Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c83.28

v2.c83.28

¹⁵ The word *dhvani* (lit. ‘echo’ or ‘tone’) is used almost synonymously (cf Hemacandra p. 26) with the word *vyaṅgyārtha* (suggested sense), and sometimes wrongly as co-extensive with *vyañjanā*, which term properly designates the process manifesting it. The *dhvani-kāvya* is so-called because the *vyaṅgyārtha*, which predominates in it over the *vācyārtha*, is ‘echoed’ *par excellence* in this class of poetry. Viśvanātha (p. 198) explains the term etymologically thus: *vācyād adhika-camatkāriṇi vyaṅgyārthe dhvanyate’sminn iti vyutpattyā dhvanir nāmottama-kāvyam*.