Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Desha-vibhaga and Kala-vibhaga� of the English study on the Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara: a poetical encyclopedia from the 9th century dealing with the ancient Indian science of poetics and rhetoric (also know as alankara-shastra). The Kavya-mimamsa is written in eighteen chapters representing an educational framework for the poet (kavi) and instructs him in the science of applied poetics for the sake of making literature and poetry (kavya).
Part 9 - ٱś-岵 and -岵
[Full title: Ჹś’s contribution on ٱś-岵 and -岵 (divisions of geographical regions and time)]
An aspirant poet must be aware about the geographical regions and different times of any part of the country. Because, an aspirant poet who learns the divisions of region and time he does not remain devoid of the ability to see or understand meaning.
�ś� � ca vibhajamāna� kavirnārthadarśanadibhi daridrāti �
-屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-XVII, Pp- 89
If a poet have not proper knowledge about any region, so he has unable to describe on this region in his poetry (屹ⲹ). In this same way a poet must be aware about the treatment of different seasons (). But Sanskrit poetics ignorance about those matter, only some kinds on this topic we can find in Bharata’s ṭyśٰ and 峾’s 屹ṃk (of 峾)
But 屹īⲹ Ჹś’s 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā contains information on ethnic and linguistic geography of India, which have prove to useful to the aspirant poet in Indian cultural context. However, it is remarkable that Ჹś’s description is primarily based on and similar as ʳܰṇa, Ѳٲ, Vṛhatsaṃhitā, ѲԳܲṛt, ṭiⲹ ٳśٰ and various description’s of Greek and Chinese visitor. 屹īⲹ Ჹś is the first Āṃk첹 in Sanskrit poetics, who divided India into five parts based on different geographical regions. Then he described the pen-picture of tradition, custom, ethnic, linguistic, dress, languages, hills, river and women style of different parts in details.
屹īⲹ Ჹś was influenced by the ܱܰṇa and he starts this 岵 part with the stanza of ܱܰṇa:
�ṣṭ Ծṣ� 岹ś pañcaicava triṃśacca ṣṭ� kathitā� kaleti |
triṃśatkalaścaiva bhavenmuhurttastestiṃśatā rātryahanī sametau || �-屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 98
Means:
Fifteen nemeses make one ṣṭ, thirty ṣṭ one , thirty one ܳūٲ and thirty ܳūٲs a day and night. In the two months of Caitra and śԲ the days and nights are equal that is fifteen ܳūٲs for days and fifteen ܳūٲs for night.�
In the –岵� part Ჹś wrote about six seasons, which starts from rainy season (ղṣ� ) and rotationally end with summer season (īṣm ):
�tatra Բ Բⲹś ṣāḥ, iṣa ūrjaśca ś, � ⲹś Գٲ�,
tapastapasyaśca śiśira�, madhurmādhavaśca vasanta�, śukra� śuciśca īṣm� �-屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 99
The in the six seasons are divided into four steps: i. Ṛt-Ի (meeting events of incoming and outgoing seasons), ii. Ṛtu-śaisava (infancy), iii. Ṛtu-praudhi (maturity) and iv. Գܱṛtپ (continuity to the next).
�caturavasthaśca ṛturupanibandhanīyaḥ| tadyathā � Ի�, śś�, prauḍhi�, amuvṛttiśca �
-屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 108
However it is the general indication for the poet, because he always frees to write whatever he likes to write. It is not to be only guideline for an aspirant poet but it also traditionally appreciated by poets and literatures may be honored.
So we can hesitatelessly says that 屹īⲹ Ჹś description about ٱś岵 and -岵 is the great contribution and the ideal gift for not only Sanskrit Poetics but also the whole Sanskrit literature.