Indian Poetics

Hello Friends,

From the ages, different scholars have tried to defined Kavya in different manners. Among them all, scholars have tried to discover soul of Kavya. Kavya is just like that one cannot easily define or give any punctuation marks indeed it is the experience of enjoyment. Aristotle has defined in his Poetics but it rather deals with simply two aspects or Rasas pity and fear, while Indian Poetic is easy and yet much deeper Poetics. Different Scholars have introduced various mimansas about poetics. Western Poetics deals with the result of the poetry while Indian Poetics deals with process of poetry. In Indian Poetics, external tools can help to understand poetry. According to Indian Poetics  “Literary Criticism is Literary Philosophy.”

The Sanskrit word for literature is SAHITY, which etymologically means coordination, balance, concord and contact. In the Indian Poetics definition of literature defined as kavya as Aristotle defines “Poetics”.  It enhances beauty and worth  but there is spine line difference between Indian Poetics and Western Poetics.

In this blog, I am discussing about different schools dealing with the process of poetry according to Indian Poetics

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Schools	Founder	Text In which School is introduced
School Of RASA	Bharatamuni	Natyashashtra
School of ALAMKARA	Bhamaha	Kavyalamkar
School of RITI	Vamana	Kavyalamkarasutra
School of DVANI	Anandvrdhana	Dhvnyaloka
School of VAKROKTI	Kuntaka	Vakroktijivit
School of AUCITYA	Kshemendra	Aucityavichara

(1)School of Rasa

Bharatamuni is the one who first gave Indian Mimansa.Acoording to him, language and voice are very different and just because of this it is impossible to settle everything in language as language is immortal while emotions/Bhavas are mortal. Rasa is spine of the poetry. Rasa theory is superior among all theories.

T. N. Shreekantaiyya says that, “The principle of Rasa is the very central part of Indian poetics. It is the nectar that founders or thinkers have obtained after churning the ocean of poetry.”

What is RASA? 

“A blending of various Bhavas arise certain emotion, accomplice by thrill and a sense of joy is Rasa.” In the sixth chapter of Natyashashtra he explains NATYARASA and RASA as the soul of poetry.  विभावानुभावव्याभिचारी संयोगात रसनिष्पत्ति । 

He has mentioned nine Rasas in Natysastra with its colour and god.

श्रृंगार-वीर-करुणाद्भुत-हास्‍य-भयानका: । 

बीभत्‍सरौद्रौ शान्‍तश्‍च रसा: नव प्रकीर्तिता: ।।

Sentiments	Bhavas
Erotic	Attractiveness
Comic	Mirth
Furious	Furg
Pathetic	Tragedy
Odious	Aversion
Heroic	Heroic Mood
Bhayanaka	Horror
Adbhutam	Wonder
Shantam	Peace

Worthy to note that RASA comes out only because of these four BHAVAS Vibhav, Anubhav,  Sancharibhav, Sthayibhav and Sthayibhav. Natysastra is foundation of fine arts in India.

Vibhav	Anubhav	Sancharibhav	Sthayibhav
Emotions arises because of Vibhav	Reaction of Bhavaka	Comes and go	Mirth, love, sorrow etc.

There are four critics of Bharatmuni’s  Rasa theory and they have increased this concept.

Four Critics of RASA theory
Bhatta Lollata	Creationism
Shree Shankuka	Permissiveism
Bhatta Nayaka	Nepotism
Abhinavagupta	Expressionism

(2)School of Alamkara

Bhamaha is the first who introduced alamkara poetics. Second and third chapter of KAVYALLAMKARA deals with 35 figures of speech.

Alamkara
Arthalamkara	Shbdalamkara
Vastava (Realistic)	Swdt (Eluviation)
Anupamaya (Comparison)	Slesa (paronomasia)
Astisaya (Exaggeration)	Citra (Pectoris)
Slesa (Coalescence)	Yamaka (Repetition)
	Anuprasa (Alliteration)

Mammata enumerates sixty-one figures and groups them into seven types like…

1.Upma(simile)

2.Rupaka(Metaphor)

3.Aprastuta Prasmsa(Indirect decription)

4.Dipaka(Stringed figures)

5.Vyatreka(Dissimilitude)

6.Virodha(Contradiction)

7.Samuccaya(Concatenation)

(3)School of Riti

Riti is the way of presentation or the style of presentation. He is one who developed it into a theory of “Vishista Padrracana” . Riti is a formation of arrangement of marked inflected constructions.  Vamana’s scheme of the Gunas can tabulated thus:

Sabda Gunas	Artha Gunas
Ojas or compactness of word structure	Ojas or maturity of conception
Prasad or laxity of structure	Prasads, clearness  of meaning by avoidance of superiority
Kanti or brilliance	Kanti or prominence of Rasas

• ·       four types of styles.

Types of styles

Vaidrbhi style

Panchali style

Gaudi style

Lati style

(4) School of Dvani

Dhvani means The suggestive quality of poetic language. Another regards to this sense of poetry next school of thinkers, known as SCHOOL OF DVANI headed by Anandbardhan. He points that it is not the literal, simple or direct and referential meaning that poetry properly expresses, but it suggests indirect and emotive meaning. Hence, through the words of a poem must be given their due importance and the same with regard to the literal sense the denote, yet both the words and their direct meaning to express itself. The theory proposed in Dhvnyaloka by Anabdvardhana is known as the name of “Dhvani”. ‘Dhvnyaloka’  is itself a huge compendium of poetry and poetics.

This image shows types of Dhavni and what are chief factors or points regarding this. It also throws some lights upon how these three are different from each other and what are their prominent role in poem. It also symbolizes whether this is beyond the physical reality or it is in our hand. 

This is what we called "Figures of Speech".

·        Dhvani is inoexiatent.

·        Dhvani is something beyond the realm of words.

·        Dhvani is a product of inference and is to be include under Lksana.

(1)Abhidha – Direct meaning

(2)Lakshna – We have direct meaning but we have to take another one.

(3)Vyanjana – There is the existence of direct meaning yet we have to use another meaning of word.

(5)School of Vakrokti

Kuntaka is known as the orinator of this Sanskrit literary theory. Vakrokti is a theory of poetry which perceiveives poetry essentially in terms of the language of its expressions. Here Vakrokti turns into beauty.

Kuntakawas a Sanskrit poetician and literary theorist of who is remembered for his work Vakroktijīvitam in which he postulates the Vakrokti Siddhānta or theory of Oblique Expression, which he considers as the hallmark of all creative literature. 

This image is showing types of Vakrokti and each type consists its own value in poem.

(6)School of Aucitya

Kshemendra’s discussions of the principle of Aucitya is from the point of view of both the writer and the reader and is articulated in its given cultural and philosophical context. Kshemendra made aucitya spine elements of literarinmess. He defines aucitya as the property of an expression being an exact and appropriate analogue of the expressed.

Whatever I have described here is specially guided by Respected Poet Vinod Joshi sir, while having expert leacture at Department of English,MKBU during Six days' sessions upon Indian Poetics. Thus, loyal and genuine thanks to Joshi sir for guideline and enhancing knowledge about our Indian Poetics which is close to  us though we were aloof from that.

Thank you.