Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Kavyalamkarasutravritti of Vamana’ of the English study on the Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara: a poetical encyclopedia from the 9th century dealing with the ancient Indian science of poetics and rhetoric (also know as alankara-shastra). The Kavya-mimamsa is written in eighteen chapters representing an educational framework for the poet (kavi) and instructs him in the science of applied poetics for the sake of making literature and poetry (kavya).
Part 6 - Kāvyālaṃkārasūtravṛtti of Vāmana
[Full title: Pre-dhvani theory of Sanskrit poetics (5): The Kāvyālaṃkārasūtravṛtti of Vāmana (9th century A.D.)]
Vāmana, in his work Kāvyālaṃkārasūṭra-vṛtti first time gives fairly systematic theory of poetics. In Sanskrit poetics he is well known for the protagonist of the Rīti theory and receives a fuller treatment of poetry based on the Guṇa-Rīti concepts. Vāmana first time probe the question about what constitutes the sole of poetry and he also propound the concept Rīti or poetic diction (distinctive arrangement of words) is the soul of poetry.
To him which works behind the transformation of the ordinary linguistic expression into the poetic expression, this distinction being the presence of Guṇas.
“rītirātmā kāvyasya |”
- Kāvyālaṃkārasūṭra-vṛtti of Vāmana: I/2/6
He mentions three Rītis viz. Vaidarbhī, Gauḍiya and Pāñ chālī. However he holds among three Rītis only the former Vaidarbhī is accepted because it only possesses all the Guṇas. Vāmana gives a clear concepts and distinction between Guṇas and Alaṃkāras and says Guṇas are constant elements which impart beauty to poetry and while the Alaṃkāras merely enhance its beauty.
“kāvyaśobhāyāḥ kartāro dharmā guṇāḥ |”
- Kāvyālaṃkārasūṭra-vṛtti of Vāmana: III/1/1
Vāmanas’ treatise devoted to attention to mainly poetic theory but it may be mentioned here that his theory had a partiality for drama and considered that as the literary form par excellence.