6. Gunas (excellences) and Dosas (defects)

The Agni Purana has discussed the Gunas (excellences) and Dosas (defects) in chapters 346 and 347. At the out set the Purana says that the Kavya (Poetry) would not be charming without the Gunas even though it is decorated with the ornaments. A lady devoid of charm would not be beautiful 59 with necklace or other ornaments. As stated before, the

- 310 Agni Purana does not associate the Gunas with Riti like Vamana or Dandin. The Purana also does not regard them as favourable to the process of Rasa like Dhvanikara Anandavardhana, or Mammata. But it is evident that the Purana is aware of the importance of the Gunes in Kavya. Like Vamana the Purana states that the Gunas enhance the beauty of the navya. According to Vamana, the qualities of Sabda and Artha which €1 60 increase the beauty are called Gunas. In short Vamana's assertion is that the Alankaras alone are not able to create the 'Kavyasobha' unless they are associated with the Gunas. Vamana has mentioned ten Gunas and classified them into Sabda Gunas and Artha Gunas. Bharata and Dandin have not classified the Gunas. The Agni Purana follows Bhoja in classifying the Gunas into Samanya (general) and Visesa (specific). The Samanya Gunas are sub-divided into Sabda, Artha and Ubhaya. Puranakara has discussed the Vaisesika Gunas in the next Adhyaya. 62 The From amongst the Samanya Gunas, the Sabdagunas are divided into seven sub-varieties as follows : Slesa (Double entendre), Lalitya( Crace), Gambhirya (Gravity), Saukumarya (Softness), Udarasta (Richness of expression), Sati and Yaugikl. The last two are not defined by the Purana. Instead of that, Ojas (Grandeur) is defined. This portion of the Agni Purana is very corrupt. The reading

- 311 - 'Sattvam Ca Yaugikam' is suggested for the 'Satyeva YaugikI' Satvaguna is considered as a variety of the Guna called Udattata, and Yaugikam is Samasika which is nothing but the Gune Ojas. 63 Madhurya, The Purana has explained the six Arthagunas Samvidhana, Komalatva, Udarata, Praudhi, and Samayikatva. All these are defined. Dr. Magnavan has opined that the Madhurya guna is similar to Bhoja's Arthamadhurya. Samvidhana is defined as comprising an effort to gain a desired object. This is identical with the 'Samvidhana-Susutrata' in the Prabandha guna of Bhoja. Udarata means 'a saya-sausthava' which is a variety of Dandin's Udaratva. Praudhi is the same as Bhoja's arthaguna Praudhi. Samayikatva is just opposite of the dosa Asamayika. The six Ubahayagunas enumerated by the Purana are Prasada, Saubhagya, Yathasankhya, Prasa syata, Paka, and Raga. Saubhagya is identical with the first variety of Dandin's Udarata. Yatha samkhya is regarded as an Arthalankara by the other rhetoricians and Agni Purana also mentions this in the Sabadarthalankara'. Prasasyata is similar to bhoja's arthaguna 'Susabdata'. This Prasa syata is like Vamana's arthaguna Saukumarya and is reckoned by the Purana as a Sabdarthalamkara. The Ubhayagunas, namely Paka and Raga seem to indicate the expression and the appreciation of beauty. According to Dr. Raghavan, the Agni Purana put Bhoja's definition of the well-known concept Paka which as a Sabda guna,

- 312 Bhoja defines as Praudhi. From the above discussion, it will be clear that in the treatment of the Gunas the Agni Purana has borrowed from Dandin, Vamana, Kuntaka, and Bhoja and the whole section has become a mix-up. The Agni Purana says that the Gunas are positive (Bhavarupa) and cannot be regarded as the absence of Dosas. According to Bharata Dosas are positive and Gunas are nothing but the absence of Dosas, i.e. Gunas are their (Dosas) 65 negation. Vamama holds the opposite view. him Gunas are positive attributes. 67 66 According to The Agni Purana defines Dosas as follows :- "The literary blemishes are those which create distaste and horror in the minds of literary men". They are classified into seven varieties as being associated with Vakta, Vacaka, 68 and Vacya, singly and collectively. Agni Purana's classi fication of. Dosas is systematic. Dosas are discussed by the Purana very minutely. Vaktr-dosas (defects associated with the speaker) are of four types Sandihana, Avinita, Sannajnya and Jnata. Vacaka-dosas (defects associated with the Vacaka) are defined as touching the sense with regard to the definition 69 or cause. These are of two types Pada dosas and Vakya dosas which are again divided into Asadhutva and Aprayuktatva. Defects pertaining to Vakya are five-fold Chandasatva, Avispastatva, Kastatva, Asamayikatva, and Gramyatva. Avispastatva is further classified as Gudharthata, Viparyastarthata, and Sansayarthatva. Vaca ka-dosas are classi-

- 313 fied in another manner viz. Pratisvika and Sadharana. Sadharana is again divided into Kriyabhramsa, Karakabhransa, Visandhi, Punarukta, and Vyastasambandhata. Thus the Agni Purana has given a description of the 70 various Kavyadosas, their varieties, and sub-varieties. The Purana also gives some instances of the blemishes in a particular context which, turn into literary merits. For instance, the blemish called Gudharthata is regarded as helpful in the case of Raudra kasa, and the blemish Gramyatvan cannot 71 be a blemish in the speech of a vulgar person.