387. DHVANI SCHOOL 391

DHVANI SCHOOL 391

persuasive way. When ध्वनि or रस is said to be the soul of poetry (काव्यस्यात्मा ध्वनिरिति) it is virtually employing the language of the Upanisads about आत्मन् and आनन्द (आनन्दो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानाव). There is a remarkable similarity between the aesthetic experience on reading a poem or on seing a good drama and the spiritual experience derived from the vedanta discipline by one who has realized and contemplates upon the one Reality. It is there- fore that Mammata speaks of rasa as 'ब्रह्मास्वादमिवानुभावयन्'. But there are differences between the two experiences. Art experi- ence does not last long, vanishes when the stimulus is with- drawn, while the bliss of one who has reached the brāhmi- sthiti is permanent. Art experience does not necessarily rcquire moral elevation, while blissful spiritual life is not possi- ble without moral discipline. Before the theory of safa secured general acceptancc, it had to pass through an ordeal of fierce criticism at the hands of प्रतीहारेन्दुराज (pp. 80-86, Nir.), वक्रोक्ति- जीवित, भट्टनायक and महिमभट्ट. Vide 'Indian Culture', vol. XI pp. 233-241 on 'a historical and critical survey of Dhvani theory', 'Anandavardhana's treatment of rasa in relation to Dhvani' J. O.R.Madras vol. 17 pp. 80-91, and 'treatment of ध्वनि, गुख, रीति and वृत्ति' in Journal of Bom. Un. vol. 18 part 2 pp.57-72, all by Dr. K. Krishnamoorthy. 14 The divisions of Poetry. As in modern works poetry is divided into epic, lyric, dramatic, so in Sanskrit works also it is so divided. Classification of poetry is made from various stand-points. The first divison made by auet is into गद्य, पद and मिश्र. While most English critics are agreed that versification is a sine qua non for poetry (though Prof. Moulton and a few others maintain the opposite view), all Sanskrit writers on Poetics are unanimous that versification is not a necessary condition of poetry. Not only so but a few like Vamana say 'गधं कवीनां निकषं वदन्ति' (काव्या. सू. on I. 3.21). दएडी then speaks under पद्य of सगबन्ध (or महाकाव्य an epic) and मुक्तक (a single verse), कुलक (five श्लोकs), कोष and सङ्वात (compi- lations of unconnected verses). Under ra he refers to ur, आख्यायिका, चम्पू. The मिश्र kauya is constituted by नाटक and other varieties of plays. दएडी also divides काव्य into संस्कृत, प्राकृत and अपभ्रंश; while रुद्रट (II. 31) divides it into six, संस्कृत, प्राकृत, मागध, पिशाच, शूरसेन and अपभ्र श. For भामह's divisions of काव्य, vide p. 82 above. वामन divides काव्य into गध and पद्य; thc former into