History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.111

Language: English

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13 The Dhvani School. For an analysis of the ध्वन्यालोक vide pp. 199-201 above. The *dhvani* theory is only an extension of the *rasa* theory. It took over the idea of *rasa* into the field of poetry. The *rasa* theory took account only of a complete dramatic work. The main object of a dramatic work is the evolution of some *rasa*, *śṛṅgāra*, *karuṇa* etc. by means of विभादs, अनुभावs etc. This naturally presupposes a composition of some length. But if there be a single charming verse, it cannot be said to evolve a *rasa*, although it may suggest some one or more of the constituents that bring about the relishing of a complete *rasa*. Such single pieces would be outside the pale of *kāvya*, if it were said that the soul of *kāvya* is *rasa* alone. It was shown above that *rasa* is always suggested and not directly expressed. Hence, applying the same reasoning, the ध्वन्यालोक said that the best poetry is that which contains a charming व्यङ्ग्य sense. ‘अयमेव हि महाकवेर्मुख्यो व्यापारो यद्रसादीनेव मुख्यतया काव्यार्थीकृत्य तदव्यक्त्यनुगुणत्वेन शब्दानांअर्थानां चोपनिबन्धनम् । एतच्च रसादितात्पर्येण काव्यानिबन्धनं भरतादावपि सुप्रसिद्धमेवेति...। रसादयो हि द्वयोरपि तयोः (काव्यानट्ययोः) जीवभूताः’ ध्व. p. 225-226; ‘सारभूतो ह्यर्थः स्वशब्दामिधयत्वेन प्रकाशितः सुतरामेव शोभामावहति । प्रसिद्धिश्धेयमस्त्येव विदग्धविदग्धपरिषत्सु यदभिततरं वस्तु व्यङ्ग्यत्वेन प्रकाश्यते न साक्षाच्छब्दवाच्यत्वेनैव ।’ ध्व. p. 300.

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Though it is possible to extract some sort of व्यङ्ग्य sense from any sentence or word, still all words or sentences are not necessarily *kāvya*, but only those words, which have particular qualities and are arranged in a particular manner and contain a charming व्यङ्ग्य, constitute *kāvya*. Vide लोचन (p. 32) ‘तेन सर्वत्रापि न ध्वननसद्भावेपि तथा व्यवहारः । आत्मसद्भावेपि कचिदेव जीवव्यवहार इत्युक्तं प्रागेव ।’. The ध्वन्यालोक refutes at great length the theory of some that *dhvani* is गुणवृत्ति or लक्षणा (secondary sense due to the possession of some quality common to two objects); vide ध्व. I. 17 ‘भक्त्या बिभर्ति नैकत्वं रूपभेदादयं ध्वनिः। अतिव्याप्तेरव्याप्तेर्न चासौ लक्ष्यते तया ।’. The ध्व. (p. 18) divided व्यङ्ग्य sense into three varieties, रसादि, अलङ्कार and वस्तु. Under the first are included not only the nine *rasas* but all the *bhāvas* and their *ābhāsas* also. What is meant by वस्तुध्वनि is this that a mere fact is suggested by words that express another sense.¹ What is meant by an *alaṅkāra-dhvani* is this that what is suggested is an imaginative thing (not a matter of fact) which if expressed in so many words would assume the form of a figure of speech. The ध्व. seems to hold like Wordsworth that poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (क्रौञ्चद्वन्द्ववियोगत्थः शोकः श्लोकत्वमागतः॥ p. 31.

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When Vālmīki was powerfully affected by the spectacle of the death of the loving क्रौञ्च bird at the hands of the hunter, the sage’s imagination was stirred and he burst forth into an impassioned song. But it is not to be supposed that the sage was himself दुःखित nor is it to be supposed that the reader when he reads the impassioned poem is simply दुःखित; for, if that were really so, no one would feel delight in reading the poem. Vide लोचन p. 31 ‘तेन रस एव वस्तुत आत्मा वस्त्वलङ्कारध्वनी तु सर्वथा रसं प्रति पर्यवस्येते इति वाच्यादुत्कृष्टौ तौ इत्यभिप्रायेण ध्वनिः काव्यस्यात्मेति सामान्येनोक्तम् । प्राथमिकानामभ्यासार्थिनां यदि परं चित्रेण व्यवहारः प्राप्तपरिख्तीनां तु ध्वनिरेव प्राधान्येन काव्यमिति स्थितमेतत्’। The अल. स. (pp. 13-14) very clearly and succintly hits off the position of the ध्वन्यालोक as follows: ‘वाक्यार्थस्यैव व्यञ्जरूपस्य गुणालङ्कारोपस्कर्तव्यत्वेन प्राधान्याद्विश्रान्तिधामत्वादात्मत्वं सिद्धान्तितवान् । व्यापारस्य विषयमुखेन स्वरूपप्रलम्भात्तत्प्राधान्येन प्राधान्यात्स्वरूपेण विदितत्वाभावादिषयस्यैव समग्रभरसहिष्णुत्वम् । तस्माद्विषय एव व्यञ्जनामा जीवितत्वेन वक्तव्यः । यस्य गुणालङ्कारकृतचारुत्वपरिग्रहा साम्राज्यम् । रसादयस्तु जीवितभूता नालङ्कारत्वेन वाच्याः । अलङ्काराणामुपस्कारकत्वाद्रसादीनां च प्राधान्येनोपस्कार्यत्वात् । तस्माद् व्यंग्य एव वाक्यार्थीभूतः काव्यजीवितमित्येव पञ्चो वाक्यार्थविदां सहृदयानामावर्जकः।’ The ध्वन्यालोक divided काव्य into three varieties, the best or ध्वनिकाव्य, गुणीभूतव्यङ्ग्य and चित्र.

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In the last it included all *alaṅkāras* of word and sense. Vide ध्व II. 4 (p. 82 for ध्वनिकाव्य), III 35 (p. 256 for गुणीभूतव्यङ्ग्य), III 42-43 (p. 275-276) for चित्रकाव्य. But the