I. K.S
Name of College :- Maharani shree nandkumarba mahila arts and commerce College
Name. :- Kinjalba Rajendrasinh gohil
Year. :- S.Y.B.A
Semester. :- 3d
Subject. :- l.K.S
Date. :- 28-8-2026
Professor name. :- Rachana ma'am
∆ Home assignment :
• Indian poetics and Asthetics.
👉 This blog is part of the thinking activity task of Indian Poetics.
In ancient times in India literary criticism's main works were in Sanskrit. It is also calledSahityasastra, Alamkarshastra, Kavyashstra, and Kavyamimansa. Poetry's main purpose isto attain pleasure from Rasanubhuti.
Indian poetics is the ancient poetics especially sanskrit poetics. Every literature has rootsand beginnings so as Sanskrit literature. Sanskrit literature and poetics worked hand in handto establish various theories of poetics. Rasa, Vakrokti, Alamkara, Auchitya, Riti etc. arebranches of Indian poetics. Indian poetics provides deeper understanding-तलावगाहन forliterature.
Language is vocal symbol and experience based interpretations are limited. So, criticismmakes vision broader in evaluating work of art. Basically there is classification of IndianPoetics. It is divided into below categories.
1. Rasa theory by BharataIndian Poetics
2. Dhvani theory by Anandvardhan
3. Vakrokti theory by Kuntaka
4.Alamkara by Bhamaha
5. Riti by Vaman
6.Auchitya by Kshemendra
7. Anumiti Theory
The Dhvani Theory found its first systematic expression in Ānandvardhan's 'Dhvanyāloka'.
For simple understanding Dhvani is voice which helps us to complete a word; ક્ + અ = ક hereઅ is Dhvani which completes ક્. It is basically a branch of linguistic. For example thissentence has different meaning if we emphsized upon different words.
તમારી લાલ પેન્સિલ મને આપો.
Your pencil, red pencil, give, and give it to me. This all interpretations can be possible whiledoing this practice. Possibilty of multiple interpretations based on pronounciation, syllable,placing of words etc.Chainese and Japanize languages are more symbolic in this sense.
So Dhavni is,वि भाजि ं गनाशत लावण्यम ्इव अु।।
Dhvani adorns poetry and beauty adorns women. Dhavni is made of Varna-alphabet andmakes Artha. It leads to arthasphota, while we are speaking work "tree" there is arthsphotaand one recognizes the tree.
ધ્વનિ એટલેપ્રતીયમાન અર્થર્થ..
Getting new meanings through the same words is Dhvani- apparent meanings. That is thesoul of poetry. Morover, it is symbolic.Acarya
Mammata devides Dhavni in three parts.
शक्ति ःकावि ीजरूपेसं स्कारवि े सप्राप्तेयाम्वि ना काव्य न प्रसरि तवबशत ।
In Raghuvansh Kalidas compared Shabda and Artha to Shiva-Parvti. It is united in thatsense.
Dhavni is coding and Artha is decoding. Meanings are imposed on words. Idioms are alsoexample of Dhavni.
ભાષા, તારંઅજાણો સમજેવળ સાદ,તુકુી રૂદયમાીનંસં ગોપેકરંસહજ અનપછુ વાદ.
अभि धा (Abhidha) - Literal Meaning of the word
लक्षणा (Lakshana) - Characteristically Meaning of the wordं जना.
(Vyanjana) - Poetic & Metaphysical Meaning of the wordव्य.
Vastu Dhvani (Suggested Idea or Thought)
Vastu Dhvani occurs when a poet suggests an idea or thought that is not explicitly stated but understood by the reader through implication. It deals with the intellectual aspect of poetry. The literal words indicate one meaning, while the reader infers another deeper or hidden idea.
Example:
“When the clouds gathered, the farmer smiled.”
The literal meaning is simple—the farmer smiles when he sees clouds. But the implied or suggested meaning is that the farmer is happy because the rain will bring fertility to his fields. The unspoken idea of hope and relief is the Vastu Dhvani here.
Through Vastu Dhvani, poets enrich their verses with intellectual depth, allowing readers to engage with the poem’s meaning at multiple levels. It encourages reflection and interpretation beyond what is plainly said.
2. Alankara Dhvani (Suggested Figure of Speech or Poetic Ornament)
Alankara Dhvani is present when the charm or beauty of a poem lies not in its direct meaning but in the figure of speech (Alankara) used by the poet. Here, the suggested meaning emerges through artistic expression, such as simile, metaphor, personification, or hyperbole.
Example:
“The moon smiled through the clouds.”
Literally, the moon cannot smile, but this personification creates an image of serenity, calmness, and beauty. The suggested meaning is the peaceful atmosphere of the night, which the words do not directly describe. The suggestion arises from the Alankara used by the poet, making it Alankara Dhvani.
In this form, Alankara is not a mere decoration but a medium of suggestion. It helps the poet express emotions and ideas in a subtle, imaginative, and aesthetically pleasing way. Thus, Alankara Dhvani enhances the artistic beauty of poetry.
3. Rasa Dhvani (Suggested Emotion or Sentiment)
Among all types of Dhvani, Rasa Dhvani is considered the most important and powerful. It refers to the suggestion of rasa, or aesthetic emotion. In this type, the suggested meaning evokes a specific emotional experience in the reader, such as love (Shringara), sorrow (Karuna), heroism (Veera), or wonder (Adbhuta).
According to Anandavardhana, and later explained by Abhinavagupta, the ultimate goal of poetry is the evocation of rasa. When the words, their meaning, and the context together awaken a feeling that is not directly expressed, the poetry achieves Rasa Dhvani.
Example:
“When she looked at the empty garden, her eyes filled with tears.”
The literal meaning is simple—a woman’s eyes fill with tears as she sees an empty garden. But the suggested meaning evokes the emotion of Karuna Rasa (pathos). The empty garden symbolizes loss, loneliness, and separation. This unspoken sorrow that the reader feels is Rasa Dhvani.
Rasa Dhvani touches the reader’s heart and creates an emotional connection with the poem. It transforms mere words into an experience of aesthetic delight (Rasanubhava).
∆Class assignment :-
० meaning of dhanvi:-
•When words and meanings are competing with each other reaches to its zenith at that timeી કરતા' and "સ્થિ ંઘર ખાલે લા અહલ્યાનાRasa Dhavni is experienced. The gujrati poem "જૂનર થયુધબકારા" are example of feeling the rasa dhavni.
∆ शब्दार्थ साहितो वक्र कवि व्यापारशालिनी।
बंधे वयवसहोतो काव्यों तदविदहलादकरिनि।।
Kuntaka in his book "VAkrokti-jivitam" emphasized extra wordly statement. Vakrokti meansै दग्ध्य भं गी भनि ति . In a way it is born out of poetic proficiency. That means statementsवstrikingly different from the Loka-varta [ordinary speech] named as it. It is connected with thetheory of Aesthetics.
∆ Examples of it.ંચાહીજ સૃષ્ટિી,ંછુંસં દર ચ"હષ્ટિ નુુું દર કરી મી ચાહી."ેજે અસં સં દર ચાહઅનુકુુુવિ નિ ૃતિ ેતીધૂ મકપાત કુ નીના નખ કી મારા સાજન એવા સલ"જેવા નાહ્યા પછં ં"ૂ ણા,સખુ ણાો શીઓ તેલખવા ? વેરાન આંગળો રહીનેછાણેપાદર વચાળ ""કાગળAs T. S. Eloit highlights the importanced of leraned scholar for writing poetry or even readingpoetry, similarly Kuntka told this. Only learned men can enjoy the real essence of the poetry.Vakrokti can be divided in six categories:ર્ણવિવિન્યાસ- the phonetic level:વર્ણRepetation of varna and music in it.ंज लोचन कंज मंज पद कन्जारुणम ।नव कु खकर कર્ધર્ધ પદપૂ ર્વાર્વા-the lexical level:હરિ ેહરિ ો મેંતો કઈ હે તકીધંનોતંવર મુ જનગયુુકામિ ી કોકિ ેલી કેનલા કૂ જન કરેખોટં ના લાગેતો એક વાત કહી તારામા.ુુુAll this examples reflecting the lexical level.
∆AbhijnanShankuntalm are examples of it. If we remove this then whole work would be meaningless.ં ધ- the compositional level :પ્રબOne linear meaning of a whole text or any literary art.
•.”Prayoga (Idiomatic Usage) – Using phrases in their idiomatic beauty.
Example: “आसमान सरपर उठाना” (to create chaos).
Bhūti, Nāma, Kriya – Creative play with naming, attributes, and actions.3. Pada-Prachurya VakrataMeaning: Vakrata that emerges from the abundance, richness, and arrangement of words.Examples:Kaal (Tense) – Artistic shifts between past, present, and future.
ᕗ Characteristics:Sahajata (Naturalness) – Sentences should appear effortless and flowing.Saubhavatā (Gracefulness) – The sentence must carry a smooth elegance.Ābhāṣa (Illusion of Simplicity) – Although artistic, it should appear natural.Alankāra (Figures of Speech) – Simile, metaphor, and other devices enrich the sentencestructure.
•Key Features:Bhavyam Condition – Episodes must create motional richness and depth.Upapadya Navarasa – Episodes should allow liberty in evoking different rasas (sentiments).Usefulness of Episodes – Each episode should be connected to the main action;unnecessary digressions must be avoided.
• Avoidance of Excessive Episodes – Overcrowding makes the narrative heavy.Detailed Descriptions – Descriptions of important and interesting events must be provided.Illustrations – Use of metaphor, imagery, and examples enhances clarity.Eloquence – Episodes must have rhetorical beauty.Sequential Order – Events must follow a logical sequence.
*Intersectionality – Different storylines should meet meaningfully.6. Prabandha (Composition as a Whole)Meaning: Prabandha refers to the entire literary composition, with emphasis on structure,transformation, and narration.Aspect
•Transformation of Original Story – While retelling myths or epics, poets add creativevariations to make them unique.
• Protagonist Enhancement – Central characters are elevated to highlight virtues, flaws, orstruggles.Namkaran Vakrata (Renaming or Retitling) – Through re-telling, poets often give new titlesand new perspectives to age-old stories, thus ensuring freshness.
• These six aspects—Varna Vinyasa, Pada Paryay, Pada Prachurya, Vākya, Prakaraṇa, andPrabandha—cover the different levels of vakrata (poetic obliqueness) that make literatureaesthetically beautiful, structurally sound, and emotionally rich.
There must be melting use of Almkara so that it is not identified and gives plesure. InSahityadarpna Vishvnath considered 96 Almkaras.
Upama or Simile:
Upama is a type of Alankara that involves comparing two different things to create asimilarity between them. For example, “She was as beautiful as a rose” is a simile thatcompares a woman’s beauty to that of a rose.
Rupaka or Metaphor:
Rupaka is a type of Alankara that involves the use of a word or phrase to representsomething else that it is not literally applicable to. For example, “He was a lion on thebattlefield” is a metaphor that represents a person’s bravery and strength as that of a lion.
Atishayokti or Epithet:
Atishayokti is a type of Alankara that involves the use of a descriptive word or phrase toenhance the effect of a statement. For example, “The Great Wall of China” is an epithet usedto describe the massive and magnificent wall built in China.
Anuprasa or Alliteration:
Anuprasa is a type of Alankara that involves the repetition of the same sound or letter at thebeginning of consecutive words. For example, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickledpeppers” is an example of alliteration.
Vakrokti or Irony:
Vakrokti is a type of Alankara that involves saying something but meaning something else.Irony is the most common type of Vakrokti. For example, “Oh, what fine weather we arehaving today” said sarcastically on a rainy day.
Dwani or Suggestion:
Dwani is a type of Alankara that involves suggesting a meaning through the use of words orphrases. It involves conveying a message or idea that is not explicitly stated in the text. Forexample, “The silence in the room was deafening” suggests the intensity of the silence in theroom.
In Indian philosophy, Anumiti is recognized as one of the four kinds of pramāṇa (validsources of knowledge or right experience).
The other pramāṇas generally include pratyakṣa (perception), anumāna (inference),upamāna (comparison), and Sabda (verbal testimony).
According to Annambhaṭṭa’s Tarkasaṃgraha, Anumiti specifically refers to inference-basedknowledge.
Buddhi (knowledge) is divided into two types
:Anubhava (Experience) – direct and immediate knowledge.
Smṛti (Recollection) – memory-based knowledge.
Meaning in Literary
CriticismIn the field of Sanskrit poetics, Anumiti has been adapted as a critical category.
It denotes an inference-based approach to the theory of rasa (aesthetic experience).According to this theory, rasa is not directly manifested but is inferred (anumita) by thereader or audience from the poetic expressions.
Thus, aesthetic relish (rasa-svādana) is considered a product of inference, not directperception.
Thank You.
