Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c84.64

v2.c84.64

Taking the alaṃkāra-section of the Agni-purāṇa and the Sarasvatī-kaṇṭhābharaṇa side by side, one is struck at once by some fundamental characteristics which are common to both. The most peculiar feature of the Agni-purāṇa theory is the absence of the doctrine of dhvani, although the concept of dhvani is included casually, after the manner of ancient authors, in the figure ākṣepa (sa ākṣepo dhvaniḥ syāc ca dhvaninā vyajyate yataḥ, 344, 14). The word dhvani is also used in the opening verse (336, 1 = Bhoja i 1), which says generally that speech consists of *dhvani*, *varṇa*, *pada*, and *vākya* (*dhvanir varṇāḥ padam vākyam ityetad vāṅmayam matam) ; but apparently this alludes to the grammatical word which reveals the *sphoṭa*, and which is indicated by the same term in the *Vākyapadīya*. The work, however, recognises *abhidhā* and *lakṣaṇā*, the ideas of which were already elaborated by philosophers and philosophical grammarians. At the same time, apart from obvious borrowings or copyings from Bharata, Bhāmaha and Daṇḍin, this work cannot be taken as substantially following the views of any one of the schools represented by these names.