Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c83.82

v2.c83.82

Consistently with this view of the guṇas, the doṣas or defects of a composition are recognised in so far as they are the repressor of the rasa, as well as of the expressed sense. The doṣas, therefore, convey a positive significance, like the guṇas, in relation to the rasa, in spite of the admitted fact that some doṣas approach guṇābhāvas (negation of guṇas) and some guṇas approach doṣābhāvas (negation of doṣas). The punarukta or tautology, for instance, is generally a fault, but it may sometimes be an excellence if there is an apprehension of the charm of the suggested rasa through it. The justification of the distinction between invariable (nitya) and non-invariable (anitya) fault lies in the fact that in the case of some poetic moods, we can generalise the avoidance of particular combinations as being always damaging for the effect. Thus, the Dhvanikāra points out that when love or śṛṅgāra is the principal suggested mood, one should always avoid faults like unmelodiousness (śruti-duṣṭa), although it is not a fault in the case of the Heroic or raudra-rasa.