Musings on Indian Aesthetics

This article is part 1 of 2 in the series Musings on Indian Aesthetics

नित्यौचित्यकरावलम्बरुचिरो वक्रोक्तिवर्तिस्तुतो

ध्वन्युद्दामशिखास्फुटोऽक्षयरसस्नेहस्समुद्द्योतयन्।

धन्यानां सहृदां हृदि प्रतिपदं काव्यार्थमात्मोपमं

वाणीप्राणसमीरणो विजयते विद्याप्रदीपः कवेः॥

I

Indian Aesthetics, mostly codified in Sanskrit, is a fine representative of original thoughts on Art Experience. Every province of India, through the brilliant brains of its soil, has contributed to this field.  It is a misrepresentation, to say the least, to proclaim that it is just ‘Sanskrit’ Aesthetics and not ‘Indian’ in the inclusive sense. Daṇḍī, Appayyadīkṣita, and Śāradātanaya from Tamil Nadu; Bhoja, Dhanañjaya, and Rājaśekhara from Madhya Pradesh; Ajitasena, Sāyaṇa, and Veṅkāmātya from Karnataka; Vidyānātha, Viśveśvara, Mallinātha and others from Andhra; the unknown author of Naṭāṅkuṣa, Uttuṅgodaya, and Rāmapāṇivāda from Kerala; Kavikarṇapūra, Rūpagosvāmī, and Madhusūdanasarasvatī from Bengal; Hemādri and Vopadeva from Maharashtra; Vidyādhara from Orissa; Hemacandra, Guṇacandra, and Rāmacandra from Gujarat; Śaṅkaramiśra from Bihar; Jagannātha, Bhānudatta, Allarāja, Nāgeśabhaṭṭa and others from Uttar Pradesh are but a few luminaries from various provinces of India, apart from a host of great writers such as Bhāmaha, Vāmana, Rudraṭa, Udbhaṭa, Lollaṭa, Ānandavardhana, Abhnivagupta, Mahimabhaṭṭa, Kuntaka, Kṣemendra, Mammaṭa, Ruyyaka, and Jayaratha from Kashmir, who disprove the clever myth that Indian Aesthetics was never a pan-Indian science. More than one thousand original works in Sanskrit authored by over five hundred writers relate to the science of art appreciation. Masters such as Bharata, Vāmana, Rudraṭa, Ānandavardhana, Kuntaka, Bhoja, Kṣemendra, Hemacandra, Mahimabhaṭṭa, Rājaśekhara, and Mammaṭa were not tied down by a bias for Sanskrit. They freely quote poems from various regional languages of India and make an objective assessment of the same. Some of these writers even go to the extent of declaring that a knowledge of regional languages is an essential prerequisite to becoming a Sanskrit poet.

Not caring to know the intrinsic cultural integrity of Indian Aesthetics, some critics have ridiculed it as a product of Brahmin hegemony. Nothing can be further from the truth, for several luminaries of this field are from various communities and religious sects, covering a wide social and political cross-section. Apart from adherents to Veda and Vedānta, there is Bhāmaha (mostly a Buddhist), Abhinavagupta, Jayaratha, and Kṣemendra (well-informed about Buddhism and quite sympathetic to it), Hemacandra, Vāgbhaṭa, Sāgaranandī, Ajitasena, Guṇacandra, Rāmacandra (Jains) and śūdras such as Bhoja, Gopendra, Siṃhabhūpāla, Vemāreḍḍi, and Nañjarāja.

Indian Aesthetics has a proud say even in terms of conceptual variety. Since Alaṅkāraśāstra is the youngest among Indian sciences, it had the privilege of absorbing the wisdom of numerous schools of Indian philosophy. Thus the materialism of Nyāya and Mīmāṃsā, unique psychic realism of Sāṅkhya and Yoga, moralistic realism of Jaina, transcendental realism of Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava, absolute idealism of Bauddha and Vedānta have enriched the resourcefulness of Indian Aesthetics. As far as artistic expression is concerned, various tenets of Vyākaraṇa, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, Sāṅkhya, and Vedānta have made a great contribution. Indian Aesthetics is healthier than all current trends in art appreciation. Literary criticism in India was an autonomous independent science that never depended on any extraneous authority. It unvaryingly transcended the doctrines of religion and emerged with rational findings that have experiential accountability.

Some critics are of the opinion that Indian Aesthetics, with its ‘age-old’ canons of rasa, dhvani, aucitya, and vakrokti has no significant role to play in the modern and post-modern world of literary criticism. This is an unfound objection. Every theory of art appreciation connected with expression (vakrokti), suggestion (dhvani), impression (aucitya) and experience (rasa)—developed by any school of thought at any point in time—finds its philosophical and applicational completion in the canons of Indian Aesthetics. The champions of modernity are preoccupied with socio-political and geo-cultural implications of Aesthetics and care little for pure art. However, these issues can be suitably answered by understanding the concept of aucitya. Pure art, with its unshakeable fidelity to human emotions, goes beyond the constraints of space and time. That said, the core concepts of Aesthetics have to be efficiently employed both in the production and appreciation of art. This is akin to using a medicinal herb to cure a malady in different places and time zones, only with a different packaging each time. Of course, even the anupāna (non-medicinal prescriptions) can be suitably changed as per the instructions of the doctor.

Modern academic discussions concerning Indian Aesthetics are largely confined to treatises on Poetics. Works on other art forms—such as music, dance, sculpture, theatre, and painting—are rarely studied. Consequently, a common aesthetic theory for all art forms is not conceptualised. However, the canon of rasa that is well-established in the Indian aesthetic tradition is equally applicable across all art forms! Traditional masters of Indian Aesthetics were aware of this and worked towards its realization. Traditional Indian scholars of recent times and their western academic counterparts miss this point. Scholars studying the chapters of rasa and bhāva in Nāṭyaśāstra in traditional pāṭhaśālas are never exposed to music, dance, painting, and sculpture, for these subjects are considered irrelevant to the study of Poetics. Their understanding, at best, is bookish. Western indologists hardly encourage integrated studies. They consider non-literary art forms under the labels of ethno-musicology, iconography, theatre etc. Western academia, with its centuries-old existence, has not produced a single scholar in the build of Dr. V. Raghavan, who was equally at home not just with literature, but also music, dance, and theatre. Studies on Indian Aesthetics today are connected with experimental sciences such as psychology, psychiatry, and behavioural studies. They do not command a great significance as far as Aesthetics is concerned, for it is an experiential science similar to Philosophy. A better alternative would be to sharpen the sensibility of art experience by getting acquainted with the nuances of various art forms.  Seen in this light, the dire need of the hour is to re-establish the connectivity between treatises on various art forms by studying them on par with the treatises on Poetics. A careful study of the following works will prove beneficial in this regard: Saṅgītaratnākara, Mānasollāsa, Nṛttaratnāvalī, Caturdaṇḍīprakāśikā, Saṅgītarāja, Mānasāra, Aparājitapṛchchā, Rūpamaṇḍana, and Citrasūtra. Works on dramaturgy such as Nāṭalakalakṣaṇaratnakoṣa, Nāṭyadarpaṇa, Rasārṇavasudhākara, and Bhāvaprakāśa—studied scantily of late—should be pursued with greater rigour. It is imperative that researchers working on Poetics should try their hand at versification—always adhering to rasa—in the classical Sanskrit diction. Researchers on music and dance invariably have a fair understanding of their media, for arm-chair critics are not respected in either field. So it is all the more important for people pursuing Poetics to raise their standards, at least to the level of their fellow scholars working on kindred art forms.

In this background, a few points of Indian Aesthetics may be noted.

II

Rasa, the bedrock of Indian Aesthetics, cannot be realized if we are carried away by non-aesthetic and therefore misplaced ideologies like those of religion, politics, and economics. However, once the significance of rasa is understood and its pulse realized, all these ideologies automatically find their level.

Aucitya is mostly a cultural connotation that makes art all-inclusive. Dhvani takes care of symbolism, imagery, and suggestion. All forms of metaphor and imagery can be covered in one of the three categories of dhvani viz., vastu, alaṅkāra, and rasādi. While the first and second categories help us to understand and analyse the structure of poetry, the third category enables us to explore the core of art – the interplay of emotions.

Vakrokti, a wonderful concept of Indian Aesthetics, is capable of performing everything that dhvani does to a great extent; along with this, it also takes care of subtleties at the structural level. The versatility of vakrokti can be realized by looking into its categories such as upacāra-vakratā, and saṃvṛti-vakratā, along with manifold śabdālaṅkāras and arthālaṅkāras (figures of sound and sense).

These four canons—rasa, dhvani, aucitya, and vakrokti—enable us to analyse emotional and intellectual activities that produce a work of art. Needless to say, they also bestow upon us the joy of art experience.

The existence of varied, seemingly divergent theories does not bring down the value of Indian Aesthetics, for the grand aesthetic synthesis expounded by Ānandavardhana and Abhinavagupta is its highest watermark. The greatest achievement of Indian Aesthetics lies perhaps in its teaching us the method to appreciate classics. This is an all-time need as classics are always new and are oft-sought sources of joy. Let us understand this with the help of an example: Kālidāsa, who existed many centuries before the age of surcharged activity in Aesthetics, was invariably held high by all schools of Indian literary criticism. This happened over a wide span of space and time. The champions of the alaṅkāra school held him in high esteem as they thought upamā is the most fundamental and foremost among figures of speech, and Kālidāsa is peerless in its employment. To them, simile became synonymous with Kālidāsa – upamā kālidāsasya. The proponents of the guṇa and rīti (mārga) schools opined that vaidarbha is the best among the styles; here, too, Kālidāsa reigned supreme. He was termed vaidarbhagirāṃ vāsaḥ.’ Theorists belonging to the vakrokti school argued that oblique expression is the very breath of poetry; they had to prove their point by basing their arguments on Kālidāsa’s works. (Kuntaka cites Kālidāsa’s poems profusely.) The school of aucitya went to the extent of prescribing the complete works of Kālidāsa as requisite reading material for all prospective poets! Kṣemendra famously said, paṭhet samastān kila kālidāsakṛtaprabandhān.’ The rasa-dhvani school openly acknowledged Kālidāsa's mastery. In the words of Ānandavardhana, kālidāsaprabhṛtayo dvitrāḥ pañcaṣā vā mahākavaya iti gaṇyante.’ Kālidāsa is also eulogised as raseśvaraḥ.

This is also true of poets such as Vyāsa, Vālmīki, Bāṇa, Śūdraka, and Bhavabhūti. Even a Prākṛta poet like Hāla Sātavāhana or a lyrical poet like Amaru justly enjoyed glowing tributes by aestheticians. In the light of Indian literary theory, non-Indian poets such as Homer, Shakespeare, Dante, Firdausi, Kahlil Gibran, Omar Khayyam, Dostoevsky, Keats, Shelley and many others can be effectively evaluated and declared as masters of their art. This naturally points at the universality of the fundamental concepts of Indian Aesthetics - rasa, dhvani, aucitya, and vakrokti.

Alluding to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya's exposition of absolute and temporal realities, we can say that the vastutantra aspect of Indian Aesthetics, which is intact in traditional Indian literary criticism, can be safely relied upon at all times, and the kartṛtantra aspect of it can be modelled as per the demands of space and time. The shortcomings of modern schools of literary criticism that ridicule Indian Aesthetics are too many to discuss. An ever-growing list of ‘theories’ that mostly stems from the whims and fancies of ‘professional researchers’ have little bearing on the universal, absolute, nonqualified experience, sāmānya-svaparyāpta-nirviśeṣānubhava i.e., vastutantra. These theories fall into the category of kartṛtantra, which, if need be, can be easily accommodated within the frame of vastutantra.

The material world, lokasattā, is essentially governed by the theory of causation i.e., kārya-kāraṇa-sambandha, while the emotional world, kāvyasattā, follows the pattern of the objective correlative, vibhāvānubhāva-sambandha. The former works in the realm of probability while the latter functions in the domain of possibility. Probability is predicted with the help of mathematical formulations; but possibility, which is meta-logical in nature, cannot be predicted in the same manner. This is the fundamental difference between science and art, śāstra and kalā. Indian Aesthetics was never blind to this and so it based its theories upon possibility. A strong adherence to ‘possibility’ in art ensures the development of a fine classical medium that can give expression to universal emotions and withstand the test of time. This reduces the expectation from the material world to a great extent.

   Next>>

Author(s)

About:

Dr. Ganesh is a 'shatavadhani' and one of India’s foremost Sanskrit poets and scholars. He writes and lectures extensively on various subjects pertaining to India and Indian cultural heritage. He is a master of the ancient art of avadhana and is credited with reviving the art in Kannada. He is a recipient of the Badarayana-Vyasa Puraskar from the President of India for his contribution to the Sanskrit language.

Prekshaa Publications

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...