Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c80.46

v2.c80.46

It is curious, however, that Bhāmaha nowhere explicitly defines or explains the word *vakrokti*. Perhaps here we have the work of early theorisers who have not yet learnt to theorise systematically, but who are carried away more or less by their practical object of establishing definite norms and his own view with Bhāmaha's opinion by extending the latter's remarks regarding the *atiśayokti* (ii 81) over all poetic figures, thus including the *svabhāvokti*. The Indian theorists have almost neglected an important part of their task, viz., to find a definition of the nature of the subject of a poem as the product of the poet's mind ; this problem is the main issue of Western Aesthetics. Only *svabhāvokti* and *bhāvika* can be adduced as a proof that the Indian theorists were conscious of the problem, but did not attack it in its entirety, treating it only in some of its aspects". See also, on this point, Jacobi in *Sb. der preuss. Akad.* cited above, pp. 224 f.