraced by the slender-bodied lady through her glances, which are abode of cupid ( Iove-god )' In the example given, the word 'Karttarthyam' is harsh and grating upon the ear Now what is the logical ground of this defect ( dusakata- bya ) ? It naturally grates upon the ear and so produces un- welcome effect upon the mind of the hearer But this is not invariably found to be true because in the delineation of the furious sentiment ( raudra-rasa ) it does not produce such effect. It may be argued that only when a harsh grating sound is found in the midst of sweet mellifluous sound it is regarded as a fault But that also is not convincing It is a fault when it is heard along with mellifluous sweet sound or by its very nature ? The first alternative presupposes the knowledge of

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particular sentiment conveyed by the sentence, in default of which it will not be a fault But this is not a tenable conten- tion because the sound effect is different in different persons and the sentiment is realized after the import is understood. The second alternative is also not capable of being proved. Why should it not be deemed a defect if a grammarian is the speaker or hearer ? In reply it may be observed that the use of words and syllables is entirely at the discretion of the speaker If a sound produces a repellant effect it should be avoided It differs from hostile sounds because it is not necessarily grating upon the ear Sweet and soft sound may also be employed for the furious ( raudra ) and heroic ( vira ) sentiments though out of keeping This defect of harshness is not universal If the speaker be a grammarian fond of long compounds and harsh words and also the hearer be such, and again if the sentiment be quite in harmony with harshness such as the furious or if there be no rasa, the harsh sound will not be deemed a fault On the first alternative the speaker being a grammarian is fond of harsh words the audience does not take offence and rather makes allowance for his idiosyncrasy On the second the gramarian hearer is used to such sounds and is not at all offended In the third instance the hearer is not affected by it because of its harmony with the sentiment In the fourth case, 1 e in poetry devoid of sentiment ( mrasa kāvya ) it is not at all a fault because it does not adversely effect any sentiment Lastly if the writer only quotes the words of some other person he is not to answer for the harsh- ness of the sounds and words, because they are not his own composition It may however be objected that when harshness turns out to be a defect only in dependence upon the sentiment or the nature of the speaker, why should we regard it as a verbal defect ? The answer is that even what are regarded as mere verbal defects are not understood as such independently of the meaning Thus we shall see in the second defect, solecistic expression ( cyuta-samskrtt ) that it is incorrect only in the

164 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

sense in which it is used Thus 'nathate' 1s incorrect only in the sense of begging and not in other senses, still it is accoun ted as a verbal defect What is then the criterion of verbal ( sabda ) and material ( artha ) defect ? It is the criterion of causality If the defect ceases to be on the substitution of a word by a synonym it is regarded as a verbal defect ( śabda- dosa ), because the meaning is the same and only the verbal expression differs It is called sabda-parıvrtu-sahatva This 1s the case also with alankāras ( figures of speech ) and gunas ( excellences ) If a particular figure, excellence or defect is avoided by substitution of its synonym it is to be regarded as verbal If on the other hand the change of the words does not involve the change of defect or figure etc it is to be regarded as the defect of the sense Viśvanatha and Vidyanatha call it 'Dussrava' and 'Parusa" respectively The latter defines it as 'parusamnäme tad yat syad vihitam parusaksaraih'-the word full of letters-harsh to the ear constitutes the defect called parusa II Cyuta-Samskrtı-Solecism When the rule of grammar is transgressed and a word is used without the grammatical characteristic it constitutes a defect called cyuta-samskrti ( solecism ) This is a serious defect and is admitted by almost all writers of Poeticss The example of it is - etan-manda-vıpākva-tındukaphala-syāmodarāpāndura- prāntam hanta pulindasundara karasparśa-Ksamam labhyate/ tat pallīpatıputrı kuūjarakulam Kumbhābhayābhyarthanā- đīnam tvām anunāthate kucayugam pattrāvrtam mā krthāh // 'O the daughter of the lord of the village, the elephants being the humble petitioner for the favour of fearlessness request you not to cover your breasts witk leaves, the breasts which are black in the centre as half ripe tinduka fruit and which are slightly yellow on the borders and tangible by the hands of a handsome Pulinda youth' Here the word 'anunathate' is ungrammatical in the sense of begging The verb nath takes ätmanepada termination only when it is used in the sense of benediction by the rule of Panini-'asis nathah' But in the example mentioned above, the

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meaning intended is 'begging' or 'asking favour', hence the use of the word 'anunathate' is vitiated by the fault of solecism It should have been 'anunathati' 1n Parasmai-Pada termination It is a constant (nitya ) defect It; is called 'apasabda' by Abhinavagupta who takes it to be a serious defect because here the meaning is not understood at all It is asadhu of Bhojaraja,

III Aprayukta-unconventional When a word is used in a form which though sanctioned by authority as correct, is not approved and used by poets as a rule, e g yathā'yam dārunācārah sarvadaıva vbhāvyate / tathā manye daivato'sya Pıšāco rāksaso'thavā // 'Since this man is always cruel in his behaviour, I feel that he has a ghost or a demon as his presiding deity' Here though the word 'daivatah' is quite a proper form being sanc- tioned in the dictionary in both masculine and neuter gender, yet this form is not used in masculine gender by poets who generally take it in the neuter The defect 'aprayukta is inconstant ( anitya) for in the figures of speech like 'slesa and 'yamaka' it ceases to be a defect Poets approve of use of even 'aprayukta' words for the sake of these figures of speech The use of such words is not ruled out What is the raison d'etre of the defect ? It is not ungrammatical, nor is it devoid of expressive power But being not used in the form it causes deliberation and hence delays the understanding of the meaning IV Asamartha-incapable of giving sense It is a defect arising from a word used in its etymological sense to which its denotative power does not extend, at least in the form in which it is used in the present context 'Yat tadartham pathyate na ca tatrāsya śaktıh,' e g Tirthāntaresu snānena samupārjita-satkrtıh / SurasrotasvinIm esa hantı sampratı sādaram // 'Having acqired merits by taking baths in other holy places, he now respectfully goes to the river of gods'

166 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Here the use of 'hantt' is wrong as it does not yield the sense of going The verb 'han' is given in the Dhātupātha in the sense of both 'killing' and 'going' ( han hımsāgatyoh ) € But it bears the sense of going in restricted cases eg in 'Paddhat ( path ), 'Jangha' ( fore leg ), 'jaghana' (hip), etc, the han in them bears the sense of going But by itself it always means 'killing' So the use of 'hanti' in the sense of 'going' in the present case is unwarranted It does not yield the intended sense Anandavardhhana7 has aptly observed that convention alone is the authority for usage of words and senses Bhoja and Vidyanatha call it 'anartha' and define as rudhi- cyuta 1 e divorced from convention Further the use of word 'Vidagdha', which means a man of taste and culture, in the etymological sense of being excessively burnt (visesena dagdhah) will be guilty of this very defect V Nihatartha-having its meaning suppressed when a word, which has two meanings the common and the uncommon is used in the uncommon one, it constitutes the fault 'Nıha- tārtha', e g yāvakarasārdra-pāda-prahāra-śonita-kacena dayitena / mugdha sādhvasataralā vilokya parıcumbitā sahasā // 'the unsophisticated girl, trembling with fear, was kissed by her lover, whose hair was reddened on account of being hit by her feet painted with lac ( yāvaka ). Here the word 'sonita' generally means 'blood' But it 1s used here in its less known sense of 'reddened' It is an example of 'Nihatartha'-suppressed meaning Vamana, Bhoja and Vıdyānātha call it 'gudhārtha' Bhoja defines it as 'gudha- rtham aprasiddhartham prayogam bruvate budhah' The Pradīpakāra observes that it is a fault because the more known meaning presents itself first and the intended meaning being the less known one is understood later The delay in understanding of the meaning is reason for its being regarded as fault

6 Pamini Dhatu Patha-II 2 Dh A 272 Sabdartha-vyavahare ca prasıdhır eva pramānam

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VI Anucitartha-A word which conveys an improper signification and pollutes the desired meaning, e g tapasvıbhır yā sucirena labhyate prayatnatah satrıbhır isyate ca ya / prayāntı tām āśu gatım yaśasvino ranā-śvameđhe paśutām upāgatāh // 'The valiant warriors killed like goats in the sacrifice of war attain immediately to that state which is obtained at long last by ascetics and which is eagerly desired by sacrificers' Here the word 'pasu' conveys an improper sense The comparison of valiant warriors defying death in battlefield to senseless brutes and sacrificial animals is highly inappro- priate since it suggests timidity and fear of death. It is almost sımılar to vruddhamatıkrt ( of repugnant signification ) But the latter is significant of the opposite sense only in connec- tion with other words Here the defect is confined to the word itself irrespective of the context The nirarthaka ( mean1- ngless ) causes revulsion in the mind of the critic who thinks too little of the speaker for using unmeaning word to fill up the metre and the unsophisticated reader will have to rack his brain for finding a justification VII Nirarthaka-a meaningless which occurs in poetry for the purpose of merely filling up the metre constitutes the defect 'nirarthaka' e g

utfullakamalakesaraparāgagauradyute mama hı gauri / abhıvānchitam prasıdhyatu bhagavatı yusmatprasādena // 'O Goddess Gauri whose lustre is like that of the pollen of the full-blown lotus, may my desires be fulfilled by your kindness'. Here the word 'ht is an unmeaning expletive uselessly put in It has no significance and does not bring any striking beauty to poetry It comes in only for fulfilling the require- ment of the metre It racks the reader's brain for finding the meaning Thus it is censured VIII Avacaka. A word which does not express the inten- ded meaning constitutes the fault 'avacaka'. It differes from the defect 'asamartha' ( incapable of giving the intended mean- ing ) which expresses the sense under certain circumstances

168 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

According to the commentator Govinda Thakkura ( a) a word may mean the substantive, but not the adjectival con- notation ( b) it may give the adjectivel sense but not the substantive, ( c ) thirdly it may not mean both the adjective and sub- stantive, e g ( a ) avandhya-kopasya vıhantur āpadām bhavantı vaśyāh svayam eva dehinah / amarsa śunyena janasya jantuna na jāta-hārdena na vidvisādarah // In this verse the word jantu means a person which is the etymological meaning-jayate iti jantuh But it is used as an attribute to 'vihantur apadām', 1 e one who saves a man from distress and poverty By contrast the adjectival meaning should be the opposite of it, 1 e one who does not help an- other by gift of money, etc But this is not understood from the word 'Jantu' without further qualification The second case of Avacaka is exemplified in the following verse Hā dhık sā kıla tāmasī sašımukhī drstā mayā yatra sā tadvıslesa-rujāndhakārıtam ıdam dagdham dınam kalpitam / Kım kurmah kuśale sadaıva vidhuro dhātā na cet tat katham tādrk yamavatīmayo bhavatı me no jīvaloko'dhunā // 'Ah ' the time when that moon-faced lady was seen by me happened to be a dark night, and this the cursed time darkened by mental pain caused by her separation is made a ( bright) day What should I do ? Luck is undoubtedly against me or else why is not the whole universe changed for me into that very night ( of our previous union ) ? In this verse the word 'dina' ( day ) is used in opposition to 'taması' 1 e dark-nıght The word 'dina' means only a day not the quality of its being illuminated by sunlight Here there is no reference to etymology And again- Jalam jaladhare Ksāram ayam varsatı varidah ıdam brmhıtam aśvānām kakudmān esa hesate // Here the use of the word 'jaladhara' in the sense of 'sea' 1s unwarranted because it cannot have that meaning By etymo-

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logy it may mean the quality of being reservoir of water but for the substantive meaning 'sea' it is absolutely inexpressive The conventional meaning is 'cloud' and not 'sea' The fault also takes place when the signification of a word is changed on account of a prefix ( upasarga-samsargad arthantaragatam ) the word is rendered inexpressive Janghā-kāndoru-nālo nakha-kıranalasat-kesarālī-karālah Pratyagrā'laktakābhā prasarakısalayo mañju-manjīra-bhrngah / bhartur nrttānukāre Jayatı nija- tanū-svacchalāvanya-vāpī- sambhūtāmbhojasobham vidadhad abhınavo dandapādo Bhavānyāh // 'Glorious is the Dandapāda ( raised feet ) of Bhavani imita- ting her husband s dance The Dandapada which bears the beauty of a lotus grown in the tank of her beauty, which has for Its stalk the large thighs, for its filaments, the lustre of its nails and lastly the beautiful anklet for the humming bees' The word 'Vidadhat in the sense of bearing or carrying is absolutely inexpressive It means 'doing' The root 'dha' with prefix 'vi' always means 'doing' It is a constant defect { nitya-dosa ) because it always fails to give intended meaning IX Tridha'slilam-A word which signifies indecency is a defect called 'ashla' Indecency is three-fold as being suggestive of ( a ) shame ( Vrīda ), ( b ) disgust ( jugupsa ) and (c) inauspiciousness ( amangala) These are, in their order, illustrated as follows - { a ) Example of shame- Sādhanam sumahad yasya yannānyasya vilokyate / Tasya dhīsālınah konyah sahetārālıtām bhruvam // 'Who can bear the curved brow of that intelligent man who has great sādhana ( resources ) such as belongs to none else ? Here in the word 'sadhana' we have indecency suggestive of shame and thus it is a defect ( b) Example of disgust- Lilā-tāmarasāhato'nya-vanıtā-nıh'sanka-dastādharah Kaścıt kesara-dūsıteksana ıva vyāmılya netre sthitah / Mugdhā kudmalıtānaneva dadatī vāyum sthitā tatra sā bhrāntyā dhūrtatayā'thavā natım rte tenā'nıśam cumbita //

170 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

'He, having marks of kısses of a strange woman, was hit ( by his wife ) with a sportive lotus and he stood rubbing his eyes as if pained by the pollen of lotus falling in them The unsophisticated girl stopped there puffing air with her budded mouth into his eyes And she, either through her mistake or through his cunningness was excessively kissed even without request' Here the phrase 'vayum dadatr' suggests the repulsive sense of abdominal air passing through excretive orifice Thus it 1s a case of indecency (c) Example of inauspiciousness- mrdupavanavıbhinno matprıyāyā vınāśat ghanarucira-kalāpo nıhsapatno'dya jātah / rativilulitabandhe keśapāse sukeśyāh satı kusumasanāthe kam hared esa barhī // 'The dense and beautiful peacock train whose smoothness is disturbed by mild breeze is left without a competitor with the destruction of my beloved In the presence of her hair-braids whose smoothness is disturbed by love's dalliance and which are interspersed with flowers, whom could the peacock match ?' Here the word 'vinasa' is indecorous as it signifies nauspicious- ness, meaning death Now these three different senses have no common connota- tion and hence the three types should be treated as different defects They are classed under one name because they all detract from the sentiment In ornate poetry devoid of specific sentiment it takes away from the striking effect of poetry It is inconstant and ceases to be a defect when the poet speaks of the loathsomeness of things in order to foster one's con- tempt for the worldly pleasures It also is not inappropriate in amorous talks While treating of this defect Vamanas has noticed certain exceptions where the indecent sense is suppres- sed and not felt K Sandigdha-ambiguous When the meaning of a word is doubtful and it confuses the reader it constitutes the case of defect 'samdigdha', e g 8 Vamana II 1. 16 na gupta-laksıtasmvriānı Apavādārtham ıdam Guptam laksıtam samvrtam ca na'sirlam

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ālıngıtas tatra bhavān samparāye jayaśrıyā / āśıh-paramparām vandyām karne krtvā krpam kuru // 'having been embraced by the fortune of victory in battle and having heard the series of benedictions have mercy on the prisoner ( woman )' Here the word 'vandyam' 1s 'samdigdha' ( ambiguous ) since it is doubtful whether it is a locative case of the word 'vandi' and means 'on the captive lady' or the accusative case of 'vandya' and means 'laudable' and is an adjective to 'asihpara- mpara' Hence it is defective and ambiguous It is an incons- tant type of Dosa It ceases to be a defect where a doubtful meaning is deliberately intended by a poet The reason of the defect lies in its failure to give decisive meaning XI Apratita-unintelligible When a word is used in a sense which is not recongised in poetry but used in a technical sense only in some particular department of learning ( yat kevale śāstre prasiddham) it constitutes the defect of 'apratita' It is unintelligible to a layman, e g Samyag-jūāna-mahājyotırgalıtāśayatājusah / Vıdhiyamanam apy etan na bhavet karma bandhanam // 'To him who has destroyed his subtle predispositions by the powerful lustre of his authentic realisation, the actions done by him do not become a bondage' Here the word 'asaya' is employed in the sense of subtle predisposition It is a special technicality of the yoga philo sophy9 and also of the Buddhist Psychology It is 'apratita' in poetry and is not intelligible to a layman Hence the defect It ceases to be a defect if it is addressed to a professional philosopher or is simply cogitated by the person within himself Vıdyānātha calls it 'apratītika' 'Srivatsa-lānchana expounds this term as 'Prati ( Pratt śastre ) item (jnatam ) yat kıncıt sāstra-paribhäsitam' that which is technically known in parti- cular branch of Science XII Gramya-vulgar A word not used by a refined and cultured person but is used only by lower class of people 1s called 'gramya' Words are of three kinds, viz nagara used by 9 YS II 12 Kleśamülah Karmāsayo drşțadrstajanmavedhanīyah

172 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

highly cultured persons lıving in cities (vidagdhamātra-prayukta), upanagara-used by less cultured people of mediocre culture, and gramya-used by rural folk If a poet giving up the former two types accepts the third type of words it strikes the reader and spoils the charm of poetry, e g

rākāvıbhāvarī kāntasamkrāntadyutı te mukham / tapanīya śīlāśobhā katiśca harate manah // 'Thy face which has the lustre of moonlit night and buttocks as a golden block ravish my heart' Here the use of the word 'katı' is vulgar When the poet adopts such vulgar expressions eschewing the urban forms he appears to the reader as a man of low taste It ceases to be a fault when the speaker is a man of low rank without pretension to culture.

XIII Neyärtha-When a word is employed to convey a secondary sense without the sanction of convention or the warrant of an additional charming sense, it illustrates a case of 'neyärtha' where the meaning is guessed out with much ado In other words, the secondary sense of words ( laksana ) is accepted when there is rudhi ( tradition ) or prayojana ( purpose ) When It is resorted to in a case where these conditions are absent it constitutes this defect Mammata Bhatta supports his contention quoting the authority of the Tantra-vārtıka and says 'nışıddham lāksanıkam' 1 e the unper missible secondary sense, e g Śarat-kāla-samullası-purnımā-sarvarī-prıyam / Karotı te mukham tanvı capetā-pātanātıthım // 'O slender one' Your face gives a slap to the moon, the lord of the autumnal full-moon night' Here by 'giving a slap' is meant to indicate 'excelling or vanquishing' But such indication is neither due to tradition nor to any other special motive Certainly it is a fault of expression where the meaning is to be guessed out and the reader is puzzled to make out a justification for this round- about expression But there is no justification Words should be used in their primary sense in order to avoid hitch in understandıng

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Bhoja defines it as 'svasanketa-praklrptārtham' Vıdyānātha follows him and explains it as based on the poet's own inven- tion without proper logic A word may be used in a secondary sense if a long con- vention sanctioning such use is in existence This is called Nirudha Laksana 1 e the secondary denotation With virtue of long usage it ( laksanā ) becomes tantamount to Abhidha ( primary denotation ) in respect of its expressive power, e g. England and Germany are at war Here England and Germany stand for their respective nations But such usages being common the speaker is not called upon to render an explana- tion But new fangled expression used for conveying secondary meanings require justification The speaker must show that he has departed from the natural use because he wants to suggest an additional meaning which is not otherwise made known Tne well-known case of the latter type is 'The man lıves on the Ganges' Certainly one cannot lve on the river Ganga because no house can be built upon the current of water The deviation from the use of expressive word 'The bank of the Ganges' is justifiable by the communication of suggested meaning 'coolness' and 'sacredness' The river is known for the sanctity of water and coolness The use of the same word for the bank implies the sanctity and coolness of the bank also, the qualities of which are a case of transference by reason of close vicinity To come to the question of 'Neyartha' under consideration, it arises from the absence of the sanction either by usage or special meaning. XIV Klista-A word having its meaning interrupted and farfetched, 1s a case of klista ( obscure ) Here the compre- hension of sense is delayed because of the pedantic circum- locution, e g Atrı-locana-sambhūta-jyotırudgama-bhāsıbhih / Sadrśam śobhate'tyartham bhupāla tava cestitam // 'O King, your actions shine like those which bloom by the light of that which is produced by the eyes of Atrı' Here the meaning is-like the Kumuda flowers ( lilies) which bloom with the rays of the moon, who again is born

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Though the predicate is sometimes used prior to the subject in English poetry for the sake of emphasıs, yet the logical order of precedence of the subject is set out in prose order Now what is the logic governing the precedence of the subject to the predicate ? Kumārila pronounces the following dictum 'The predicate must not be stated without stating forth the subject prior to it Obviously a quality or action or even a substantive ( wich is predicated of the subject ) cannot settle down without gaining a locus" The predicate is more important than the subject because it is not previously known to belong to the latter In logic, following the classification of Kant, propositions are divided into two classes-verbal and real In the verbal proposition the predicate follows from the connotation of the subject Hence it does not give a new information, e g 'man is a rational animal'-is a verbal proposition The predicate only explicitly states the meaning of the subject 'man' Definitions in general are instances of verbal proposition They serve a useful purpose by analysing the meaning of the subject which aids the understanding of the connotation of the subject by a neophyte But it must be admitted that notwithstanding this pragmatic utility verbal propositions are not better than tauto- logy It is only the real proposition whch should be treated as propositions proper The present consideration of the defect pertains to such propositions The subject must be previously known otherwise the predi- cate will not be understood to belong to it It will on the contrary necessitate another proposition, if the subject be unknown to the reader Any statement regarding President Eisenhower will be unintelligible if the person addressed does not know the meaning of it He can be meaningfully made the subject of a proposition if the hearer or reader is familiar with the great personage The subject is therefore called 'anuvādya', 1 e an object of anuvāda, which is a sort of proposition, setting forth in words a fact already known by some other means of cognition So the statement of the sub- ject already known is absolutely superfluous if it is taken by itself There is no need to make known the fact which is

176 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

already known The statement of the subject is necessary for the understanding of the relation of the predicate The predicate is called vidheya-an object of Vidhi,12 defineď as the affirmation of an unknown fact, a quality or action and the like. Being not previously known it is the predicate which makes the proposition significant It follows from the defini- tion that the predicate must not belong to the subject as a part of its connotation Such propositions are called also synthetic proposition as opposed to verbal or analytical propositions. Logically considered the predicate is the most important part of proposition as it gives a new information This is the justi- fication of the statement As we have observed before, a verbal proposition is only a pseudo-proposition We have set out the meaning and significance of subject and predicate in a proposition How we propose to consider the logical necessity, if any, of the sequential order of the two Kumarila insists that the subject should be stated first and the predicate next If the order is reversed the predicate would be considered as the subject at the first blush It will not be a mere verbal defect but effect the very sense So the order must be scrupulously observed This defect naturally pertains to a sentence being concerned with two parts But it may be ragarded as a defect of a single word by a technical device. A compound ( samasa ) though consisting of many words is regarded as one word ( Prati padika ) by a rule of Pānini 13 When the subject and the predicate are formed into one com- pound and predicate loses it superior status being lumped with. the subject Though there is no formal reversal of the order in the compound treated as a whole word the equalisation of the predicate with the subject involved in the compound offends the logical sense The primacy and superiority of the predicate which stems from its novelty are lost All the same the difference between a compound and a proposition lies in the reversal of the order in the latter, thereby making the predicate seem as the subject, whereas in the former the two

12 A S p 31 'Tatra' natarthajnapako Vidhih' 13 Panim I. II 46 'Krttaddhitasamāsaśca'.

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are put on the same level Equalisation of a superior with an inferior involves the same logical offence To exemplify this defect the following instances are given Mūrdhnāmudvrtta-Krttā'virala-gala galadrakta samsakta-dhārā dhaute'sānghri-prasādopanata-jaya- jagajjāta-mıthyā-mahımnām / Kailaśollasanecchā-vyatıkara- piśunotsarpi-darpoddhurānām dosnām caısām kımetat phalamıha nagarIraksane yat prayāsah // "What is the use of these my heads and arms when I have to make efforts in protecting this city of mine? The heads whose greatness is proclaimed in the worlds through victories gained by the kindness of the feet of the Lord Siva, which feet were washed by the current of blood incessantly flowing from heads cut off majestically, and these my arms, full of pride manifesting from raising the Kailasa mountain" Here 'mithya-mahimnam' is not a subordinate adjunct as it is made here, but the principal predicate and therefore the predomi- nant part of the expression But it is mixed up with the 'Bahuvrihr'14 compound in which the members become subordi- nate and the predominance is given to another object Another example in a 'Karmadhäraya' compound - Nyastām nıtambad avaropayantım punah punah keśara-dāma-kāñcim / Nyasīkrtam sthanavidā smarena dvıtiya-maurvīm ıva kārmukasya // 'She ( was seen ) constantly moving up the girdle of Bakula flowers falling from her hips The girdle appeared like the second bow string kept by cupid as deposit with her who knows where to place things' Here only secondness is to be predicated, but being the first member of a 'Karmadharaya' compound, it becomes subordinate This compound is a species of Tatpurusa where the last member is predominant 15 Here the poet should have

14 S K p 87. 'anyapadartha pradhano bahuvrīhih' 15 S K p 87 'uttarapadarthapradhanas tatpurusah' 12

178 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

said 'maurvim dvitiyam' and thus given a prominent and emphatic expression to secondness And sımılarly an example of 'nan samasa' is- Ananda-sındhur-atıcāpala-sālicitta- Sandānanaıka sadanam ksanam apyamuktā / yā sarvadaiva bhavato tadudanta-cintā täntim tanoti tava sampratı dhig dhig asmān // "She was not quitted by you ever for a moment and she was the ocean of joy and source of captivating your heart Now even her mention makes you disgusted-woe to us" Here the predication ought to be prominent negation or directly expressed as 'na mukta' In tatpurusa compound the meaning of 'nan is subordinated The commentotor clarifies the contention of Mammata and distnguishes between the two meanings of 'nañ', viz ( 1) pra- sajya-pratisedha and ( 2 ) paryudāsa 16 In the flrst case the affirmation is subordinate but the nega- tion is predominant and nañ a negative particle construed with verb, e g Nava-jaladharah sannaddhoyam na drptanıśācarah Suradhanur ıdam dūrākrstam na tasya śarāsanam / Ayamapı payo dhārāsāro na bāna-paramparā Kanaka-nıkasa-snıgdhā vıdyutpriya na mamorvašī // 'This is the new and dense cloud not a pround demon This is at a distance a rainbow, and not the bow of that demon This is the torrent of ra'n and not a flight of arrows And this is the lightning bright as a golden line on touchstone, not my sweetheart Urvaś!" Here the negation is emphatically expressed and not subordinated by compounding and it is the case of prasajya pratisedha But when the affirmation is predominant and the negation is recognised as a subordinate, it is the case of Paryudasa ( privation ) and here the nañ is compounded with another word, e g 16 K. P p 184 Taduktam, vidher yatra pradhānatvam pratisedhe pradhanatā / paryudāsah sa vijñeyo yatrottarapade na nañ //

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Jugopā'tmānam atrasto bheje dharmam anāturah / Agrdhnur ādade so'rthān asaktah sukham anvabhūt // 1 e "Though unterrified, he protected himself, though undıs- tressed he cultivated virtue, though ungreedy, he accepted tribute and though unattached, he enjoyed pleasure" This is an example of paryudasa since the protection of self, etc are meant to be predicated of the king and the nega- tion is subordinated So the nañ ( negative particle ) 1s right- fully made to lose its predominance in the compound because it is not the predicate but something else XVI Viruddhamatıkrt-Of repugnant implication. A word, which gives a repugnant implication when some other meaning is intended, constitutes this dcfect, e g

Sudhākara-karākāra-vısārada vicesțitah / akāryamıtrameko'sau tasya kım varnayāmahe // 'What shall I speak of him who is a true friend having his actions as pure as the rays of the moon' Here the sense desired to be conveyed is that he is a friend without selfish motıve ( kāryam vinā mitram ), but the implication however is that he is an associate in a criminal action Thus it is a fault

Again- Cırakālaparıprāptı-locanānandadāyınī / Kāntā Kāntasya Sahasā vidadhātı galagraham // 1e 'having got him after a long separation the beloved embraces her lover in the neck' Here the word 'galagraha 1s used to convey the sense of embracing but it conveys the sense of a kind of throat- disease Thus it is a case of a defect called virudha matikrt, giving out the sense contrary to what is intended Again- na trastam yadınāma bhūtakarunā santāna šāntātmanah tena vyārujatā dhanurbhagavato devādbhavānīpateh / tatputras tu madāndha tākaravadhādvišvasya dattotsavah Skandah Skanda ıva priyo 'hamathavā śisyah katham vismrtaņ//

180 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

'He when breaking the bow was not afraid of the husband of Bhava's ( Siva's ) wife who is famous for his kindness for the living creatures His son Skanda who has brought joy to the universe by killing the haughty demon Taraka But how, I, his disciple and loved like Skanda was forgotten' Here the word Bhavamipat brings in the notion of another lover of the wife of Bhava because the word Bhavani means the wife of Bhava and the expression 'the husband of the wife of Bhava' naturally suggests that there is a second husband It is however absolutely repulsive and not intended by the poet Similarly the expression Ambikaramanah which means the lover of mother is repulsive and a glaring case of this defect Mammata enumerated sixteen pada dosas out of which klısta, avımısta vıdheyāmśa and vıruddha matıkıt pertain to compound only Other defects which are described above may occur both in uncompounded and compounded words Leaving out three dosas, viz solecism-( cyuta-samskıtı ), incapable of giving meaning ( asamartha ) and meaningless ( mirarthaka ) the rest are found in sentences also Further Mammata states that some of these faults can possibly bccur in the parts of words ( padasyāmse'pi kecana) Thus he classifies the dosas definitely once for all The defects of words, which have been illustrated in uncompounded words may occur in compounded words also For instance Mammata exemplifies unmelodious ( srutikatu ) as follows Sā dūre ca sudhā-sāndra-tarangita Vilocanā / Barhı-nırhrādanārho'yam kālaśca samupāgatah // "She, whose eyes are charming like waves of nectar, is at a distance, and this season full of the noise of peacocks has arrived" If the words be compounded as "barhinırhrāda- närhah" it will be treated as a case of pada dosa Now Mammata proposes to treat of Vakya-dosas, 1e defects occurring in sentences also He asserts that all the padadosas ( defects of single words ) may also occur in sen- tences17 with the exception of three, viz cyutasamskitı ( solecis- 17 K P p 296

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tic expression ), Asamartha ( incapable of giving and nirarthaka ( meaningless ) The exclusion of the three defects is not justified by any reason and this has caused a veritable headache to the commentators It was given out by most of the com- mentators, so says Govında Thakkura, that Vākyadoșa is that sort of defect which arises from the relation of one word with another But this interpretation is dismissed by him as worth less In the case of srutikatu ( unpleasant to the ear ) the defect occurs in more than one word and yet there is no syntactical dependence to bring this dosa into existance. There were several harsh words but the harshness of one word does not come mnto being by dependence on another There is another objection Why is not avācaka ( 1nexpressive ) excluded from the list of Vakyadosas though it is on a par with asamartha ( incapable of giving intended meaning ) ? These are two objections and Govinda propounds the solution as follows

A dosa ( defect ) is regarded as a defect of sentence (vakya) only when it pertains to several words,18 which despite the defect are capable of expressing the substantive meaning In other words, the words of a sentence though vitiated by the defect concerned, are not unmeaning These three defects solecistic, etc are all incapable of expressing the intended meaning So all of them are excluded fron the purview of Vākyadosa As regards the avācaka ( inexpressive ) there are some varieties of it which are expressive of the substantive meaning and so it is not put on the same level with three dcfects solecistic, etc mentioned above Govinda Thakkura has given the explanation which is not illogical But in spite of its ingenuity, it fails to carry satis- faction Certainly the three defects excluded pertain to words, which are incapable of expressing the intended meaning But why should not their repeated occurrence be regarded as exces- Apāsyą cyutasamskāram asamartham mırarthakam / Vakye'pi dosah santy ete padasyāmse'pi kecana // 18 K Prad p 187 Vivaksıtadharmıpratyayakesabdavrttitvena. nāpadavrttitvam evatra vakyavrttitvam abhipretam

182 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

sıvely vicious lıke harshness ( śrutikatu ) ? This is not clear from the solution offered by the great commentator Besides a pada-dosa (defect of words) and vākya-dosa are not necessarıly determined by reference to their meaning, for instance, sruti- katu Furthermore the non-exclusion of 'avācaka' particularly of the type which does not express the intended meaning both in its connotational and denotational aspect does not differ in any respect from 'asamartha' These questions have been considered by Mahesa-Nyāya- ratna in his commentary called 'Vivarana' on the Kavya-Pra- kasa and we think that his explanation meets the problems squarely and satisfactorily He observes "A sentence is a combination of words intended to convey ore related meaning. A defect which depends upon such a sentence is called vākya- dosa ( defect of sentence ) This dependence of a defect upon a sentence is of two-fold nature There are defects which can come into existence only when two or more words are syntacti- cally connected 'Avimrstavidheyamsa' is of this type So also the defects which are peculiar to sentences and not common to individual words But there are other types of Vakyadosas which occur in several words in a sentence without being dependent upon the syntactical combination such as 'srutikatu'. They depend on the sentence since they occur in different words The repetition of the same defect heightens their viciousness Thus when several harsh words are used in a sentence the defect becomes intensified So the relation of dependence of the defects upon sentence reduces to two types, Viz (1 ) One that depends for its origin upon the syntacti- cal combination of words, and (2) One that depends for heightending its effect ( svotkar sāva ) This is illustrated in the case of harshness of sounds Now let us examine the three dosas excluded in the light of the findings noted above The 'cyutasamskrti', 'asamartha' and 'mrarthaka' are dosas ( defects ) in the highest degree So their repetition does not produce any excess depend on sytactical combination of words for coming into Nor do they

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existence So they cannot be vākyadosas (defects of the sentence) As regards "avacaka' words, they are not as a class unmeaning in spite of the defect They only fail to denote either the connotation or the denotation Of course, the third variety where the use of the word 'vidadhat' ( making ) in the sense of "carrying" is unmeaning in both the aspects-denotational and connotational So it stands on the same footing with 'asa- martha' etc Why should not this type be excluded from vākya- dosa ( defect of the sentence )? The answer is that in this type also a logically consistent meaning can be somehow made out though it may not be satisfactory So there may be an excess in case of repetition of the defect We have given the substance of the explanation given in the Vivarana and we think that this throws welcome light upon the intractable problem Barrıng solecism ( cyutasamskıtı ), incapable of giving meaning ( asamartha ) and meanıngless ( mirarthaka ), the rest are found in a sentence ( vākya ) also, and some of these defects are found in parts of words ( padāmśa) as well. Mammata gives example of these faults in detail. We are quoting some of them as specimens Example of unmelodiousness in a sentence So'dhyaısta vedāmstrıdaśānavasța pıtrn atārpsīt samamamsta banbhūn / Vyajesta sadvargam aramsta nītau ¡ samūlaghātam nyavadhid arimśca // "He studied vedas, offered sacrifices to God and oblations to forefathers, honoured his friends, subdued the sixfold enemies, took pleasure in polity and destroyed his foes" Here the defect śrutikatu ( unmelodiousness ) occurs in several words "adhyasta", "ayasta", "atörpsıt" etc It is a case of defect of a sentence Aprayukta ( unconventional ) in a sentence - Sa rātu vo duścyavano bhāvukānām parasparām / Aneđa-mūkatadyaıśca dyatu dosaır asammatān // 'May Indra grant you happiness always, and may he strike your enemies with defects like dumbness and deafness'

184 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Here the words Duscvavana and anedamuka though sanc- tioned in the senses of 'Indra' and 'deaf and dumb' respectively yet they are not used by poets These occur in a sentence and make it defective Some of these blemishes are possible in the fraction of words ( padamsa ) We propose to deal with a few representa- tive instances Alam atıcapalatvāt svapnamāyopamatvāt parinatı-virasatvāt sangamenānganāyāh / Iti yadı śatakrtvas tatvam ālocayāmas tadapı na harınāksım vısmaraty antarātmā // 'It is useless to have attachment to woman which is unsteady and resembles an illusion and is unpleasant mn its effect I do think over this truth for several times but my inner soul does not forget that fawn eyed lady' Here the frequent use of suffix 'tvat' grates upon the ear The commentator Govinda Thakkura observes that when only one syllable in a word is harsh and the defect is confined to that portion it is the case of padamsadosa ( the defect of the fraction of a word ) When two or more syllables are found harsh, It is a case of padadosa, 1e the whole word is defec- tive When such defect is found in several words, it is the case of Vakyadosa So we have three types of defects, viz of fraction of word, or whole word or of the whole sentence In the case of Vakyadosa it 1s not necessary that all the words should be defective The criterion of Vakvadosa is that the defect should occur in several words So it is indifferent that some of words are free from it And again- tad gaccha sıddhyaı kuru devakāryam artho yam arthāntaralabhya eva / apeksate pratyayam angalabdhyaı bijankurah pragudayad ivāmbhah // 'Go for your success, do the work of gods, this is to be done through another object. This work requires an agent for its completion in you, as the sprout needs water before shooting forth'. Here the harsh combination of three consonants, VIZ.

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'sıddhyat' and 'labdhyar' are examples of unmelodiousness ( srutikatu ) in parts of words (2) Nıhatārtha ( suppressed meaning ) - yas'cā 'psarovibhrama-mandanānām sampādayıtrīm śıkharaır vibhartı / balāhaka ccheda-vıbhaktarāgam akāla-sandhyām iva dhātumattām // 'Who bears on peak a heap of mineral substances, which provide with toilet of the celestial damsels He bears it like the untimely red evening colour intermingled with the pieces of cloud'. Here the part 'matta' of the word 'dhatumatta' has its desired meaning ( being possessed of ) suppressed by the pre- sentation of the more common meaning of 'intoxicated' ( 3) Nırarthaka meanıngless - ādāv añjana-puñja lıpta-vapusām śvāsānılollāsıta protsarpad virahānalena ca tatah santāpitānām drśām / sampratyeva nısekam aśrupayasa devasya cetobhuvo bhallīnām ıva pānakarma kurute kāmam kurangeksanā // 'The fawn-eyed lady is sprinkling her tears, sharpening as it were, the arrows of cupid The tears of eyes in which at first has been rubbed the jitty-dye, and which after that have been heated, as if it were, by the fire of separation blazing high on account of the hot breath' Here the plural number used in 'drsam' is meaningless since one lady is spoken of and she cannot have more than two eyes And agamn the use of the 'atmanepada' suffix in 'kurute' is meaningless since the result of the action of the verb does not belong to the subject A difficulty arises in connection with the word 'kurute' and 'drsam' The case of 'atmanepada' in 'kurute' is on a par with the 'nathate' which has been regarded as a case of cyutsamskrtı ( solecistic expre- ssion ) So unless difference is shown the two cases should be treated as a case of solecistic expression, because it is used to express two eyes and not more In the answer to this charge it is to be observed that in the case of 'nathate' there is an express injunction that natha takes 'atmanepada' suffix only in case of 'asis'-hoping and

186 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

wishing 19 Its use in the sense begging is therefore ungra- mmatical The 'atmanepada' in 'kurute' is unjoined by the general rule 'kartrabhıprāye krıyā phale' meanıng that 'atmanepada' is used if the result of action denoted by the verb goes to the agent The implication is that it should not be used if the the result accrues to any other than the agent It is not implied that it is grammatically wrong if the result does not go to the agent or any other person. There is the difference between two implications positive and negativa The positive is that 'atmanepada' should not be used if the result goes to another and the negative implication simply means that the result does not accrue to anyone-the agent or another In the present case of 'kurute' the result is not seen to go to the agent or any other person and it is a case of simple negation So it is not ungrammatical but pointless In the case of plural number it is a case of ungrammati- cal solecism only wheh one or two objects are intended to be expressed by it In the present case the number singular or dual or plural is not specifically intended, yet the plural number is used So it is not ungrammatical because it is not used to express specifically one or two objects But plural number should be treated as pointless because it does not express the sense which it is apt to do ( 4 ) Avācaka ( ınexpressıve )- cāpācāryas trıpura-vijayī kārtıkeyo vyeyah śastravyastah sadanam udadhır bhūrıyam hantakārah / astyaıv aıtat kımu Krtavatā renukā kanthabādhām baddhaspardhas tava paraśunā lajjate candrahāsah // 'Your teacher in archery was the conqueror of the three cities, your subduable was 'kārtıkeya', your abode in the ocean forced by your weapons, and this earth is an object of gift for you Though all this so, yet my sword the candra- häsa is ashamed at competing with your Axe, which cut off the head of 'Renuka' Here in the word 'vijeya' the suffix krtya 'yat' ( a sign of the future passive participle ) is inexpressive of the sense of the participle affix 'kta' which is meant here. 19. Pāninı II 3 55-āsıșı nāthah

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( 5 ) Aślila ( indecorous ) of three kınds- ( a ) Shame ( vrīdā ) atıpelavam atıparımitavarnam laghutaram udāharatı śathah / paramārthatah sa hrdayam vahatı punah kālakūtaghatıtam iva // 'A rogue speaks little Very softly and sweetly but in reality he bears a heart made up, as it were, of poison' Here 'pelava', the part of the word 'atipelava' suggests an indecent sense of a secret part of the human body Hence it is a defect ( b ) dısgust ( Jugupsā )- yah pūyate surasarın mukhatīrthasārtha- snanena sāstraparišīlanakilanena / saujanyamānyajanır ūrjitamūrjitānām so'yam drsoh patatı kasyacıd eva pumsah // "Only a few fortunate persons happen to see this man who 1s purified by bathing in such sacred places as Ganga and others, and by studying the sciences, who is of high birth and is the vigour of strong people" Here the part 'puya' of the word 'puyate' is indecorous as it suggests the sense of pus coming out of wound

(c ) Inauspiciousness ( amāngalya ) Vınaya-pranayaıka-ketanam satatam yo'bhavad anga tādrśah / Katham esa sa tadvad Iksyatām tadabhıpreta-padam samāgatah // 'O friend, he, who was the harbour of modesty and love, how I am to see him now that he has got a position desired by low people' Here the use of 'preta' the part of the word 'abhipreta' implies the meaning of 'dead' and so becomes repulsive ( 6) Ambıguous ( Sandıgdha ) - Kasmın karmanı sāmarthyam asya nottapatetarām / ayam sadhu-caras tasmād anjalır badhyatām 1ha // 'In which work his capacity does not shine and as he is of fine character ( or one who was good in the past ) show reverence to him' Here the part 'cara' of the word 'sadhucarah' is ambı- guous, 'cara' may be taken as an affix denoting something that is past and in that case 'sadhucarah' would mean 'one who

188 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

was good in the past', 'cara' may be a noun derived from cara-to behave and in that case the word would mean one who behaves virtuously Thus it leads to ambiguity, which puzzles the reader

(7) Neyärth1 ( of general meaning ) - Kım ucyąte'sya bhūpāla-mauli-mālā mahāmaneh / sudurlabham vacobānaıs tejo yasya vibhāvyate // 'What can be said of this king, who is the gem of the head garland of kings His splendour is difficult to be found even in gods' Here 'vacobana' is used for 'girvana' The whole word has the meaning of a deity by convention and not by etymo- logy So the use of other synonymous words for the first part or last part or both is a case of Neyartha The word 'vacah' means 'word' and the word 'gih' also means 'word' Here in the word 'vacobana' the part 'vacah' means the 'gir' by laksana But there is neither convention nor special justi- fication for it So also is the case if the second part of the word is also uttered by synonym It may be urged that Asamartha ( incapable of meaning ), Avācaka (Inexpressive ) and Nihatārtha ( suppressed meaning ) should all be treated together as one kind of blemish because they can be put under one head logically on account of their incapability of expressing the intended meaning, whether this inability springs from want of convention or conventional relation between the word and meaning Govinda Thakkura admits the justice of the contention but only appeals to the tradition, created by the writers on poetics In spite of their want of logical difference, they serve as good exercise for students It is for this purpose that Mammata Bhatta has not departed from the traditional classification. Thus we have dealt with 'the faults of words ( padadosas) and fraction of word ( padamsadosas ) and of sentence ( vākya- dosas ) which are homogenous with those of words and com- mon to both We proceed to discuss the different class of the faults pecuharly characteristic of the sentence. The followig are the faults of sentence - I Pratıkülavarna-having discordant syllables and letters

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II Upahatavisarga-having the visarga blunted III Luptavisarga- having the visarga elided IV Visandhi-cacophonous due to omission of euphonic combination ( sandhi ) V Hata-Vrtta-of unrhythmical metre VI Nyūnapada-deficient in words VII Adhikapada-redundant in words VIII Kathitapada-with repeated words IX Patat prakarsa-having its excellence falling off x Samaptapunaratta-resumption of the concluded sen- tence for the addition of an adjective

XI Ardhantaraikavacaka-isolation of a word in a dis- tinct half XII Abhavanmatayoga-failure of an intended connection XIII Anabhihitavacya-omission of a necessary verbal expression XIV Apadasthapada-with misplaced word XV Apadastha-samasa-having a compound out of place XVI Samkīrna-confused XVII Garbhita-parenthetical XVIII Prasidh-hata-disregard of usage XIX Bhagna prakrama-violation of uniformity XX Akrama-irregular in syntax and XXI Amataparartha-of undesirable second sense

I Pratikulavarna-A sentence consisting of syllables or letters, which are inappropriate or discordant with the relevant sentiment desired to be described illustrates this fault The concordance of letters with regard to 'Rasa' has been spoken of by Anandavardhana He maintains that rasa with unnotice- able sequence flash forth in letter, word, sentence, and compo- sıtion Soft letters like 'm', 'p' and 'n' are concordant with erotic sentiment ( singararasa ) and hard letters like 's' and 's' conjoined with 'r' and 'dh' are in consonance with it But these letters employed in relation to the sentiment of disgust ( vibhatsa ) and the like, they certainly ntensify them Mam- mata has followed Anandavardhana and also echoed his views Thus this fault should not be confused with the instance of

190 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

śrutikatu ( unmelodious ) The distinction between śrutikatu ( unmelodious ) and pratikulavarna ( having discordant letters ) being this that the former is simply harshness while the latter may consist even in the smoothness of the letters The smooth letters which are suited to the sentiments of erotic ( singara ) and quietistic ( santa ) are deterrents, of sentiment heroic { Vira ) and furious ( Raudra ) For instance- akuntotkanthayā pūrnam ākantham kalakanthi mām / kambukanthyāh ksanam kanthe kuru kanthārtim uddhara // 'O sweet voiced one, bring about my embrace with that conch necked girl even for a moment 1 am full of extreme solicitude and do remove the pain of my neck' Here the sentiment to be described is erotic to which letters 't', 'th', d' and 'dh' conjunct 'r' are opposed

And again- desah so'yam arātı sonıtajalaır yasmın hradāh pūritāh ksattrādeva tathāvidhah parıbhavastātasya keśagrahah / tāny evāhita-heti-ghasmara- gurūny astrānı bhāsvantı me yad Rāmena krtam tadeva kurute dronātmajah krodhanah // 'This is the country where the lakes were filled with the blood of enemies The disgraceful calamity in the shape of catching hold of the looks of ( one's ) father is the same from a ksatriya These weapons of mine do shine resplen- dent, which are the suppressors of the weapons of foes The wrathful son of Drona is doing what was done by Rāma ( paraśurāma )' Here the furious sentiment is to be delineated and the exploits of a bravely haughty hero like Aśvatthāman are to be described Long compounds and harsh sounding words would have been more n keeping with the theme In the following example, cited by Mammata, the harsh fetters and compounds are quite in tune with the sentiments prāga-prāpta-nisumbhaśāmbhava dhanur-dvedhā-vidhā'virbhava- tkrodha prerita-bhIma-bhärgava- bhujas'tambhāpaviddhah ksanāt / ujjvālah parasurbhavatv aśıthilas tvatkanțha-pīthātithır-

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yenānena jagatsu khandaparaśur devo harah khyāpyate // 'May this blazing and powerful axe of mine be the guest of the surface of your neck, the axe through which Lord Śiva 1s known in the universe as 'khandaparasu' ( of divided axe), the axe which is being moved by my 'Bhargava's' pillar-like arms and darted through wrath aroused by the breaking of Sambhu's bow which was never bent ( by any mortal )' Here due to propriety of the speaker and the spoken the employ- ment of the forceful diction is quite in harmony with the sentiment In the first thre feet of the verse the sentiment of Raudra has been delineated by a powerful composition con- sisting of harsh words and long compounds while in the fourth foot, where love for his preceptor is to be shown, harsh sounds and long compounds have been forsaken

This new dosa created by Mammata is based on Ananda- vardhana's treatment of suggestiveness of letters Govinda Thakkura, in this connection, observes that if this defect occurs in compound it may be regarded as a 'padadosa' also This also holds good in the defect ealled 'upahatavisarga' According to Govinda Thakkura these dosas are not exclusively characteristic of vākya ( sentences ) alone but of words also As such they should have been enumerated in padadosa also There is much logic in this contention of the Pradipakara II Upahata Visarga-Having the visarga blunted The sentence, where the visarga is transformed into 'o' more than once, is regarded as defective because it produces a revulsion of the audience by its strained composition It is a constant defect As for example dhīro vinīto nipuno varākāro nrpo'tra sah / 'That king is firm, gentle, expert and handsome' Here the visarga is changed into 'o' several times consistently and the construction has become terse and defective This defect is a new creation of Mammata Bhatta. III Lupta-Visarga-Having the visarga elided A sentence having words where visargas are elided more than once, 1s regarded as defective As for example-

192 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

yasya bhrtyā balot-sıktā bhaktā buddhıprabhānvitāh / 'Whose servants are strong, devoted and intelligent' This sentence consists of rejection of visargas and is an instance of the defect in question IV Visandhi-It is discordant euphony This ugliness of sandht is brought about in three ways-( a ) when there is a disjunction, though not compulsory, ( b) when combination ( sandht ) gives rise to the sense of indecorousness and (c) when it ends in harshness (a ) Disjunction is either dependent on the will of the writer ( aicchika ), or compulsory conformable to grammar ( ānušāsanıka ) As for example- rājan vıbhāntı bhavataś carıtānı tanı ndor dyutım dadhatı yānı rasātale'ntah / dhīdor-bale atitate ucitānuvrttī ātanvatī vijay-sampada-metya bhātah // 'O king, your actions are pure and shining which bear the resplendence of the moon even in the nether world, your strength of arms and intellect are stretched in proper direc- tions, results in your victory and prosperity' Here absence of sandht in the third line of the verse is due to 'pragrhya' But it is tolerable when it is used only once, but when it 1s repeated it becomes cacaphonous as is the case in the above mentioned example ( b ) Indecorousness of Sandhı- Vegād uddīya gagane calan dāmara-cestitah / ayam uttapate patrI tato'traiva rucim kuru // 'This bird of unrestrained movement having flown to the sky with great quickness, finds it hot there So make your choice to rest there' Here indecency is occasioned by sandhi between words calan and damara and again between rucim and kuru The sandhis here give rise to sound landa and cinku which are suggestive of disgusting sense ( c ) Harshness of Sandhı- urvy asāv atra tarvāli marvante cārvy avasthitıh 'Yonder, at the end of this desert there is a long line of trees well-situated' Here sandhis are harsh and jarring to the ear.

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Here Govind :- Thakkura observes that this defect of Visandht is also possible in compound Ard so it may be a case of padadosa He has pointed out this possibility in case of 'pratikulavarna' and upahatavisarga' also We have already noted this contention relating the c'osns referred to But he offers also a justification of the treatment of Vakya-dosa by Mammata Bhatta and thus disposes of the objection alleging oversight, which is regarded as a serious draw back on the part of the writer of a scientific treatise Govinda Thakkura is too loyal a commentator to allow of this charge He states that the classification of dosas as relating to words ( padas ) and sentences ( vikyas ) exclusively is aetermined by important logcal consideration The dosas enlisted as vakya-dosas are unmixed with other defects But when they occur in a compound word they are necessarily mixed up with other defects Thus in pratikulavarna there must be the dosa 'srutikatu In the 'upahatavisarga' it is necessarily con- comitant with 'aprayukta' ( unconventional ) Therefore all these objections leave his ( Mamm ita's ) withers unwrung V Hatavrtta-This is breach of metre when the metre is marred or broken This is of three kinds The first corresponds with 'yatibhrasta' while the second case covers the 'bhinnavrtta' of ancient writers The third kind is an addition made by Mammata Bhatta The first variety occurs when the rule regarding the use of 'guru' ( heavy ) and laghu ( Iight ) syllables is not observed Secondly the caesura is wrongly placed and thirdly when a particular group of letters iswrongly employed A few examples will clear the point ( a ) amrtam amrtam kah sandeho madhūny apı nā'nyathā madhuram adhıkam cūtasyā'pi presannarasam phalam / sakrd apı punar madhysthah san rasāntaravij jano Vadatu yad ıhā'nyat svādu syāt priyā-daśanacchadāt // 'No doubt nectar is really nectarlike, nor is honey otherwise, a fruit of mango also is very sweet But let any impartial person with clear knowledge of discriminating taste say if anything in this world is sweeter than the lip of a beloved girl' Here in the metre of Harim the caesura must be on the 13

194 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

sixth and tenth syllables This is ignored in the present case In the fourth foot the sixth syllable 'ha' is inseparably connec- ted with the following word, hence one cannot put caesura on it Hence this defect ( b) anyās tā guna-ratna-rohanabhuvo dhanyā mrdanyaıva sā sambhārāh kıla te'nya eva vidhınā vairesa srsto yuvā / srīmatkāntıjusām dvisām karatalāt strīnām nitambasthalād- drste yatra patantı mūdhamanasām astrānı vastrānı ca // 'Other are those lands which give birth to such gems of excel- lence, other is that fortunate earth Other are those metarials with which the Creator created this youth, whom if his ene- mies or woman of resplendent beauty happen to behold, down slip from their hands or hips, the weapons or garments, agita- ted as they are with awe and love' Here composition at 'vastrāni ca' sounds feeble due to shortness of the last letter 'ca' If, however, we change it into 'vastranyapi' it would sound vigorous and strong, and make good the defect The ground of fault lies in the slackness of construction It is a constant defect (c) hã nrpa hã budha hā kavibandho vprasahasra-samāśraya deva / mugdha vidagdha sabhāntara-ratna kvā'sı gat th kva vayam ca tavaite // 'O king, O wise one , O patron of poets, O shelter of hundreds of Brahmins, O jewel of the assembly of the learned, where have you gone and where are we ? The metre, here, is Dodhaka which suits only the comte It is improperly employed here in the pathetic sentiment VI Nyunapada-Deficient in words A sentence where an expressive word is wanting ( Nyūnam padam vacakasabdo yatra ) is an instance of this flaw tathābhūtām drstvā nrpasadası pāūcāla tanayām vane vyādhaıh särdham suciram usitam valkaladharah / virātasy avāse sthitam anucitārambha-nıbhrtam guruh khedam khınne mayı bhajatı nādyāpı kurușu // 'Having seen the princess of Pancala subjected to indescribable insult mn the assemhly of kings, having observed for a long

CHAPTER IX 195

time how we lived in the forest clad in tree-bark along with the foresters, and having watched how we remained in Virāta's house secretly engaged in unbecoming works, having seen all it our eldest brother bears anger toward me, and not even now towards the Kurus' Here the word 'asmabhth' a subject in connection with verb 'sthitam' and word 'ittham' before 'khinna are not mentioned They, however, are essential because without them the meaning is not complete and clear So it is a defect The ground of defect is its failure to give rise to intended meaning VII Adhikapapa-redundant in words A sentence where a superfluous word is employed, is a case of defect The use of superfluous word creates the confusion of the reader, e g sphatıkākrtı-nırmalah prakāmam pratı-samkrānta nıšāta śāstra-tattvah / aviruddha-samanvito'ktıyuktah pratı mallās-tamayodayah sa ko'pı // 'That king is clean like the forms of crystal, and has in his heart reflected all profound knowledge of sciences His state ments and arguments are in conformity with sastras and brings about misfortune to his foes' Here the word 'akrti' ( form ) ıs redundant The desired object of comparison is 'sphatika' ( crystal ) and this word by itself is enough to connote his spotless handsomeness of beauty Redundancy creates an impression of the writer's want of discrimination between sense essential and unessential Hence it is a defect VIII Kathitapada-With repeated word. Repetition of words is that where a word precisely the same as previously used, is used again without any special purpose As for example adhıkaratala-talpam kalpıtasvāpa-līlā- parımılananımīlat pāndımā gandapāli / sutanu kathaya kasya vyañjayaty afjasaıva smara-narapatı lī ā yauvarājyābhı-sekam 'Your cheeks appear with paleness due to pressure caused by supporting them on the palms during sleep O slender-bodied one, of what young man does this indrate the coronation :

196 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS the crown-prince of sportings of monarch Capid ?' Here the word 'hila' is needlessly repeated The same word with the same idea used more than once in a sentence imphes the incompetency of the poet for findirg a rew word It is a new fault observed by Mammata IX Patatprakarsa-Having its excellence falling off The sentence where alliterative excellence or that of diction gra dually recedes without the consideration of propiety relating to content is an example of this defect This is exhibited in

the following verse Kah Kah kutra na ghurghurāyita ghurī ghoro ghūret sūkarah Kamkam kah kamalākaram vıkamalam kartum kan rodyatah / Ke ke kānı vanāny aranyamahısā nonmūlayeyuryatan simhI-sneha vilāsa-baddha vasath pañcānano vartate // 'Where will not the boar, terrible with the pecullar sound, make an awful noise ? Which lotus pond will not the elephant try to make devoid of lotuses ? Which forests will not the wild buffalo tear up by roots ? -Now that the lion lies fasci- nated by the affection of the lioness' Here the boar, the elephant and the wild buffalo are delineated as destructive elements with alliterative excellence But coming to describe the great lion the diction here, instead of rising in exellence, falls down This defect is also for the first time given a defi- nite shape by Mammata Bhatta x Samapta-punaratta-resumption of the concluded This defect arises if a speaker employs a further qualificat on when the relation of the subject with the predicate has been fully understood As for example- Krenkārah smara-kārmukasya surata krīčā pıkīnām ravo jhankāro ratımaūjarī madhulıhām līlā-cakorī dhvanıh / tanvyah kanculikāpasārana-bhujā ksepaskhalat-kankana- Kvānah prema tanotu vo nava-vayo-lāsyāya venu-svanah // 'May the tinkling of the bangles gliding up and down owing to the movement of arms of the slender-bodied lady for appa- rently forbidding the removal of her bodice ( by you ), the tinkling which resembles the twang of Cupid's bow, which

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imitates the singing of the cuckoo in the shape of love's dallance and the humming ot black bees in the blossom of love, which plays the role of the sound of partridges in the shape of graceful sportings, all these stimulate and expand your love And the same acting as the ringing shound of flute for the dancing of your youth' Here the sentence concludes at 'tanotu-vah' But the qualification 'navavayolā-syāya venu- svanah' wakes up again the sentence already concluded This last qualification is unnecessary and does not add to the inten- sity of the effect already produced Hence it is a defect

The logic of this defect hies in the consideration that when a sentence is completed, that is to say, when the proposition (judgement ) expressed by it is logically self-sufficient, the addition of a further adjectivel clause is necessarily of the nature of an after thought As the Mimamsist insists and other thinkers also agree, a sentence is completed when it specifies a verb, denoting the principal action There is, of course, a difference between the Naiyayika20 on the one hand and the Mimamsist and the Vaiyakarana21 on the other as to whether it is the verb denoting action or the principal substan- tive given in the first case ending, that occupies the dominant position in a sentence But this does not affect the issue under consideration viz whether it is proper to add a qualifying adjective to the substantive after the sentence is completed Indian thinkers have devoted considerable attention to the problems as to what are the logical conditions of the consti- tuent words or concepts for coming into relation with one another The Naıyayikas affirm that there are three condi- tions, vız (1) sannıdhī ( proximity ), (11 ) ākānksā ( logical dependence of one word upon another word) and ( 111 ) yogyatā ( mutual compatabılıty ) Ākānksā literally means a desire or expectancy and as such it can be a quality of a think- ing person But it is not unusual that a word or a meaning is

20 Prathamanta-mukhya visesyaka-sabdabodhah-the Nyaya position, 21 Krıya-mukhya visesyaka-sabda-bodhah-the position of the Vaiya- karana, and also of the Mimamsist with minor differences between them

198 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

also said to be possessed of akanksa In consonance with this usage the Naıyāyıkas define akānksa as follows When a word fails to produce the understanding of the san- tactical construction in default of another word, this relation ıs called akānksa Whether akānksa is regarded as a quality of words or meanings or of a thinking person, it is held by the Vaiyakarana of Pāninı's school as the most fundamental condi- tion of a sentence conveying mutual relation of the words and their meanings A sentence is understood to be complete when the akānksa is satısfied This akanksa is, again, of two kinds-first spontaneous ( utthtākānksā ) and the second occasioned by afterthought ( utthapyākānksa ) In the present context the defect called 'Samāpta-punarāttatā', 1e the resumption to the concluded sentence arises from having recourse to the second type of ākanksa This is particularly censurable in literary composi- tion in which formal and material perfection are deemed de rigueur This defect is occasioned by the addition of an adjec- tival clause without making an additional contribution to the meaning In the instance quoted the addition of the last clause 'navavayolāsyaya venu-syanah' the ringing sound of the flute for the dancing of youth only ends in repetition without satisfying a logical requirement But if an additional meaning is conveyed by the adjectival clause, the defect does not arıse The defect in the present case could be avoided if it was given in a form of a sentence which can be effected by the substitution of 'yah' for 'vah', which would give it the formal status of a separate clause 'The ringing sound of the moving bangles-which plays the role of the music of the flute to accom- pany the dancing of youth' expand your love' Our treatment of this defect will not be complete if we fail to take into account the penetrating analysis of this defect given by Mahadeva-Bhatta in the commentary usually known as Dınakarī on the Nyayasıddhānta-Muktāvali and the sub-commentary known as Ramarudri In the mnaugu- ratory verse of the Muktaval,22 there is apparently a case of this defect,

22 S. M p 1

CHAPTER IX 199

cūdā-manı-krta-vıdhur valayī-krta vāsukıh / bhavo bhavatu bhavyāya līla tāndava panditah //

'With the moon made into his crest jewel, Väsuki-the king of serpents-made as his grand armlet, may Siva (Bhava) be the cause of your well being well-versed in the art of sportive dance called Tandava' Here the fourth quarter introduces an adjec- tive though the sentence is apparently concluded in the third quarter Mahadeva Bhatta first states in defence that the last" clause 'Iflatandava panditah' stands for the substantive ( visesya ) and is not an adjective, so the defect does not arise Only in the case of a sentence which is completed and the substantive has been construed with the verb ( action ) the introduction of an adjective necessitating the reference to the substantive again constitute the occassion of such a literary defect But the last clause is not an adjective and so does not require a backward reference to the sabstantive Hence it is free from this defect

But this defence seems forced and too ingenious Without twisting the plain sense of the verse it appears obvious that Bhava ( Siva ) is the substantive and the last clause only states an adjective after the sentence having been completed So the plea that the last mentioned adjective should be treated as a substantive is only an argument too laboured to carry convic- tion The commentator himself is conscious of the weakness of his contention and hence proposes another explanation which seems cogent enough He asserts that the last clause gives the reason for this make-up and preparation on the part of God Siva The sentence is not complete without this final clause. Why should God Siva put the moon on his crest and make Vāsukı his armlet ? This question naturally arises and the last clause gives the answer There is a special occasion which makes this preparation meaningful God Siva is going to per- form his favourite dance called Tundava A dancer must make up his decoration suitable for the purpose So the sentence in spite of the verb being mentioned before, does not give a com- pleted proposition without the last clause There is, therefore, no ground for the change of a concluded sentence for the sake

200 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

of construing an additional adjective with the substantive, simply because the sentence is not logicalty complete The akanksa, 1e the logical requirements are not fully satisfied The defect under consideration arises only in cases where the sentence gives a logically self sufficient proposition and the introduction of a fresh adjective necessitates a fresh arousal of akānksa in other words, when the ākanksa is of the type "Utthapya' 1 e occasioned by force, the defect finds its scope It is not, therefore, plausible to contend that such questions can be raised in every case of a fresh addition of ar adjec- tive and so the defect will have no raison d'etre The question- what is Siva like-'s rather forced and not spontaneous In every case of a fresh adjective, one can raise the question, 'what is it ( substantive ) further like', 'what further attribute has it got ? But the question will be pointless if it is raised after a complete statement The relation between a noun and a verb, or between co-relatives, such as son and father, wife and husband, etc, are not only relevant but logically neces- sary 23 Such is also the case with the statement of a reason The requirement of one for the other is logical and sponta- neous This ıs 'utthitakanksa' In the verse under review the final clause, though delivered as an adjective, states the reason and the logical necessity without which the proposition becomes pointless and this fact exempts the latter from the defect under review 24

XI Ardhantaraka-Vacaka-The verse 'n which a word ex- pressing 'hetu' etc which is implied in the foregoing statement is stated in second half is an instance of this defect As for example-

23 Rāmarudr, p 3 Krıyā-sāraka padānām parasparākānksa nıyatā, putrādı-padānām apı pratıyogy ākānkșā nıyatā

24 Dinakarī on S M p 2-Vastutas tu vidhoh kımitı cūdāmanī- karanam kımartham va vāsuker valayīkaranam ity ākanksāyām nırākanksī pratıpattır na sambhavatītı līla-ıtyadı-visesanānuktau vivaksıtānvaya-bodhābhāvān nāyam atra doşah, utthāpyakānk- Şaya vıšeşanānvaya eva tatprasarāt

CHAPTER IX 201

masrna-carana pātam gamyatām bhūh sadarbhā vıracaya sıcayāntam mūrdhn gharmah kathorah / tadıtı Janaka-putrī locanaır aś'ru-pūrnaıh pathı pathıka-vadhūbhıh śıksıtā vīksıtā ca // 'Put your steps gently as the ground is full of kuśa-sprouts, therefore cover your head with cloth as the sun is very hot, thus the daughter of Janaka, on her way, was instructed and seen with tearful eyes by the wives of travellers' Here the word 'tat' ( therefore ) ought to be read in the first half of the verse It has been isolated in the second half and the propo- sition given in the first half is complete by itself irrespe trve of the statement of 'tat' ( therefore ) The first half states that the ground is full of thorny grass and you should walk with slow and cautious steps This is complete even without the conjunction 'therefore', because it is implied, though not stated The logic of this defect lies in the absence of logical requirement ( akanksa ) The statement of a principal factor, the noun or the verb in the second half, will also be an illus- tration, provided it is implied in the foregoing assertion It will not be a defect if it is necessary for the completion of the proposition The fact of the matter is concerned with the statement of a subordinate part which is not strictly necessary being understood by implication XIII Abhavanmatayoga-Failure of the intended syntac- tical connection The sentence, where the intended grammatı- cal connection between two words is not brought about, is a case of this poetical defect called 'Abhavanmatayoga' This failure of intended connection may arise in six ways viz, ( a ) owing to the difference in case endings, ( b) owing to the deficiencv of certain words, (c ) owing to absence of an indis- pensable connection between the expressed and suggested meaning, (e ) when a principal word is compounded with another word and ( f ) owing to the contravention of the natu- ral relation These are illustrated in the order ( a ) yesām tāstrıdašebha-dāna-sarıtah pītāh pratāposmabhır- līlā-pānabhuvaśca nandana-tarucchayāsu yaıh kalpitāh / yeşām humkrtayah krtāmara-patı ksobhāh ksapācārınām Kım taıs tvat-parıtosa-kārı vıhıtam kincıt pravādocitam //

202 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

'What remarkable deed, which can bring satisfaction to you, has been done by these Räksasas ? By the heat of whose pro- wess the streams of rut of the celestial elephants were dried up, by whom the forest of Nandana was transformed into a sportive and drinking place and whose thundering cries pertur- Led the Lord of Gods' Here owing to the difference of the case-endings the intended connection is not understood The sentences introduced by 'yat' ( which or who ) are only subor- dinate and they must be naturally connected with the principal substantive ( noun ) Here the principal noun 'Ksapacarınam' is given in the sixth case-ending and so it is connected with 'vesam' in the subordinate clause in a complex sentence con- sisting of 'yat' and 'tat' ( which and that ) the pronoun 'tat' completes the meaning as it stands for the principal substan- tıve This connection could easily be effected by putting 'Ksa- pacaribhth' in third case-ending and connecting it with 'tath' in the principal clause But this is not done Therefore the Intended connection is not available Mammata in connection with this verse introduces a rule of interpretation endorsed by the MImamsa school It may be put as follows Granted that the sentences introduced by 'yat' ( which ) are subordinate, why should not there be mutual connection between them ? Why should their connection be made depen- dent upon the principal substantive qualified by 'tat' (that)? This question is answered by the dictum 25 gunānām ca parārthatvād asambandhah samatvāt syāt There can be no independent connection between subordinate adjectival clauses or words, because they are all on an equal footing being subservient to the substantive' The implication of the dictum is that relation, real or verbal, is always possible between principal and subordinate In other words, the terms should be of an unequal status, one superior and another inferior Thus there can be no relation between two or more principals or between two or more subordinates This rule of exegesis is propounded in connection with the Vaidic injunc- tion-arunayaıkahāyanyā pıngāksyā gavā somam krinātī The

25 J S. III I 12 22 ( Quoted in K P p 347 )

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sacrificer shall buy 'soma' plant with a red calf one year old, having yellow eyes' As injunction always refers to an action it is the principal factor, to which others are subordinate The act of buying will be completed if the 'soma' plant as the object be procured by means of the cow with the different adjective offered as the price All these adjectives are connec- ted with the principal action in the first instance and then become mutually connected in and through the substantive This subsequent relation of adjectives takes place on account of the combination of the different factors with the principal one In the present case the principal substantive is 'ksapācārı- nam' ( night rovers ) But being in apposition with 'yesam', 'ksapācārinām' becomes a part and parcel of the subordinate clause and as such cannot be conneuted with 'taih' standing for the substantive-and consequently with the other subordi- nate objectives, which can be connected with one another only after syntactical connection with the principal substantive Adjectives and so also adjectival clauses cannot be contrued with one another, they are connected first with the principal noun and their connection inter se is consequential This can be brought home by a commonplace sentence, 'Sugar is sweet, hard and white' The three adjectives will fall apart unless they each qualify the noun 'sugar' and the connection of the adjectives inter se is a consequential after effect What holds of adjectives is also true of nouns 'Sugar, milk and water' is not a sentence, because there is no verb The verb, so the Mimamsist maintains, 1s the principal element with which other parts of speech are connected and the connection between the nouns and the adjectives with one another follows as a logical consequence and is never antecedently possible ( b ) tvamevam-saudaryā sa ca ruciratāyāh parıcıtah Kalānām sīmānām paramıha yuvām eva bhajathah / apı dvandvam dıstyā tad itı subhage samvadatı vām atah śesam yat syāj jitam ıha tadānīm gunitayā // 'You are endowed with such beauty, and he too is acquainted with (1e known for ) handsomeness, both of you possess

204 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

singular proficiency in arts, thus fortunately the pair of you two is quite compatible, if the subsequent issue were what it should be then indeed would the endowment of qualities become duly glorified' Here the last line states that if the unaccomplished union of the pair takes place it would be a case of triumph of worthiness But the word 'yat' ( which ) does not succeed in bringing about the Intended relation It could do so if it meant 'yadi' ( provided ) But the word 'yat' cannot express the meaning It would be a case of 'avacakatva ( inexpressiveness ) if ever it intended for that Secondly, 'yat' ( which ) could succeed if two words 'yat' 'tat' were supplied This would further involve the defect Nyunapadata-the elliptical expression, without 'if' (yadı) It cannot be contended that Nyunapadata ( ellipsis ) should be included under this head-for ellipsis is made good by the infe- rence of the requisite expressions But the present defect only illustrates the incompetency of a particular word for intended meanıng

Sangrāmānganam āgatena bhavatā cāpe samāropite devākarnaya yena yena sahasā yadyat samāsādıtam / Kodandena śarāh śaraır arıśıras tenāpı bhūmandalam tena tvam bhavatā ca kīrtır atulā kīrtyā ca lokatrayam //

'O king, listen to what was obtained by what, when you reached the battlefield and mounted the string on your bow. The bow obtained the arrows, the arrows the enemies, head, this head the earth, the earth you, you matchless fame, and the fame, the three worlds' Mammata is very hard on the author of this verse He maintains that the connection between two halves is not understandable Words of two propositions can be related if ( 1) one is a verb or (2 ) a case ( karaka ), or ( 3 ) a relatıve ( sambandın ), (4 ) or if it be a qualifying adjec- tive of the preceding one or (5) if it sets forth a reason, (6) or if like the pronoun 'tat' ( that ) etc it refers to the previous statement and connects the latter with what follows Now the first, third, fourth and fifth alternatives are out of the question. The second half can be related with the first if the words in the former give the necessary 'karaka' ( case ), karta or karma

CHAPTER IX 205

( nominatrve or objective cases ) But the individual words are not stated either as an objective or as nominative cases

It is, however, possible to construe the different clauses if 'samasaditam' is changed and suitably modified into the plural or singular number in different genders This is a plausible defence But the syntacti.al relation between the two halves will not be established even by this proposed modifi ation Besides, this will involve the postulation of a plurality of pro- positions ( vākya-bheda ) which is regarded a serious defect of interpretation in the Mimamsa school and this should be avoi- ded particularly in poetry The poet must be careful about the construction of sentences and must not make his composi- tion subject to the dubious skill of an exegete

(d ) Cāpācāryas trıpura vijayı kārtikeyo viyeyah etc Here the first half pays compliment to Bhārgava The second half expresses censure on the hatchet ( parasu), his weapon Naturally the compliment and censure should relate to the same person But this is frustrated by the wrong expression, 'krtavata', which qualifies the hatchet If it is changed into "krtavatah' ( sıxth case-ending ), making it an adjective of Bhär- gava it will give out the necessary relation of praise and cen- sure to the same person ( e) catvāro vayamrtvijah sa bhagavān karmopadestā harıh sangrāmādhvara-dīksito nara-patıh patnī grhIta-vratā / kauravyāh pašavah priyāparıbhava-kleopaśāntıh phalam rājanyopa-nimantranāya rasatı sphitam hato dundubhih //

'We four are the sacrificial priests, the Lord Harı is the spiri- tual advisor, the king has been initiated for the sacrifice of battle, and the wife is keeping vows, the Kurus are the animals, the result intended is the removal of pain caused by the insult of our wife, the battle-drum is being sounded for inviting the warriors' Here the word 'sangramadhvara' 1s subordinated to the word 'diksita' and as such cannot be cons- trued with the other clauses as it should be If it were changed into sangramadhvare and not compounded the syntactical connection would follow.

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(f ) janghakāndorunālo nakhakirana- lasat-kesārālī-karālah pratyagrā lakta-kābhāprasara- kısalayo mañju-mañjira-bhrngah / bhartur nrtta nukare jayatı nijatanusvaccha-lāvanya-vāpī- sambhūtāmbhoja-sobhām vıdadhad abhınavo dandapādo bhavānyāh // 'Glorous is the dandapada ( the raised foot ) of Bhavant when imitating her husband's dance, which bears the splendour of the lotus blown in the tank of the charm of her body, having the foreleg for its bulky stalk, the lustrous nails for its filaments, the bright red paints on the feet for its petals and the jingling anklets for the bees hovering round it' Here the expression 'nijatanu' is understood as referring to the dandapada Tno words like 'nija', 'sva' ( meaning own ) etc always refers to the principal part of speech The intended relation of 'nija' with Bhavant is not understood because the latter is subordinate to 'dandapada'-the substantive, 1e the nominative of the sentence XIII Anabhıhitavacya-The omission of necessary verbal expression is a defect This defect arises in two ways -(a) when the subject matter is stated in a way which is not the proper form of statement or ( b) owing to the omission of a necessary particle ( a ) aprākrtasya carıtātıśayaıśca drsțaır- atyāhrtasya mama nāma tathāpı nāsthā / Ko'pyesa vira šısuka-krtıraprameya- saundarya-sāra samudāyamayah padārthah // 'I am charmed with splendour and wondeful performance of this extraordinary person ( Rama ), yet I cannot give credan e to it This indescribable person, appearing as a heroic boy, is the embodiment of essen e of immense beauty' Here the word 'atyahrta' must be used as a predicate 'atyahrto- smi' instead of 'atyährtasya' which make it a part of the subject It is, no doubt, possible to contend that it necessarily involves the defe.t 'avimrstavidheyamsa' ( having the predicate

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subordinated ) The word 'atyahrtosmi' (I am extremely charmed and transported with joy ) should have been the proper mode of statement But as it stands the poet makes it as an adjective of the subject and thus the predominanee of the predicate is lost. Govinda Thakkur admits the justice of the contention but observes that the defect of the subordı- nation of the predicate ( udheyavimarsa ) 1s rather consequen- tial The expression tathapi ( yet ) necessarily presupposes an independent sentence going before it and this necessitates the use of 'atyahrta' as predicate So the principal defect 1s 'anbhihitavūcya' and 'vidheyavimarśa' is only subordinate to it (b ) pranaya-bhanga parānmukha cetasas- tvayı nıbaddha-rateh prıyavādınah / Kamaparadha-lavam mama paśyası tyajası māninı dāsa-janam yatah // 'O anery one what particle of fault do you see in me that you part with me, your humble servant? I, who love you, who speak words to you and who never think of the breach of your love' Here the particle 'api' ( even ) is omitted It ought to have been sad 'aparadhasyalavam-apı' ( even a particle of fault ) which would suggest the total negation of fault Govinda Thakkura observes that 'anabhihita-väcya' should not be con- fused with the defect 'nyunapada' The latter is a case where the expressive word is left out, while the former is possible mn the case of the omission of some preposition or conjunction or adverb The statement of 'apt' ( even ) is necessary without which it would give rise to an undesirable meaning, that is, not a particle of fault in me, but a major offence Certainly this will be contrary to the spirit of the lover's statement He cannot be supposed to confess a grave offence in order to pro pitiate his love He simply pleads not guilty and this is quite appropriate The difference between the first and the second instance is that there is fatlure of the intended meaning in the first and the contrary meaning is suggested in the second XIV Apadasthapada-With a misplaced word This defect arises when a word is placed in an inappropriate place This blemish is related to a sentence as a whole, because the whole

208 CONCEPT OF POLTIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

of the sentence is needed to convey the meaning As for example- priyena sangrathya vipaksa-sannıdhāv- upāhıtām vaksası pIvarastane / srajam na kācıd vijahau jalāvilām vasantı hı premnı gunā na vastuni // A particular lady did not discard the garland, though withered by water, which has been prepared and put on the elevated breasts by the lover in presence of her rivals 1he merits are in love and not in the thing ( presented ) Here the word 'na' ıs mısplaced before kācıť Thus 'na kārid vijahau' implies that all discarded, while the intended meaning is 'Kā it na vijahau', the particular lady did not discard in even it withered and lost its fragrance' The defect arises because a misplaced word makes the sen- tence yield a contrary meaning as shown above The defect also arises when on account of wrong juxtaposition the expected meaning is not understood As for example- lagnah kelikaca-grahaslatha-jata-lambena nidrāntare mudrānkah śıtı kandharendu śakalenāntah kapolasthalam / pārvatyā nakhalaksma-sankıta-sakhī-narmasmita vrīdayā pronmrstah karapankajena kutılā-tāmracchavıh pātu vah // 'May the curved red mark made on Parvati's cheek by Siva's moon digit while she slept on his matted locks, dishevelled during dalliance, protect you The marks wiped off by her tender hands, when she was abashed by the smiles of her companions who suspected the mark to be of nails' Here the mark of the moon's digit on the cheek of ParvatI is the ground for the suspicion of nail mark which is a conventional part of dalliance It should have been stated before 'Kutila tāmra- cchavi' It is a case of the fallacy called hysteron proteron The effect is stated first and the cause last XV Apadasthasamasa-Having a compound out of proper place The diction is governed by the propriety of the speaker If a speaker happens to be in angry mood the composition with compounds is quite appropriate If a compound is em- ployed without considering this propriety, it becomes a case of misplacement of compound As for example-

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adyāpı stana-śaıla-durga-visame sīmantınīnām hrdi sthātum vānchatı māna esa dhig iti krodhād ivālohitah / udyaddūra taraprasārıta-karah karsatyasau tatksanot- phullat-kairava-kosa-nıhsarad-alı Śreni-krpānım śaśı // 'Does pride even now wish to live in the hearts of women fortified as it is with the hill of her breasts-O fie on me Thus saying the rising moon, as if red with anger, stretching far his rays ( hands ), in a moment draws his sword in the shape of black-bees coming out from the blooming liles' Here the long compounds are not used in the speech of the angry moon, where they would have been quite proper They are used in the simple assertion of the poet Hence it is a blemish This defect is a new creation of Mammata Vidyā- natha calls it 'asthanasthasamasa', which is only a change of word without change of meaning It should not be confused with 'pratikulavarna' ( discordant syllables ) because a com- pound is not a syllable Nor can it be regarded as a case of patatprakarsata ( having its excellence falling of), because it is only possible if the elevated style in the first statement 1s shunned in the later statement Here the case is the reverse of it Moreover the loss of excellence occurs only when both the preceding and succeeding statements require the elevated style But, here, only the former statement demands elevated composition and not the latter one So the present defect is independent of both the cases XVI Samkırna-Confused This defect arises when words of one sentence are inserted into another sentence and make the sense confused Mammata points out the difference between 'Klista' and 'samkīrna'. The former takes place only in a single sentence while the latter is possible in more than one sentence Mammata borrows an example of this defect from the work of Rudrața Kımıtı na paśyası kopam pādanatam bahugunam grhānemam / nanu munca hrđaya-nātham kanthe manasas tamorūpam // 'Why do you not look upon the lord of your heart, who is the abode of good qualties, fallen on your feet ? Embrace hım on the neck and give up your wrath, which hangs like a gloom on your heart' Here parts of one sentence are inserted into 14

210 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

others It makes a confused mess of the meaning of the entire verse The construction of the sentence makes it difficult for the hearer to understand the intended meaning XVII Garbhita-Parenthetical When a whole sentence 1s inserted in another sentence it is a case of 'Garbhita' As for example- parāpakāranırataır durjanaıh saha samgatıh / vadāmı bhavatas tattvam na vidheyā kadācana // 'Association with wicked men, who are bent upon doing mis- chief to others, I tell you the truth, is never desired' Here the third foot ( which is a separate sentence ) has been inter- calated in a different sentence The ground of the fault lies in obstructing the sense to be understood XVIII Prasiddhihata-Disregard of usage There are some well-known forms which have established usage in particular sense in poetry Mammata quotes a verse from Rudrata26 and says it is customary to call the sound of 'mañnra' ( anklet) ranita ( tinkling') and that of paksina (birds), Kujita (warbling), and that of the time of dalliance 'stanita' and 'manita' ( mutter- ing and murmurring ) and that of clouds 'garjita' ( roaring ) and the like When this usual practice is contravened it cons- titutes this defect mahāpralaya-māruta-ksubhıta-puskarāvartaka- pracanda ghana-garjıta-pratırutānukārī muhuņ / › ravah śravana-bhairavah sthagita-rodasikandarah kuto'dya samarodadher ayamabhūta-pūrvah puraḥ // 'Where from this unprecedented ear-splitting sound of the ocean of battle, pervading the entire valley between the earth and the heaven, matching the echo of the thundering of clouds tossed about by. storms Eduring universal dissolution' Here for the hon-roar thefusejof word 'rava' ( which is applicable by usage to the sound of frogs ) 1s a defect The use of the word men- tioned above is fixed by convention and a breach of it betokens the ignorance of the poet

26. Rudrata, VI 25 mañjırādısu ranitaprāyān pakşışu ca kuljitaprabhrtīn / manitaprāyan surate meghadısu garjta-prāyān //

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XIX Bhagnaprakrama-Violation of uniformity When a word is used with same object in view it should be repeated in the same form in which it is done before When it has the same reference its synonyms will not serve the purpose In other words, no two words, however similar in meaning, can ever be identical in their signification Meaning must vary with the change of words There is a deep logical considera- tion underlying this proposition A word denotes its meaning and also its own self And so the meaning is coloured by the word and as such the meaning of one word must vary from that of its synonym, because the word is an adjunct to the meaning which will necessarily differ The relation of word and meaning accordng to Bhartrhar127 is too intimate and the word always coalesces with the meaning denoted by it. So the meaning of a word is a complex consisting of the referent as the substantive and the verbal expression attaching to it as an adjective That this is the case is easily deducible from Panin's aphorism28 'svam rūpam sabdasyā'sabda-sañjña' In grammar the word-form is more fundamental than meaning and hence the meaning is regarded as an adjectival adjunct to the word- form. Pänini had to frame this rule in order to show that the meaning of the word, though in ordinary parlance, is a com- plex of word-cum-meaning and the latter is the substantive and the former is apprehended as a qualifying adjective, in gram- matical procedure the relation is reversed The đıctum-yāvantah śabdās tāvantah arthāh-1 e there are as many meanings as there are words-is based on this principle This question has been raised in connection with the possibility of ślesalankara-the figure of speech known as double entendre The figure is possible only if one word can denote two different meanings Logically considered this 1s not a permissible position In poetry this passes muster because poets and students of poetry are not disposed to consider the

27 V P.I 50 ātmarūīpam yatha jñane jñeyarupam ca drsyate / artharlipam tathā sabde svarūpam ca prakaśate // 28 Panint I I 68.

212 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLFMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

difference in the shades of meanings and refuse to be logically fastidious It is worthy of note that Mahima-Bhatta refuses to regard ślesa ( double entendre ) as an impossibility and logi- cally considered his view is unassailable This position has been endorsed by Jagadisa Tarkālankāra ın hıs Śabdaśaktıpra- kasika That the meaning of a word is not a mere objective fact, but always embodies the verbal expression itself as a part of it, is also deducible from the proposition-sabdajnanadıpāh trayah prakāsāh sva-para prakasah,"9 1 e, word, consciousness and light are three illumlnators which illumine themselves and others Word, therefore, expresses itself in the very act of expressing its meaning That it is the case is brought home by the ordinary example- udeti savitā tāmras tāmra evāstam eti ca / - sampattau ca vipattau ca mahatām ekarūpatā //, 'The sun rises red, and sets red also, great beings retain the same condition both in prosperity and adversity' Here the same word 'tamra' ( copper-red ) is to be repeated in order to bring home the uniformity of the behaviour of noble persons in prosperity and adversity alike A different expression, how- ever, close in meaning, will fail to emphasise sameness It is not merely a peculiarity of Sanskrit idiom but seems to be true of all languages Thus in English one has to put it as follows -The sun rises red and sets red If the word 'red' be replaced by a synonym in one of the clauses 1t will fail to produce the same impression The substitution of the predi- cate 'tamra' by 'rakta' naturally spells a shade of difference in meaning and this is regarded as a fault It has been urged that the repetition of the same word involves the defect of 'Kathitapadata' But this defect of repe- tition of the same word is possible only in cases where there is no cross-reference ( uddesya-pratinirdesyabhava) and so this defect 'prakramabhanga' is not sanctioned by the consideration of avoiding the defect of repetition- Repetiton is a fault only when it is pointless

29. N M p 367.

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XX Akrama-Irregular in sequence This defect arises when a word is used in a place other than where it should be used As for example-

dvayam gatam sampratı śocanIyatām samāgama-prārthanayā kapālınah / Kalā ca sā kāntımatī kalāvatas- tvam asya Iokasya ca netra-kaumudī // Here the particle 'ca' should be used after the word 'tvam' A question may be raised why should this defect of akrama ( wrong sequence ) be regarded as different from the apadastha- padata ( misplaced word ) ? It has been answered by an ex- ponent as follows In 'apadasthapadata' it gives out a wrong sense which is contrary to the intended meaning In the present case there is no difference in meaning caused by the wrong placing of words The defect is due to the delayed understanding cansed by it. But this is not a sound explanation, because it is based on partial appraisal In the two examples given under the defect 'apadasthapadata' the first gives a contrary meaning on account of the misplaced word, but in the second there is no difference in the meaning So this explanation does not square with facts Govinda Thakkura suggests that the defect is due to the fact that there are certain particles such as 'ca' 'uti', 'ittham', etc which become significant only when they are placed immediately after the particular relevant word These words cannot yeild the intended connection when detached from the relevant term by intervention of other words Govinda Thakkura supports his contention by quotation from Mahima- Bhatta's Vyaktiviveka, which sets forth the position adumbrated above But this does not hold good of negative particle 'nan' because it signifies the desired connection even when separated by an interval, c f na khalu na khalu vānah sannıpatyo'yom asmın The raison d'etre of the defect lies in the failure of the desired meaning being not understood It is a constant defect XXI Amataparartha-Of undesirable second sense Where the second meaning is contradictory to the context, e g.

214 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

rāma-manmatha-śarena tādıtā duh-sahena hrdaye nıśācarī / gandha-vad-rudhira-candano'ksıtā JIvıteśa vasatım jagāma sā //

'The Räksast being wounded in the heart by the ırresistible arrow of that cupid Rama, besmeared with sandal like-blood, as it were, went to the place of the lord of life' Here the second sense suggestive of the erotic sentiment is not compati- ble with the predominant sentiment of abhorrence So it is a case of wrong metaphor Rama should not have been described as 'manmatha' ( cupid )-god of love As set forth above the two sentiments of love and abhorrence are diametri- cally opposed and as such cannot be ascribed to the same person at the same time

Arthadosas-defects of Sense

We next propose to deal with the defects of meanings ( arthadosas ) as given by Mammata Bhatta They are as follows .-

Apusta -- irrelevant and not indspensable IJ Kasta-obscure III Vyähata-contradictory IV Punarukta-tautological V. Duskrama-ımproper in order VI Grāmya-vulgar VII Samdigdha-dubious VIII Nirhetu-inconsequential IX Prasiddh1-viruddha-opposed to prevalent ideas X. Vidya-viruddha-contrary to sciences XI Anavikrta-wanting in novelty XII Saniyama-parivrtta-unspecified XIII. Aniyama-parıvrtta-specified XIV Viśesaparıvrtta -- unrestricted XV Avisesaparrvrtta-restricted XVI Sākānkșa-incomplete XVII Apadayukta-introduced in a wrong place. XVIII Sahacarabhinna-dissimilar associates

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XIX Prakāsıta-Viruddha-disagreeable XX Vıdhyayukta-of improper predicate XXI Anuvādāyukta-of improper attribute XXII Tyakta-punahsvīkrta-resumption of concluded XXIII Aślila-indecorous

I Apusta-ırrelevant A meaning which is not indispen- sable to the development of the sense intended For instance

atıvitata-gagana-saranı-prasarana- parimukta-viśramanandah / marud-ullāsıta-saurabha-kamalā- kara-hāsa-krd ravır jayatı //

'Victorious is the sun making the lotus bloom whose odour is conveyed through air The sun who has sacrificed all his pleasure of rest and covers the limitless expanded ethereal path' Here the word 'ativitata' ( expanded ), that is, the cir- cumference of ethereal path being limitless, does not add to the sense because it is an inseparable characteristic of the sky An adjective should be an attribute, which is not necessarily associated with the substantive it qualifies Furthermore, the metaphorical identification of the sky ( gagana) with path ( sarant ) and the fact that the odour of lotus is carried alround by the wind does not contribute to the excellence of the sun which is the subject-matter of the poet It has been urged by some critic that these adjectival expre- ssions and their meanings are quite unhelpful But the hımit- lessly expanded is a case of tautology ( punarukta), because it is understood as the connotation of the word sky. And the assertion of the adjective 'marudullasita saurabh' that is 'the odour conveyed through the air' is a case of the defect 'vruddha' (contradiction) For the lotus cannot give out its odour before it is made to bloom by the sun's rays So this adjective is not only uncontributive to the meaning, but rather contradicts the causal sequence. To these charges Govinda Thakkura replies as follows - It is not a case of tautology though the limitless expanse is necessarily bound up with the connotation of the word sky

216 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

(gagana) as has been observed by Bhoja 30 "In poetry, history and narrative etc the explicit statement of a fact implicit in the meaning of a word does not constitute a case of tautology " It is only in logical and philosophical works that this is regar- ded as a defect It is not fair and proper to use the same yard- stick for adjudication of poetry and logic As regards the charge of contradiction ( viruddhartha ) it also does not deserve serious consideration The adjectival clause 'odour' etc should be treated as an 'upalaksana', 1 e simply as a qualifica- tion which only serves to express excellence of lotus without any bearing upon the subject-matter Again poets do not scrupulously adhere to the causal sequence and sometimes reverse it for poetical effect ( which terminates in the figure of speech called 'atısayoktı' ) Srivatsa, the author of the Kavyapariksa, seeks to dispense with the whole list of 'arthadosas' and opines that they are capa- ble of being subsumed under the different 'pada and vākya- dosas '31 The present defect of apustartha ( irrelevant ) is sub- sumed by him under 'adhikapadatva' ( redundance ) Both of them are incapable of contributing a necessary quota of mean- ing and so there can be no difference between them It has been observed in defence that 'adhikapadatva' 1s a defect of the sentence and is understood synchronously with the synta- ctical construction of the constituent words, whereas it is a material defect of the meaning as it is understood after the syntactical construction But this defence is based on a wrong principle The defence of material defect ( arthadosa) from verbal defect ( sabdadosa) relating to words and sentences is not determined by this criterion In the viruddhamatikrt ( of repugnant implication ) and amataparartha ( of undesirable sense ) the defect is understood only after the comprehension of syntactical relation, yet they are regarded as verbal defects Govinda Thakkura lays down the criterion of material defect

30 S K A. Quoted in K Pr p 232 'Kāvyetibāsādāv arthavrt- tyā labdhasya saksādbhananam apaunaruktyāya 31 Srıvatsa, p 50 ityete pracīnair arthadoșah kathitās te uktesu sabdadoşeşu antarbhavantīti na prthak pratipādıtāh,.

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as follows It is a case of material defect if the meaning is really intended and is liable to objection and does not cease to persist even when the verbal construction is changed, The criterion of verbal defect is that the defect persists so long as the words are not changed and disappear with the change of words In the case of material defect it persists so long as the meaning is the same in spite of the change of verbal ex- pression As regards the contention that the defect 'apustartha' 1s a case of 'adhikapadatva,' it 1s met by the consideration that in 'adhikapadatva' the meaning is not actually intended by the speaker and its omission does not make any difference to the - meaning of the sentence But the poet uses such superfluous expressions in order to meet the exigencies of metre or padding out a sentence, though the meaning denoted by it is neither intended nor does it serve to contribute to the completion of the proposition

The case of the defect 'apustartha' stands in a different cate- gory The meaning is intended and is not opposed to the collective meaning of the sentence But it is not deemed indis- pensable, because it is understood from the meaning of the substantive by invariable association, or because it does not contribute a relevant meaning In the examples cited of the redundant defect the word 'akrti' in 'sphatıkakiti' etc is not intended as the standard of comparison ( upamana), because the attributes of purity, etc do not belong to it But the mea- ing is somehow construed with that of other words though it is neither necessary nor relevant As the meanings of words are intended in 'apustartha' it is a case of material defect ( arthadosa ) The two cases, 1 e 'adhıkapadatva' and 'apustā- rtha' cannot be put on the same footing It is regarded as a defect because it shows incompetency of the poet for choice of essential and exclusion of unessential words and meanings It is not a constant defect since in 'yamaka' etc it does not seem to give offence We have shown in our treatment of Vāmana's classification of defects that such expressions as 'Kar- navatamsa' etc are not defective, because they convey special signıficance

218 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

II Kasta-obscure The meaning which is not easily understood is a case of this defect As for example sadā madhye yāsām ıyam amrta-nıhsyanda sarasā sarasvaty uddāmā vahatı bahu-mārgā parımalam / prasādam tā etā ghana parıcayāh kena mahatām mahā-kāvya-vyomnı sphuritamadhurā yāntu rucayah //

'The great works of the poet wherein the goddess of speech traversing three ways-the soft, the diversified and the medium produces charm, how can such poetry be as lucid as the other types when it has become compact and profound in sıgnifi- cance ? How can the sunshine, wherein flows the three wayed river Gangā, be lovely when covered with clouds ?' Here the second meaning of this poem is not comprehended easily. It is regarded as the defect of the meaning, because the change of words will not affect improvement and clarity In Klista ( obscure ) the construction is involved and can be changed by different expressions having the same meaning So it must be regarded as an independent defect of sense III Vyahata-contradictory Having stated the excellence or inferiority of an object at first, if we declare it otherwise, it constitutes this defect, e g jagatı jayınas te te bhāvā navendu-kalādayah prakrtı-madhurāh santy evānye mano madayantı ye / mama tu yadıyam yātā loke vilocana-chandrıkā nayanavısayam janmany ekah sa eva mahotsavah // 'There are in the world many glorious things such as the digit of the new moon which are naturally charming and fill the mind with delight But to me that she has become the moon- shine is an event of festive occasion' Here in the first half of the verse the moon is belittled, but in the second half she 1s exalted Thus it is a case of inconsistency, which is the defect under review. The change of words will not entail the disap- pearance of the defect So it is a case of material defect, because the intended meaning itself is defective IV. Punarukta-tautological. It is of two types, viz the meaning of a word (pada) and that of a sentence ( vākya )

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arere Arjuna Arjuna Krtam anumatam drstam vā yaı rıdam guru-pātakam Manuja-pasubhır nırmaryādaır bhavadbhir udāyudhaih / Naraka-rıpunā sārdham teşām sa-bhīma-kırītınām- Ayam aham asrg medo-māmsaıh karomı dıšām balım // Here the name of Arjuna is already called, the repetition of the same in 'sabhima-kiritinam' is a case of tautology Vıdyānātha calls it 'ekartha' It is the repetition of the meaning and not of mere words It is therefore a material defect Another example of the same we have in the sentence- 'Karnālam sambhramena' and ' ko bhayasyāvakāsah' Here meaning of both the expressions is the same It is a defect of sentential meaning V Duskrama-Improper in order is a defect As for example- Bhūpāla-ratna nırdainya-pradāna-prathitotsava / Vıśrānaya turangam me mātangam vā madālasam // 'O gem of the kings' O one for whom the gift of wealth is an event of festival, Give me a horse or a mighty intoxicated elephant' Here the proper order should have been to mention the elephant first and the horse next One should ask for the things of superior value first and then the things of inferior value, f the former proposal and prayer is not acceptable. This violation of order often leads to a ridiculous situation lıke 'Krtodvahasya lagna-parıksanam' ( the examination of an auspicious moment after a person has already married, which is an instance of 'Duskrama' VI Gramya-vulgar. When the meaning is not refined 1s a case of this defect As for example- svapıtı yāvad ayam nıkate janah svapımı tāvad aham kım apaitı te / tad apasamhara kūrparam āyatam tvarıtam ūrum udañcaya kuñcıtam // 'While this person is asleep, I sleep here, what does it harm to you ? So remove your bodice and expand your thighs' Here the idea is rustic and vulgar The linguistic change will not make It free from objection and so it is a case of material defect.

220 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

VII Sandigdha-Dubious When there is an absence of certainty as to which of the alternative meanings is intended, it is a case of 'Sandıgdha', e g mātsaryam utsārya vıcārya kāryam āryāh samaryādam udāharantu / sevyā nıtambāh kımu bhūdharānām uta smarasmeravılāsınīnām // Here the sense is doubtful because the context is not known and there is no crucial evidence in favour of the alternative It cannot be subsumed under the 'sandigdha-pada' in which It 1s the word form, e g 'vandyam' which is dubious Here the words are perfectly unambiguous and even the change of lan- guage will not remove the uncertainty It is therefore regarded as a material defect because the intended meaning is not intelli- gible without insight into the personality of the speaker VIII Nirhetu-Inconsequential When the cause ( hetu) of an action is not mentioned it is a defect As for example- grhitam yena'sth parıbhava-bhayan nocitamapı prabhāvād yasyā'bhūn na khalu tava kaścin na visayah / parıtyaktam tena tvaması suta-śokān na tu bhayād vımoksye sastra tvām aham apı yatah svastı bhavate // 'Farewell to you weapon, I too will quit you, you, who though improper to his caste were accepted by my father, fearing trou- ble, and through whose prowess, nothing was left to be your mark and now by whom you have been abandoned not through timdity but from grief for his son' Here the reason for the layıng aside of the weapon is not stated Does the omission of the reason make the meaning incom- plete or not ? On the latter alternative it is not a fault and on the former it will be a case of 'sakānksa' ( incomplete ) One word is construed with another when both are mentioned In the present case a word is wholly suppressed This is the difference between the two But this is not satisfactory In the example given under the defect 'sakanksa' the word, with which an expressed word is construed, is not expressed but Inferred It should be, therefore, maintained that in the defect 'Nirhetu' ( inconsequential ) it is the word stating the reason is

CHAPTER IX 221

suppressed and in the other case the suppressed word means other than reason It is the special importance of reason which makes it necessary to put it in a different class on the maxim of the cow and bull ( gobalıvardanyaya ) It is a permissible form of assertion The cow is a useful animal and so also the bull Though the bull belongs to the class cow it is stated separately in order to emphasise its specific importance This Is the principle underlying the differentiation here The defence is rather weak and appears like an after thought Govinda Thakkura in consciousness of it proposes an alterna- tive explanaton In the 'sakanksa' the suppression of the essential word gives rise to an undersirable meaning In the present case the meaning itself is incomplete Śrivatsa, the author of the Kavyapariksa includes it under 'nyunapada' ( deficient in words ), which is a defect of the sentence But there is an important difference between the two In 'nyuna- pada' the deficiency of necessary expression causes the failure of the understanding of the proposition intended to be con- veyed by the sentence. The sentence is incomplete So it 1s a case of a verbal defect. In 'nirhetu' and so also 'sākānksa' the meaning intended is itself insufficient, though the sentence is prima facia complete It is accordingly regarded as a case of material defect IX. Prasiddhiviruddha opposed to prevalent ideas If an idea spoken of is opposed to notoriety and popular notion, it ıs a fault As for example- ıdam te kenoktam kathaya kamalātanka-vadane yadetasmın hemnah katakam ıtı dhatse khalu dhıyam / ıdam tad duhsādhākramana-paramāstram smrtı-bhuvā tava prītyā cakram kara-kamala mule vinıhıtam // 'O thou, whose face abashes the lotus who has told you this ( fib ) n pursuance of which thou entertainest the notion that this thing is a bangle of gold This is the disc the Cupid has placed on your hands out of love for you The disc is the great weapon which overpowers even the unvanquishable' Here the disc of Cupid is not popularly known He is always represented with a bow and five arrows of flowers Thus the

222 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

conception of the bangle as a disc of Cupid is a new-fangled idea This idea is not endorsed by previous poets or by popu- lar conception It is to be noted here that there are objects which do not exist in the actual world but are established by convention of poets ( kavisamayasıddha ) The description of such poetical conventions is not faulty We meet with a long list of such poetic conventions in the works of later alankārıkas like Vis- vanāthakaviraja and Keśava-Mıshra Vıśvanātha in hıs Sāhi- tyadarpana32 states "The sky and sin are depicted as black, fame, laughter and glory are described as white, anger and love as red Pankaja ( lotus ) and Indivara ( blue lotus ) flowers are said to be found in rivers and seas, birds like duck are spoken of as visting the receptacles of water The cakora is described to be fond of drinking the moonlght, and in the rains the duck ( hamsa ) repair to the 'manasa' lake. And accordingly in the following example susita-vasana'lankārāyām kadācana kaumudī- mahası sudrśı svairam yāntyām gato'stam abhūd vidhuh / tađanu bhavatah kīrtıh kenāpy agīyata yena sā prıyagrhamagān muktā śankā kva nāsı subhapradah // 'Once when the beloved dressed in white garments and orna- ments was slowly going the moon set down After that your glory was sung by someone, by which she without any fear went ( or came back ) to her lover's ( husband s ) place Thus where are you not the bestower of benefit ?' This description of 'kirti' as white is not regarded as a defect because it is endor- sed by the convention of poets A word of explanation seems necessary for one unacquain- ted with the poetic tradition of Sanskrit poets. Sanskrit poets find particular pleasure in describing the adventures of young women in love, who go out at night to the residence or trysted place of their lovers In moonlit nghts they put on immacula

32. S D VII 23 Malınyam vyomnı pāpe, yasasi dhavalatā varnyate hāsakrītyoh Raktau ca krodharāgau sarıdudadhigatam pankajendīvarādı, ete.

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tely white clothes and in dark nights they cover themselves with black garment in order to elude detection The white dress in a dark night is easily spotted out, In the present case the moonset put the lady in white in danger But the fame of the king casually sung by an admirer freed her from anxiety Fame as white the moonlight dispelled the darkness and the lady reached the lover's residence undetected The word 'patr' ( husband ) may be replaced by 'prtya' ( lover ) As it stands, it may mean return journey from the lover's place to the hus- band's home and in that case she would be a faithless wife Poets, however, are not afraid of describing illicit love K Vidyaviruddha-Contrary to scripture or science An idea described against the code of scripture or canons of science is a fault As for example- sadā snātvā nısīthınyām sakalam vāsaram budhah / nānā-vıdhānı sāstrānı vyācaște ca śrnoti ca // 'This learned man always having bathed in the night explains and listens to all kinds of sastras during the whole day' Here bathing during night is asserted which is against the dharma- sastra ( code of duty ) except on special occasions such as lunar eclipse ŚrIvatsa insists upon including this defect under 'anucita' and calling it a defect of word B But this is too facile a proce- dure which ignores the difference of shades of meaning In 'anucita the change of the word would remove the defect, whereas here the change of language will not have any effect because the proposition itselt is faulty and not a word or sentence

XI Anavikrta-Wanting in novelty This fault arises when the different ideas are mentioned in the same manner and so beauty is added to it The frequent adoption of the same form of' speech makes poetry monotonous Anandavar dhana33 has said in his classical work 'Dhvanyaloka' how

33 D A IV 4 'drsțapūrvā apı hy arthah kāvye rasa-parigrahāt / sarve nava ivabhantı madhu-masa iva drumah //

224 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

novelty is to be achieved even in the treatment of hackneyed and commonplace things on account of the influence of sug- gestion and suggestive elements The following is the instance of the fault prāptāh śrıyah sakala-kāma-dughās tatah kım dattam padam śırası vıdvıșatām tatah kım / sammānıtāh pranayıno vibhavais tatah kım kalpam sthıtam tanu bhrtām tanubhıs tatah kım // 'If all wish-fulfilling riches have been obtained-what then ? If enemies are insulted and subdued-what then ? If friends are satisfied with wealth-what then ? If the body of beings lasted for a 'Kalpa' ( cosmic period )-what then ?' Here in each of [the four cases the same idea has been cxpressed by the repetition of the expression 'tatah kim We experience the monotony in this It is not the same manner of statement, but the sameness of idea which makes it a defect So it is diffe- rent from the verbal defect 'Kathitapada' In 'Kathitapada' the change of words suffices to eliminate this defect ŚrIvatsa regards it not as a case of positive defect but an absence of an excellence which is constituted by novelty But this only shows his inordinate love of independence Novelty of an idea or expression is not by itself capable of being regarded as a guna ( excellence ) without reference to Rasa ( sentiment ) The monotony of the idea rather eliminates the sympathy of the reader or shocks his æsthetic sense by showing inability of the poet for a novel idea and expression XII. Santyama-parwrtta-Unspecified Where specification is needed but it is made improperly unlimited constitutes the case of this defect As for example- Yatrā'nullıkhıtā-khyam eva nıkkhılam nırmāņam etad vidher- utkarsa-pratıyogi-kalpanam apı nyakkāra-kotıh parā / yātāh prāna-bhrtām manoratha-gatīr ullanghya yatsampada- stasyā'bhāsa-manı-krtāsmasu maner asmatvam evocitam // 'In presence of which entire creation of the Creator is fruitless, to whom the mention of surpassing merit would be uttermost insult and whose riches exceed all bounds of men's desire, this 'Cintäman' when among the stones, made gem-like by

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Itself, must be named a stone only which made other stones gems by its light' Here the last foot must have been specified by use of the word 'matra' ( only ) Cintamant is possessed of all excellences but what has it done ? It has only converted other stones into gems by its light But there should be a restrictive qualification added to light The idea of this is that the other stones have been made gems only by possession of light but not other excellent qualities possessed by 'Cintamam' ( wish-fulfilling gem )

XIII Aniyama-parivitta-specified Where specification is not necessary and still it is done, it constitutes this defect, e g

vaktrāmbhojam sarasvaty abhi- vasatı sadā śona evādharas te bãhuh kākutstha-vīryā-smrti- karana patur daksinas te samudrah / vāhinyah pārsvam etāh ksanam apı bhavato naiva muncanty abhiksnam svacche'ntar mānaseśmin katham avanipate te'mbupānā-bhılāșah // 'Sarasvatī lıves permanently in your lotus-like mouth, your lips are 'Sona' ( red ) alone, your right arm which reminds one of the prowess of Kākutstha ( Rāma ), 1s the samudra ( sea ) ( possessed of mudrā ), these rivers ( armies ) never give up your side, and in your inside is 'Manasa' lake ( heart), why is there the desire for drinking water, O king ? Here the specification in 'Sona eva' is not essential The use of word 'eva' excludes the presence of other rivers There is a pun. But the restrictive particle eva is utterly superfluous On the contrary it suggests that only river Sona is there and so there may be a desire for water of other rivers It is not to be inclu- ded under 'adhikapada' because the poet intends the meaning expressed by 'eva' without realising the logical absurdity So it is a case of 'arthadosa' and not of 'padadosa'. Moreover, 'eva' is indeclinable as such it is not expressive of meaning by its own unadded capacity but is only indicatıve In 'adhıka, pada' the superfluous expression denotes a meaning of its own. These conjunctive particles have no meanings of their own but 15

226 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

only serve as occasion for the associated word to denote34 the specific sense XIV Visesa-parıvrtta-unrestricted Where restriction 1s wanted and it is represented otherwise, it causes this defect, e g śyāmām śyāmalımānam ānayata bhoh sāndraır masikūrcakair- mantram tantram atha prayujya harata śvetotpalānām śrıyam / candram cūrnayata ksanāc ca kanaśah krtvā śilāpattake yena drastum aham ksame daśadıśas tadvaktra-mudrānkıtāh // 'Oh render the night dark with dense ink Take away the splendour of white lotus with spell or other means Break the moon to pieces on a piece of stone so that I could see the ten directions stamped with her face' Here the night should be particularly specified as the moonlit night But it is not done so The general term is used which gives a sense which is not appropriate This defect could be avoided by substituting 'Raka' But why should it not be regarded as a 'sabdadosa " The meaning itself is intended by the speaker who did not go deep into its implication, so it is regarded as 'arthadosa' XV Avisesaparivitta-restricted Where no restriction is necessary and the object should be stated in general terms but it is done otherwise A particular idea is conveyed in the place of general idea For instance - Kallola-vellita-drsat-parusa-prahārair ratnāny amūnı makarālaya mā'va-mamsthāh / Kım kaustubhena vihito bhavato na nāma yācnā-prasārita karah purusottamo'pi // O abode of crocodiles, do not insult these gems by ruthless assault of stones thrown by your waves moving to and fro Was not even the best of males-Visnu-made your mendican by 'Kaustubha ?' Here the gems in general should be referred to The generic term should be used for specific lıke 'ekena'

34 L M p 618 dyotakatvam samabhıvyahrtapadasya arthavisese tat-parya-grahakatvam,

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( one of them ) If a particular gem like 'Kaustubha' is men- tioned then the impropriety of insult towards gems in general 1s not implied XVI Sakanksa-Incomplete Where a meaning is not complete without reference to another meaning, it is a case of 'Sākanksa'. Akānksa consists in incompletion of a meaning The later Naiyayıkas have sought to reduce it to a property of word fit to be connected with one another As for example- arthitve prakatīkrte'pi na phalaprāptih prabhoh pratyuta druhyan dāsarathır viruddha- carıto yuktas tayā kanyaya / utkarsam ca parasya mana- yasasor visramsanam cātmanah strI-ratnam ca jagat-patir dasa- mukho devah katham mrsyate // 'Even showing the mendicancy the desire of my lord is not fulfilled, on the other hand the son of Dasaratha, the foe is united with that girl How can the ten-faced lord of the world tolerate the excess of glory and fame of the foe and his own deterioration and that gem-a fair woman' Here in this sen- tence the word 'upeksitum' ( to ignore ) is wanting after the word 'striratnam' According to grammarıans35 'akanksa' is a property of the sense and Mahimabhatta adopts the view of the grammarian It is not a case of verbal defect-nyunapada-which consists in the inability of words mentioned to convey the intended meaning Here the intended meaning is conveyed by the expressed words But the meaning itseif is incomplete because it is not compatible with the predicate 'mrsyate' ( tolerates ) Of course, the defect could be avoided if it were construed with 'parasya' ( of another ) 1e enemy But that is not possi- ble because it is already construed with 'utkarsa' ( superiority ) of fame and prestige So it is not free and as such cannot be available for construction with 'striratnam' (the gem of women) It cannot, again, be supposed to be a case of 'nyunapada' The

35. L. M p 488, să ca ekapadarthe purușanișțhā eva,

228 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

meaning that is conveyed by the sentence has its sence intended by the speaker and so it is a case of material defect But why should it not be regarded as a case of failure of intended connection ( abhavanmatayoga )? This is not possible because the latter defect arises only when the words are so formed as to preclude the intended syntax But here the word is not incom- petent for the syntactical construction

XVII Apadayukta-Introduction of an idea in a wrong place which gives contrary implication and perverts the inten- ded meaning is a fault As for example- ājūā śakra-sıkhāmanı pranayınī sastranı caksur navam bhaktır bhūtapatau pinākını padam lanketi dıvya purī/ utpattir druhinānvaye ca tadaho nedrg varo labhyate syāc ced esa na rāvanah kva nu punah sarvatra sarve gunāh // 'His order is borne by Indra on his crest-gem, the sciences are to him new eye, his devotion is to the lord of beings, who bears the 'pinaka' bow, his residence is the beautiful city of Lanka ; his birth is in the family of Brahman, such a brideg- room cannot be found, had he not been Ravana ' But where are all excellences possible " Here the sentence ought to be concluded with the word Ravana For the poet desires to convey that SIta ought not to be married with Ravana, who is despised by good men in spite of all his accomplishments on the ground that he is the source of terror to the world And this sense is well conveyed if the sentence closes at Ravana. But the ideas introduced further here lead the mind of audience astray They rather serve to justify his eligibility as a groom which is against the intention of the poet There is also another reading 'apadamukta'. The latter nomenclature is also appropriate and stresses the point that the statement is not con- cluded at its proper place This 1s regarded as 'arthadosa' different from 'apadasthapada' which is a fault of composition and is easily avoided by suitable

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transposition of words Thus 'srajam na kacid vijahau' here if 'na' is read after 'kacid' the defect could be eliminated But in the present case the adjustment of words or clauses will not exempt it from the charge So it is a case of material defect The reason of the defect lies in the fact that it conveys altogether a contrary meaning We shall deal with 'prakāsita- viruddha' which also is a case of contrary implication Appa- rently the two defects are in the same position But the present defect 'apadayukta' gives the contrary meaning because of its sequence The last statement subverts the meaning of the penultimate clause which dismisses the claims of Ravana In prakasıtaviruddha' the contrary meaning is suggested by the parenthetical exprassion 'viditam te'stu' The defect under review has no reference to its position The meaning would be suggested even if the position of the words be changed Both are different from the 'viruddhamatikrt' which is necessarily a verbal defect due to a compound XVIII Sahacara-bhinna-Dıssımilar associates If exce- llent subjects are associated with degrading ones it is a case of this fault, e g śrutena buddhır vyasanena mūrkhatā madena nārī salılena nımnagā / nıśā śasānkena dhrtıh samādhınā nayena cālamkriyate narendrata // 'A ( sharp ) intellect is embellished by ( knowledge of ) science; foolishness by pursuit of immortal acts such as gambling etc. river by water, a woman by intoxication, the night by the moon, resignation by meditation and kıngliness by polity'. Here agrecable objects like science, etc are associated with disagreeable ones like foolishness, etc This is an improper and heterogenous match. It is a defect It is the ideas which are wrongly associated and not a mere combination of verbal expressions So it is a case of material defect XIX Prakasitaviruddha-disagreeable with the meaning expressed If a sentence suggests an idea which is repugnant ¡ or contrary to the intended meaning it is a case of this defect As for example-

230 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

langnam rāgā-vrttāngyā sudrdham ıha yayaıv āsıyastya'rikanthe mātangānām apIhopari para- purușaır yā ca drștā patantī / tat-sakto'yam na kıfcıd ganayatı vıdıtam te'stu tenāsmı dattā bhrtyebhyah śriniyogād gadıtumiva gate'ty ambudhım yasya kīrtıh // 'Whose glory went to the sea carrying the massage under the command of Laksmi "O sea, this sword besmeared with Raga ( blood or love ) which fell on the heads of enemies and which was seen by other people falling on Matanga ( elephants or candalas ) being attached to this very sword (woman) this king, thinks of nothing else-be this known to you-and by him I am given away to servants' Here the praise of the bravery of the king is desired by the poet, but the repugnant implication of the departure of goddess Laksmi is also hinted, which is not intended The poet intends to praise the king but this is stultified by the contrary idea that fortune is deserting the king This, rather, amounts to his condemnation We have already shown that it is a different species of defect which cannot be classed under 'viruddhamatıkrť, etc The attempt of Srivatsa36 to put it under 'anucitartha' is not at all justified The examples of 'anucitartha' are concerned with wrong expressions and not the meanings The defect is removable by the change of expressions, whereas this is not possible for the defect under consideration He also seeks to place the 'Sahacarabhinna' under 'anucitartha' This could be justified if the defect 'anucitartha' were used in a broad sense-impropriety Every defect is a case of impro- priety All defects ultimately reduce to 'Rasadosa' as Ananda- vardhana has observed It is impropriety alone37 which is the

36. Srīvatsa p 55. tatha prakasitaviruddhasya'nucitārtha evantar- bhavaḥ 37. Dh A anaucityad rte nānyad rasabhangasya kāranam / prasıddhaucitya-bandhas tu rasasyo'panışat para //

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cause of the thwarted development of 'Rasa' Mahımabhatța also derives all poetic defects from this impropriety ŚrIharsa in the Khandana Khanda-Khadya, goes a step further and affirms that logical defects are also species of impropriety If the defect 'anucitartha' be taken in a comprehensive sense and identified with impropriety and these two defects are subsumed under it, there will be no point in this contention All the defects may be regarded as cases of impropriety But this will be too facile and too simple a procedure and the classification of defects · would have no meaning This is an absurd consequence of over-simplification XX. Vidhyayukta-of improper predication When an attribute or action, which is not fit to be a predicate, is made a predicate it becomes a case of this defect, e g prayatna-parıbodhıtah stutibhır adya śese nıśām akesavam apāndavam bhuvanam adya nıhsomakam / ıyam parısamāpyate rana-kathādya doh-śālınām apaıtu rıpukānana'tı gurur adya bhāro bhuvah // 'Tonight you will enjoy such a peaceful sleep as to be aroused with praises The world would be without 'kesava', Pandavas and the Pancalas Thus the talk of the battle of Ksatriya will be over and be the world today free from the excessive weight of the forest of our enemies' Here the proper predicate should be 'prayatnena bodhyase'-you will be aroused from deep sleep with considerable effort The idea is that Duryodhana could not have peaceful sleep on account of his worries regardng Pandavas but with disappearance of Pandavas he would have a sound and undisturbed sleep and would be awakened in the morning after a prolonged recital of his praises But a wrong thing is predicated ŚrIvatsa considers it a case of 'Vidheyavimarsa' But this 1s due to his oversight of a vital difference In 'vidheyāvimarsa' the predicate is not wrong, but its importance and prominence are not preserved in it In the present case-vidhyayukta-it 1s a case of an entirely a wrong predication XXI Anuvādayukta-of an improper attribute Where a wrong thing is made the subject, it is a case of this defect For instance *

232 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

are rāmā-hastābharana bhasala-śreni-śarana smara-krīdā vrīda-samana virahı-prāna-damana / saro hamsottamsa pracaladala-nīlotpala-sakhe sakhedo'ham moham ślathaya kathaya kvendu-vađanā // 'O ornament of woman's hands' Shelter of black bees! remover of shame of love's dalliance' O suppressor of lives of the separated ! O ornament of lake' O one whose leaves are shaking 1 O blue lotus, my friend, I am depressed, tell me where is my moon-faced love and remove my delusion' Here in the speech of the separated lover-Vırahıprana-damana ( suppressor of the lives of the separated ) should not be made an attribute because of its conflict with the predicate-Kathaya kvendu-vadana ( report the whereabouts of my beloved with a moon-like face ) He appeals to blue lotus for help and the adjective-'Virahiprana damana'-which connotes cruel disposi tion is obviously incompatible with his hope of getting help from the lotus XXII Tyaktapunah svıkıta-when the sentence is com- pleted by conveying a complete meaning andl again it is resumed for adding a supplementary clause it is a case of this defect, e g

lagnam rāgā vrtāngyā etc

Here the sense has come to an end with 'viditam testu' ( be it known to you ) but again it is resumed by the supplementary clause 'tenāsmı datta bhrtyebhyah' ( I am given by him to the servants ) It is different from 'samapta-punaratta' because there the sentence is resumed in order to add a fresh adjective whereas in the present case an independent clause is added without any logical necessity XXIII. Aśhla-ındecorous For instance hantum eva pravrttasya stabdhasya vivaraısınah yasthāsya jāyate pāto na tathā punarunnatıh // 'The fall of a wicked person, who is always vain, ready to kıll others and in search of finding holes, is such that he can never

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rıse again' Here the second sense is indecorous dosa' because the change of language does not eliminate this It is 'artha-

defect

It is to be borne in mind that the examples given as illustra- tions of particular defects are not exclusive There may be other defects also present in them and they have to be ascerta- ned in accordance with the definition Thus for example in verse 'Lagnam rāgā vrtāngyā etc' there are four defects In this way there may be more than one defect in instances, though they have been cited as specific examples for one parti- cular defect for clear understanding Rasa-dosas

Mammata Bhatta states the following Rasadosas ( defects of sentiment )38,- I. Vyabhıcārinah Sabdavācyatā-the mention of the accompanying emotion by its own term II Rasasya Sabda-Vācyatā-the mention of the Rasa by its own term III Sthāyı-bhāvasya Sabdavācyata-the mention of per- manent mood by its own term IV. Anubhāvasya Kasța-Kalpanayā Vyaktıh-farfetched somatic expression V. Vıbhāvasya Kasța-Kalpanayā Vyaktıh-farfetched stı- mulating condition VI Pratikula-Vibhadi-grahah-the admission of conflict- ing excitant or the like VI Punah punardıptıh-repeated heightenings VIII. Akande prathanam-unseasonable elaboration IX Akande Chedah-unseasonable interruption X. Angasya atıvistrtıh-excessive expansion of subordi- nate elements XI Angino'nanusandhänam-overlooking of the priner- pal element. XII. PrakrtInam Viparyah-perversion of characters. XIII Anangasyabhidhanam-description of an unimpor- tant object which has no bearing

38 K P p 433-34

234 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

I Vyabhıcārinah Sabdavacyata-The mention of the accom- panying emotion by its own term When 'vyabhicāribhavas' are mentioned by their own terms like vrida ( bashfulness ) etc it constitutes the first hindrance to the realisation of æsthetic delight The æsthetic delight or sentiment is never to be expre- ssed by words denotative of them but is always to be suggested by 'anubhava'-physical expressions As for example-

savrīdā dayıtānane sakarunā mātanga-carmāmbare satrāsā bhujage savismayarasā candre'mrtasyandını / sersyā jahnusutā-valokana-vıdhau dīnā kapālodare pārvatya nava-sangama-pranayınī drstıh šıvāyāstu vah // 'May the eyes of Pärvati, showing love of first meeting, protect Fyou-the eyes which are full of bashfulness when turned to her lover's face, saturated with pathos when turned to the dress of the skin of the elephant, filled with fear when turned to the serpent, imbued with wonder when turned to the moon, dropping nectar, feeling jealous when turned to the daughter of Jahnu ( Ganga ) and dejected at the hollow cavity of the skull' Here the vyabhicārins lıke Vrīdā ( bashfulness ) etc have been mentioned by their names It would have been proper to delineate the accessories through their physical ex- pressions What is the logic behind this defect if the accessory feelings are described by names and not their effects ? According to the interpretation of Anandavardhana, which has become the accepted tradition, expression of feelings by their names does not contribute to the asthetic enjoyment But the point at issue can be settled by the consideration whether the external expressions, which are specifically suggestive of them are known or not If the physical expressions are perceived they will automatically reveal the sentiments and occassion æsthetic enjoyment In other words, the statements of feelings by their names will not hinder the realisation of 'Rasa' If, on the other hand, the physical expressions ( anubhavas ) be absent, this will mean that the conditions of Rasa-experience are not present The statement of the feelings and sentiments by name will not produce any æsthetic effect owing to the lack of requi-

CHAPTER IX 235

site condition It is the presence of 'Vibhava'-the alambana and the Uddpana and 'anubhava'-1e physical expression and vyabhicāribhāva together contribute to the Rasa39-experience Such being the case why should the specific mention of feelings and sentiments-permanent mood, etc-be regarded as faults ? Govinda Thakkura asserts in reply that specific mention by names of the feelings and sentiments when they are fully revealed by appropriate gestures and facial expresstons and the like, really produces a repulsive effect on the hearer and spec- tator The names are not only superfluous But serve as deter- rents to the realisation of 'Rasa' This is a matter of experience and not a matter of logical speculation These cases, therefore, are regarded as different categories of defect which are not to be explained away as cases of superfluity in the presence of revealing 'anubhavas' and of deficiency of expressions in the absence of the latter It will be shown that specific mention of the 'Vyabhicaribhavas' does not constitute a fault if the appro- priate physical expressions are not deemed conclusive cf 'aut- suk yena krtatvara' etc II Rasasya Sabdavācyatā The mention of Rasa by 1ts own name, either in general terms as Rasa or in specific way as 'srngara' etc is also a defect The Rasa ( sentiment ) is never capable of being expressed ( vācya ) but always to be suggested ( vyangya ) An instance of this defect is as follows ālokya komala-kapola talābhısıkta- vyaktā-nurāga-subhagām abhırāma-mūrtım / pasyaısa bālyam atıvrtya vivarta-manah śrngāra-sīmanı tarangitam ātanotı // 'Behold this young man, who has just dropped his boyhood, is swimming in the stream of erotic, having seen the beautiful ( damsel ) who is charming on account of the blush on her cheeks' Here the mention of erotic ( śrngara ) by name is defec- tive, because the conditions for the revelation are not set forth III. Sthayi-bhāvasya sabdavācyata-The mention of perma- nent mood by its own term, generic or specific, is also a defect, e g 39 N. S 'Vibhava-nubhava-vyabhıcārı-samyogād-rasa-nıSpattıh'

236 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

samprahāre praharanaıh prahārānām parasparam / jhanatkāraıh śrutigataır utsāhas tasya ko'pyabhūt // 'An indescribable energy sprang up in him when he heard the sound of striking weapons in the battlefields' Here the men- tion of utsaha ( energy ) by name is defective The Rasa 1s not properly realised when these 'sthavi-bhavas' or Rasas are men- tioned by names It is done so only when these are implicitly suggested by 'anubhavas' The raison d'etre of the defect lies in non-feasance of the æsthetic delight in the audience IV Anubhāvasya Kasta Kalpanayā Vyaktıh-When the somatic expression is a far-fetched exponent and its compre- hension is not easy, but difficult to understand and involves delay in realising Rasa on the part of the hearer or spectator, it constitutes a hindrance As for example- Karpūradhūlı dhavala-dyuti-pūra-dhauta- dınmandale śısıra-rocışı tasya yünah / lila siromsuka-nıveśa-visesa-kiptı- vyaktastanonnatır abhūn nayanā vanau sā // Here the uddipana vibhavas (stimulating objective conditions ) like the moon, etc are present but none of the anubhāvas ( somatic expressions ) is mentioned in the young man who is the substratum of the erotic experience But is not the raising of the arm for proper adustment of veil on the part of the lady in love a sufficient revealing condi- tion ? It is not so, in the opinion of old exponents But Govinda Thakkura does not agree with this interpretation. It Is, no doubt, an anubhava revealing the feeling of love on the part of the lady-love But so far as the lover is concerned there is not the fantest indication of his reactions His reac- tion is not definitely expressed in some physical change in his person This has to be guessed and this guess, even success- ful, will involve delay and thus hamper the æsthetic experience V Vibhāvasya kasta-kalpanayā vyaktıh-When vibhāva ( the stimulating condition ) is not clear and is to be inferred with difficulty it becomes a defect. As for example- parıharati ratım matım lunite skhalatıtarām parivartate ca bhūyah /

CHAPTER IX 237

ıtı bata vıșamā dasaśya deham parıbhavatı prasabham kım atra kurmah // 'He keeps clear of pleasure, loses all self-possession, frequently falls down and rolls about Thus, alas' a violent malady overpowers his person How can we help ? Here the anu- bhavas-the shunning of pleasure etc are present but the vibhava ( the object-person ) in the form of a woman is to be known with difficulty The anubhavas ( actions ) like shunning of pleasure are not invariably concomitant with erotic only but they are found in pathos also So they cannot be of help in suggesting the Alambana vibhava VI Pratıkūla-vibhāvadıgrahah-Admission of conflicting vibhava ( the object person of the stimulating condition ), anu- bhāva ( somatıc expression ) and vyabhicāribhāvas ( accompany- ing emotions ) which belong to a sentiment not only different but opposed to the sentiment described is a flaw For ins- tance- prasāde vartasva prakataya mudam samtyaja rusam priye susyanty angany amrtam Iva te sifcatu vacah / nıdhānam saukhyānām ksanam abhımukham sthāpaya mukham na mugdhe pratyetum prabhavatı gatah kālahar nah // 'O hear, be pleased, show your bright appearance, give up anger, let your nectar-like voice sprinkle my withering limbs, keep your face, the above of all happiness, before me for a moment O unsophisticated one, the youth once departed does not come back' Here the lover tries to humour his belov- ed who is angry But he announces transitoriness of worldly pleasure and self-disparagement, which are elements of quie- tistic sentiment ( Santarasa ) and opposed to erotic sentiment, ( śrngārarasa ). So their admission into erotic sentiment is Improper VII Punah punah diptih-A repeated heightening of a sen- timent even when it has been adequately elaborated is a flaw

238 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

For instance, in the Kumarasambhava we have Rati's lamenta- tion repeatedly heightened Anandavardhana has aptly compa red the over-elaborated sentiment with a too much pressed and faded flower 40 VIII Akande prathanam-unseasonable introduction of a disharmonious sentiment is great hindrance to the æsthetic delight An instance of the introduction of it at a wrong place is in the second act of the Vensamhara Here the repre- sentation of Duryodhana's love towards his wife, BhanumatI, at a time when a terrific battle is raging at its height spelling death to so many heroes, is certainly a serious flaw IX Akande Chedah-Unseasonable interruption or unwar- ranted cessation of the delineation of sentiment is also a great hindrance towards the realisation of Rasa An example of this type of interruption we have in the 'Mahaviracarita' of Bhava- bhūtı, Rāma sayıng-Kankana-mocanāya yāmı-( I go to take off my bracelet ) at a time when the heroism of both Rama and Parasurāma has been raised to the highest pitch and the fight is just to begin This episode serves to suggest timidity on the part of Rama and escape from a critical situation X Angasya atıvistrtıh-An excessive expansion of the subordinate element which puts to shade the principal subject- matter and thus detracts from the realisation of rasa, is a ble- mish This is considered to be a defect because the lengthy description of a subordinate element overshadows the principal sentiment An instance of profuse expansion of the subordi- nate element we have in the 'Hayagriva Vadha' where the poet appears to be primarily interested in describing the water-sports, love s dalhance of Hayagriva and forgets altogether the hero Vısnu

XI Anginah ananu-sandhanam-The overlooking of the principal element also puts a hindrance to the æsthetic delight The poet has to be alert not to neglect the principal object as we have an instance in the fourth Act of the RatnavalI. Here, 40 Dh, Ä p 364 upabhukto hi rasah sva-samagrī-labdha-paripo- Sab punah punah parāmršyamānah parımlānakusuma-kalpah kalpate

CHAPTER IX 239

on the arrival of the chamber-laın Bābhravya, Sāgarıkā, the heroine of the drama, is forgotten and neglected Thus the breach of the erotic sentiment is almost complete XII Prakrtınam Viparyayah-Perversion of characters Characters are firstly divine, human and semi-divine and these again are subdivided into firm and temperate ( dhirodātta ), firm and haugthy ( dhiroddhata ), firm and gay ( dhiralalita ) and firm and mild (dhirasanta ) These four have for therr predominating elements the rasas heroic (Vira), furious (Raudra), erotic ( Śmgara ) and quietistic ( Santa ) respectively They again are subdivided into the best ( Uttama ), medium ( Madh- yama ) and worst ( Adhama ) from another point of view The representation of any of these must be in accordance with what they are Any perversion of the nature of character is the fault known as 'prakrtınam viparyayah' The element of verisimi- litude is essential for the sympathetic realisation of Rasa and it can be only achieved if the propriety of the different charac- ter is ensured If a poet neglects this propriety of character and attributes divine qualities and superhuman feats of energy to human character, his delineation will appear false and will defeat the purpose of the poetry-an exhortation that one should behave like the heroes 41 All Indian thinkers on literary criticism are unanimously persuaded that poetry does not mean to give undiluted delight without any intellectual and moral upliftment Of course the didactive poetry is not successful either as poetry or as a moral lesson The poet is also a seeker of truth, though his method of approach is different in kind from that of the historian or the journalist He, however, deals with various sides of human character, their inter-relation and reactions of different tem- perament This produces a catharsis as Aristotle has observed. This catharsis is not only of emotions but also of the intellect

41 K P p 444 adhıkam tu nıbadhyamanam asatya-pratibhā- sanena 'nāyakavad vartıtavyam na pratināyakavat' ity upadeśe na paryavasyet

240 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

and volition 42 It unconsciously effects a change of the chara- cter in the audience It stimulates the taste for beauty and a spontaneous preference for the good In our day-to-day life we come across a conflict between our preference for the good and that for beautiful What is pleasant is not always good and there is a moral conflict between them The best poetry in the world has not only given mankind pure enjoyment but also in the very process strengthens love of truth and preference for the good In one word, It has edified mankind In sup- port of our contention we may refer to the Ramayana and the Mahābharata, the works of Kālidāsa, Shakespeare, Milton and Bernard Shaw Bernard Shaw is definitely of opinion that the poet has a definite philosophy of life and he edifies readers by enlisting their sympathy for the right cause This is the mission of our good poets, It can be achieved however by observing the limits'which are necessary for creating a sense of verisimilitude The poet cannot bank upon running rot The characters must be human enough in order to instil confidence in the capacity of a human being for reaching the level of perfection achieved by dramatis personae This is the reason for the emphasis on propriety to be practised in every field XIII Anangasyabhidhanam-The celebration of an unm- portant object which has no connection with the sentiment on hand, is also a serious blemish As in the Karpuramanjari the bard's description of the spring is highly celebrated neglecting that of the hero and heroine themselves Mammata Bhatta after enumerating these defect of Rasa remarks-Rasa dosāh syur īdrsah-such-like others are the defects of Rasa All cannot be mentioned. A theorist can give a few indications and the rest can be known from seeing the behaviour of the world The poet should always remember the wholesome advice given by Anandavardhana43 who has

42 Arstotle's poetics 43. Dh A anouncıtyad rte nanyad rasabhangasya karanām Prasıddhauc tyabandhas tu rasasyopanısat para

CHAPTER IX 241

sard-"There is no other cause for a breach of Rasa except impropriety , the great secret of Rasa is, simply, propriety of delineation", Thus we feel that Mammata Bhatta has scientifically classi- fied and critically studied the concept of literary defects Like other conventional elements of poetics dosas have been syste- matised by him once for ever We have observed that there are dosas which cease to be so and turn out to be excellences in special cases Bhamaha in the first chapter of his work introduces this idea of dosa becoming guna and he cites an instance of collyrium-though a despicable thing in itself-being charmful when applied to the eyes of a beautiful lady That defect can become innocuous and harmless was recognised by writers like Dandın and others With the advent of the dhvant theory we find a clear and rational explanation of classification of faults into permanent and transitory Anandavardhana chara- cterises defects like śrutikatu as anıtva4* ( impermanent ) Bhoja calls these vaisesika gunas ( specific properties ) Mammața Bhatta carries forward this scheme and discusses this topic as follows .-

I Apusta ( irrelevant ) or ekārtha ( redundant ) is not a fault in case it helps to imply something over and above what is signified by another word, e g asyāh karnāvatamsena jıtam sarvam vıbhūsanam / tathaıva sobhate'tyartham asyāh śravana-kundalam // 'All the ornaments have been defeated by her ear-ring ( on her ear ) , similarly her kundala shines on her ear' An ear-ring when kept in iron-self is still called ear-ring It is not neces- sary that it should always be worn The addition of words like Karna ( ear ) signifies that the ear-ring is actually put on the ear Thus the word Karna ( ear ) is not redundant because it signifies the actual contact of the ear-ring with the ear Lıkewise the word mukta ( pearl ) ın mulctāhāra ( necklace of

44 Ibid p 241 Śrutidusțadayo dosā anıtyā ye ca darsitāh dhvanyatmany eva srgare te heya ity udahrtah 16

242 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

pearl ) may appear prima facie as redundant But it is not so because it implies that the necklace is made of pure and supe- rior pearls Mammata Bhatta further observes that such uses are sanctioned only on the ground of established usages by writers of repute 45 We ought not to coin new-fangled expres- sions by analogy This view was propounded by Vamana and is confirmed by Mammata Bhatta II Nirhetuta-inconsequentiality ceases to be a fault when the meaning expressed is well-established and does not require- justification 46 For instance- candram gatā padam-gunān na bhunkte padmā-śrıta cāndramasīm abhıkyām / umāmukham to pratipadya lolā dvısamśrayām prītım avāpa laksmīh // 'LaksmI ( grace ) goddess of beauty could not enjoy lovely qualities of the lotus when residing in the moon She could not again experience the charm of the moon when residing in the lotus But coming to the face of ParvatI however she had the satisfaction of unfettered enjoyment of the good of both'. Here it is a well established notion that the lotus contracts during the night and the moon fades and loses her charm during day Thus this statement of the fact that the beauty of the moon and that of the lotus are inconsistent and are not found together is sanctioned by experience as well as conven- tion And so no question is raised regarding the reason there of III All faults cease to be such when they are reproduced in imitation47 or when the speaker is quoting the words of another person As for example- mrgacaksusam adrāksam ityādı kathayaty ayam / paśyaısa ca gavityāha sutrāmānam yajeti ca // 'This man says-I saw a fawn-eyed girl-he said-see the cow

45 K P p, 409 sthitesv etat samarthanam cf Vamana, 'tad ıdam prayuktesu' II II 19 46 Ibiđ p 411 Khyate'rthe nırhetor adustata 47 Ibid, p 412 'anukarane tu sarvesam'

CHAPTER IX 243

and worship Indra' Here the word "adraksam' is unmelodious in śıngāra ( erotic ), 'go itı' is a case of 'cyuta-samskrtı' ( gram matical impurity ), because it is without any case-ending (apa- dam na prayuñjita ) and 'sutraman' in the sense of Indra is 'aprayukta' ( not in use among poets ) because it is not used by poets But as they are here used in imitation they do not pro- duce repulsion and are not regarded as faulty The reason is obvious The speaker only reports the words used by another person faithfully and as such cannot be held responsible for lapses on the part of the persons whose words are quoted by him Thus the reporter of a newspaper should not be censured if he conveys a pleasant or unpleasant word of another person On the contrary if he makes emendation he will be guilty of giving a false report IV Because of the peculiarity of the character of the speaker and the subject matter sometimes defects turn to be merits and sometimes they are neither defects nor merits 48 For instance when a great grammarian is addressed or himself he is the speaker or when the furious ( Raudra ) etc are the rasas to be suggested Kastatva ( harshness ) turns out to be a merit For example- yadā tvām aham adrāksam padavıđyā-viśāradam / upādhyāyam tadā'smārsam samasprāksam ca sampađam // Here the use of words like 'adraksam' and 'asmarsam' which are full of harsh sounds is quite appropriate because the person addressed is a grammarian V The defects 'aprayukta' ( not in use among poets ) and 'nihatārtha' ( suppressed meaning ) are no defects in slesa ( paranomasia ) and the like 49 VI The defect 'aslila' ( indecorous ) becomes a merit in erotic gossip50 and also in a quietestic discourse implying con- demnation of it

48 Ibid p 412 Vaktrādy aucityavasāb doso'pi gunah kvacın nobhau 49 Ibid p 419 aprayukta-mıhatārthau sleşadav adustau 50 Ibid p 420 aslīlam kvacıd gunah yatha suratārambhagos- ţhyām

244 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

VII The defect 'sandigdha' ( dubious ) becomes sometimes an excellence if it terminates in the figure of speech named "Vyajastuti' ( disguised euology or artful praise ), e g prthu kārtasvara-pātram bhūsita-nıśśesa parijanam deva / Vilasatkarenugahanam samprati samam avayoh sadanam // 'Our houses, O lord, are now literally alike-yours abounds in vessels of massive gold ( and mine full of distressful cries of children ), yours full of members and servants decorated ( and mine with the whole family lying on the ground ), yours teeming with majestic elephants ( mine filled with heaps of dust, ruined by rats and the like )' Here the king is artfully praised by the apparent similarity of conditions, which may have a disparaging or complimentary implication But the dubious implication ( sandigdha ) 1s deliberate and serves to emphasıze the contrast VIII The defect 'apratIta' ( unintelligibility ) is merit when the speaker and the person addressed are both experts or the speaker thinks aloud and utters a soliloquy As for example- Ātmārāma vıhıta-matayo nırvıkalpe samādhau, etc Here the technical words of Yogasastra have been used by Bhimasena to his younger brother Sahadeva As both the speaker and hearer are learned, there is no risk of being un- ıntelligible IX The defect called grāmya ( vulgar and rustic ) becomes an excellence in the speech of a low man 51 Thus vulgar expressions in lower class characters of the dramatic literature like the Karpuramanjari are not regarded as faulty ; on the other hand they enhance the charm due to their naturalness. X Similarly the defects 'nyunapada' ( the deficiency in word ), 'adhikapada' ( the redundant word ) would be merits in the speech of one immersed in emotion As for example- Mā mā mānada mātımāmalam it1 etc (Nay, nay, my lord not too much, enough )

51 Ibid p 425 'adhamaprakrty-uktısu grāmyo gunah'

CHAPTER IX 245

Here there is deficiency of word 'pidaya' in 'mam alam' This broken sentence adds to the charm and intensifies emotion Sımilarly 'adhtkapada' is an excellence when additional mean- ing is to be conveyed Govinda Thakkura observes that a word or a sentence is repeated under the influence of wonder, dejection, humility, emphatic statement, as also in propitia- tion and in raptures of delight 52 Kathitapada ( repetition of the same word in the same sense ) is again a merit when it occurs in ( a ) latānuprasa (b ) when the expressed meaning is transferred to another and ( c) when a backward reference is made to the thing predicated before Sımilarly patatprakarsa ( receding of excellence ) 1s sometimes a merit As for exam- ple 'pragaprapta', etc where the grandeur of language is shunned and soft tone is adopted to show reverence to the preceptor Samāpta-punarātta ( the resumption of the concluded ) 1s sometimes neither a merit nor a demerit where it assumes the form of a self-supporting sentence Likewise apadastha-samāsa ( misplaced compound ) 1s sometimes a merit Garbhitatva ( parenthesis ) is sometimes a merit where it is used to confirm the belief

Exceptions to Rasadosas Anandavardhana has treated the topic in a perfect and com- prehensive manner We however propose to point out excep- tions briefly after Mammata Bhatța I Sometimes the mention of sancarin ( accompanying emotions ) by its proper name is not a blemish53 when the anubhāva ( somatic expression ) 1s not peculiar to itself, but is equally attributable to others also In other words when the distinct apprehension is not possible by mere mention of vibhava (stimulating condition) and anubhava As for example

52 K Pr p 260 'harsa sokādıyukte vaktarı gunatvam tvarādı-vyaktyā harsady-abhivyaňjakatvat' 53 K P,p 445 'na dosah svapadenoktav apı samcarinah kvacıt'

.

246 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

autsūkyene krtatvarā sahabhuvā vyāvartamānā hrıyā 'She made haste through her eagerness, but was turning back through natural modesty' Here the sancarins ( accompanying emotion ), vız autsūkya ( eagerness ) and hri ( basnfulness ) have been mentioned by names For if they had been left out to be understood by means of mere anubhava ( somatic expres- sions ) the sense would not have been clear, because haste and turning aside are not peculiar to the relevant emotions, since they may also result from other emotions like anger, superior's ` command, etc So it is legitimate to mention these sañcarins by their proper names and it is not regarded as a case of blemish II The mention of conflicting accompanying emotions or the like with a view to their eventual suppression54 is not a blemish When an intended sentiment is fully developed, it would not be defeet to delineate even conflicting elements, provided they serve as mere fols to the intended sentiment In other words the negative mention is not a defect, on the other hand, it furthers the development of the predominating rasa If hindrances are portrayed as foils they lose their hindering defects Kvā'kāryam śaśa-laksmanah kva ca kulam bhūyo'pı drśyeta sā dosānām prašamāya nah śrutam aho kope'pı kāntam mukham / Kım vaksyanty apakalmasāh krtadhıyah svapne'pı sā durlabhā Cetah svasthyam upehi, kah khalu yuvā dhanyo'dharam pāsyatı // 'Where improper deed and where the spotless race of the moon ? Would I see her again ? My education and training are meant to resist evil tendencies, but how lovely is her face in anger ? What will the wise and pure men"say ? Oh, she is not to be got even in a dream Take courage and be still, my heart But who is that lucky youth to drink the nectar of her lips ? In this example the accompanying emotions,

54 Ibid p 447 Safcaryader badhyasyo'ktır gunavahā

CHAPTER IX 247

reasoning, etc which are helpful to quietism and self-control are superseded by wistful anticipation of the sight of the lady- love, and as such only enhance the development of the princi- pal sentiment of love And again-

Satyam manoramā rāmāh satyam ramyā vıbhūtayah / Kıntu mattānganāpānga- bhangalolam hi jivitam // 'Women are no doubt heart-ravishing, riches too are really pleasant, but life itself is as unsteady as the glances of an intoxicated woman' Here in the first half of the verse the vibhavas ( object persons ) of erotic sentiment are portrayed, but they are suppressed in the later half The consciousness of the fleeting nature of lovely objects, wealth, women, their lovely glances, strengthens the quietistic sentiment III Sentiments which contradict each other, when occur- ring in one person, should be attributed to different substrata in order to avoid the conflict 55 The heroic sentiment and the sentiment of terror are mutually contradictory in one person If they are distributed between the hero and his enemy they lose opposition and enhance charm Sımilarly the erotic senti- ment and the quietestic sentiment are contradictory to cach other when occurring in close succession But their portrayal would be quite proper, if a third sentiment agreeable to both be introduced in between them IV The opposition of two conflicting sentiments will disappear ( a ) if one is recalled together with the other or ( b ) if it is shown to be of unequal strength or ( c) the oppo- site sentiments are made subordinate allies to the predo- minant 56

55 K P,p 450 äsrayaıkye vıruddho yah sa kāryo bhinna-samaśraysh / rasantarenantarito, nairantaryena yo rasah // 56 1b1đ p 453 smaryamano viruddho pi samyenatha viaksitah / anginy angatvam aptau yau tau na dusțau parasparam //

248 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

( a ) ayam sa rasanotkarsī pina stana-vimardanah / nābhyūru-jaghana-sparśI nīvi-visramsanah karah // In this speech of Bhurisrava's wife on seeing his arms when he lay dead in the battle-field, the recollection of its sportive activities in the past when he was living only aggravates the pathos Similarly the natural opposition between two opposite state- ments and actions ceases when they are made to subserve a particular mood As for example- eh1 gaccha pato'ttistha vada maunam samācara / evam ásāgrahagrastaıh krīdantı dhanino'rthibhıh // 'Wealthy persons play with their suppliants, who are under the spell of greed and hope of favour, directing them as follows 'come in', 'go', 'fall down', 'get up', 'speak' and 'be silent' Here in the verse quoted the different injunctions such as coming and going, falling and rising and speaking and keeping silence are really contradictory to each other But they are all shown to be contributory factors to the principal action, namely 'Krida', the sportive disposition of the rich man who finds particular delight in teasing the supplicants for their favour All these contradictory facts and senses are the ways of the playing mood of the rich Were the different directives portrayed independently, they would reflect incon- sisteney But being subservient to the sportive mood of the fickle rich men, they do not strike one as absurd. If there 1s any absurdity that lies in the fickle ways of the rich And again-

Ksipto hastāvalagnah prasabham abhıhato'pyādadānomśukāntam grhnan keśesv apästas'carana- nipatito neksitah sambhramena / ālıngan yo'vadhūtas trıpura yuvatıbhıḥ sāsranetrotpalābhıh Kamīvā'rdrāparādhah sa dahatu duritam sāmbhavo vah śarāgnih //

250 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Alankara-dosas Bhamaha58 pointed out seven dosas of Upamā ( simile) as first observed by Medhävin Other writers on Sanskrit poetics, as we have seen, have also speculated on dosas of only this figure But in Mammata Bhatta's work we find a marked evolution in the conception of dosas of Alankāra in general In the last chapter of Kāvya-prakāsa Mammața mentions faults of certain other alankras also But he disa- greed with his predecessors and asserts that these defects are to be included among the verbal and material defects already mentioned 59 They have no independent status of their own, distinctive from that of the verbal and material defects which we have dealt with We shall briefly point out here certain faults of figures The verbal figure called anuprasa ( alliteration ) may suffer from three types of blemishes, viz ( a ) prasiddhyabhavah-the absence of conventional sanction. ( b ) vaiphalyam-uselessness of verbal manipulation (c) vrttivirodhah-disharmony of diction with the sentiment ( a ) Cakrī cakrārapanktım harır apı ca harım dhurjatir dhurdhvajāgrān etc This descriptior suffers from the lack of conventional sanction. The ideas conveyed are new-fangled and also not naturally conducive to glorification of the Sun god These are adopted simply for the sake of alliteration Thus there is no tradition and precedence that Visnu praises the beauty of the wheels of the chariot of the sun It is only the phonetic similarity of the word cakra ( wheel ) with the word cakrin ( Visnu) which drives the poet to bring these two words together and for this purpose he makes Visnu praise the beauty of the wheel So also with the rest Mammata affirms that this is not entitled to recognition as a separate defect It is a case of prasiddhi- virodha-already recognized

58 Bhamaha II 40 ta ete upamadoșa sapta medhavino'ditah 59 K P p 779 eșam doșa yathayogam sambhavanto pı kecana / uktesv antarbhavantī'ti na prthak pratipaditāh //

CHAPTER IX 251

(b) bhana tarunı ramana-mandıram ānanda-syandı-sundarendu-mukhı / yadı sallılollāpin1 gacchası tat kım tvadıyam me // It is only a case of manipulation of phonetically agreeable sounds without regard to the meaning of the words It may remind one of the adage an empty vessel sounds much It 1s only so many sounds but the meaning yieled by them is out of all proportion meagre and paltry It is so much bombast and tinsel Mammata would fain include it under the apustartha- inadequate meaning

( c ) akunthotkanthayā pūrnam ākantham kalakanthı mām / Kambu-Kanthyāh Ksanam Kanthe kuru Kanthārtim uddhara // It is the case of association of phonetically similar sounds which, however, are out of harmony with the principal senti ment of love It ıs proper to subsume it under praktikūla- varna If in 'yamaka' a rhyme occurs only in three lines of a verse it is a fault 60 This is contrary to the poets' usage and hence this dosa mav be included in 'aprayukta' The faults of simile are also not to be regarded as separate ones Mammata cites examples of Upamā-dosas given by his predecessors like Vāmana etc and shows how these faults of simile are not different from those described in the chapter on dosa Thus the faults jatigatanyunatva ( inferiority in species ), pramānagatanyūnatva ( inferiority of degree ), jātıgatādhikatva (excess in species) and pramānagata'dhikatva ( excess in degree ) come under the fault anucitartha (improper significance ) For example- 'Candālaır ıva yusmābhıh sāhasam paramam krtam'

60 K P p 772 'yamakasya pādatrayagatatvena yamanam apra" yuktatvam dosah'

252 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Here the comparison of the brave persons with candalas ( the low born ruffians ) is no doubt altogethe disagreeable and thus it can be included in anucitartha Likewise the rest of the cases are to be classed under the defects noted before The case of dharmaśrayanyunatva and dharmaśrayadhıkatva 1e the case of the attribute words being less or more are to be included under nyunapada (deficiency of words) and adhika- pada ( excess of words ) The difference of gender, number, tense, person and mood between the thing compared and that to which it is compared mars an unimpeded comprehension and thus it can be included under 'bhagnaprakarma' violation of the symmetry. The two dosas asadrśya ( dıssımilarity ) and asambhava ( ımpossibility ) of Upama also end in the anucitartha For instance- grathnāmı kāvya-śaśınam vitatārtha-raśmım I wreathe a moon of poetry wtth rays of ideas' This case of dissimilarity is a glaring instance of the fault, 'anucitartha'61 since no similarity is comprehended between poetry and the moon and between ideas and rays In the figure ut preksa ( poetic fancy ) the use of the word 'yatha' in the place of words like 'dhruva' and 'iva' is a fault Because the word 'yatha' cannot connote probability and presumption like 'iva' Thus it is the case of 'avācaka' ( inex- pressive word ) In 'samasoktı' ( a brief insinuation ) the upamāna is suppre- ssed and is only understood by suggestion The parallelism is implied either by the use of adjectival epithets which are common to both upameya and upamana or by similarity of behaviour or by the use of genders masculine and feminine which are apt to suggest the idea of a living person with which the comparison is suggested The charm of this way of speech lies in the suggestion of the upamana, and if this

61 K P p 783 'atra kāvyasya sasına arthanām ca rasmibhih sadharmyam kutrap na pratitam ity anucitarthatvam'

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upamana is expressed by a word the figure will lose all its charm It will be rather a case of expressed statement of implied fact In the example sprśatı tıgmarucau kakubhah karaır dayıtayeva vıjrmbhıta tāpayā / atanu-māna-parıgrahayā sthitam rucirayā ciraya'pı dınaśrıya // 'On the sun touchiug the quarters with his rays ( hands ), daylıght oppressed with heat ( grief) continued to be indig- nant for a long time, just like a girl beloved of hım' Here in the description of the sun and the quarters and goddess of the day, the idea of the sun behaving as a lover and quar- ters as his darlings and the beauty of the day as a crossed woman in love ( khandita ) 1s a easily suggested The expressed statement of the beauty of the day ( dinaśri ) as the favourite by the word 'dayita' is absolutely unnecessary It on the contrary spoils the effect The poet is guilty of infringing the salutary dictum, What is suggested should not be expre- ssed' Logically spesking it is a case of tautology of the sense If however the expressed statement of an implied fact is not regarded as a case of tautology as has been observed by Bhojarāja, it must be regarded as a case of apustarthata Bhattojdiksıta alludes to this principle when he asserts that a fact which is expressed or implied should not be stated agaın-'uktarthānam aprayogah' So this is not a peculiar fault of samasokti, but an instance of the general defect Apustarthata We refer the reader to our comments under these defects of sense In Mammata's treatment of the so-called defects of alankaras, we notice the working of an independent mind which is characterised by a fine logical sense of discrimination He seems perfectly warranted in his animadversions upon the previous writers who made capital of these peculiar faults It is not the fact that the defects spotted out are not defects. Mammata agrees with these writers that these are serious blemishes But he takes exception to this spectific treatment on the ground that they are only instances of the well-known .

254 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

defects of words and meanins and as such are not entitled to separate recognition 62 They are not different categories It may not be far from accurate to observe that Mammata has given respectable reasons for his difierence from the findings of his predecessors and in this he has followed the lead of Mahimabhatta

62 K P p 688 'tad ete alankara-doşa yathasambhavino' nye'pi cvam jatıyakāh purvoktayaıva dosajātya antarbhāvitāh na prthak pratipadanam arhanti'

CHAPTER X

CONCLUSION

We have given a survey of the different classes of literary defects which the Indian writers on poetics have successively evolved-each successor being benefited by the labours of hıs predecessors This is, no doubt, a thankless task or worse than that, that one has to occupy oneself with finding faults in the writings of celebrated poets It bespeaks courage on the part of critics that they are not respecters of persons One may feel justified in holding that this occupation which finds parti- cular pleasure in p'cking holes in the writings of poets, scholars and writers of belles-lettres, betrays a sadistic tende- ncy There is a good deal of plausibility in this contention A critic who takes upon himself the task of exposing defects and drawbacks in the literary works of others, positively runs the risk of courting unpopularity not only with writers, if living, but also with their admirers Generally, very few can take with good grace to the exposure of faults and lapses in their writings Intolerance of criticism is for good or evil a prevalent disposition It is, however, some consolation, though poor, that the writers whose works have been dissected and faults pointed out, are not living to resent this captious under- taking of the critic

One may excite ill will by one's adverse criticism among the living lovers of poetry and of particular poets of the past But the distance of time may have served to blunt the edge of rancour and the critic may escape physical trouncing Prudence should prompt a critic to desist from carping criticism of a living writer, because this only tends to create one's enemies Even the most ingenious and pene- trative critics have incurred odium Mahimabhatta excelled in destructive criticism But he was aware of the undesirable consequences which necessarily follow The critic's is after all an unenviable profession We, however, quote the

256 CONCEPT OF POETIC BLEMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

apology of Mahimabhatta and if any odium attaches to this work which, however, only reproduces the speculations of ancient writers with elucidatory comments, we will seek shelter behind the shield of Mahimabhatta Being a professor of Sanskrit the present writer has to lecture on the subject of literary defects The present work, it is hoped, will go a long way in making the knotty problems and issues intelligible to the modern mind Mahima- bhatta was also a professor of poetics and necessarily had to lecture on this much-too-maligned subject Silence on the part of a professor and reluctance to reply to the questions of the students may produce unwholesome impre- ssions 1 Is he ( a professor) a stupid ignoramous or incom- petent to give expression to his knowledge for lack of mastery over the language or does he observe silence with a view to withold the knowledge out of jealousy so that his students may not become well-posted in niceties and thus become his equals in the field ? These may be presumed to be the reasons for the reluctance of the teacher to answer questions put by students Accordingly, at the instance of students, I abruptly abandoned the way of good men and adopted the path of criticism which is pursued by men condemned to be the targets of ill luck" But the critic may be an unwelcome friend He rudely reminds the poet or the speaker of the need of vigilance. A writer who aims at a literary production must'be on his guard in the choice of words and construction of sentences, He must again be dıscriminative regarding his ideas and sentiments Though the poet seeks to instill n the minds of readers love of truth and beauty and his appeal is more emoti- onal and aesthetical than intellectual and logical, he cannot override the canons of logic without running the risk of stulti-

1. V V,p. 152. mugdhh kım kım asabhya esa bhajate matsaryamaunam nu kim, prsto na pratIvaktı yah kıla janas tatreti sambhāvayet / chātrabhyarthanaya tato dya sahasaıvotsrjya margam satām, paurobhagyam abhagya-bhajana-Jana sevyam mayangīkrtam //

CHAPTER X 257

fying his mission No doubt, the poet may draw upon the imagination2 in the construction of plots and even in cases where he derives the frame-work of his plot from history or legends he has to supply flesh and blood to the skeleton and make it a lovely object-"a thing of beauty is joy for ever" Thus Kāldāsa's Sakuntalā is full of life and an object of uni- versal affection and love Banabhatta's picture of Mahāśvetā is a veritable tour de force of creative imagination and in spite of the supernatural in her she is presented as an exalted human personage who excites our admiration The imagination of these poets has been controlled by sense of proportion and verisimilitude which prevent them from evaporating into airy nothing We do not feel that these crea- tures of the poet's imagination are fantastic figments They are as real as any uving woman of flesh and blood We know that they are much above the average women of the world, but none the less we are persuaded that they are living beings and have their individuality which sharply demarcates one from the other Sakuntala and Mahasvetā are two different individuals We may quote ad libitum the heroes and heroines created by Shakespeare and other poets of the world, It cannot be forgotten, except at their peril, by poets that they can execute a work of art and beauty if they have felicity of expression and an inexhaustible fund of ideas at their command and if they use these instruments with care and circumspection. Of coures, to a man of genius,3 words and ideas present themselves spontaneously wthout any extra effort A work of art connot be laboured out And here lies the criterion of best poetry It embodies perfection of structure together with per- fection of idea As external beauty is to a woman, so is graceful and faultless diction to poetry As external beauty of the person without intellectual and moral excellence is not calculated to

2 Dh. Ã, p 334 Kathaśarīram utpādya vastu kāryam tathā tatha. yatha rasamayam sarvam eva tatpratibhasate. 3 Dh Ā, p 537 'na kavyārtha-virāmo'stı yadı syat pratıbhāgunah. 17

258 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

retain the admiration of a man of taste and culture for long, so also a poet, whose stock-in-trade consists only in beautiful words and melodious vocabulary but lacks in powerful ideas and captivating sentiments, cannot keep his hold on the admiration of lovers of poetry for long The writers on Sanskrit poetics have laid emphasis upon the intellectual equipment of poets' viz 'vyutpattı' knowledge of the world, men, sciences, arts and so on and so forth The poet must be on the alert to pick and ehoose words and in this task he must not violate the rules of grammar and logic alike The breaches are inexcusable flaws Critics have not been sparing in their fault-finding undertaking We have given instances of solecism committed by poets The list of verbal defects shows that wrong cxpressions are responsible for the failure of the poet to give aesthetic satisfaction He fails to give delight for his carelessness It may be that the critics have overdone his task But in spite of the odium attaching to his profession the critic is a friend in disguise It may not be feasible that the poet's production should be immume from the captious fault-finding But the critic sets up the norm and ideal Though the ideal may never be reached, it exerts a pull on the poet and prevents him from avoidable lapses it is an amusing paradox that in Sanskrit one of the epithets of a scholar is 'dosajna'+ one who has a flair for defects A scholar must be possessed of discrimination and must be able to tell rght from wrong Of course he will not be worth the name if he is blind to the good points He must be also a 'gunajña' The praise of an incompetent and ignotant man is worthless A scholar particularly welcomes critics' exposure of defects if they are not inspired by malice Udayana concludes his wonder ful work the 'Atmatattvaviveka' by making a staement which Is worthy of being remembered by all right thinking persons5 A K p 251 Vidvan Vipaścid dosajñah san sudhīh kovido budhah 5 ATV,p 947 nāsya slaghamakalıta-gunah poşayan prītaye nah Kondhaıs citrastuti-satavidhau sılpınah syāt prakarşah / mındāmeva prathayatu janah kintu doşannirupya prekşanstathyas-khalıta kathanam prīnayed eva bhūyah //

CHAPTER X 259

"The praise of my work by a person, who is incapable of appre- ciating merits, does not give me satisfaction Can the hundred words of compliments expressed by blind men for a portrait prove the excellence of the artist ? Let critics express their censure provided it is based on the objective knowledge of the defects The statement of real defects ought to be welcomed by a man of right understanding ( as this will help him in rectifyıng hıs mistakes )" In the treatment of literary defects the priority has been given to verbal defects ( sabdadosas ). This is natural since the poet expresses his ideas through words and we are directly acquainted with them only Words are but thoughts externa- lised Bhartrharı and Croce have expounded the thesis that a conception withont expression and the converse are impossible According to Bhartrhar6 word is the very life and soul of intellect Knowledge minus word is an impossible fiction Bereft of word a knowledge will fail to express facts The successful expression of thought depends . upon a medium, 1 e diction, Even a cursory acqaintence with a list of 'padadosas' will convince the reader of the importance of language Words must be appropriate to the thought and sentiment An unsuitable expression will fail to yield the meaning intended by the poet Apart from the semantic aspect of the phonetic value words must also be adjudged by the poet m conformity with the sentiment. Sound echoes the sense just as the tune of music reflects the sentiment under- lying it As the musician who has the ear for music and melody chooses the right tune spontaneously, so also has the poet the ear for the musical effect of his words In mature writings of a poet it is difficult to replace his words without spoiling the effect This is called 'paka'" 1 e ripe- 6 V P, I 124 'na so'stı pratyapo loke yah śabdānugamādrte / anuviddbam iva jñanam sarvam sabdena bhasate // N S. XIV 3 Vanmayantha sastram van misthan tathaiva ca tasmad vacah param nāstı vāghi sarvsya karanam // 7 quoied by Vamana on I III. 15 'yat padanı tyajantyeva parıvrttı-sahısnutām / tam sabda-nyasanıSnātāh sabda pākam pracakșate //

260 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

ness of style The defect of inharmonious sounds is called 'pratikulavarn' The sounds of the words must not grate upon the ear This has to be carefully avoided particularly in soft sentiments such as love, etc A spirited diction is necessary for conveying the heroic sentiment The poet has, however, to be on his guard against unnecessary bombast The phonetic aspect of poetry has received adequate attention in the treat- ment of verbal defects There are, however, a large number of defects which have reference to the meaning and yet are included in the list of verbal defects What is then the criterion of a verbal defect ( padadosa ) in contradistinction to the defect of pure meaning, whicd we have called material defect ? This crite- rion has been propounded by Govinda Thakkura8-a most astute exponent of poetics, who had an uncommon aesthetic sense combined with acute logical insight and training as follows Whether a defect pertains to word or sense can be determined by the application of the Joint method of 'anvayavyatıreka' If the substitution of words by their syno- nyms removes the defect, the latter should be regarded as pertaining to words This is the test of 'sabdaparwvrttisahatva" 1e the test furnished by the change of words without change of meaning" If is difficult to separate a word from meaning or vise-versa, because they are orgamcally related. Thus for instance almost all the defects included in the list of padadosa, barring harshness of sound, have reference to meaning It is the logical criterion in change of words, which is the equivalent of the Joint method, that helps the determination of a verbal from a material defect It will be apparent from the general definition of literary defects that whatever delays or obstructs the spontaneous apprehension of meaning is regarded as a fault A delayed understandıng necessarily involves the failure of aesthetic satisfaction Of

3 K Pr, p 299 'dosagunalankaranam sabdārthagatatvena yo Vibhagah so'nvaya-vyatırekabhym eva vyavatıșthate, yatra hı paryayantara-parıvrtti-sahatvam tatra sabdagatatvam, yatra tu tadasahatvam tatrārthagatatvam'

CHAPTER X 261

course, a student of poetry is expected to have the minium qualification for apprehension of poetry But if to a student of poetry, well-equipped with the necessary qualification, viz the knowledge of the language and aesthetic sense, the poet fails to convey the meaning and consequently aesthetic satıs faction, the blame should be laid at the door of the poet's bad craftmanshrp The poet expects that his poetry should be enjoyed and should give delight to his readers In this world, full of worries and pin-pricks, suffering mankind resorts to poetry for the alleviation of his sorrow 9 This explanation may be belied if the poet's work demands extra labour on the part of the competent reader to understand his words or meaning The analysis of the writers on Sanskrit poetics of verbal defects, if not, exhaustive, is at least comprehensive of the major drawbacks which an aspiring poet must avoid The study of this analysis and classification of defects fulfills a real need It enables a student of poetry to make his understanding intelligent and accurate An undefined enthu- siasm or aversion should not pass for informed criticism The critic must have a logical sense and be able to assess his emo- tional satisfaction or repulsion in intelligible terms He must be in a position to justify his reaction by logical proof A study of the defects of poetry classifiied by ancient writers on poetics will train his appriciation and chasten his hostile reaction This, of course has reference to defects verbal and material alike The study of verbal defects enables the student to appreciate the important role played by diction It may not be far from accurate to claim that the contribu- tion of Sanskrit writers on poetics to the assessment of literary defects is possessed of perennial value, not only for the study of Sanskrit poetry but also perhaps of World Literature In Sanskri, poetics have been studied for centuries by generations of writers and scholars This has resulted in a definite archi- tectonic pattern Poetics has become a necesary discipline, 9 S D, P I catur varga phale praptih sukhad alpadhiyam api kāvyādeva

262 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

which a student of poetry has to study for understanding poetry as such The defects of meaning as classified by Mammata- bhatta are the culmination of centuries labour and thought There may be room for difference of opinion in respect of particular defect, but the logic underlying them is unmistakable As we observed before, poetry cannot steer clear of logic. Logic in its wider sense makes for consistency of thought, and inconsistency even on the part of a poet is not excusable Besides logical defects the poet must be careful for avoiding purely literary defects The poet does not propose to prove a theorem, no doubt, his appeal is more to the heart than to the head But man s mind is a unique organism which no analysis into sections and compartments can exhaust We have chara- cterised it as an organism which may be regarded as unwarra- nted licence But our point is to emphasise the unique unana- lysable unity which expresses itself through different seetions and transcends them at the same time The aesthetic sense is also determined by logical coherence Thus the fault called the undeveloped sense ( apustartha ) and the too abstruse ( Klista ) are purely aesthetic in character But the contradi- ctory ( vyāhata ) and unsymmetrical ( duskrama ) are a complex of the aesthetic and logical Tautology ( punarukta ) 1s more logical tham aesthetic The vulgar ( gramya ) 1s aesthetically repulsive The dubious ( sandigdha ) 1s offensive to the intellect. inconsequential ( nirhetu ) has a predominantly logical tone Contravention of convention ( prasiddhiviruddha ), popular or scientific, has a dominant logical complexion Mannerism ( anavikrta ) consists in bald monotony and is aesthetically repellent The inconsistency of the suggested sense is logical and aesthetic in character In this way the defects of meaning may be found to partake of a predominantly logical or aesthetical character But this compartmental asseesment, though helpful to the understanding, is more symptomatic than real. The aesthetic and the logical are so blended that they refuse to be rent asunder There is little doubt that all these defects serve to detract from the emotional value of poetry. This shows that poetry has a logic of its own and

CHAPTER X 263

because of the logic, poetry lends itself to critical analysis This analysis helps and strengthens our appreciation Were poetry a purely emotional affair there would be no common criterion for criticism The classification of material defects seeks to bring together a series of facts which serve to show that poetry is not only to be enjoyed, but also to be appreciated Enjoyment withot appreciation is precarious and shaky The study of defects, which are mainly of negative character, has a positive significance By understanding the defect we are better able to appreciate poetry and our enjoyment becomes secure The study of poetical excellences ( gunas ) lays stress on the positive side In the present dissertation we have to deprive ourselves of the satisfaction that apprecia- tion of merits yields But the negative implication of defects is a pointer to the positive appeal of poetry This appeal, though predominantly aesthetic and emotional, is controlled by logical implications The emphasis on defects thus serves to make for intelligent appreciation of the aesthetic value of poetry As we have observed before, the critic is a friend in disguise not only to the poet but also to the student of poetry It is not difficult to understand that the defects of meaning, 1 e of ideas, are of significance not only to the student of Sanskrit poetry but also to the students of world literature A modern student equipped with the logic of defects set forth in Sanskrit poetics will be better posted up-in the assessment and appreciation of literature as such It may be claimed that without appearing extravagant that the analysis of writers on Sanskrit poetics will be helpful to students of literature in general We leave it to a future researcher to find application of these defects in other literatures and other languages Mahimabhatta has traced all literary defects to the sense of impropriety ( anaucitya ) The concept of impropriety is first introduced, so far as our knowledge goes, by Ananda vardhana It has got a very wide connotation which includes under it all sorts of irregularities and anomalies, logical, aesthetical, moral, conventional and so on and so forth In logic fallacies are instances of anomalies which spring from

264 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

the breach of logical rules Śriharsa, at the end of the 'Khandana-Khanda-Khadya', a product of wonderful ingenuity and incisive analysis, puts all fallacies and conventional grounds for defeat ( migrahasthanas ) under the concept of 'anaucitya' And he pays a compliment to Mahimabhatta for setting forth 'anaucitya' ( Impropriety ) as the fountainhead of all poetical defects "Mahimabhatta, who has attaned to enviable pre-eminence among writers on poetics, has set forth the defect anaucitya with due regard in the Vyaktivneka which may aptly be considered as the very organ of sight for poets" 10 We have dealt with 'anaucitya' in our treatment of the 'Rasadosas' as propounded by Anandavardhana in the Dhvanyaloka Whatever is incompatible with the accepted data and conclusions is regarded as a case of lapse from the norm of propriety ( aucitya ) Ksemendra, the disciple of Abhinavagupta, has written a treatise named Aucit ya-vicāra- carca in which he seeks to dispose of 'Dhvani' subsuming it under 'aucitya' (propriety ). It is one of the reactionary works which tries to subvert the architectonic built by Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta As we do not in the course of the present dissertation concern ourselves with the Dhvam theory and its opponents, we only make a reference to this work in order to draw notice to the conclusion of Ananadavardhana that impropriety is the invariable condition of 'Rasabhanga', 1e frustration of aesthetic satisfaction and observance of 'aucitya' is the secret of Rasa This con- clusion has been accepted even by his opponents In Kşemendra's work we find an attempt to put the cart before the horse He is guilty of the fallacy of hysteron-proteron 'Aucitya' is the condition and not the result of rasa experience Anandavardhana has shown and his followers have confirmed it that the raison-d'etre of 'dosa' lies in its disservice to Rasa Mahimabhatta11 also classifies dosas under two heads-inter-

10 K K,p 414 Dosam Vyaktıvıveke'mum kaviloka-vilocane / Kavya mimamsiSu praptamahima mahimadrta // 11 V V,p 152 'antaranga-bahıranga-bhavas ca'mayon sākșat paramparyen ca rasa-bhanga-hetutvad isțah.

CHAPTER X 265

nal ( antaranga) and external ( bahiranga ) The defects of words, syllables, sentences and meanings are all external since they injure realisation of Rasa through the medium of words and meanings The Rasa dosas are internal and direct They are dosas ( defects ) par excellence We now propose to deal with the phlosophy of Rasadosas But as the subject-matter presupposes an acquaintance with the nature and conditions of Rasa we think it appropriate and helpful to average students of literature to make a few brief observations on this topic This small digreession will, we hope, not take from the symmetry of our treatment of dosa. It has now bern accepted by all schools of Indian poetics which have sprung into existance after Anandavardhana, that Rasa is the central essence of poetry Alankaras ( figures of speech ) which consist in striking mode of expressions were regarded by Bhamaha, Udbhata and their followers as the quintessence of poetry Kuntaka wrote his work 'Vakrokti-Jivita' with the sole pur- pose of demolishing the 'Dhvant theory *. He preceded Mahi- mabhatta and also, perhaps, Abhinavagupta The former severly criticises him ( Kuntaka ) and has cited a verse which he shows to be an example of serious defect Kuntaka reverted to Bhamaha's position that it is figures of speech, that is, unusual and unwanted modes of expression, that constitute the special charm of poetry. He calls these modes of expres- sion 'Vakrokti'-oblique statements Kuntaka is not the origi- nal inventor of the nomenclature 'Vakrokti' Bhamaha12 calls 'atıs'ayoktı' by the name of Vakrokt which consists in its departure from the hackneyed manner of statement used by ordinary untutored mass The originality of Kuntaka les in the extension of the meaning of this significant expression "Vakroktt' under which he subsumes all cases of 'Dhvant' Dandın and Vāmana sought to account for the beauty of poetry

12 Bhamaba II 85 'saışa sarvatra vakroktır anayz'rtho vibhāvyate / yanto'syam kavınā kāryah ko'lankāro'nayā vinā //

266 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

by style or mode of arrangement of words They laid stress on gunas, 1 e qualities which characterise sound and sense Anandavardhana establıshed the thesis that the charm of poetry lies in its suggestive power It may suggest a fact or a figure, but the ultimate beauty and appeal of poetry are derived from the emotional æsthetic satisfaction which is produced by the suggestive power of words and meanings Ultimately, it is the plenum of joy and peaceful repose, which are the characterestic features of Rasa, that make poetry an object of attraction and admiration.

But where does the joy come from ? It comes neither from the music or sounds nor from striking meaning, but from the innermost self of man It is propounded in Vedanta and also in the Pratyabhyna school of philosophy that man's essence is constituted by consciousness and bliss This blissful nature of man is obscured by veils of ignorance which give rise to intellectual aberrations, moral unbalance and aesthetic insensi- tivity These are accidental excrescences, which are bound to disappear by right conduct and correct vision Religion has prescribed a protracted course of discipline as an antidote to these weaknesses Poetry, however, gives a fore-taste of this blissful freedom from all worries and perplexities by makıng the man forget his petty ego We read poetry or witness a dramatic performance which, somehow, lifts us out of the morass of our petty problems which ordinarily become the obsession of a person By its subtle mysterious influence poetry makes us forget the present world and environment and puts us in a different climate and region There man feels his freedom, and the depth and intensity of this enjoyment of freedom are in proportion to our forgetfulness of our persona- lity The innate joy in us shines forth in its fulness This expe- rience is called Rasa The English phrase 'to enjoy oneself' unconsiously betrays a universal truth Enjoyment of happiness consists in self-enjoyment But this 18 effected by the poet by following a technique of his own. This technique consists in the proper adjustment of the characters, environments, the arousal of emotions and their

CHAPTER X 267

expression in and through the physical changes of the face, eyes etc exhibited by actors and actresses, which at once rivet our focus of attention These conditions have been set forth with abundant clarity and detail in the works of dramaturgy Abhinavagupta has described the technique as the choice of expressions suitable for suggesting ideas and producing a har- monious current of thought and emotion This has been called the universalising effect of words by Bhattanāyaka He calls it Bhavana which serves to demolish the barrier between one person and another Abhinavagupta13 calls it 'hrdayasamvāda' 1 e the harmony of all experiences, emotional and intellectual of all connoisseurs ( vidagdha ) Any faint suggestion of impro- priety will mar this delicate dispositional attitude Rasa-doșas are pre-eminently cases of such impropriety In our treatment of these defects we have elucidated the reasons for these emoti- onal and aesthetic disturbances An inappropriate expression, any foolish action and improper emotion will spoil the Rasa

Rasa, 1e æsthetic experience has been said to consist in the enjoyment of the inner self It is one homogenous expe- rience of joy and when it is enjoyed and experienced it does not admit of the introduction of any alien element ( vedyantara- samparka-sūnya ) If Rasa be this, it cannot be disturbed by any defect A defect of Rasa is thus an impossible fiction and contradiction in terms. What is then the justification of the treatment of Rasa-dosas as they cannot spoil or detract from the purity of æsthetic experience ?

The answer is this Defects do not spoil the Rasa-expe- rience, but are impediments to its emergence Defects are always of the nature of negative conditions Their presence frustrates the realisation of the necessary condition of such experience In the presence of defects this ideal experience cannot come into being Just as logical fallacies prevent the emergence of inferential judgement, so also poetic defects tend to frustrate the conditions for the realisation of Rasa- experience It is not a fact that fallacies are known after

13, K. P, w 93 'sakala-hrdaya-samvadabhaja sadharanyena .. '

268 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETIGS

inference has taken place The Rasa dosas are defects of this kind which prevent the possibility of Rasa-experience It is not meant that they detract from the Rasa-experience after it has emerged This is obvious from the very definition of poetic defect as given by Mahimabhatta 1+ The presence of defects is proof of the absence of the necessary condition for the realisation of æsthetic experience This experience either takes place or not It is not possible that the experience is made qualitatively or quantitatively deficient In every case of causal operation it is assumed that the positive conditions are present in full plus the absence of negative conditions Udayana15 makes the absence of the negative conditions a necessary part of the cause, which has been described by J S Mill as 'the totality of necessary conditions' and 'total cause' by Broad 16 The positive condition of Rasa experience is the presence of Vibhāva, anubhāva and vyabhicaribhava plus the absence of defects Rasa-dosas are found in the last resort to belong to the conditions of Rasa, vız vıbhāva, anubhāva, et They immobilse the 'vibhavas' and their attendants and thus make the emergence of Rasa-experience impossible They are called Rasa-dosas, because they have remote bearing on Rasa, to be precise, they are the negative conditions of it. The so-called defects of Rasa are thus found to be seated in the conditions of rasa ( karana-dosa ) understood in the positive sense. Regarded as Rasa-dosas they can be Justified only if they are understood in the sense of negative conditions ( Pratibandhas ) of rasa

14 V V P 152 Vıvakşıta-rasādı-pratītı-vighna-vidhāyitvam nāma sāmanya-laksanam 15 N K,I 10 bhavo yatha-tatha'bhāvah kāranam kāryavan matah / Pratıbandho'vitāmagri taddhetuh pratibandhakan //

APPENDIX "A"

Poetic dosas as given in the Agmpurana The Agnipurana is prima facie an ambrous work It contains summaries of all sciences and disciplines that were in vogue in the medieval period It has a section dealing with dramaturgy and poetics It is a hurried sketch deriving Its contents from works which for the most part are not trace- able It is of course obvious that the compilation was made in the tenth or eleventh century There are passages which are found in the works of Bhamaha, Dandin, Vamana and Anandavardhana It is syncractic in character and does not propound anything new or original Nor does it throw any lighl on the tangled problems of poetics It devotes a brief chapter to the consideration of poetic defects The cryptic treatment makes many a sentence unintelligible and the confusion is worse confounded by the inexcusable corruption of the text, which is due to the haphazard and perfunctory editing of the text We have made the best of a bad bargan And in this we have been helped by our study of the ancient texts of Bhamaha, Dandin, etc In the Agnipurana the poetic defect Is defind1 as one which causes concern to the critic The writer enumerates the defects as follows -

I Asādhu-solecism II Aprayukta-not used by poets, which is divided into five kınds Chandas-Vedic, avispasta-obscure, Kasțatva-harsh or difficult word, asāmayikatva-not con- ventional and gramyatva-vulgar The obscure again is divided into gudhārtha-the meaning of which is con cealed, Viparyasta-contrary to accepted meaning and Sandigdha-doubtful This list is framed after Bhamaha and Vamana sometimes with linguistic variations No examples are given These defects are presumed to belong to individual verbal expressions ( padadosa ) 1 A P I 346 Udvegajanako dosah Sabhyanām

270 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

About arthadosa ( the dfects of meaning ) the writer gives two varieties, viz general and particular Under the first head he gives five defects - I Krıyākāraka-bhramsa-the omission of verb and case II Visandhi-bad euphonic combination III Punarukta-tautology IV Vyastasambaddhata-consisting in causing the understa- nding of different relation or want of relation on account of the separation of irrelevant word or insertion of unrelated words and sentence Thess dfeccts are general, which are not quite intelligible We find a list of logical fallacies which the speaker speaks of in imitation of Bhamaha They are - I Asıddha-non-existent II Viruddha-contradictory III Ana Anaikantika-inconclusive. IV Satpratipaksa-antimonic. V Kāla Kālātita-contradictory Then he speaks of gudhartha-hidden meaning It does not function as a fault in difficult constructions involving yamaka and prahelika He follows Bhamaha and Dandin and shows exceptions to the defects

APPENDIX "B"

Dosas as dealt with by Bhojaraja Bhojaraja, who flourished most probably between 1010 and 1055 A D has written two books on poetics He has spoken of literary blemishes in the ninth chapter of hıs Śrngāraprakasa but in the Sarasvati-Kanthabharana Bhoja takes a particular delight in elaboration The special value of his treatment lies in elaborate classification of dosas under separate heads ( a ) padadosa ( defects of words ), (b) vākya-dosas ( defects of sentences ) and ( c ) vākyārth dosas ( defects of the meaning of the sentence ) He mentions1 the following Pada dosas - I Asadhu-grammatically incorrect II Aprayukta-that which is not used by poets. III Kasța-harsh to the ear IV Anarthaka-A particle which is used only to complete a metre. V Anyärtha-having a meaning that is not conven- tional VI Apușța-useless addition of qualifying words VII Asamartha-incapable of giving the sense in which it is used VIII Apratita-technical terms of particular Science IX Klista-obscure X Gudha-use of a word in a less known meaning XI. Neyärtha-meaning to be guessed out XII Sandigdha-dubious XIII Viruddha-contrary XIV Aprayojaka-use of a qualifying word withour signı- ficance XV Desya-a word which has no etymological meaning. XVI Grāmya-indecency Of these sıxteen pada-dosas Bhojaraja has taken asādhu, kasta, anarthaka, anyārthaka, apratīta, klısta, gūdhārtha,

1 S K A, I 4-6

272 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

neyatha and gramya from his predecessor, Bhamaha and Vāmana, and apustārtha, asamartha and desya are taken from Rudrata The remaining three-sandigdha, aprayukta and viruddha are to be seen in the earlier works in some other forms Thus we find that there is no original addition to the list II Vakya dosas are the following2 - I ŚabdahIna-ungrammatical Kramabhrasta-impropriety of words III. Visandht-disjunction, where words are not well- knıt IV Punaruktimat-tautology V VyakIrna-haphazard scattered position of subject and predicate VI Apadam-inappropriate and unpleasant words VII Vakya-garbhita-parenthetical VIII Bhinnalınga-diversity of gender IX Bhinnavacana-diversity of number X Nyunopama-deficiency in simile XI Adhıkopama-excess in sımile XII Bhagnacchanda-defective in metre XIII Bhagnayatı-defective in caesura XVI Asarira-absence of the verb in a sentence XV ArItimat-non conformity with a riti or style of composition XVI Väkyasankīrna-confused

Here also we may see that most of the dosas enumerated by Bhoja are mentioned by his predecessors, Bhamaha, Dandın, Vämana and Rudrata For example, Visandhi, Bhinna- vacana, Bhinnayatı and the four upama dosas are found in the lıst of Vamana ŚabdahIna of Bhoja is asādhu of Bhāmaha Kramabhrasta ıs apakrama of Vāmana Punaruktımat 1s Ekārtha of Bhāmaha Vākyasamkīrna and Garbhita are taken from Rudrața.

2. S K X,I. 18-20

APPENDIX 273

III Vākyārtha dosa ( defects of sentence ) 3 I Apärtha-absence of complete sense II Vyartha-the purposeless 1II Ekartha-tautology IV Sasamsay-the dubious Apakrama-The non-sequent VI Khinna-paucity of capacity to describe VII Atimatra-enormity of exaggeration. VIII Parusa-of repulsive significance, hurting the susce- ptibilities of the person addressed

IX Virasa-incompatible sentiment X Hinopama-deficiency XI Adhikopama-redundancy n upamāna XII Asadrsopama-dıssımilarity XIII. Aprasiddhopama-strangeness of the standard of comparison XIV Niralankara-charmless, bald and blunt XV Aślia-indecorous, vulgar meaning XVI Viruddha-contradictory Bhoja has followed his predecessors and taken almost all dosas from them For instance he has taken apärtha, vyartha, ekārtha, sasamsaya, apakrama and viruddha from Bhamaha and Dandın Atımatra and virasa are taken from Rudrata, Aślila, hīnopama, adhikopama, asadrsopama and aprasıddho- pama and nıralankāra are also taken from early writers. Khinna and parusa are his new additions

He dfines Khınna as Jaty-advuktāv-anırvyūdham ( poet's incapacity to continue an idea ) and parusa as Krūrartham ( of repulsiv sense ) Bhoja includes Bhāmaha's pratijñāhānı etc in Virodha which has been classified under three heads, vız pratyaksa-virodha, anumānavirodha and āgamavirodha Bhoja mentions Prabandha-dosa also Though not original his treatment is elaborate and clear It is not ambiguous like that of the Agnipurana

3 S K A I 44-46

18

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Arıstotle Arıstotle's Poetics

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Anandavardhana (1) Dhvanyāloka with commentary 'Lacana' by Abhinavagupta, Chow Sanskrıt Series, Varanası, 1940 ( 11 ) with 'Didhiti' by Kavı Śekhara Badarı Nath Jha, Chow Sanskrit Series, Varanası Annam Bhațta Tarka Samgraha Nırnaya Sagar Press Agnıpurāna Published by A S. B, Calcutta 1870 Bānabhatța Kādambarī Ed by M. R Kale

Bharata Nātya Šāstra. (1) ed by M Rama Krsna Kavı, M A G O S, Baroda 1934 (Vols I & II ) (11) English translation by Dr Mano- Mohan Ghosa, M. A., Ph D, R.A S. Calcutta, 1851. Bhartrharı Vākyapadīya, ed by S. Sukla, Chow- khamba Varanası 1937. Bhațțojıđīkșita Sıddhanta Kaumudi, Nırnay Sagara, 1938. Bhavabhūtı Uttaracarıta. Bhämaha Kāvyālamkāra (1) published in Appendix vill of the Pratapa Rudrayasobhușana. (11) ed and translated by P. U. Naga- natha Shastry, Tanjore, 1927 Bhāra v1 Kırātārjunīya, ed by V. Shastry, Bombay, 1933.

Bhojarāja Sarasvatı-kanțhābharana, Kavyamāla 95, Bombay 1925

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De, S K (1) Studies in the history of Sanskrit Poetics, Vols I & II, London, 1923-25, ( 11) Aspects of Sanskrit Literature, Calcutta, 1959 ( 111 ) Some problems of Sanskrit Poetics, Calcutta, 1959 ( 1v) Ancient Indian Etotics and Erotic Literature, Calcutta, 1959.

Gautam Nyāya-Sutra, ed by B D Basu, Allahabad, 1913

Govında Thakkura Kāvyaprađīpa, Nırnaya Sagar Press, Bombay

Harsa ( 1 ) Ratnāvalı (2) Nāgānanđa Hemacandra Kāvyānus'āsana, ed. by Pt. Rasıka Lala, Bombay, 1938.

Is'varakrsna Sānkhya-Kārıkā, eđ V L Shastri, Bombay, 1929

Jagannātha Rasa-gangādhara, Chowkhamba, Benaras, 1955

Jayanta Bhatța Nyāyamanjarı, ed by Surya Narayana Sukla, Chowkhamba, Benaras, 1936

Kane, P. V. History of Alankāra Literature, as an introduction to the Sahitya-darpana, Bombay, 1923

Kant Critique of Pure Reason, ed by Max Muller, London, 1907

276 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Kālıdāsa (1) Meghaduta, ed by E Hultzsh. The Royal Asiatic Society, 1911 ( 11 ) Abhıjñana-Sākuntala ( 111 ) Kumārasambhava ( 1v ) Raghuvamśa

Kumarıla Bhatța Tantra Vārtika B S Series Benaras.

Kes'ava Mıśra Alamkāra Šekhara, Kashı Sanskrit Series, Benaras, 1927

Kuntaka Vakrokti-jIvita, ed by Dr S K De, Calcutta, 1925

Ksemendra Aucitya-Vicāra-carcā, Kāvyamālā, Bombay, 1889. Lahırı, P C Concept of Riti and Guna, Dacca, 1937

Mahımabhatta Vyaktıvıveka wıth Vyaktı-Vıveka-Vyākhyā by Ruyyaka, ed by Shrı Madhu Sudan Misra, Chowkhamba, Benaras, 1936 Mammața-Bhatța Kāvya-Prakāśa, (1) ed by Vāmanācārya Jhalakıkara, Poona, 1950 ( 11) English Translation, by Dr Ganga Nath Jha, 1924

Mādhavācarya Sarvadarsanasangraha with a commen- tary, by Vasudeva Sastrı Abhyamkara, Poona, 1951 Māgha Šısupālavadha, Nırnaya Sagar Press, Bombay Narāyana Bhatta Veniśamhāra

Nāgeśabhatta Paramalaghu-mañjūsā, C S S, Benaras Patañjalı (1 ) Mahābhāsya, ed by Vasudeva Shastrì Abhyamkara, Poona, 1938 ( 11) Yoga Sūtra, Gıta Press, Gorakhapur, 2011 ( Era vıkram ) Pāndey, K C Comparative Aesthetics, Vol I, Chow Sanskrit Studies, Benaras, 1950 Pānını Astādhāyi, Nırnayasagar Press, Bombay

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Rādhākrsnan, S Bhagavadgitā, London 1948 Rāghavn, V (1) Some concepts of the Alamkāra Sāstra, Adyar, 1942 (11 ) Bhoja's Śrngāra-prakāśa Vol I Part I & II ( thesis ), Madras Universty, 1939 Publıshed by Karnataka Publı- shing House, Bombay ( 111) The Number of Rasas, Adyar, 1940 Rāja Śekhara (1 ) Kāvya-Mīmāmsā, G O S. Baroda, 1924.

(11 ) Karpūra-mañjarī Rudrața Kāvyālamkāra with the commentary of Namısādhu, Nırnaya Sagar Press, Bombay 1922 Śrıharsa (1) Naısadhiya Carıta, Bombay (11) Khandana-Khanda-Khādya, ed by Candı Prasada Sukla, Acyutagrantha- mālā Varanası, 1985 ( Vikrma era )

Śrivatsa Kāvvaparīksā, Published by Mithila Research Institute, Darbhanga Dr Sūrya-Kānta Ksemendra-A Study, Oriental Book Agency Poona 1954 Tarkālamkāra "Śabda-Šaktı-Prakāsıkā" ed by Pt Dhun- ( JagadIśa ) dhi Raja, Chowkhamba, Varanası, 1934 Thakkura Govında Kavya-Pradīpa, Kavyamala edition, Bomby 1933 Udayana ( 1 ) 'Atma-Tattva-Vıveka'R A S Bengal ( 2 ) Nyaya-Kusumāñjalı Vāmana (1) Kāvyalamkāra-Sūtra, Nırnaya Sagar Bombay, 1953 (11) „ with Kāmadhenu commentary, Cal 1922 (111) „ with English translation by Dr. Ganga Natha Jha, Poona, 1928

278 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Vāmana-Jayādıtya Kāśıkā, ed by Pt Śobhita Mira, Chowkhamba, Banaras, 1952

Vātsyāyana Bhāșya -on Nyāyasūtra, Chowkamba Sanskrit Series, Benaras, 1942 Vıdyādhara 'Ekävalr', ed by K P. Trıvedı, Bombay, 1903

Vıdyānāth 'Pratāpa-Rudra-yaso-bhusana', ed by K. P Trived, Bombay, 1909 Viśvanātha (1) Sāhıtya-Darpana, ed by Dr Mm P V Kane, Bombay, 1910 (11 ) ed by Harıdāsa Sıddhānta-Vāgīsa, Calcutta, 1841 ( Saka era ) Vıśvanātha Nyāya Pafcānana Karıkavalı with Muktāvalī Dınakarı Rāmarudr1, Bombay, 1933

INDEX

Authors

A Bhatta Mammata 3, 7 8, 9, 24, 1Abhinavagupta 4, 9, 12, 17-23, 26, 43, 45, 46, 27, 74, 121, 126, 58, 73, 74, 83, 154, 165, 264, 267 88, 98, 99,102- Ananda Vardhana 8-13, 27, 55, 105, 107, 119, 99, 120-22, 124, 134-138, 124-135, 149, 140, 141 143, 153, 154, 158, 150, 153-155, 159, 161, 166, 159, 160, 161, 181, 189, 191, 172, 174, 178,

223, 230, 234, 180, 183, 188-

240, 241, 245, 191, 196, 202,

263, 264, 265, 204, 209, 210,

266, 269, 214, 245, 349-

Appayadıkşıta 25 251, 253, 254,

Aristotle 240 262 Bhatta Mahadeva 198-199 B Bhatta Mahma 9 13, 138, 139, Banabhatța 257 143-6, 149-153, Bhamaha 4-7, 11, 17, 22, 27-31, 161, 174, 212, 33-37, 39-59, 62, 66, 213, 240, 254- 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 81, 256, 263, 264, 96-100, 102, 111, 114, 265, 268 118-120, 123, 127, 241, Bhatta Nagesa 38, 100 250, 265, 269, 270 Bhațțanārāyana 125 Bernard Shaw 240 Bhattanayaka 8, 267 Bharata 3-6, 14-16, 22, 24, 26, Bhatojıdıkşıta 56, 253 72, 73, 97, 100, 104,107 Bhavabhūti 129 Bhartrharı 59 Fn 104, 211, 259 Bhojara a 5, 9, 10, 13, 30, 102, Bhasa 14 119, 121, 165, 166, Bhatta Bana 129 173, 216, 241, 253, Bhatta Kumarila 113 Fn 174- 271 176,249 Broad 269

280 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

C L

Choudhary N N 3 Leibnitz 47

Croce 258 M

D Magha 105Fn 115, 149 Mahesa nyayaratna 182 Dandın 5-7, 24, , 27-29, 35-6, Mallinatha 41Fn 42, 44, 49,'57-63, 65-7, 47 69, 73, 91, 96-99, 101-2, Mctaggart

111, 115, 120, 122, 159, Medhavin 42, 114

241, 265, 269, 270, 273, Milton 240

272 N

De, SK 3, 5Fn 6Fn 7Fn 14Fn Namisadhu 100-2, 105, 107, 108,

57Fn 71Fn 97Fn 154Fn 112, 114-116, 119

Dhanañjaya 121 P

Dhanıka 121 Padmapāda 79

Dharma Kīrti 5 Panditaraja Jagannātha 5, 25, 58,

Dınnaga 5,50 98, 100

G Panimi 39, 56, 66fn 73, 103fn 106fn 139, 141 149, 164, Gautama 37 166fn 176, 186, 198, 211 Gapendra 72 Patañjalı 19, 33, 38, 94-96,4139, H 149 Hemacandra 13 Prabhākara 47,96 Hobhouse 47 R

J Raghavan, V 3

Jacobı Rapson E J 14fm 3

Jagadīśa Tarkālankāra Rāma Śarman 212 45

J S Mill Rudrața 6-8, 27, 32fn 97 100, 268 101fn 103-4, 10-69, K 110fn 111-12, )113fn Kālıdāsa 14, 31, 128, 130, 149, 114-121, 209, 210, 272, 240, 257 273 Kane, P V. 3, 14Fn 134Fn Ruyyaka 9, 13, 134, 147, 148 254Fm S Kant 175 Sakhavardhana 43 Keśava Mıshra 222 Śankarācārya 21,79 Kşemendra 9,264 Śastrı, H P 14fn Kātyāyana 38 Shakespeare 240, 257 Kuntaka 9, 58, 136, 137, 265 Śrdharācarya 91

INDEX 281

Srīharsa 132, 135 Vamana 5-7, 24, 27, 28, 30, Śrvatsalanchana 171, 216, 222, 32fn 38, 44, 56, 71-88, 223, 224, 230, 91-2, 95fn 96-7, 99, 231 193-4, 111, 120, 122, T 127, 166-170fn 241, Thakkura Govinda 13, 136, 157, 259fm 265, 269, 272 160, 161, 168, Vasubandhu 5,50,51 174, 181, 188, Vātsyāyana 20, 37 191, 193, 207, Vidyādhara 13, 47 213, 215, 216, Vıdyanātha 108, 164, 166, 171, 221, 245, 249, 173, 209, 219 260 Vikatanıtambā 119 U Viśvanatha 7, 13, 99, 138, 154, Udayana 258 164, 222, Udbhata 4, 7, 11, 97, 99, 118 Vıvekānanda 91

V Y

Vacaspatı 79 Yaska 59fn

INDEX

Works

A Kavyaparīksa 216, 221, 233 fn Abhinava bharati 17 Fn 21 Fn Kāvyaprakāsa 3, 7 fn 9, 12, 13, Abhijñana Śakuntala 129, 130 46 fn 98 fn 102

Agnipurana 10, 64 Fn 121, 269, fn 105 fn 124, 273 143, 155, 178 fn Amarakosa 62 Fn 77 Fn 258 Fn 180 fn 182, 239, Ātmatattvaviveka 258 250

Aucityavicaracarca 9, 264 Kāvyādarsa 57,59

B Kāvyālaňkāra 4, 28, 44, 49 fn

Bhagavadgita 21, 69 Fn 91 59-66 fn 72,

Brhaddevata 34 Fn 100, 103, 120 fn Kāvyapradīpa 57, 59, 157 fn D 161, 166, 174fn. Dhvanyaloka 8, 10-12, 122 fn 181 fn. 260 fn

124 fn 125 fn 126 Khandana Khanda Khadya 135 fn

fn 128 fn 129 fn 231, 264

130 fn. 132 fn 149 Kırātārjunîya 109, 118 65 fn fn 223, 230 fn 240, Kusuma Pratımā

257 fn 264 Kumārasambhava 238

Dınakarī 198, 200 fn L Laghumañjusa 226 fn. E Lakşhmı Svayambara 14 Ekavalı 13, 47, 153 Locana 74 fn 123 fn 126 fn H M Hayagrīvabadha 238 Mahabhārata 125,240 History of Alankara Literature 134 fn 154 fm Mahabhasya 17-19, 33 fn 94, 95, 138, 149 fn Hrdayadarpana 8 Mahaviracarıta 238 J Mañjuşa 38 Jaımıniyasutra 202 fn Meghaduta 31, 69 fn 89 fn 91, K 128

Kamadhenu 72, 79, 83 fn 87, 89, N 91 f 94 Naişadhiyacarıta 17 fa. KarpUramañjari 244 | Nature of Existence 47

INDEX 283

Natyasastra 3 14-16, 17-24 fns Sarvadarsana Samgraha 68 fn.

97, 109, 235 fn 259 Siddhanta Kaumudi 23 fn 30 fn

fn 57 fn 177 fn

Nırukta 76 fo Śısupālavadha 6, 41 fn 105 fns Nītıvakyamrta 41 fn Śrngāraprakāsa 9,271

Nyayabhasya 20 Nyāyakusumañjalı 268 fn T

Nyāyamañjarī 212 Taittıriyopanısad 15

Nyaya Sıddhanta Muktavalī 94 fn Tantravārtika 34 fn. 172, 174

198 Tarka Sangraha 15 fn

Nyaya Sutra 4, 37, 90 fn V

R Vaijayantī 79 fn

Raghuvanśa 131 Vakroktıjīvita 58, 265 fn Ramarudri 194, 200 fn Vākyapadīya 211 fn 259 fn

Rāmāyana 125, 240 Vātsyayana Bhasya 20 fm 37 fn

Rasagangadhara 6,58 fn Venisamhāra 6, 112, 125, 129,

Ratnavalī 128 238

S Vikramorvasīya 14

Śabdaśaktsprakāsıkā 212 Vivarana 182

Sahıtyādarpana 13, 222, 261 fn Vyaktıvıveka 8, 9, 134, 135, 137 fn 138 fn 141 fn. Sahrdayadarpana 8 Śamkhyakārıkā 69 fn 142 fn 143 fn 146

Śankarabhasya 21 fn fn 148 fn 149 fn

Sanskrıt Poetics 6, 7, 57, 71, 97 152 fm 153, 161

Sarasvatī Kanțhābharana 9, 10, 30 fn 213, 264, 268

fn 120 fn

fn 216 Y

fn 271 | Yogasutra 171 fn

INDEX

Poetic Blemishes

A Apakrama 33, 37, 60, 63, 84,

Abhavan matayoga 189, 201 228, 87, 273

Abhiplutartha 16,21 Apartha 33, 35, 59, 60, 273

Acārupada 100, 103 Apaśabda 165

Adhıkapada 100, 101, 189, 195, Aprasıddhartha 160

244, 245, 252 Aprasıddhı 114, 118

Ađhıkapadatva 216, 217, 225 Aprasıddhopama 273

Adhikatva 92,93 Apratita 73, 79, 103, 105, 109,

Adhıkopamā 272, 273 110, 162, 171, 244,251,

Akande prathanam 238 271

Akrama 189, 213 Aprayukta 162, 165, 183, 189,

Amataparartha 189, 213, 216 243, 251, 253 269,

Anabhıhıtavācya 186, 206, 207 271

Anaıkāntıka 270 Apusța 214, 215, 216, 217, 241,

Anangasyabhidhanam 240 251, 271

Anarthak 73, 75, 163, 271 Apustārtha 262

Anaucitya 263, 264 ArdhantaraikaVacaka 189, 200

Anavīkrta 150, 214, 223, 262 Arītimat 272

Angasya atıvıstrtıh 238 Arthadușta 29, 32

Angino'nanusandhanam 238 Arthahina 16 18

Anubhāvasya Kaşța Kalpanaya Arthantara 16, 17

Vyaktıh 236 Asădhu 73, 165, 269, 271, 272 Anucita 223, 230, 231 Asadrsatā 115

Anucitartha 162, 167, 252 Asadnopamā 273

Anuvādāyukta 214, 231 Asadrsya 42, 46, 92, 95, 242

Anyartha 29, 30, 76, 271 Asamartha 103-105, 162, 165, Apadam 272 167, 180, 181, 182, Apadamukta 228 183, 271

Apadasthapada 131, 208 Asāmayıkatva 269

Apadasthapadatā 213, 228 Asambaddha (Arthahina) 18, 109, Apadastha samasa 189, 207, 245 111

Apadayukta 214, 228, 229 Asambhava 42, 92, 95, 114, 118 Apabetu 109 Aśarīra 272

INDEX 285

Asıddha 270 E Aslila 76, 187, 214, 232, 243, Ekartha 16, 20, 26, 33, 36, 59, 273 61, 84, 219, 241, 272, Aślflartha 79 273 Asthanastha Samasa 209

109, 113, 273 G Atımātra Aucitya 9 Garbhita 108, 109, 189, 210, 245

Avacaka 29, 100, 101, 162, 167, Gatārtha 108, 109

168, 181, 182, 186,188, Gramya 73, 74, 103, 106, 109,

204 111, 162, 171, 172, 214,

Avācyavacana 152 262, 272

Avimrsța vidheyamsa 162,174,180, Gramyatva 269

182, 206 Gūdha 271

AviseSaparıvrtta 214, 226 Gūdartha 16, 76, 78, 167, 269, Avispasta 269 270

Ayukta 84, 87 Gūdha sabdabhidhāna 29,30

Ayuktımat 29,31 H B

109, 111 Hatavrtta 189, 193 Badhayat Bhagnacchanda 272 Hīnatā 42, 114 92 Bhagnaprakrama 189, 211, 252 Hĩnatva Hīnopamā 273 Bhagnayatı 272

Bhinna lınga 272 K

Bhinnartha 16,19 Kalātīta 270

Bhinnavacana 272 Kalaviruddha 90

Bhinnavrtta 33, 38, 60, 65, 81, Kalaviruddha 89

193 Kalpanādușța 29,32

C Kantı 7

Karuna 12 Cyuta Samskrtı 1 158, 161, 162, Kasta 73, 214, 218, 262, 271 181, 182, 183, 243, 269 243 Kaştatva Kathitapada 150, 189, 195, 212, D 224, 245 Desa 33, 39, 60, 66, 67, 68 Khınna 273 Desya 103, 272 Klışta 29, 76, 80, 102, 162, 173, Desaviruddha 88 180, 209, 271 Duşkrama 214, 219, 262 Kramabheda 136, 144 Duśsrava 164 Kramabhrașța 272

Duştakrama 100, 102 Krıyakārka bhramsa 270

286 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

L Punarukta 136, 214, 215, 218,

Lingabheda 42, 43, 92, 95, 114 270

Loka viruddha 88 Punaruktimat 272

Lokavıdyā viruddha 84,88 R Luptavisarga 189, 191 Rasa dosa 9, 158, 159

N Rasasya sabdavācyatā 235

Neyārtha 29, 76, 77, 78, 101, Rudhicyuta 166

162, 172, 173, 188, 272 S

Nihatartha 158, 162, 166 184, Sabdacyuta 16,24

185, 188, 243 Sabda dosa 6, 9

Nıragama 109,110 Śabdahīna 33, 37, 60, 63, 272

Nıralankāra 273 Sahacarabhınna 214, 229, 230

Nırarthaka 162, 167, 180, 181, Sakānksa 214, 227

182, 183 Samaptapunaratta, 189, 196, 198, Nirhetu 214, 220, 221, 242, 262 232, 245

Nyayādapeta 16, 22 Sandghda 84, 87, 162, 170, 171, Nyūnapada 100, 189, 199, 204, 187, 214, 220, 262, 207, 227, 244, 272, 299

252 Samdıgdhapada 220

Nyunopama 272 Samanya Sabdabheda 116

P Samkīrna 108, 189, 209

Pada-dosa 73 Sanıyama parıvrtta 214, 224

Padartha dosa 73,76 Sasamsaya 33, 36, 60, 62, 273

Paruşa 164, 273 Śavasesa 18

Patatprakarsa 189, 196, 209 245 Śrutidușta 29,31

Prakāsıta viruddha 214. 229 Śratıkașta 29, 33

Prakramabhanga 212 Éastra Viruddha 90

Prakramabheda 136, 143 Satpratıpakșa 270

Prakrtīnāna viparyayah 239 Śrutikatu 161, 180-185,190-193,

Prasiddhihata 189,210 241

Prasıddhyabhava 250 Sthayı-bhavasya Sabdavācyatā 235

Prasiddhı viruddha 214, 221, 250, T

262 Tadvan 109, 112

Pratıkūlavarna, 259fn, 188, 190, Tridhaślila 162, 169, 232

193, 209, 251, Tyakta punah Svikrta 214, 232

189 U Pratıkula-vibhavadı-grahah 237 Upahataviarga 189, 101, 183 Punah punardīptıb 237 Upamsnādhıkatva 42, 45, 115

INDEX

Verses

A Amrtam amrtam kah sandeho

Actcuruc candı kapolayos te madhuny api na nyat ha 193

Kantıdravam drag Visadah Ananda-sındhur-atıcapala-śalı-

sasankab 73 citta 178

Āda Vañjana puñja-lipta-Vapu- Anaucityad rte nanyat rasa-

sam Śvasamilollasita 185 bhangasya Karanam 126fn

Adhıkaratala-talpam Kalpita- Anumane'ntarbhavam sarva- svāpalīlā 195 syaiva dhvaneh prakasıtum 9fn, Ādhūtakesaro hastī tıksnasrngas 134fn turangamah 68 Anutsutrapadanyasa sad vrttih Adya'pi smaratı rasalasam mano sannıbandhanā 4 1fn me mugdhayah smaracaturani Anuvadyam anuktvarva na ceștitān1 84 vidheyam udfrayet 138fm 174 Adyapı stana-śaıla-durga visame simantininamhrdi 209 Anyada bhūșanam pumsah ksma lajjeva yosıtah 115 Ahankarena jfyante dvisantah kım nayasrıya 90 Anyaır anullıkhıta pūrvam

Ahrdayam asunırbhedam rasa- ıdam bruvano 135fn

vattvepy apesalam 55fn Anyas ta guna-ratna-rohana-

Ajña sakra-sıkhāmanı pranayınī bhuvo dhanya mrdanyaivasa 194

sāstranī cakşur navam 228 Apı māsam masam kuryat

Akale phalapuspānı desavidra- chando bhangam na karyet 83

vakāranam 70 Aprakrtasya caritatisayais ca

Akankşā sannıdhānañca yogyata drstair 206

cet1 ca trayam 34 Are rama-hastabharana bhasal-

Akunțho-tkanthayā pūrnam aka- śreni-sarana 232

nțham kalakanthimam 190, 251 Arthıtve prakatīkrte pi na pha-

Alam aticapalatvat svapnama- lapraptih prabhoh prayuta 227 yopamatvat 184 Asadakaranadupādānagrahanād AlingItas tatra bhavan sampa sarvasambhavābhavāt 69fn rāye jayasrıya 171 Asıtartıtugadrıcchıtsvahkşıtam Âlokya komala-kapola-tatābhi patir advidrk 31 sıkta-Vyakta-nurāgasubhagām Aśrayaıkye viruddho yah sa abhırāma-mū rtim 235 kāryo bhinnasamśrayah 247fn

INDEX 289

Asyah karnavatamsena Jitam Bhayasokābhyastīyāsu harsa-

sarvam vibhusanam 241 vismayayor apı 26fh Atıpelavam atıparımita var Bhramatı bhramarmala Kana nam laghutaram 187 nesūnmada sau 38

Atıvitata gagana saranı-prasa Bhupala-ratna nırdainya-pradana- rana-parimukta visramanandah prathitotsava 219 215 Bhu-renu digdhan-nava-Parı- Atmarupam yatha jnane jneya- jata-mālarajo vāsitā bāhu- rupam ca drsyate 211 madhyah 132fn Atrı-locana sambhāta- yotirud- C

gama-bhasibbih 173 Cakase panasaprāyaıh purī Avandhya-Kopasha vihantura sandamahadrumath 84 padām 168 Cakastı vadane tasyah smita- Avate bhavate bahur mahim cchaya-vikasinah 95

arnavasakvarīm 64 Cakrīcakrārapanktım harır apı Avıgāhyo'sı nārīnam ananya- ca 250

manasam apı 43 Candalair iva yusmabhih sāha- AvıseSena purvokta n yadı bhu sam paramam krtam 92, 251 yo'pı kīrtyate 61fn Candrakaleva sugauro vāta iva Ayam padmīsanāsīnas cakra- jagāma yah samutsrjya 116

vāko virājate 45 Candram gata padama-gunīn Ayam sa resanotkarsf pina stana- na bhunkte 242

Vimardhanah 248 Capacaryas tripura-vijayī kārtı-

Aye mamodasıtameva jıhvayā Leyo vijeyah 186,205

dvaye'pı tasmınnanatı prayo- Catura-sakhijana-vacanaır atı- ane 17fn vāhitavāsara vinodena 115 Ayı pasyası saudham asrıtām Catvaro vayamrtvijah sa bhaga Aviralasumanomalabharinīm vān karmopadesța harıh 205 23,81 Cintimohan anangam anga B tanute vipreksitam 85

Bandhutyāgas tanutyāgo deśa- Cırakālaparıprāpti-locanānda-

tyaga itı trisu 63 dāyınī 179

Bhaktya mam abhianati yavan Cudāmanīkrtavidhur 199

yas casmi tattvatah 91fn Cumbatīva rajanimukham sası 147 Bhana taruni ramana-mandı- D

ram anandasyandı-sundarendu- Dakşatmaja-dayıta vallabha-ve- mukhı 251 dıkanām 80

Bhavo yatha tatha' bhavah Desah so'yam aratı sonitajalaır karanam kāryavan matam 268fn yasmın hradah pūritāh 190 19

290 CONCEPT OF POETIC BELMISHES IN SANSKRIT POETICS

Devatabhaktıto muktir na tat- Gudhartham aprasiddhartham tvajñana sampada 90 prayogam bruvate budhah 166 Devatanam Isīnamca rajnam Gunah krtātma-samskarah pra- cotkrsta medhasam 14fn dhanam pratipadyate 249 Dhīro-vinīto nipuno varākaro H nrpo'tra sah 191 Dhvanyatmabhute srngare yama- Ha dhık sī kila tāmasīsasimukhī

kadınıbandhanam 12fn drsta mayā yatra sī 168

Dine dine sa parivardhamana Ha nrpa ha budha ha kaviban-

labdhodaya cāndramasīva dho 194

rekha 14 Hantum eva pravrttasya stab- Dosam vyaktıvıveke'mum kavı- dhasya vivaraıınah 32, 232 lokavilocane 135,264 Hanyate sa vararoha smarena' Dvayam gatam samprati soca- kānda vairina 61

nīyatam 213 Hasatı hasatı svaminy uccai Dvadasa rddhardha locanah 102 rudaty apı rodıtt 146 He hamsa deh kantām sī me

Elātakkolanagasphuta bakula- bhavatā hrtet kım mithyā 114

lata candanaspandanadhyah 57 He hasta daks na mrtasya sısor

Etasam rajatı Sumanasam dīma dvijasya 139

kanthavalamlı 81 Etan-manda vipakva-tınduka- Idam andhantamah krtsnam phala syamodarāpāndura 164 Jayeta bh iwanatrayam 39 fn Esam dosī yathayogam-sambha- Idam te lenoktan kathaya vanto'pı kecana 250 Lamalatanka-vadane 221 Ekasrayatve nirdoso nairantarye Indupāda i sisirāh sprsanti 65

virodhavān 132fn Ekavākye prabandhe vā purvā- para parahatam 60fn Jagada madhuram vacam visa Ehi gaccha pato'ttisțha vada daksarasāļınīm 86

maunam samacara 248 Jagatı jayinas te te bhava navendu-Lal-dayah 218 G Jahı śatrukalam krıtsnam jaya Gata te kīrtir bahuphenam visvambharam fmam 60 jaladhım ullanghya 111 Jalam jaladhare kşīram ayam Grathnāmı kāvya-sasınam vita varsatı variđah 168 tartha-rasmım 95,252 Janghakandorunālo nakha- Grhitam yena'sih paribhava- kırana-lasat kesarālt karalah bhayan nocitamapı 220 169, 206

INDEX 291

Jugopa'tmanam atrasto bheje Kastam katham roditi phut- dharmam anaturah krteyam 74 Jvaram bhun,ita sañjatamala- Kävyam yasaserthakrte vyavahar pākam cirasthitam 19 vide 98 fn

K Kavyasyātmā dhvanırıtı

Kadamba-kusumasmeram budhaih yah samāmnāta

madhau vanam asobhata 89 pūrvah 153

Kah kah kutra na ghurghura- Kım bhasıtena bahuna Rupa-

yıta-ghurī ghoro ghūret skandhasya santı me na gunāh 74

sukarah 196 Kımındrıya dvisā jneyam Lo

Kalā ca sā kīntimatī kalāvatas mırapriyate ribhıh 54 fn

tvam asya lokasya ca netra- K mıtı na pasyası kopam pāda- kaumudī 145 natam bahugunam grhanemam Kalā samkalanāprajñā sılpānya- 108, 209 syas ca gocarah 40 Kım ucyate'sya bhūpata-mauli- Kalınga nlıkhıtam idam vayasya mala mahamunch 188 patram patrajñair apatita- kotıkantakāgram 90 Kīrtıpratāpau bhavatah sūryā-

Kallola-vellita-dıSat-parusa- candramasoh samau 88

prahirair ratnāny Krenkārah smar-kārmukasya amin makaralaya ma'va-mamsthah 226 surata-krīda-pikīnam ravo 196

Kamale iva locane ime anuban- Krtam anumatam drStam va yai dhnti vilasa-paddhatıh 83 rıdam guru-patakam 219

Kamena vānā nısıta vimuktah Ksipto hastāvalagnah prasa-

mrgeksanasu 65 bham abhihato pyadadānom- Kanakaphalaka caturasram sukāntam 248

sronı-bımbam 93 Kuvalayam iva dīrghe tava Kante indusiroratne adadhane nayane 117 udamsuni 39, 106 Kvacid agre prasarata kvacı Kapilair asadudbhutih sthana dapatya nıghnata 45 evopavarnyate 68 Kara-kalıta-nsātotkhata-khad- Kvākāryam sasa-laksmanah kva ca kulam bhūyo pi drsyeta sa 246 gagradhara 149 Karpūradhulı-dhavala-dyutı- Kvanu yāsyantı varākās taru-

pūra 236 kusumarasaikalalsa madhupah 113 Karpurapadapamarsasurabhır malayanılah 67 L

Kasmın karmanı sāmarthyam Lagnah kelikaca-grahaslatha- asya nottapatetarām 187 jata-lamhena nidrantare 208