Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c84.43

v2.c84.43

Mahimabhatta begins his *Vyakti-viveka*, whose very name implies that it is a consideration of the theory of *vyakti* or *vyañjanā* established by the authors of the *Dhvanyāloka*, with the proposition that his object is to comprehend all ideas of *dhvani* in the process of *anumāna* or syllogistic reasoning (*anumāne* ntarbhāvaṃ sarvasyaiva dhvaneḥ prakāśayitum). He proceeds therefore to consider in detail the text as well as the theory of the Dhvanikāra and Ānandavardhana. He criticises minutely the definition of dhvani given in Dhva° i 13, which, if properly considered, applies, he thinks, to anumāna. He considers (especially in the third chapter) most of the examples given in the Dhvanyāloka and tries to demonstrate that they are really cases of anumāna. Indeed, throughout his work he proceeds by an elaborate process of destructive criticism and makes the definition of dhvani, propounded by its advocates, conform to his definition of what he calls kāvyānumiti as the process through which another sense is revealed by the expressed sense, or by a sense inferred from it connectedly (vācyas tad-anumito vā yatrārtho'rthāntaram prakāśayati | sambandhataḥ kutaścit sā kāvyānumitir ityuktā, p. 22).