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Kuntaka’s evaluation of Sanskrit literature

by Nikitha. M | 2018 | 72,578 words

This page relates ‘Nagananda in Kuntaka’s treatment� of the study on the evaluation of Sanskrit literature with special reference to Kuntaka and his Vakroktijivitam from the 10th century CE. This study reveals the relevance of Sanskrit poetics in the present time and also affirms that English poetry bears striking features like six figurativeness taught by Kuntaka in his Vakroktijivita, in which he propounds the vakrokti school of Sanskrit literary criticism.

岵ԲԻ岹 is a five act drama written by Śī󲹰ṣa in 7th century C.E. He also wrote two ṭi첹 known as ʰⲹ岹ś and 鲹ٲ屹ī. Kuntaka cites a single verse from 鲹ٲ屹ī but not from ʰⲹ岹ś. 岵ԲԻ岹 is the most interesting one among the three plays of Śī󲹰ṣa. The original source of 岵ԲԻ岹 is considered to be ṛhٰ첹ٳ.

岵ԲԻ岹 has two distinct parts. The first part depicts the love affair of īūٲ󲹲Բ and Ѳⲹī. The second half depicts the noble self sacrifice of īūٲ󲹲Բ. In 岵ԲԻ岹, the playwright adds all the ingredients essential for a good drama. He depicts the emotions of self sacrifices and charity in an attractive manner. In this drama once the hero, īūٲ󲹲Բ happened to see a plenty of bones of serpents killed by Ҳḍa, whom the serpent King ܰ쾱 offered each serpents every day for his meal. For protecting the rice of serpents īūٲ󲹲Բ sacrifices himself. At last he protects the whole race of serpents and also attains his family and Kingdom.

1. Compositional figurativeness

Kuntaka cites 岵ԲԻ岹 for explaining one of the varieties of compositional figurativeness. Through this variety, Kuntaka explains how a hero primarily achieves a single goal and then incidentally he also attains many other equally important deeds. In 岵ԲԻ岹, the ideal one īūٲ󲹲Բ offers his own body and saves a serpent named Śṅk󲹳ūḍa from Ҳḍa. īūٲ󲹲Բ did so because once he happened to hear a lament of a serpent that it was her son’s turn that day to be the prey of Ҳḍa. Then Ҳḍa begins to eat Śṅk󲹳ūḍa without realizing that this is not a serpent. Ҳḍa become remorseful when he came to realize the prey he started to eat was a great վ󲹰 princess. Afterwards Ҳḍa take a vow of non-violence. Through this īūٲ󲹲Բ not only saves a single serpent but also the whole race of serpents.

In this drama the sole aim of hero named īūٲ󲹲Բ is to protect a serpent. But with his own infinite greatness, he happens to protect the whole race of serpents by changing the mind of Ҳḍa. Moreover he happens to meet his parents and wife and also attains the kingship of վ󲹰 kingdom. In this manner though the mind of hero is completely in the pursuit of a single aim, infinite other good incidents, which the hero did not aimed also come flooding in front of hero by his virtue. According to Kuntaka, such innumerable achievements contribute extreme literary beauty and should delight the readers. Through depicting it, the poet would like to say that the ultimate results of virtue and self-sacrifice will be universal and individual well being. Including such unique depiction of moral message of a drama, which helps the complete evaluation of a text, Kuntaka again proved his minute power of observation and analysis

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