Part 1 - The origin of Indian poetics

Poetry is the verbal form of transmitting the reflection of the poet. This reflection comes out from the penetration of the poet. This is obtained through his observation of the phenomenal and nominal world. The process of that transmission on its technique or the science may be considered as Alaṃkāraśāstras or Sāhityavidyā. Alaṃkāraśāstra or Sāhityavidyā is the name of the treatises on literary criticism. It is the judgment of poetry, artistic framework of remarkable thoughts and speculations on poetic compositions. The origin of Indian poetics is may be traced back to the Vedas^[1], which are the oldest and the first literary compositions not only of India but also of the world. But the Vedas do not contain any systematic discussion or scientific classifications on the poetical theories. Certain things such as Rasas, Alaṃkāras which form some of the important content of poetics can be found in the Ṛgveda and other Vedas. Such things in subsequent literary led to enquire of their nature, origin and importance and then finally resulted in the development of important branch of learning i.e. Poetics, Alaṃkāraśāstra etc. Rājaśekhara etymologically defines it as Sāhityavidyā, which he calls as the seventh Vedāṅga (discipline auxiliary of the Vedas), fifteenth branch of knowledge^[2] and fifth discipline^[3], which is the soul of other disciplines.

After a digression Rājaśekhara incorporates a charm full fable relating to the origin of poetry (birth of Kāvya-puruṣa). Although, the Alaṃkāraśāstra (Śityavidyā) examines Alaṃkāras, Kāvya and Kavi, the utility causes and effects, Rasas, Guṇas, Doṣas and Rītis of Kāvya, it comes within the scope of Sanskrit poetics. These subjects of poetics may be helpful for the writer and poets to bringing up proficiency in their works or writings. But Rājaśekhara in his Kāvyamīmāṃsā describes the other elements of poetry on numerous matters with mixed up the topic of Kavi-śikṣā with poetic proper. There he prescribed the various kinds of thing which can be very much helpful for the aspirant poet to writing good poetry. He doesn’t much describe about the various element of poetry but he also concentrated about the matter of the proper poet, the creator of poetry.