Thinking Activity: Indian poetics & Aesthetic
This blog is a response to the thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad from the Department of English at MKBU, focusing on Indian Poetics. Throughout this discussion, I aim to delve into several fundamental concepts of Indian Poetics, including Rasa, Riti, Vakrokti, Alankara, Dhvani, and Auchitya. Notably, these lectures on Indian Aesthetics were delivered by the eminent Gujarati Writer, Poet, and Critic, Prof. Vinod Joshi.
Introduction:
Indian aesthetics, rooted in Sanskrit philosophy, embodies the essence of poetic power and profound meaning. It serves as a conduit for expressing Indian culture through its unique aesthetic principles. From visual arts to literature, music, and dance, Indian aesthetics encompasses a wide array of artistic expressions, all guided by a rich philosophical foundation that emphasizes the appreciation of beauty and the sensory experience within the context of Indian traditions.
Indian aesthetics focuses on the connection between beauty, emotion, and spirituality, drawing from ancient philosophical traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of "rasa," representing the essence or emotion of art, is key. It aims to evoke specific feelings in the audience, offering insights into the deeper meaning of beauty and the complexities of artworks. Rasa helps differentiate between merely seeing and truly observing art.
Indian aesthetic principles encompass more than just visual beauty; they delve into the essence of the divine, convey deep emotions, and harmonize with spiritual aspects of existence. These principles differ across India's regions and art forms, showcasing the nation's rich cultural diversity. Critics strive to uncover uniqueness, novelty, and intrigue within this vast aesthetic landscape.
1. Rasa:
The rasa theory originates with Bharat in Natyasastra. The major questions being discussed by Bharatmuni in his theory “ The Natyasastra” are how was drama born? How should one built a theatre , dance like…….’ Tandav’ The different varities , prosody music employed in drama , the nature of Rasa and Bhava etc. He has given an analytical theory as far as Rasa is concerned.
Natyasastra also known as “ Pancham Ved.” Bharatmuni wrote Natyasastra through the advice of Brahma because common people wanted some aesthetic delight or pleasure in between their regular or common life.
The nine types of rasa in Indian aesthetics are essential for grasping the true beauty of artwork. There is a Sanskrit shloka that encapsulates this concept.
"श्रृंगार करुण वीर
रौद्र हास्य भयानका।
बिभत्सादभूत शांतश्व
नव नाट्ये रसा: स्मृता ।।"
“rasa and emotions cannot be expressed directly through words, their essence being immediate experience; so they can be only suggested by words”
-Bharatmuni
"विभावनुभावव्यभिचारी संयोगादरसनिष्पति"
~भरतमुनि
Here this sentence meanings that ‘Vibhav’ And ‘Anubhav’ emotions are coincidental than Rasa has been increase of play and some kind of things. The Rasa theory is built around the concept of bhava which is subdivided into:
Vibhav (विभाव): Emotion arise because of Vibhav ex. "Abhignan shakuntalam" by Kalidas :Dushyant and Shakuntala
Two types of Vibhav:
1.Aalamban Vibhav (By this we get a Rasa)
2. Uddipan Vibhav (Nature expression, proper situations for Rasa)
Anubhav (अनुभव) : (Reaction of Bhavak).ex. ખેમી અને ધનિયો by રા. વી . પાઠક
Vyabhichari Bhav(वयभिचारिभाव):"Vyabhichari Bhav" refers to brief emotional expressions
Sanyog( संयोग):The combination of appropriate ingredients and correct procedures in Bhava's formulation results in the extraction of specific essences, known as "rasa."
In short" The combination of Vibhava, Anubhav, Vyabhichari Bhava means coincidence( sanyog)"
Ex.Dushyant and sakuntala (love)<sanyog
Now discuss of critics , critisism of rasa.
1. Bhatt lolltt( ભટ્ટ લોલ્લટ્ટ)
2.Shree shankuk ( શ્રી શંકુક )
3.Bhatt nayak ( ભટ્ટ નાયક)
4.Abhinavgupt ( અભિનવગુપ્ત)
* Bhatt lolltt:
"In what does the essence lie?"
"Bhatt Lolt's view is called उत्पतिवाद"
* Shree shankuk:
"Rasa does not exist, it is only speculated."
"Shri Shankuk refers to this opinion as अनुमितीवाद."
* Bhatt Nayak:
"Rasa is typically manifested."
Bhatt Nayak's view is called "साधारिककरणवाद" .
* Abhinavgupt:
"When the intense light of productivity, speculation, and distribution shines forth, then the realization of rasa occurs."
2. Dhvani:
the Dhvani theory of Anandavardhana considers suggestion “Dhvani” as the essence of poetry and ” “vyanjana” as the medium of literary creation and communication its propagator Anandavardhana carried forward tradition elevating the level of discussion on the essence of the poetry.
The most important point is this theory main concept found of ‘Anandvardhana’ and his book – ‘Dhvanyalok’ is very naturally clarify that poem and play vital role of dhvani and words sounds. Andandvardhan has critically principal in that poet kind of in poem and he was use of term dhvani to designed the universe of suggestion.
"Language is not wrong if understood"
Ex. ( હરિવર મુંજને હરી ગયો?) By નિરંજન ભગત
Ex. (તમારી લાલ પેન્સીલ મને આપો. )
In short ,
શબ્દ + અર્થ = " ધ્વનિ"
The essence of poetry lies in Dhvani, where words convey deeper meanings beyond their apparent definitions. This symbolic layer of interpretation breathes life into poetry, allowing words to resonate with multiple layers of significance.
Acarya Mammata divided Dhvani in three parts.
Abhidha: Direct meaning.
Lakshana: not direct meaning.
Vaynjana: take direct meaning but not prominent idea.
(ધ્વનિ એટલે પ્રતીયમાન અર્થ)
Ex. ( મીઠા મધુ ને મીઠા મેહુલા રે...)
Now discuss of three parts of dhvani.
1) vastu dhvani
2) alankar dhvani
3) rasa dhvani
1. Sound is the thing that expresses thought ( vastu dhvani)
2. Use of ornaments ( alankar dhvani)
3. The ornamentation becomes secondary and the rasdhvani unexpected( rasadhvani)
ધ્વનિ એ કાવ્યનો " આત્મા" છે.
3. વક્રોક્તિ (Vakrokti)
Vakrokti is theory of language of literature. KUNTANK was father of this theory and development of idea about simple and different way of performance.
વક્ર + ઉકિત = વક્રોક્તિ
Vakra :- Crooked indirect or unique.
Ukti :- Poetic expression or speech
According to Kuntaka it would be too fastidious to expect any single standard applicable to the appeal of all poetry because there can be a hundred and one different reason for the peal of different poems to men of taste.For kantaka even dhvani may be one of the important features for the expression of the poets’ Pratibha or genius.
शब्दार्थौ सहितौ वक्र कवि व्यापारशालिनि।
बन्धे व्यवस्थितौ काव्यं तद्विदाह्लादकारिणी।।
Vakrokti of kuntaka is a synonym for the principles of beauty underlying all kinds of poetic language. It is also strongly connected with vaichitrya (streakiness) and vichchitti (beauty).
Kuntaka has classified forms of vakrokti in six fold.
4.(Alamkara)
Previously the science of poetics was known as alamkara-shastra. Though there were rasa ,guna, riti, the importance was given to almkara and thus the whole science was called as alamkara-shastra. When the dhvani school becomes dominating this name seems to be improper. Then this science called as 'Sahityshastra.
Bhamaha is considered as a founder of this school. Udbhatta, Dandi, Rudrata, Jayadeva all these are the followers of this school. This school believes that there is rasa(emotion), riti ( a special style of writing) in the kavya (poetry) but the alamkara is dominating feature of it.
1.Shabdalamkara :- Shabda + Alamkar (The meaning of sound.)
2. Arthalamkara :- Artha + Alamkar ( The meaning of word & thoughts.)
Upama or smile :
Upama Alankar, also known as the figure of speech of analogy, is a rhetorical device where a comparison is made between two objects or ideas that are essentially different but share some common characteristics."The moon's beauty was like a silver coin floating in the dark sky."In this example, the beauty of the moon is compared to the appearance of a silver coin, emphasizing its brightness and clarity.
Rupaka or Metaphor:
Rupaka alankara is a figure of speech in classical Sanskrit poetry. It's a form of metaphor where something is described in terms of its resemblance to something else. It's often used to enhance the beauty and imagery of poetry.
"Her laughter is a melody that fills the air with joy."In this example, laughter is compared to a melody, highlighting its pleasant and uplifting nature.
Anuprasa or Alliteration:
Anuprasa alankar is a figure of speech in Sanskrit poetics where words beginning with the same letter or sound are used in succession, creating a rhythmic and harmonious effect in poetry or prose.
"सुन्दर सारी सुंदरता से सजी हुई थी।"
In this example, the repetition of the "स" (sa) sound in the words "सुंदर" (sundar), "सारी" (saari), and "सुंदरता" (sundarta) creates the Anuprasa alankar, enhancing the rhythm and beauty of the sentence.
Vakrokti or Irony:
Vakrokti alankara is a concept in Indian poetics that refers to "twisted expression" or "oblique expression." It's a literary device where the meaning of a sentence is conveyed indirectly or in a twisted manner, often through suggestion, irony, or metaphor. It's commonly used in poetry to add depth and richness to the language.
"મરણ જરૂર નહિ, જીવન આવશ્યક નહિ
આદમી વ્યર્થ માં મારા, માણવો જીવવાનું નહિ"
In this example,Vakrokti alankara to convey the idea that life is not just about survival but also about living with purpose.
Dwani or Suggestion:
"Dwani alankar" is a term from Indian classical music theory. "Dwani" means sound, and "alankar" refers to ornamentation or embellishment. In music, Dwani alankar refers to various techniques used to decorate or embellish musical phrases, such as gamakas (ornamental oscillations), meend (gliding between notes), and murki (quick ornamentation). These techniques add beauty and complexity to the music.
5.(Riti)
'रीतिरात्मा काव्यस्य; विशिष्टापदरचना रीति: |'
The riti School of poetics is represented fully by its chief exponent Vamana.Vamana's riti is anticipated in the marga of the south Indian writer Dandi, author of kavyadarsha. The distinctions between the vaidarbha style and the gaudya style was known even to Bhamasha , the earliest important writer who was in against of praising the vaidarbha and condemning the gaudya , and said that both style have their own place in good literature.But in Dandin we find the earlier partiality for vaidarbha and aversion to gaudiya given great prominence.He defined them in his own way to suit his theory of Riti and stated that at the gunas existed clearly and fully in the Vaidarbha riti which only a few of them exited in other ritis.
To the early styles vaidarbha and gaudiya style of ancient writers. Vamana added a third one called Panchali all these are geographical names and suggest the style popular in those regions and he defines these ritis in his own way:
i. Vaidarbha: According to vamana vaidarbha is that style which is untouched by even the slightest blemish, which is full of all the qualities and which is a scoot as the lute.
ii. Gaudiya style: the gaudiya style is characterized by Ojas and Kanti but it devoid of madhurya and saukumaryo it is full of long compound and bombastic words.
iii. Panchali : panchali is the style which has the qualities of Madhurya and saukumarya and is devoid of ojas and kanti. It is soft and resemble the puranic style
6. Auchitya:
Kshemendra made ‘Auchitya’ the defines Auchitya as the property of an expression being an exact and appropriate analogue of the expressed. The theory of property or appropriateness claims that in all aspect of literary composition. There is the possibility of a perfect, the, most appropriate choice of subject, of ideas, of words, of devices as such, it has affinities with Longinus’s theory of the sublime.
The concept of propriety with reference to custom, subject, characters and sentiment recourse in almost all theorists and is often discussed in association with figures of speech, guan, dosh and rites.
Thank You...
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