History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.91.3

c6.91.3

He further says that guṇas are नित्य and enumerates and defines ten guṇas of śabda and ten of artha (under the same names). The ध्वन्यालोक estblished the relation of guṇas and अलङ्कारs. When by a metaphor it was said that rasa or dhvani is the soul of poetry, then the rasa theorists had to state the place of guṇas and alaṅkāras. The ध्व० (II. 7) states that just as bravery and the like are the guṇas of the soul and bracelets are ornaments put on some limb of the body (wrist &c.), so the guṇas, mādhurya, ojas and prasāda are the guṇas of rasa (तमर्थमवलम्बन्ते येऽङ्गिनं ते गुणाः स्मृताः । अङ्गाश्रितास्त्वलङ्कारा मन्तव्याः कटकादिवत् ॥ ध्व. II 7) and it is further pointed out that mādhurya is pre-eminently appropriate to विप्रलम्भशृङ्गार (love of separated lovers) and करुण (tragic sentiment), the guṇa ojas to raudrarasa and prasāda (perspicuity) is common to all rasas and to all compositions. When the predominant rasa is śṛṅgāra, anuprāsa does not help in its evolution and to employ Yamaka in śṛṅgāra is a great mistake, particularly in विप्रलम्भ (ध्व० II. 15-16). Most of the later writers such as Mammaṭa hold that the guṇas are three, that they are the qualities of the soul of poetry like bravery (which is a quality¹ of the spirit), that they are permanently associated with rasa and figures of speeeh are like ornaments worn on the limbs of the body (ये रसस्याङ्गिनो धर्माः शौर्यादय इवात्मनः । उत्कर्षहेतवस्ते स्युरचलस्थितयो गुणाः ॥ उपकुर्वन्ति तं सन्तं येऽङ्गद्वारेण जातुचित् ।