Part 1: Sanskrit Kāvya and its Divisions

The Sanskrit rhetoricians have given different opinions on kāvya. Bharatamuni,^[1] the profounder of rasa school, says that rasa is the most fundamental requisite in a kāvya. According to Bhāmaha^[2] kāvya is a melodious form of word and meaning. Ānandavardhana^[3] states that dhvani is the soul of kāvya. Again, that rīti is the soul of poetry as stated by Vāmana.^[4] Panditarājajagannātha^[5] defines kāvya as the word which produces a pleasing meaning. Viśvanātha Kavirāja^[6] gives the most authentic definition on kāvya that rasa or the sentiment is the spirit of poetry. The above definitions surely establish that kāvya is an impulsive outflow of human heart.

Viśvanātha Kavirāja^[7] gives the modern concept on kāvya; he divides kāvya into two types’ viz., dṛsya and śravya. The word śravya^[8] suggests that type of kāvya which can only be listened to. It is again divided into two types,^[9] viz., padya (verse) and the gadya (prose). Padya is also subdivided into three types’ viz., kośa, khaṇḍakāvya and mahākāvya. Gadyakāvya has also two divisions, kathā and ākhyāyikā. Apart from these two, there is another form of kāvya known as miśrakāvya (mixture of verse and prose), which is also of three types viz., viruda, karabhaka and campū.

The word dṛaśya, on the other hand, suggests that type of kāvya which can be demonstrated or to be seen. It generally implies to kāvya presented with audio-visual effects. Through the dṛśyakāvya, human emotions can easily be released. Dṛśyakāvya has two broad divisions-rūpaka and uparūpka. Here, rūpaka^[10] has ten and uparūpka^[11] has eighteen verities. Viśvanātha,^[12] asserts that it is that type of kāvya where there is action. There are four types of acting^[13] (abhinaya) viz. āṅgika (physical), vācika (verbal), āhārya (decorative), and sāttvika (emotional).