Part 4.1 - Nature and divisions of Vākya (literary speech)

In the beganing of seventh chapter, Rājaśekhara says that vākya is similar with vacana.

There are three types of literary speech i.e.

1. Brahma,
2. Śaiva [= Parameśvara or Divya?] and
3. Vaiṣṇava.

C.f.

“tacca tridhā praṇetṛbhedena brāhmaṃ, śaivaṃ, vaiṣṇavamiti |”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 28

Here the division of speech is seems to be based on different sects and speakers.

1) Brahma type of speech:

Therefore the Brahma speech is again divided into five types viz.

1. Svayaṃbhuva,
2. Aiśvara,
3. Ārṣa,
4. Ārṣīka and
5. Ārṣiputraka.

In this classification appears in the fifty-nine chapter of Vāyupurāṇa, without any definitions and illustrations of five kinds of speech.

S.M. Ghoshal Sastri think that,

“This classification of Rājaśekhara points to the fact that Indian art and literature are the finding of the three streams of Indian civilization and culture viz. Brahma, Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava and the philosophy of aesthetics sprouted from these three currents of thoughts.”^[_1_]

Then the three types of literary speech, the Brahmā and Śaiva speech are belong to divine beings and Vaiṣṇava speech belongs to human beings. Here it is found that, through this classification Rājaśekhara seeks to trace the origin and development of human speech.

(1) Svayaṃbhuva:

There the first kind of speech Svayaṃbhū, the most primitive language, which can be found in the Vedas.

“sarvabhūtātmakaṃ bhūtaṃ parivādaṃ ca yadvavet |
kvacinniruktamokṣanokṣārthaṃ vākyaṃ svāyambhuvaṃ hi tat || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 28

(2) Aiśvara:

The second aiśvara is the development of language and more refined that the Svayaṃbhūva.

“vyaktakramamasaṃkṣiptaṃ dīptagambhīramarthavat |
pratyakṣaṃ ca parokṣaṃ ca lakṣyatāैmaśvaraṃ vacaḥ || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 28

(3) Ārṣa:

The Ārṣa speech sentences have more nouns and case terminations, which can invariably see in Maṇṭras.

“yatkiñcinmantrasaṃyuktaṃ yuktaṃ nāmavibhaktibhiḥ |
pratyakṣābhihitārthaṃ ca taddaṣīṇāṃ vacaḥृsmatam || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 29

(4) Ārṣika:

In the Ārṣika, there may be numerous nipātas without any case terminations.

“naigamairvividhaiḥ śabdairnipātabahulaṃ ca yat |
na cāpi sumahadvākyamṛṣīkāṇāṃ vacastu tat || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 29

(5) Ārṣiputraka:

The last Ārṣiputraka speech is attributed to Ṛṣiputras and this speech is described as doubtful, which may be full of Yamaka, Anuprāsa and Śleṣa alaṃkāras.

“avispaṣṭapadaprāyaṃ yacca syādvahusaṃśayam |
ṛṣiputravacastatsyātsasarvaparidevanam || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 29

(2) [Śaiva]—Parameśvara or Divya type of speech:

The Parameśvara or Divya language uses the Gods of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Ruḍra, Kārttikeya, Bṛhaspati, Bhārgava and sixty-four disciples of Sarasvatī’s son. These Parameśvara or Divya language are used repeatedly by Gods and sub-ethnic groups of Devas i.e. Vidyādhara, Apsarasa, Yakṣa, Rākṣasa, Gandharva, Kinnara, Siddha, Guhyaka, Bhūta and Piśāca etc.

C.f.

“vidyādharāpsaroyakṣarakṣogandharvakinnarāḥ |
siddhaguhyakabhūtāśca piśācā devayonayaḥ || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 29

The Parameśvara or Divya language is divided into four types as:

1. Vaibudha,
2. Vaidyādhara,
3. Gāndharva and
4. Yoginīgata.

These four are represent the different style of writing.

(1) Vaibudha:

Then Rājaśekhara define Vaibudha as:

“samāsavyāsasaṃdṛbdhaṃ śrṛṅgāradbhutasambhṛtam |
sānuprāsamudāraṃ ca vacaḥ syādamṛtāśinām || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 29

Thus,

“yaccandrakoṭikarakorakabhārabhāji babhrāma babhruṇi jaṭāku hare harasya |
tadvaḥ punātu himaśailaśilāniku ñjajhātkāraḍambaravirāvi surāpagāmbhaḥ || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 29

Here it is seems that this Vaibudha language resembles with the Vaidarbhī rīti.

(2) Vaidyādhara:

Therefore Rājaśekhara says about Vaidyādhara language as:

“stokānuprāsasacchāyaṃ caturokti prasādi ca |
drādhīyasā samāsenaviddhi vaidyādharaṃ vacaḥ || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 29

Thus,

“praṇatasurakirīṭaprāṃśuratnāṃśuvaṃśacchu ritanakhaśikhāgrodbhāsamānāruṇāṅghre |
uditataraṇivṛndoddāmadhāmordhvanetrajvalananikaradagdhānaṅgamūrte namaste || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 30

Here it can be found that the Vaidyādhara language resembles with the Gauḍī rīti.

(3) Gāndharva:

Then Rājaśekhara define the characteristics of Gāndharva language as;

“hṛsvaiḥ samāsairmūyobhirvibhūṣitapadoccayā |
tattvārthagrathanagrāhyā gandharvāṇāṃ sarasvatī || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 30

Thus,

“namaḥ śivāya somāya sagaṇāya sasūnave |
savṛṣavyālaśūlāya sakapālāya sendave || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 30

In this above description it can be seems that this Gāndharva language have resembles with the Pāñcālī rīti.

(4) Yoginīgata:

Thereafter the last type of Yoginīgata language as:

“samāsarupakaprāyaṃ gambhīrārthapadakramam |
siddhāntasamayasthāyi yoginīnādidaṃ vaca || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 30

Thus,

“duṃkhendhanaikadahanāmṛtavarṣamegha saṃsārūkapapatanaikakarāvalamba |
yogīndradarpaṇa jagadgatakṛtsnatejaḥ pratyakṣacauravara vīrapate namaste || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VII, Pp- 30

Here it is resemblance with the Lātīya-rīti. In this way Rājaśekhara’s expounded four types of languages resembles with four different ritis.

(3) Vaiṣṇava type of speech:

The third types of language Vaiṣṇava is basically connected with Rājaśekhara’s dealing, which is most essential for poets.

It is divided into three types based on the three types of rītis viz.

1. Vaidarbhī,
2. Gaudīya and
3. Pāñcālī.

However Rudrata think that rītis are four type i.e.

1. Vaidarbhī,
2. Gaudīya,
3. Pāñcālī and
4. Lātīya.

But Rājaśekhara does not agree with him. Then he enlarged the Kāku or poetic intonation with the three types of languages and distinguished three types of rītis.