8: Alaṃkāra-śāstra according to Ānandavardhana (9th century)

Ānandavardhana (9th cen. A.D.), the chief advocate of ‘Dhvani-theory’, has treated alaṃkāras in a very different way. ‘Dhvani-theory’, as itself, is the elaborated version of the rasa-school and it puts supreme emphasis on the suggested sense or ‘vyañjanā’ present in poetry. The previously highly rated guṇa and alaṃkāra are considered to be subservient to the suggested sense in this new theory. The alaṃkāras are considered to be external and artificial sources of poetic beauty. The alaṃkāra, thus, is regarded as a subordinate element of poetry. Ānandavardhana has mentioned three types of poetry in respect to their possession of suggested sense. The first type which is called ‘dhvani-kāvya’ is considered to be the best kind as it predominantly advocates the suggested sense. The second kind of poetry where the suggested sense is subordinate to the expressed sense is called ‘guṇībhūtavyaṅga-kāvya’. The third and the final type of poetry which is devoid of any suggested element are called ‘citra-kāvya’ or pictorial poetry. In this kind of poetry the poet magnifies his creation by means of pictorial representation of words and senses.

Ānandavardhana has included the poetic charms created by the usage of poetic figures alone in this category–

alaṃkāranibandho yaḥ sa citraviṣayo mataḥ/
  —Dhvanyāloka (of Ānandavardhana) 3.43 (vṛtti).

He has also drawn quite a sharp distinction between guṇa and alaṃkāra in his work (vṛtti. 2.7). According to him the guṇas have a direct connection with the principal content (aṅgin) or rasa in poetry whereas alaṃkāras have closer relation with the partial content (aṅga) or the expressed words and senses in the poetry.

Therefore, guṇas can be compared as inseparable qualities like bravery and the alaṃkāras with separable embellishment like bracelet—

tamarthamavalambate yeaṅginaṃ te guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ/
aṅgāśritāstvalaṃkārāmantavyāḥ kaṭakādivat//
  —Dhvanyāloka (of Ānandavardhana) 2.7.

The alaṃkāras with their capacity of embellishing the expressed śabda and artha can only have an indirect relation to rasa. The alaṃkāras can help in the process of rasa-realisation when the poet effortlessly uses it as a subordinate to rasa^[1] . Ānandavardhana considers the alaṃkāras which are connected to the principal element rasa as of great importance to poets whereas he calls those alaṃkāras as mere ‘vāgvikalpas’^[2] which have no connection with the suggestion of rasa. The importance of alaṃkāra in poetry can also be noticed in the guṇībhūtavyaṅga type of poetry. In some of these medium class poems the poet deliberately tries to create poetic charms by the means of an expressed poetic figure which has a connection with an unexpressed element of rasa. So the alaṃkāras cannot be ignored in poetry because they are the means by which the unexpressed can be suggested. This importance is also reflected in the admission of ‘alaṃkāra-dhvani’ by Ānandavardhana.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

rasākṣiptatayāyasya bandhaḥ śakyakriya bhavet/
apṛthagyatnanirvartyaḥ so'laṃkāro dhvanau mataḥ//
  — Dhvanyāloka (of Ānandavardhana) 2.17.

Also—alaṃkārāntarāṇi hi nirūpyamāṇadurghaṭanānyapi rasasamāhitacetasaḥ
pratibhānavataḥ kaverahaṃpūrvikayāparāpatanti/
- Dhvanyāloka (of Ānandavardhana) 2.17 (vṛtti).

[2]:

anantāhi vāgvikalpāstatprakārāeva cālaṃkārāḥ/
  — Dhvanyāloka (of Ānandavardhana) 3.37 (vṛtti).