Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Genesis of Riti, Vritti and Pravritti� 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).
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 2.5 - Genesis of īپ, ṛtپ and Praṛtپ
In a 屹ⲹ (poetry) on which types of style are followed by the Kavi (poet) also known as īپ. In the history of Sanskrit poetics the earlier Āⲹ Bharatamuni in his ṭyśٰ does not discusses about the matter of īپ. There Āⲹ 峾 is the first Āṃk첹 who discusses about īپ in an indifference manner, but he does not gives any difference between ղ岹ī and Gauḍīya īپ. But the Āⲹ ٲṇḍ in his Kāvyādarśa gives the prominent place of ղ岹ī than Gauḍīya īپ but there he uses the word �� in the position of īپ.
There he says about the ten major part of ղ岹ī as:
�śle ṣa� 岹� mādhuryya� suku māratā |
arthavyaktirudāratvamoja� kāntisamādhaya� || �- Kāvyādarśa of ٲṇḍ: Ch-1/ 41
�iti vaidarbhasya ṇāḥ daśaguṇ� smṛtā� |
eṣāṃ viparyyaya� prāyo dṛśyate gauḍavartmani || �- Kāvyādarśa of ٲṇḍ: Ch-1/ 42
峾Բ also accepted three kinds of īپ i.e. ղ岹ī, Gauḍīya and ñī.
�sā tredhā vaidarbhī gauḍīyā pāñcālī ceti �
- 屹ṃksūṭra-ṛtپ of 峾Բ: Ch- 1/9
Then ܻṭa also says īپ is the Āٳ (soul) of poetry. C.f.
�īپrātmā 屹ⲹsya�
- 屹ṃk (of ܻṭa) of ܻṭa: 1/6
Means:
�īپ is the soul of 屹ⲹ (DZٰ).�
The relation between īپ (style) and 屹ⲹ (poetry) is that between Āٳ (soul) and Śī (body). īپ is the most important element in 屹ⲹ (poetry). Then Āⲹ ܻṭa in his 屹ṃk (of ܻṭa) established four īپ (style) added another one īپ named īⲹ with the ٲṇḍ’s recognized three īپ’s[1]. However in the time of Ჹś four types of īپ’s are prevalent but Ჹś accepted only three īپ’s i.e. Gauḍīya, ղ岹ī and ñī.
Ჹś says that the speaking style of people in a known as īپ (style). C.f.
�ԲԲ īپ� �
- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-III, Pp- 9
In the time, ٲⲹ-վ-ղū followed the 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa than he first goes to the eastern side of India i.e. ṅg, ղṅg, Sahu, Brahma and ʳṇḍṛa. In this time ٲⲹ-վ-ղū tried to attract 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa with her dress and speech, which was composed of (compound), Գܱś (alliteration) and Yoga-ṛtپ, known by the name of Gauḍīya īپ. In the province of ñ-ś 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa was enamored of 屹ⲹ-vidyā and than ٲⲹ-վ-ղū uses the (compound) and Գܱś (alliteration) in her sentences which was known as ñī-īپ. In this way, when 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa proceeded to the southern part of India like Malaya, Mekala, Kuntala, Kerala, , Ѳṣṭ and ṅg. In this time ٲⲹ-վ-ղū sported various types of dresses and performed dances with songs and music.
There 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa’s composition were devoid of 峾 (compound) but characterized by Գܱ and ۴Dz-ṛtī also known as ղ岹ī īپ. In this description Ჹś does not uses anywhere Lātiya īپ of Գīś, because he think that there is no any difference between ñ and Latīya īپ.
When 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa left the place and Ҵdzܰī created ٲⲹ-վ-ղū as wife of 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa then she ordered to ٲⲹ-վ-ղū for run after 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa and pleads with him to return home by saying:
�eṣa te ṣ� 貹پ� ܰ� pratiṣṭhate, tadanuvarttaistana� nivarttaya ca �
- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-III, Pp- 7
Then, ٲⲹ-վ-ղū followed the 屹ⲹ-ܰṣa�. There Ჹś described various parts of India with their various types of shorts, customs and languages of people. Here we can see the similar with concepts of Bharatamuni, who think that, in this world, there are different types of people, customs, food-habit, language, behavior based on their region. But there have some of the things are universally accepted by all the people, which is known as the Praṛtپ.
So we can see in the ṭyśٰ says:
‘pṛthivyā� nānāś - veṣa - bhāṣācāravārtā� khyāpayatīti praṛtپḥ| ṛtپśca nivedane |�
- ṭyśٰ of Bharata: XIII
Where Praṛtپ’s are expressing by man it is called by ṛtپ. In this time, Ჹś says about Praṛtپ as: �tatra veśavinyāsakrama� praṛtپ��[2], which four Praṛtپ’s are found in ḍh岵ī, Գī, Pāncālamadhyamā and ٲṣiٲⲹ. ṛtپ means ղⲹ and says: �Բ ṛtپ��[3], which are two ś쾱 and Āī.
However, Bharatamuni says about the genesis of ṛtپ from the Vedas as:
�ṛgvedād bhāratīṛtپryajurvedāttu ٳٱī |
첹śī sāmavedācca śeṣācātharvaṇāttathā || �- ṭyśٰ of Bharata: Ch-XX/25
But, Ჹś also follow the ancient tradition and established his own views. There he thinks, it is impossible to gives the all the description of ṛtپ’s and Praṛtپ’s in all regions. So he divided all the country into four parts and there he applied four types of ṛtپ’s and Praṛtپ’s.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
屹ṃk (of ܻṭa) of ܻṭa: II/4/6.
[2]:
屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-III, Pp- 9
[3]:
Ibid, Ch-III, Pp- 9