Dhvani in ‘Meghaduta’

The great lyric Meghadutaof Kalidasa is undoubtedly a Dhvani kavya, for we have in it the three types of Dhvani–of Rasa, Alankara and Vastu–whichcorrespond to sentiment, figure and idea. The main sentiment in this piece is Vipralambha Sringara, or love in separation, and it is revealed in the yaksha couple. It is depicted in detail in the second canto. On the other hand, the Sambhoga, or love in consummation, is found here and there in the first canto in the descriptions of the rivers, mountains, cities, etc. There are, however, subtle touches of the other sentiments as heroism or Veera, wonder or Adbhuta, sorrow or Karunascattered here and there and subordinating to the main.

The very approach of a cloud as a consummator of love, is congenial to love-making for all the living beings. The plants and creepers too bloom and ripen. Besides even the inanimate things as the rivers, mountains, etc., or their presiding deities in the bosom of Nature as her dear children, put on a spick and span appearance while lingering in a romantic mood. Thus Nature as a beloved awaits the approaching cloud as her lower in company of the crane couples which may be taken more or less as his banner. So it is obvious that the cloud as an agent of love and a lover as well suggest the love in consummation. The start of the cloud along with the crane couples, followed by the romantic pictures of a rainbow as a peacock feather and a mountain as the earth’s breast, etc., set tone and colour to the love scenes of the picture gallery.

Love in Consummation

The suggestion of love in consummation in the case of rivers Vetravati, Nirvindhya and Gambhira is very beautiful. The rippling waters of Vetravati look like the knitted eyebrows in her beautiful watery face and the heightened love is suggested by the idea of tasting her lips in drinking her waters. In the case of Nirvindhya, her gestures like Showing off her eddy-like navel with her ringing golden-belt formed by the cries of swans in rows and her graceful movements like stumbling gait, reveal her love, the ecstasy of which is suggested by the word Rasaabhyantara, that is, enjoyment of her love. As regards Gambhira she is described rather sensually as undressed and tightly embraced by the cloud leading to the acrue of love, which is also suggested by the words Kathamapi Prasthaanam (leaving her with great difficulty) and defended by the Arthaantaranyaasafollowing. Similar is the description of the city Alaka and the mountain Kailasa as lovers. Again in the beginning of the second canto the richness and profusion of the pleasures of love is suggested by the various Vibhavaadi–theluxuries of the city Alaka, the palaces and pleasure gardens, the drinking and sporting, etc., of the ever-young lavicious couples in the ever-flourishing all-season surroundings.

Love in Separation

The sentiment of Vipralambha Sringaara or love in separation between the hero and the heroine is mainly suggested in the second canto. The effect of this sentiment bordering almost on Karunaor pathos, is enormously enhanced by the exuberance of the love in consummation preceding it in contrast, besides its own treatment in detail. The various states of the heroine as a Virahini, or separated lover, are finely portrayed. They are like languor, emaciation, sleeplessness, etc., that are enumerated and defined in Rasaratnaakara. Her slender and miserable picture is marked with unmatted hair, unpaired nails, soiled clothes, parched lips, rough looks, tears, sighs, etc. Very apt similes as the following nicely reflect her state–iaataam manye sisira mathitaam padmineem vaanyaroopaam; praacheemoole tanumiva kalaamaatraseshaam himaamsoh; saabhrenheeva sthala kamalineem na prabuddhaam na suptaam. Her appearance is likened to a blighted lotus in winter, to the crescent moon on the eastern horizon, to a lotus in a cloudy day. These pictures reveal her genuine and heart-rending pain of separation.

Similarly the different states of the love-lorn hero, the yaksha, may be figured out from his message. His burning desire to embrace her, to talk to her face, to explore her likeness in his surroundings, and to draw her up in her love-anger and fall prostrate at her, show his various unsuccessful attempts of gratifying his love. His involuntary acts of embracing her by way of feeling the breeze from her direction, soften anybody as the sylvan deities in this instance into tears. His painful state too is marked by anguish, worry, tears, sighs, emaciation, etc.

Devotion

Though the sentiment of love is main in this work, it is diversified by devotion as a subsidiary. Even in the midst of suffering the hero does not grow perverse as to become a cynic and atheist. On the other hand he has a great faith in the Lord Iswara and a robust optimism of a happy future, which he tries to instil in his wife through his message. As the Lord’s mercy is also desirable for the success of his embassy, he implores it implicitly while requesting the cloud to visit the Lord of the temple Mahakala, of Kanakhala and Kailasa mountains.

The poet’s genius is unquestionable in establishing the cloud as a devotee in so natural a manner that his devotional services to the Lord are suited to his shape, colour, thunder, lightning, etc.–his paraphernalia. For example, by his attenuated and modulated thundering, he can join the orchestra as a drummer for the Lord’s evening dance in Mahakala. He can alleviate the pains of the dancing girls while dancing before the Lord of Mahakala by his cool soothing drizzles. He will attain the graces of the Goddess and the Lord’s followers by virtue of his black appearance resembling the Lord’s lovely neck. By his divine powers acquired through his divine lineage and office, he can propitiate the Lord Skanda of Devagiri by his flowery showers. In the same way he can please the peacock of the Lord by his cool drizzles so as to make it dance for the Lord’s pleasure. The cloud can further move round the Lord’s feet engraved on a sacred spot on the Kanakhala mountain by way of his smoky curls. Again On the Kailasa mountain he can form a staircase with his wavy form embedding water so that the Lord with His consort makes a pleasure trip on it.

Besides love and devotion the sentiments of heroism and wonder appear here and there. The description of Ujjain and Kurukshetra reveal heroism, while the pictures on the Himalayas and of the city Alaka strike in one, a general feeling of wonder and fancy. Thus the merit of the work is also due to the proper proportion of the sentiments without the defect known as Rasaabhaasaor sentimentality.

Alankara Dhvani

According to the commentator of Dhvanikaara, the Alankara Dhvani and Vastu Dhvani as well contribute to Rasa Dhvani. Some examples of Alankara Dhvani may be considered. In the stanza beginning with Veneebhuta, the love act of Megha and the river Vetravati by which the latter can get rid of her emaciation suggest the equal give and take (Adhara and Veerya). Thus there is Parivrithi Dhvani. Again in the verse beginning with Hitwa Haalaam there is Upama Dhvani. The comparison between Balarama and Megha in respect of becoming pure in heart by the waters of Saraswatit is suggested. The phrase Sagaratanaya swarga sopaana panktim with reference to the river Ganges that got down from the Himalayas, reveals Utpreksha Dhvani. The Ganges in getting down the Himalayas from Heaven forms a staircase for the sons of Sagara to ascend the Heaven through the mountainous path. The various turns the river takes in getting down the mountain are supposed to be the steps of the staircase. Again the verse beginning with Gatvah Sadyaa suggests Upamabetween the Megha’s manoevres seated on the pleasure hill to those of Hanuman seated on Simsupa tree.

Vastu Dhvani

That the Megha Sandesa is based on Hanumat Sandesa of Ramayana is suggested by the phrase Ramagiryaasrameshuin the very first stanza, while suggesting the comparison between yaksha and Rama as regards the pain of separation. This suggestion is repeated here and there. In the verse beginning with Aapricchasvathe second line suggests the same comparison between yaksha and Rama. The verse commencing with Gatwa Sadyah suggests the similar search of Hanuman seated on Simsupa tree. Again the verse beginning with Ityaakhyaateexpressing the above comparison strongly supports these suggestions.

The offices of the cloud as a messenger and accomplisher of the union of the lovers are suggested and in a way defended for the propriety of the kavya. The line beginning with Jaatam Vamse suggests the nobility of the cloud for being a messenger. The word Kaamaroopasupports the Kalabhatanutaof the cloud. Again the line Santaptaanaam... Visleshitasyat, the line Kassannaddhe…paraadheenavrittih, the line Tvaamaarudham... Aasvasatyah and the line tvaamaasadya... lingitaaniwill suggest the latter office ghatakatvaof the cloud.

The East and the West

Dhvaniis the technical term given by the Eastern school to the supreme class of poetry where the suggestive meaning out and out surpasses the literal sense. As the attribute of a first class poetry, Dhvanimade a landmark in the history of Indian poetics though it was followed by the theory of propriety (Auchitya), the latter had however to submit to the supremacy of Dhvani. On the other hand, the Western school of critics too have given a great prominence to suggestion. According to them, words and phrases are symbols of meaning and association; they have a defined and undefined significance; in literature or poetry the associations made with the words–The undefined significance is of equal or greater importance even; in poetry where the appeal is primarily to the emotions, the associations of words are of even more importance than their exact meaning; all poetry depends for its lasting effect on the undefined significance of words giving riseto innumerable suggestions.

Is this Western view of suggestion not akin to the Indian theory of Dhvani? Their resemblance can be observed more homely by considering some of their correspondences in terms or techniques. The symbolic or suggestive power of words produces a complex of feeling and idea, which in Indian terminology may be said to correspond to the sentiment or Rasa on one hand and Vastuand Alankaaraon the other. Vastuand Alankaaratoo as said already, subordinate or contribute to Rasa alone, though they do have their own beauty, which is more intellectual. So it may be said again that the primary appeal of poetry is emotional. In this connection Wordsworth may be quoted: “All good poetry is a spontaneous overflow ofpowerful feelings recollected in tranquillity.” It is the communication of a mood in a mysterious way and it is the final test of poetry. The mysterious power of suggestion which is the dominating element or poetry makes it unfathomable though apparently obscure. Obscurity, as far as it is noted in the suggestion itself, is an element ofpoetry rather than a defect of the poet, for in its widest perspective a poem reveals the same for no two persons. So it is said, “What a poem means for each one of us and which mood it communicates to us, is a personal matter.”