Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c79.27

v2.c79.27

After the *alaṃkāras*, comes the treatment of ten *doṣas* (xvi 84f) and ten *guṇas* (xvi 92f), which seem to have constituted the orthodox number of faults and excellences of poetic composition. We shall have occasion to deal with the doctrine of *guṇa* and *doṣa* in connexion with the *rīti*-theorists, who for the first time take it up seriously; but it may be pointed out here that Bharata’s enumeration and definition of individual *doṣas* and *guṇas* do not exactly correspond to those of his nearest successors. Except keeping to the conventional number of ten (although Bhāmaha introduces an eleventh fault from the standpoint of logical correctness¹⁸ and a list of ten intrinsic poetic faults in a different context, as he also mentions only three poetic excellences), both Bhāmaha and Daṇḍin do not appear to have accepted implicitly this part of Bharata’s teaching.