Schools of Indian Poetics

Welcome readers, I'll be continuing my blog on the Indian Poetics and Aesthetics. For previous information have a look at thise LINK .

Schools of Poetics 

1. Rasa i.e the aesthetic pleasure of school by Bharatmuni.

2. Alankara i.e the poetic figure of school by Bhamah.

3. Riti i.e the style of writing in the school by Vaman.

4. Guna i.e to attribute.

5. Dhvani (suggestion) school (by Anand Vardhan).

6. Vakrokti (obliquity) school (by Kuntaka).

7. Anumana (inference) school.

8. Aucitya (propriety) school (by Kshemendra).

                      

Alankara (अलंकार)

Bhamah says that, the poet who does'nt know the use of ornaments in the poem or work, is not a poet. 

Alankara is a Sanskrit term that refers to the essence of poetic beauty. It encompasses the various principles and techniques used to beautyfy literary compositions with figurative language and artistic expression. In a narrower sense, Alankara specifically refers to the use of tropes or figures of speech to enhance the aesthetic quality of a text. Throughout history, scholars from Bharata to Mammata have provided detailed definitions and discussions of these figures of speech and their usage in literature.

The earliest reference to the term Alankar can be been found in Bharata's Natyashastra, which was written sometime between 200 BC and 200 AD.

Shabdalankar(શબ્દાલંકાર)

Shabda (Word) + Alankar (Ornaments)) = Shabdalankar

Meaning is created through words is called Shabdalankara.

1. Yamak (Homonym)

Homonyms are words that share the same spelling or pronunciation but have distinct meanings and origins.

Examples:

1. You have to teach him that getting wreak is not a good thing.

2. Where does these bad reek come from.

2. Anupras (Alliteration)

The use of the same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words or syllables in close proximity is known as alliteration.

Example:

1. Bright blue butterflies buzzed by.

2. Fearful foxes fled fast.

3. Shlesh (Pun)

Puns are a type of wordplay that involves using words that have multiple meanings or that sound similar but have different meanings. Among the figures of speech, puns are often regarded as the most fascinating and entertaining.

Example:

1. “I really wanted a camouflage shirt, but I couldn’t see one.”

2. A drawing of a piece of wood dressed as a king could be a “ruler.”

Arthalankar(અર્થાલંકાર)

Artha (Meaning) + Alankar (Ornaments) = Arthalankar

Artalankara is a figure of speech in which a meaning is conveyed through another meaning or comparison.

1. Upama (simile)

A simile is a figure of speech that compares a person or thing to another, emphasizing their similarities.

Kalidasa's simile is considered the best. 

 Example:

1. His laughter filled the room like a bells.

2. The book was  as heavy as break.

2. Rupaka (metaphor)

A metaphor is a literary device in which a word or phrase representing one thing is substituted for another to imply a comparison or similarity between them.

Example:

1. The sun was a gleaming pearl.

2. The car seat is a fluffy cloud.

3. Atishyokti (Hyperbole)

Hyperbole is a figure of speech where intentional exaggeration is used to emphasize a point or to create a heightened effect, rather than being taken literally.

Examples:

1. I have told you million times.

2. I'm dying of laughter.

Vakrokti

Vakrokti is also a theory of language of literature. It claims that the characteristic property of literary language is its "markedness ". It deviates in identifiable ways from ordinary language in its form and in the way it constitutes meaning. 

Kuntaka made Vakrokti a full-fledged theory of literariness. He defines Vakrokti as " both words and meanings marked by artistic turn of speech."

शब्‍दार्थौ सहितौ वक्र कवि व्‍यापारशालिनि।

बन्धे व्‍यवस्थितौ काव्‍यं तद्विदाह्लादकारिणी।।

Vakrokti literally means Vakra Ukti, deviant or marked expression, and can also mean special denotation. It may be properly translated as " markedness ".

 Kuntaka classifies vakrokti under six heads (In Vakroktijoita) :

• In syllables or their arrangements
• Banayake in the base substantives 
• In inflected forms of substantives
• In sentences, including figures of speech 
• In topics or sections 
• In the whole composition

Riti (Mode of Expression)

Vamana was one of the most brilliant Rhetoricians who roughly belong to the late 8th and the mid-9th century. He can conventionally located after Bharata and Bhamaha, yet surely not after Abhinav Gupta, Ananda-Vardhanam or Mammata. His expertise of examination into the discipline of a Kavya is known as the theory of Riti.

Riti or style (not necessarily in the modern sense) is first discussed implicitly in Natya Sastra when different kinds of vacikabhinay are discussed and can be linked to the theory of dosa guna.

Riti is a theory of language of literature. It is Vamana who developed it into a theory, though it is described for the first time in Bharata's Nāṭyasastra under the rubric of vrtti. As the theory of visista padaracana, Riti is a theory of formation of or arrangement of marked inflected constructions.

Auchitya

The theory of propriety or appropriateness claims that in all aspects of literary composition, there is the possibility of a perfect, the most appropriate choice of subject, ideas of words , or devices.

For Kshemendra, Auchitya is the Aatma(Soul) of Literature.

Kshemendra made aucitya the central element of literariness . He defines aucitya as the property of an expression (signifier) being an exact and appropriate analog of the expressed.

Dhvani

Anandavardhan's Dhvanyaloka. A lot of attention is given to poets like Anandavardhan who aim to look at poetry beyond its literal limits. Unlike the Mimamsa which are concerned with structural, grammatical and stylistic arrangements of poetry, Anandavardhan reaches beyond this into a secondary meaning or purpose (dhvani).Abhidha (The denotative function): The first meaning that comes across while reading the sentence is Abhidha. The meaning unfolds on the basis of the word.

Anandvardhan gave the concept of Pratiyaman dhvani i.e. Pratiyaman artha which is accompanied by both word and meaning.

• Lakshana (The indicative function)
• Lakshnik Arth(meaning) is to be taken.
• Lakshnik Arth: The original meaning excluded and the meaning to be taken.

मुख्यार्थबाधे तद्योगे रूढ़ितोऽथ प्रयोजनति्।

अन्योऽर्थों लक्ष्यते यत् सा लक्षणारोपिता क्रिया॥

Example: I live near a seaside view.

All idioms are in Lakshana.

Vyanajana (The suggestive function)

From which the direct meaning can be found but it is not to be taken.

Rasa Sampradaya is based on Bhava while Dhvani Sampradaya is based on Shabda and Artha.

 Word (Shabda) + Meaning(Artha) = Sound(Dhvani)

In which the word and meaning become secondary and that which  Pratiyaman Artha the apparent meaning is called sound.

Pratiyaman Artha:  

What is not said and what is understood is called Pratiyaman Artha means Dhvani.

Example: Ate the head.

'It became dark', which literally means the light has gone, which literally means someone has died, which is called sound.

The Dhvani has been compared to the beauty of a woman which does not fit the description of elegance (beauty) and the same has been done for the sound.

Conclusion

Indian poetics and aesthetics represent a rich tapestry of philosophical depth, cultural diversity, and artistic expression. From the ancient treatises of Bharata's Natya Shastra to the lyrical verses of Kalidasa, the Indian tradition to summarize a holistic understanding of beauty, emotion, and narrative. Through its exploration of rasa, bhava, and alankara, Indian poetics not only delves into the mechanics of literature but also offers profound insights into the human experience. Its enduring influence continues to resonate across art forms, inspiring generations to seek harmony, and the eternal pursuit of aesthetic perfection.

Here below I'm attaching one video through which it would be easy to understand these concept. 

I hope these would be beneficent. 

Thank you 🌻