History of Sanskrit Poetics c5.1

Language: English

c5.1.1

1. As in many other branches of Sanskrit Literature, so in the Alaṅkāraśāstra also, we come across many writers whose works have not come down to us and who are no more than mere names to us. राजशेखर, for example, in his काव्यमीमांसा (p.1), tells us how the science of Poetics could claim to have been proclaimed by Śiva to Brahmā, from whom it was handed down to others and how it came to be divided into eighteen sections (अधिकरणs), each of which taught in this world by a particular teacher: ‘तत्र कविरहस्यं सहस्राक्षः समाम्नासीत्, औक्तिकमुक्तिगर्भः, रीतिनिर्णयं सुवर्णनाभः, आनुप्रासिकं प्रचेतायनः, यमकानि चित्रं चित्रभटः, शब्दश्लेषं शेषः, वास्तवं पुलस्त्यः, औपम्यमौपकायनः, अतिशयं पाराशरः, अर्थं उतथ्यः, उभयालङ्कारिकं कुबेरः, वैनोदिकं कामदेवः, रूपकनिरूपणीयं भरतः, रसाधिकारिकं नन्दिकेश्वरः, दोषाधिकारिकं धिषणः, गुणौपादानिकमुपमन्युः, औपनिषदिकं कुचुमारः, इति.’ It is doubtful how far this list is authentic or whether most of the writers named are mythical. It is, however, to be noted that सुवर्णनाभ and कुचुमार appear as teachers of the सांप्रयोगिक and औपनिषदिक sections of Erotics in the कामसूत्र (I. 1. 13 and 17), while Bharata’s work dealing with Rūpakas (plays) has come down to modern times. सुवर्णनाभ is frequently mentioned by the कामसूत्र (vide I. 5. 23; II. 2. 23; II. 5. 34; II. 8. 7 &c.). Nandikeśvara is said in the above passage to have written a treatise on Rasas. This is probable.

c5.1.2

The last chapter in the Kāvyamālā edition of the Nātyaśāstra ends with the words नन्दिमतसङ्गीतपुस्तकम्. On p. X of the Introduction to the second volume of the अभिनवभारती (GOS) the editor quotes the following from Abhinavagupta's comment on chapter 29 ‘यत्कीर्तिधरेण नन्दिकेश्वरमतमत्रागमितत्वेन दर्शितं तदस्माभिः साक्षात् दृष्टं तत्प्रत्ययात् लिख्यते संक्षेपतः...एवं नन्दिकेश्वरमतानुसारेणायं चित्रपूर्वरङ्गविधिरिति निबद्धः।’ Abhinava says that he has not himself seen Nandikeśvara's work, but relying on Kirtidhara he would briefly point out what Nandikeśvara means. Abhinava knows Nandimata from which he quotes a verse on the aṅgahāra called recita ( vide GOS. vol. I. p. 171 ). The भावप्रकाशन of शारदातनय ( chap. 3 ) says that Nandikeśvara taught nāṭya to Bharata and asked the latter to teach it to bharatas (actors). A work called अभिनयदर्पण in 324 verses attributed to नन्दिकेश्वर has been edited ( with an English translation and a learned Introduction ) by Prof. Manomohan Ghosh in the Calcutta S. Series (1934). The first verse is : आङ्गिकं भुवनं यस्य वाचिकं सर्ववाङ्मयम् । आहार्यं चन्द्रतारादि तं नुमः सात्त्विकं शिवम् ॥¹. It refers to the legend of Brahmā delivering the नाट्यवेद to भरत and mentions भरतमुनि and his doctrines by name in numerous places (e. g. verses 12, 128, 149, 159, 162 &c.). This work differs from the Nāṭyaśāstra in certain particulars, but, as it mentions Bharata and his āgama frequently, it must be much later than the present Nāṭyaśāstra.

c5.1.3

A work called भरतार्णव is described in the Catalogue, vol. XII, of the Govt. mss. at the BORI at pp. 460-463. It deals with abhinaya and tāla and appears to be a compilation made from the work of Nandikeśvara by one Sumati. Kāśyapa is recognized as a muni that preceded Bharata and his opinion on rāgas is cited by Abhinava (Intro. p. X to 2nd Vol. of अभिनवभारती, G. O. S.). Three verses of Kāśyapa are quoted by कल्लिनाथ on सं. र. II. 2. 31. काश्यप is cited as an authority on metrics in Agnipuraṇa chap. 336. 22. Vide Dr. De in HSP vol. I. p. 2 note 2. In the ms. 41 of 1924-28 of the A. B. at the Bhandarkar O. Institute pp. 384-391 about 75 verses are quoted from Kaśyapamuni.² The भावप्रकाशन (I. p. 2) quotes a number of expounders of नाट्य such as सदाशिव, गौरी, वासुकि, नारद, अगस्त्य, व्यास, आग्नेय and the pupils of भरत. The सङ्गीतरत्नाकर (I. 15-19) mentions a host of divine, semi-divine and human authors among whom we have सदाशिव, ब्रह्मा, भरत, कश्यप, मतङ्ग, कोहल, नारद, तुम्बर, आग्नेय, नन्दिकेश्वर. नान्यदेव wrote a work called भरतभाष्य or सरस्वतीहृदयालंकारहार which is a commentary in verse on chapters 28-33 of the भरतनाट्यशास्त्र (dealing with music) and mentions मतङ्ग, विशाखिल, काश्यप and वृद्धकाश्यप, नन्दिन, दन्तिल as ancient authorities. नान्यदेव is identified with king नान्यदेव of मिथिला (1097-1133 A. D.). Vide description below of D. C. ms. No. 111 of 1869-70 described in Des. Cat. of Govt. mss. at B. O. R. I. Vol. XII pp. 377-383 and Mr.

c5.1.4

Ramkrishna Kavi's paper on the same in J. A. H. R. S. vol. I. pp. 56-63. It is possible that Parāśara in the above quoted passage of काव्यमी० means बादरायण, who is mentioned as a भरतपुत्र in the नाट्यशास्त्र I. 32 (बादरायणि in Ch. ed.) and whose views on नान्दी and तोटक are quoted by सागरनन्दिन (in ना. ल. र. को. ll. 1091, 2770, 3202-3). The हृदयङ्कमा, a commentary on the काव्यादर्श, informs us that काश्यप and वररुचि had composed works on Poetics before the काव्यादर्श - 'पूर्वेषां काश्यपवररुचिप्रभृतीनामाचार्याणां लक्षणशास्त्राणि संहत्य पर्यालोच्य' (on I. 2) and 'पूर्वसूरिभिः काश्यपवररुचिप्रभृतिभिः' (on II. 7). The com. श्रुतानुपालिनी on the काव्या० mentions काश्यप, ब्रह्मदत्त and नन्दस्वामी as the predecessors of दण्डिन. The Simhalese sija-bas-lakara, a work on rhetoric, after paying homage to ब्रह्मा, शक्र and बृहस्पति, refers to a sage काश्यप (J. R. A. S. 1905 p. 841). All these works are no longer available. Vide मत्स्यपु. X. 25 for वररुचि as नाट्यवेदपारग.