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Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)

by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words

This page relates ‘Varieties of Kavya-paka� 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).

After discussing ancient Āⲹ’s views about 屹ⲹ-, Ჹś󲹰 clearly discusses different kinds of 屹ⲹ-첹 with their characteristics. In the 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā Ჹś󲹰 recognizes the nine type of 첹.

C. f.

‘sa ca kavigrāmasya 屹ⲹmabhyasyato Բ bhavati |�

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 20

Means:

屹ⲹ-첹 is nine types or varieties for the poets i.e. Pichumanda-첹 (nimba), Badar-첹 (jujube), Mṛdvika-첹 (ṣa, grapes), ٳ첹-첹, Tintiḍīka-첹 [վԳپḍi?] (tamarind), 󲹰-첹 (, mango), Kramuka-첹 (betel-nut), Trapus-첹 (cucumber), and -첹 (coconut) etc.�

Then Ჹś󲹰 gives the characteristics of these nine types of 屹ⲹ-첹 one by one as:

tatrādyantayora picumanda첹m

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 20

Picumanda-첹 (nimba) is which poetic compositions are insipid and dry in the beginning and the end. Under the Badar-첹 (jujube) which is the poetic composition are insipid and dry in the beginning but gradually become a little interesting till the end.

C.f.

ādāva pariṇāme ⲹ� badara첹m || �

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 20

Which poetic compositions are uninteresting in the beginning but rapidly gain interest in the end known under the Mṛdvika-첹m (ṣa, grapes).

C.f.

ādāva pariṇāme ृmadvīkā첹m

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 20

Which poetics compositions are moderately pleasing in the beginning but absolutely disinteresting in the end are ٳ첹-첹. And Tintiḍīka-첹 [վԳپḍi?] (tamarind) is which poetic compositions are sweet and pleasing both in the beginning and the end.

C.f.

ādau madhyamamante cā vārtāka첹m,
ādyantayorⲹ� tintiḍīka첹m

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 20

Then, the 󲹰-첹 (峾, mango) is that poetic composition which is moderately pleasing in the beginning but very interesting in the end. And the kramuka-첹 (batel-nut) are the poetic composition which interesting in the beginning but insipid in the end fall under it.

C.f.

ādyau madhyamamante sahakāra첹m,
ādāvuttamamante cā kramuka첹m

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 20-21

There, Trapus-첹 (cucumber) is interesting in the beginning but moderately pleasant in the end and the -첹 (coconut) is which poetic composition pleasing from the beginning till the end.

C.f.

ādāvuttamamante ⲹ� trapusa첹m,
ādyantayo� nārike la첹miti

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 21

Among the nine-types of recognizes by Ჹś󲹰 these may be divided into three major heads. i.e

  1. Highest types of 첹 (Mṛdvika-첹),
  2. Middle types of 첹 (󲹰-첹),
  3. Low types of 첹 (-첹).

However, out of these nine 첹s Ჹś󲹰 advises for an aspirant poets to shun the following three 屹ⲹ-첹s i.e. picumanda, vartaka and krmuka-첹.

C.f.

teṣāṃ triṣvapi trike ṣu pākā� prathame tyājyā� |
varamakavirna puna� ku 첹�

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 21

Because, it is not better for a poet than a bad poet. The another three 첹s i.e. Mṛdika, Sahkāra and -첹 are to be grasped in poetic composition to a poet. Because, these three 屹ⲹ-첹’s have with a pure natural disposition, it do not need improvement. A bead does not become more lustrous on refinement.

C.f.

svabhāvaśuddha� hi na saṃskāramapekṣate |
na muktāmaṇe� śāṇastāratāैyaprabhavati

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 21

In poetic composition, there have an irregular distribution. The Kapitha-첹 (apple tree) is interestingly of places while at others are moderately so and prosaic in still other parts.

C.f.

anavasthita첹� puna� kapittha첹māmananti

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 21

It is just like as on beating the husk, one gets only a grain or two similarly, and in a poetic composition on Kapitha-첹 one can find a ūپ here and there. So Ჹś󲹰 says: it is better not to be a poet than a bad poet. Because to write bad types of 屹ⲹ (poetry) is a matter of unhappiness and it would be like a death.

C.f.

varamakavirna puna� ku 첹� |
ku kavitā hi dz� ṇa || �

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 21

In this way an aspirant and intelligent poet should be first distinguish between the kinds of 屹ⲹ-첹 to be grasped and the one’s to be forsaken. So an aspirant poet must be practicing property with Kavi-첹 of his poetic composition is of nine kinds.

Thus we see the voice of Ჹś󲹰 as:

ⲹⲹⲹٲ� 屹ⲹ� Բ paripacyate |
hānopādānasūtreṇa vibhajettaddhi vuddhimān || �

- 屹ⲹmīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-V, Pp- 21

However Ჹś󲹰’s concepts on 屹ⲹ-첹 are differ from his ancestor and rhetoricians. Among the earlier erotic of Ჹś󲹰, Āⲹ in his 屹ⲹlamkara mentions a , called Amakapittha-첹:

aृhadyamasunirbheda� rasavattve'pyapeśalam |
屹ⲹ� kapitthamāma� yatke ṣāñcitsadṛśa� yathā || �

- 屹ṃk (of 峾) of 峾: Ch-V/62

Means:

“In the type of 屹ⲹ (poetry) which is unpleasing and difficult to analyses is ugly though it may possess Rasa. The composition of some people is like the unripe wood apple.�

And 峾Բ in his 屹ṃksūṭra-ṛtپ speaks two types of 屹ⲹ-첹 i.e. (i) Cuta (amra, sahakara)� and (ii) Vrntaka-첹 by saying:

guṇasphu ṭatvasākalye 屹ⲹ첹� pracakṣate |
cūtasya pariṇāmena sa cāyamupamīyate || �

- 屹ṃksūṭra-ṛtپ of 峾Բ: Ch-III/2/15

The follower rhetoricians of Ჹś󲹰 also recognize only two Pākas i.e. Mṛdvika-첹 (ṣa, graps) and –� (coconut) is the best. Which are the most famous or familiar ones. Again, between the two 屹ⲹ-첹s, the former-is superior to the later-.

In the sixth-chapter entitled as Pada--Viveka deals with the matter of utility of pada (word) as well as (sentences) in composing 屹ⲹ (poetry). These both topics also related with the subject matter of Pada-ⲹ-Viveka. ղ첹ṇa (grammarians) also justifies a pada (ś岹) grammatically viable construct by the ղ첹ṇa-ṛt. They think that the proper uses of a pada (ś岹) get blessing to in this world and heavenly word. There is the composer of ṛt Śٰ also believes that, ṛt-Śٰ (Science of Dharma) can blessing these two worlds. Ჹś󲹰 think that the ղ첹ṇaśāstra also posits in same place as ṛt śāstra.

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