Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Types of Disciples� 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 3.1 - Types of Disciples
In the Sanskrit poetics a poet and an appreciative critic both are actually referred as an (Aspirant) for 屹ⲹ (poetry). An aspirant poet who wishes to write good poetry should aspire to know the Aesthetic delight and the niceties of poetic composition. Beside those an aspirant of poetry must be known about the poetic art and a well learned person.
Ჹś divided disciples into three categories i.e. ܻԲ (discriminatory), Āⲹ-buddhi (of meager intellect) and Durbuddhi (ignorant). There ܻԲ (discriminatory) are naturally always inclined to Śٰ and the Āⲹ-buddhi (of meager intellect) possess Śٰs again and again under the guidance of a Guru (teacher).
So Ჹś says in the Kāvyamīmāṃsā as:
�yasya nisargata� śāstramanudhāvati ܻ� sa buddhimān |
yasya ca śāstrābhyāsa� saṃsku rūte buddhimasāvahāryaܻ� �- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-IV, Pp- 10
There Buddhi (intellect) is the essential to a poet. The poets are three types i.e. ṛt, Mati and ʰñ. The ṛt Buddhi recollects things of the past, Mati Buddhi capable recalling matters related to the present and ʰñ Buddhi is capable of looking into the future.
�ٰ ca sā, smṛtirپ� prañjeti | atikrāntasyārthasya smartrī ṛt� | varttamānasya Գٰī پ� | anāgatasya prañjātrī prañjeti | sā triprakārā'pi kavīnāmupakarttrī �
- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-III, Pp- 10
Incidentally we seem that there Ჹś views in different from 峾Բ’s in his Kāvyālaṃkārasūṭra-ṛtپ, where he divides poets or disciples into two types as: �dz쾱� and �ṛṇⲹ� | C.f.
�dz쾱na� ṛṇⲹṇaśca kavaya� �
- Kāvyālaṃkārasūṭra-ṛtپ of 峾Բ: Ch- 1/2/1
There also mentions only the first among the two types of disciples or poet is fit to receive instructions. But the ٳśٰ of ṭiⲹ also kept the similar views with Ჹś and says:
�vuddhimānāhāryavuddhirdurbuddhiriti putraviśeṣāḥ |
śiṣyamāṇo dharmāthāvupalabhate cānutiṣṭhati ca vuddhimān |
upalabhamāno nānutiṣṭatyāhāryavuddhi� | apāyanityo dharmārthadveṣ� ceti ܻܰ� �- ٳśٰ of ṭiⲹ: Ch- 1/ 17
In this respects Ჹś follows both of 峾Բ and ṭiⲹs� and agree about ṭiⲹs� three types of division of poet i.e. ܻԲ, Āⲹ-buddhi and Durbuddhi. However Ჹś stated that first two types poet or disciples only competent to receive instruction.
Then, about the matter of Mati and ʰñ Ჹś view is differ from ṭṭٴdzٲ. According to ṭṭٴdzٲ, Mati is the Buddhi (intellect) which can capable of looking into the future and the ʰñ Buddhi is the subject of հ things.
C.f.
�smṛtirvyatītaviṣayā matirāgāmigocarā |
vuddhistātkālikī proktā prañjā traikālikī || �- 屹ⲹ첹ܳٳܰ첹 of ṭṭٴdzٲ
However, Ჹś and ṭṭٴdzٲ’s concepts differ about the Buddhi but they both are recognized that հdarśitā is very much important for an aspirant Kavi (poet). ṭṭٴdzٲ in his 屹ⲹ첹ܳٳܰ첹 says about the հdarśi ʰñ is �nava nava unmeṣaśālitā� and this types of پ is the principle inventor for the Kavi (poet).
�prañjā navanavon meṣaśālinī پ |
tadanuprāṇanāj jīved varṇanānipūṇa� kavi || �- 屹ⲹ첹ܳٳܰ첹 of ṭṭٴdzٲ
The disciples of ܻԲ have some of the special quality. They are discrimination desire to hear, comprehend, raise doubts and provide solutions. In this process they learn some new facts. The disciple of Āⲹbuddhi also has those of the qualities but they need an able teacher to guide themselves. To revere regularly with an able teacher is a quality desirous in those both types of disciples, because reverence of a teacher is akin like a 峾Գ for the genesis of intellect.
C.f.
�sā hi vuddhivikāśa峾Գ� �
- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-IV, Pp- 10
Thus the learners are says: acquaintance with learned teachers is found to be like nectar. Firstly, it helps the wish and discerning to receive knowledge required to light up the truth of substances. Then, the mind is made capable of imagining to solve various problems and lastly the mind becomes capable of resorting to the one ultimate truth.
C.f.
�prathayati ܰ� ñdzپⲹٳٳ貹
tadanu janayatyūhāpohakriyāviśada� mana� |
abhiniviśate tasmāttattva� tadekamukhodaya�
saha paricaya vidyāvṛddhai� kramādamṛtāyate || �- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-IV, Pp- 11
The ܻԲ disciples (discriminatory) observes correctly, comprehends in the first instance and would be certainly enter a gurukula (where disciples stay near with their teachers) for advanced study in poetics. On the other side the disciple of Āⲹ-buddhi (of meager intellect) is filled with doubt on two counts-they fails to comprehend and even after that remains doubtful. They should stay near a teacher and learn the art of poetic composition for try to remove those two types of doubts.
Beside those two types of disciples there are another types named Durbuddhi (ignorant). They can’t acquire knowledge from anywhere.
Ჹś says about,
“his intellect is like a blue coloured cloth on which no other colour can show�.
There the first one is better than the last one. Viz.
�sa hi nīlīmocakitasicayakalpo'nādhoyaguṇāntaratvātta�
yadi sārasvato'nubhāva� prasādayati tamaupaniṣadika vakṣāma� �- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś: Ch-III, Pp- 11