3.2. Kuntaka’s definition of poetry

[Full title: A brief sketch of the contents of Vakroktijīvita, (2): Kuntaka’s definition of poetry]

In Sanskrit poetics there are two different opinions about the definition of poetry among the rhetoricians, some of them opine that only words can make poetry and some others suggest that both word and meaning make poetry. Some famous rhetoricians who accept only word as poetry are Daṇḍin and Jagannātha Paṇḍita. Daṇḍin defines poetry as ‘śarīram tāvadiṣṭārthavyavacchinnā padāvalī’, Viśvanātha in his Sāhityadarpaṇa defines it as ‘vākyam rasātmakam kāvyam’ and Jagannātha paṇḍita conceives it as ‘ramaṇīyārtha pradipādakaḥ śabdaḥ kāvyam’. Those who regard poetry as both word and meanings are Bhāmaha, Vāmana, Rudraṭa, Mammaṭa, Ānandavardhana, Hemacandra, Vidyādhara, Vidyānātha and Kuntaka.

The definition of poetry according to Kuntaka is as follows:-

śabdārthau sahitau vakrakavivyāpāraśālini/
bandhe vyavasthitau kāvyam tadvidāhlādakāriṇi/ /^[1]

“Poetry is that word and sense together enshrined in a style revealing the artistic (lit, out-of-the-way) creativity of the poet on the one hand and giving aesthetic delight to the man of taste on the other”^[2]

After explaining the purpose and cause of the poetry, Kuntaka commences his text with a detailed description on the definition of poetry taking word by word. According to him both word and meaning are essential for a good poem; as the poem having both śabda and artha should only be delightful to the connoisseur. It is to be noted that Kuntaka’s language and style of writing is simple and beautiful. He tries to explain the meaning of every word and interprets them in a clear and distinct manner without leaving any doubts in the minds of the readers.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ibid,p.6.

[2]:

K. Krishnamoorthy, op.cit,p.292.