Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Originality in Alamkaras (poetic figures)’ of the English study on the Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara: a poetical encyclopedia from the 9th century dealing with the ancient Indian science of poetics and rhetoric (also know as alankara-shastra). The Kavya-mimamsa is written in eighteen chapters representing an educational framework for the poet (kavi) and instructs him in the science of applied poetics for the sake of making literature and poetry (kavya).
Part 4 - Originality in Alaṃkāras (poetic figures)
Ācārya Bharatamuni in his Nāṭyaśāstra, defines alaṃkāras (poetic figure) as a accompanying way in the chapter six, seven and sixteen. However, he does not define there any definition of Alaṃkāras but his ascertainment about the matter of four alaṃkāras i.e. Upamā, Rūpaka, Dīpaka and Yamaka. Then Bharatamuni’s following rhetoricians Bhamaha, Vāmaṇa, Dandin, Rudrata was accepted the alaṃkāras as the beautifying elements of poetry. He is also elaborately defining the position and importance of alaṃkāras’ in Sanskrit poetics. But Rājaśekhara, the author of Kāvyamīmāṃsā is the one and only Ālaṃkārika in the history of Sanskrit poetics who first time introduces alaṃkāras with their demonstrations names.
Rājaśekhara also posits the alaṃkāras are the important elements in the Kāvya (poetry) and which presence Kāvya (poetry) is more beautifying, it is very essential for charming poetry (alaṃkṛti).
Rājaśekhara defines alaṃkāras in the Kāvya as:
“guṇavadalaṅkṛtañca vākyameva kāvyam |”
-Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-VI, Pp- 24
Means:
“Kāvya (poetry) is declared to be a sentence endowed with guṇas and alaṃkāras (figures).”
In this definition he gives importance of alaṃkāras in the Kāvya (poetry). There sometimes Rājaśekhara uses alaṃkāras for expressing the matter of guṇas and action with ignite of the emotions.