Assignment : 109 criticism

 

Assignment 

Paper No : 109 criticism 

Topic : Indian Poetics 

Name : Sangita Kantariya 

Roll No: 19

Enrollment : 4069206420210015

Semester: MA Sem2 

Year : 2022- 23

Submitted by : S.B.Gardi Department of English, MKBU 

   Indian Poetics 

Indian Poetic theory is very old and the most interesting literary as well as philosophical and cultural discussion of Indian or better to say Sanskrit Literature. Sanskrit is regarded as ‘Dev-Vani’ (the language of gods), not all folk can possess the ability to understand and read Sanskrit literature. Earlier, great Sanskrit scholars had expertise in describing things that are usually hard to observe in nature. The prosperous tradition of Indian aesthetics is said to have begun from Bharat Muni in and around 1st century.

                      As there is ‘Western Criticism’ and can be called ‘Poetics’ as a proper canon, similarly, in Sanskrit there is a particular canon of Sanskrit Criticism which is usually bannered as ‘Kavya Mimamsa’ and which acts like an umbrella for various schools developed by scholarly thinkers. The various schools or theories in Indian Aestheics are

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.

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

School of Rasa

In Indian aesthetics, a rasa (Sanskrit: रस) literally means "nectar, essence or taste". It connotes a concept in Indian arts about the aesthetic flavour of any visual, literary or musical work that evokes an emotion or feeling in the reader or audience but cannot be described.

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

School of Alamkara

Alankara, also referred to as palta or alankaram, is a concept in Indian classical music and literally means "ornament, decoration". An alankara is any pattern of musical decoration a musician or vocalist creates within or across tones, based on ancient musical theories or driven by personal creative choices, in a progression of svaras. The term alankara is standard in Carnatic music, while the same concept is referred to as palta or alankara in Hindustan music. 

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)

School of Dhvani :

Then he discussed about School of Dhvani.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 Anandvardhan. 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 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.

School of Vakrokt

The theory of Vakrokti and its significance in Literature. It has much more resemblance to stylistics. Vakrokti is the theory of Language and the formation of words. It is the formation of two words-

‘Vakra’ + ‘Ukti’ = “Vakrokti’

"वेदग्ध्यभंगीभणिती इति वक्रोक्ती।"

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. 

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.

We can see this aucitya with the connection of The Old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and Myth of Sysiphus by Albert Camus.

School of Riti

Acharya Vamana (latter half of the 8th century - early 9th century) was an Indian rhetorician.

Vamana's investigation into the nature of a Kavya is known as the theory of Riti.

Vamana's Kavyalankara Sutra is considered as the first attempt at evolving a philosophy of literary aesthetics. He regarded that riti is the soul of Kavya. He presented his formulations in the form of Sutras

indian aesthetics is Indian art evolved with an emphasis on inducing special spiritual or philosophical states in the audience, or with representing them symbolically. taste and mind. Rasas are created by bhavas. They are described by Bharata Muni in the Nātyasāstra, an ancient work of dramatic theory.

Thank you