Chapter 26.7 - The Aucitya (fitness/propriety/harmony) School of Poetics

Ksemendra is the upholder of the principle of Aucitya. His position is that Aucitya, appropriateness or propriety is the essence of Rasa: aucityasya camatkarakarinas carucarvane/ rasajivitabhutasya vicaram kurute 'dhuna// (Karika 3) "He (the author) now takes up for discussion for the purpose of proper enjoyment Aucitya, which leads to charm and which is the quintessence of Rasa. He defines Aucitya as lucitam prahur acaryah sadrsam kila yasya yat/ ucitasya ca yo bhavas tad aucityam pracaksate//'(Karika 7) "The masters proclaim that to be proper which goes well with the other. Being proper is what propriety is." Ksemendra then illustrates Aucitya in connection with word, sentence, text, qualities, figures of speech, verb, the relation subsisting between noun and verb in a sentence (or between noun and other words governing it), Karaka, gender , number, preposition, time, place and several other matters. His

I method is to illutrate propriety concerning each topic as also to do the same in the case of impropriety. In this he simply I develops what the Dhvanyaloka has summarized in the Karika anaucityad rte nanyad rasabhangasya karanam/ prasiddhaucityabandhas tu rasasyopanisat parall "There is no other greater cause of the breach of sentiment than impropriety. The greatest secret about sentiment is adherence to the well-known (=established) principles of propriety."