3.7. Qualities or Guṇas

[Full title: A brief sketch of the contents of Vakroktijīvita, (7): Qualities or Guṇas]

Kuntaka tries to connect some poetic qualities like mādhurya (sweetness), prasāda (perspicuity), lāvaṇya (grace), and ābhijātya (nobility) to the styles, but the nature of the four guṇas differs from style to style. The use of uncompounded simple and pleasant words is the specialty of sweetness of the tender style. Here perspicuity signifies the clarity of meaning and the beautiful arrangements of poetic composition is grace. The use of beautiful and pleasant words is the specialty of nobility. In variegated style, the absence of loose composition i.e. śaidilyābhāva is the nature of sweetness and the avoidance of compound words with a touch of ojas is prasāda (perspicuity). The skillful use of letters in a striking manner and the avoidance of too hard and too soft letters in a composition are the specialty of the qualities respectively of grace and nobility of variegated style.

This is given in a tabular form as follows:-

Styles	Qualities
	mādhurya (sweetness)	prasāda (perspicuity)	lāvaṇya (grace)	ābhijātya (nobility)
sukumāra (tender)	Uncompounded simple and pleasant words	Clarity of meaning	Beautiful arrangements of poetic composition	Use of beautiful and pleasant words
vicitrā (variegated)	Absence of loose composition i.e. śaidilyābhāva	Avoidance of compound words with a touch of ojas	Skillful use of letters in a striking manner	Avoidance of too hard and too soft letters in a composition
madhyamā (intermediary)	Beautiful combination of the qualities of both the styles

The beautiful combination of the qualities of both the styles is the specialty of the intermediary style. Kuntaka thus elaborates the qualities that each style possesses. But this elaboration seems to create certain difficulties. The narrow distinction between the qualities at times seems blurred to the readers.

Aucitya (propriety) and saubhāgya (spendour) are two general poetic qualities propounded by Kuntaka as his own, which are common to the three styles. Aucitya (propriety) is the expression of inherent nature of things and in saubhāgya (spendour) the poetic imagination plays an important role.

Styles	Qualities
	aucitya (propriety)	saubhāgya (spendour)
sukumāra (tender)	Propriety is the expression of inherent nature of things	The poetic imagination plays an important role in spendour
vicitrā (variegated)
madhyamā (intermediary)

Kuntaka never merely follows the methods used by his ancestors. He always analyze them minutely and sometimes suggests possible modifications if essential. Otherwise he propounds his own new ideas. These things make Kuntaka an outstanding one among Sanskrit rhetoricians. His unique contributions of qualities and figure of speeches are really praiseworthy.