tauryatrika a glance

7/31/2019 Tauryatrika a Glance

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Poetry, it is admitted by every body, is one of the

fine arts. Tolstoy takes the definition of art as the

external manifestation, by means of lines, colours,

movements, sound or words, of emotions felt by mangiven by Veron and adds that it must be effective as

well. This is comprehensive enough to include every

one of the fine arts of which dance, music and poetry

are of one category, in that they may not have a

permanent form. Poetry was originally sung and heard

but not written and read. Man, as that great philosopherAristotle says, is a social animal and the most essential

requisite for a social life is the communication of

feelings and ideas to one another. That could be done in

three ways, when writing was not yet known, namely,

by bodily signs including facial expressions, by various

cries with tonic modulations and by the use of words.

There is an increase in range though a decrease indepth, from the former to the latter, in their capacity as

modes of expression. That is to say the facial

expression, as a frown, or the bodily movement, as a

shrug, can be useful only when the parties are very near,

and even then, they are expressive of only a limited

number of primary and simple emotions. On the otherband, the cries would be effective to even a distance

and can reveal a wider range of emotions. Words, of

course, with their conventional meanings, have the

widest range. Thus each latter is more extensive in its

operation than the former. But at the same time it may

be noted that what is gained in extension is lost in

intension. The facial expression is a better index, than


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the cry, of an emotion, because possibly it is more

universal. Of the three, the word is the least universal as

it is dependent upon the knowledge of the particular

language or the conventional system. Of these threemeans of expression of emotion, the first two were

already in use even in the animal life, and man is the

inventor of the last one. The advantage of the word is

that it is, among other things, the best, if not the only,

means for the communication of knowledge, which

consists primarily of ideas, as distinct from feelings andemotions. Art is, as we have seen, the effective

transmission of emotions and feelings, as opposed to

the communication of ideas, which is the province of

science. In other words, it is emotional and not

intellectual; it is concerned with the heart and not so

much with the head. Again it is not mere intimation but

infection, if one may use that word. That is where itdiffers from the ordinary business. In Art, the emotion

is not intended to be intellectually perceived, but it is

intended to be sympathetically lived. Now then, when

the transmission of a feeling is done through a word, as

in poetry, there is first the transformation of the

feeling into idea, which is expressed through asound symbol, which is decoded again at the other end.

It is a long process and the feeling would lose much of

its freshness and intensity by the time it reaches the

other end. That is why, in many cases, it is proving

unable to recall the experience in the hearer. But in the

case of music, the emotion flows out, without much

of an intellectual intervention of the voluntary (human)


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agency, and acts directly upon the heart, the seat of

emotions, without the necessity of passing through the

medium of the hearers head, as the message is not sent

in code. That is to say, music speaks in the language ofthe beast, and poetry in the language of the head. So it

is that, as an art, music is more effective and quick in

action in kindling emotions than poetry; and this

absolute truth is clearly noticed by the ancient seers,

who announced,Sangitam atha SahityamSarasvatyah stanadvayam;Ekam apatamadhuramAnyad alochanamrutam.

For one, the medium isNada or sound, and for the

other, Pada or word.Before a discussion of poetry is taken up, I like to

say one or two things about music. It is given the status

of a Veda as Gandharva and it is called Sangitam by

the Oriental scholars. Sangitam etymologically means

well-sung. It is said to be a synonym of Tauryatrikawhich literally means the triune with the Turiya. The

lexicographer Amarasimha says Tauryatrikamnrutta giro vadyam Natyamidam Trayamthat is to say

that Tauryatrika is the triune of dance, song

and orchestra, the three organs relating to a

drama. But this interpretation appears to be a


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Chaturvidhai rabhinayaih satvikangikapurvakaihDhirodattadyavasthanukrutir natyam rasasrayamBhavasrayamtu nrutyam syat nruttam

talalayanvitamsays Prataparudra Yasobhushanam. (See the

commentary of Kumaraswami also). But in course of

time dance itself was begun to be called, obviously

erroneously, as Natya, as when a performance inBharata Natyam is announced. So also here a mistakehas crept into the terminology or rather into the

explanation of the term. It was only after the

development of the three modes of expression into the

three different arts of

dancingNrutyam, music Sangitam, and

poetry Sahityam, that it was found to be more effectiveto unite them into one comprehensive Art of

Dramaturgy,Natyam. Art is skill and the different

means of transmission of emotions which arise out of

social necessity were skillfully handled by capable

persons, so as to yield the maximum effect, so as to

recall the same emotions in the recipient and not merelyto give an intimation of them, turned into art to adorn

the life; and the latest of them is poetry.Now, what is poetry? It is an art in words or a

literary art. It takes its origin from emotion recollectedin tranquility, says Wordsworth, but Mill appears to

differ from him when he says What is poetry, but the


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thoughts and words in which emotion spontaneously

embodies itself. But the difference is only apparent,

because Wordsworth has not completed his sentence

but continues, the emotion is contemplated till, by aspecies of reaction, the tranquility gradually disappears,

and an emotion, kindred to that which was before the

subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and

does itself actually exist in the mind. Thus evenaccording to Wordsworth, the poet, at the time of

writing, has to lose his tranquillity and has to workhimself up to the original emotion and has to be, in the

words of Mill, possessed by the feeling. A poet is thus

one who is inspired and poetry is nothing but the

spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, as

Wordsworth puts it, in words. The general notion of the

English critic is that poetry has always the form of verse

or the aid of meter and is something other than prose.Thus it is that Shelley proclaims that the language of

poets has ever affected a certain uniform and

harmonious recurrence of sound, without which it were

not poetry. Leigh Hunt also says that Verse is the final

proof to the poet that his mastery over the art is

complete. Here, it may be noted that the viewpoint ofthe Sanskrit critic is quite different, for he says that

prose is the touchstone of poetry (Gadyam Kavinam

Nikasham VadantVamana). However, in what

Leigh Hunt says, there is an implied acceptance of

prose as also poetry. But the popular use of the terms

prose and poetry, in juxtaposition to each other, points

our the general trend of equating poetry with verse. But,


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when Carlyle says, that Whatsoever is not sung is

properly no poem, he should not be taken to be

echoing the popular error, because what he actually

means is something different, as is evident from the restof the sentence which runs but a piece of prose

cramped into jingling lines. He means merely that

poetry is spontaneous and he puts the same in clearer

terms when he says Poetic creation, what is this too,but seeing the thing sufficiently! The word, that will

describe the thing, flows of itself from such clearintense sight. Wordsworth, as has been noticed already,speaks of contemplation, and Carlyle speaks of

seeing. They are thinking of two distinct sources ofinspiration for the poet. The stimulus may be objective

or subjective, either to be seen, or to be

contemplated, but one thing is sure, namely that the

poet has got to react and give himself up to the emotion,has got to be possessed by it and to live the experience

and be filled with it, before we can expect any overflow

from him, which can really thrill us. The words may

come in measured feet or not, that does not matter. But

one thing can be asserted, that the more probable it is,

that it takes some form of rhythmical flow, that thewords would play in measured feet, would dance, so to

say. For, as has been already stated, music has the

advantage of directly affecting the heart, and as such,

the words set to tune would naturally, without passing

through the judgment, gain the heart, and all its end at

once gained-pope. There lies the nucleus of truth

around which grew the popular fallacy. Thus, though


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the meter or the musical element has its own part in the

poetic art, the importance of the word should not be

subordinated, lest it may cease to be poetry and become

music. Poetry, is essentially an art in words.The Sanskrit Alankarikas included both prose and

verse in the term poetry when they defined it either as

Sahrudaya h,udayahladakari sabdarthamayatvamevakavyalakshanamas Rasatmakam vakyam

kavyamas Ramaniyarthapratipadakah sabdahkavyamand when they finally categorised it into verse,

prose and mixed types. Even when it is said that the

emotion must overflow, it only means that it should be

very intensive and not that the poet should absolutely

lose his control. If the emotion takes the upper hand

becomes uncontrolledthe expression would necessarily

be music, and not poetry, emotional sounds and notmeaningful words. Therefore in poetry there is always

an element of will. But the greater the control, the more

it is likely, that the form it takes is prose. Nevertheless

true poetry must embody itself in symbols which are

the nearest possible representations of the feeling as

Mill has it, and the words, which are mere symbols astheir meanings are but conventional, are to be so used

as to lead on to the feeling proper over and beyond the

convention. This is done by suggestion or hinting at

the associated ideas something akin to the process of a

conditioned reflex. This is what is called Vyangya by

the Sanskrit Alankarikas and it came to reign supreme


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in the field of literary criticism from the day it was

established by Anandavardhana.According to

AnandavardhanaDhwani or Vyangya or suggestion is

the Sahrudaya hrudayahladakari kavyatatvam and it is

of three types Vastu, Alamkara andRasabhavadi, that is

to say, incident, ornament (figure of speech) and

sentiment (emotion and feeling). He asserts in many

places, that of these three, the last variety is the best,which point was taken up and developed in his theory

of literary art by Viswanadha. As poetry is the effective

expression of emotion in words, it is but meet to think

that the suggestion of sentiment is alone poetry. But still

Anandavardhana could not boldly state so. His

commentator, Abhinavagupta, tries to find a reason for

the statement of Ananda, that suggestion in general isthe soul of poetry, in the following words: Tena rasa

eva vastuta alma. vastvalankara dhvaneetu sarvadha

rasam prati paryavasyete iti vachya dutkrustau

tavityabhiprayena dhwanih kavyasyatmeti

samanyenoktam. But as a matter of fact it does not

appear to be the correct explanation. It is true that for adrama, sentiment or emotion alone was held to be the

essence and so Bharata, who was mainly concerned

with the dramatic art, could say that the emotion is the

soul of art (drama). But Ananda was concerned

with Sargabandha more and the authors there of were

not always dealing with emotion alone as he himself

puts it Sargabandhestu rasatatparye yadharasam


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auchityam anythatu kamacharah; dvayorapi margayoh

sargabandha vidhayinam darsanat.There we find the

real reason for his definition in a general and wider

strain. He wanted to include the Vastu Kavya as wellasBhava Kavya in his definition of poetry, though he

was neither logical nor rational in that. Anyway, it may

be noted that this idea, of suggestion being the central

principle, is accepted by the Western critics. Martin

Gilkes says, in his book entitled A Key to Modern

English Poetry, that the old idea of representation hasgiven place to the new theory of communication in

poetry and accordingly, the old method of direct

presentation has been replaced by the new technique of

indirect suggestion. We all know how one thing

suggests another. That is the technique of evocation

says the same critic at one place, and at another he says,

Logically, therefore, we may observe, the ideal poemwould, consist of a single word, supposing you could

find one, which would fulfill the necessary condition of

suggesting both the subject of the poem and the whole

range of associations which the mind connects with it.

Of course it should be that the subject is expressed and

the associations suggested; these are two distinctfunctions of the word as is clearly noticed by the

Sanskrit critic.Now, as to the content of poetry, the later Sanskrit

critics were unanimous on this point, namely, that

emotion is the essence of poetry. The emotion is of two

types: primary and secondary; or permanent and


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transcendent. The permanent emotion is given the

technical name ofSthayi Bhava and the transient

emotions are called Sanchari Bhavas. The ideal of a

poet is to represent or communicate the SthayiBhava by depicting the appropriate associate transient

emotions. Mill also endorses this view when he says

that the poetry of poets is little else than a pouring

forth of the thoughts and images that pass across the

mind while some permanent state of feeling is

occupying it. Thus it can be said that any poetic piecehas got to have not only a unity of plot or incident but

also a unity of emotion or sentiment as Anandavardhana

puts it Karyamekam yatha vyapi prabandhasyavidhiyate tatha rasasyapi vidhe virodho naiva

vidyate.The emotion is only suggestible and not

expressible. Having been suggested, it conjures up in a

sympathetic hearer, a similar emotion which would giverelish. In this, in the words of T. G. Williams, Each

member of the audience will bring his own conscious or

sub-conscious memories to help. This is exactly what

Kalidasa has suggested in the lines Tat chetasa smarati

nunam abodhapurvam bhavasthirani jananan tara

sauhrudani.The Rasa as thus enjoyed, is relish and asrepresented, is relishability, and the production of that

relish is the typical feature of poetry.What then are the essentials of a true poet? It is

again Mill, that divides poets into two classes, namely

the poets of nature and the poets of culture, and says

that the former are superior to the latter. This


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corresponds to the discussion of the same topic by

Jagannadhapandita. Even Dandi hints at this when he

writes Na vidyate yadyapi purvavasanagunanubandhi

prathibhanam adbhutam srutena yatnena chavagupasita dhruvam karotyeva

kamapyanugraham.Note the significance ofcha which

makes study and practice together one course

andEva and Kamapi which indicate that it, in any way,

makes only a second rate poet. Anandavardhana also

expresses a similar opinion when treatingofSakti or Pratibha and Vyutpatti. Bhatta Tonta is said

to have stated that Darsanatvarnana chchatha rudha

loke kavi srutihand it means that a poet must have the

insight, leading to the heights of emotion and the

expression, reaching to the depths of feeling. The one is

a gift and the other is an acquisition. So a perfect poet is

one who has in him both these qualities developed tothe full. If he were to lack the former, his work would

be wanting in the spirit of poesy, and if he lacks the

latter, it would be devoid of the look of poetry.Then, finally, coming to the end of poetry. The

general view of the Western critic is that it is nothingbut the production of joy or delight. Some have said

that poetry is to delight and to teach. It is, of course,

Wordsworth who affirms that the purpose of poetry is

to describe objects, and utter sentiments, of such a

nature, and in such connection with each other, that the

understanding of the reader must necessarily be in some

degree enlightened, and his affections strengthened and


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purified. This is quite similar to the estimate of the

Eastern critic who, in the words of Bhamaha, proclaims

the purposes of poetry as Chaturvargabhidhanepi

bhuyasarthopadesakrit.The aim of every activityaccording to oriental thought is to elevate humanity,

i.e., to instruct, and the art of poetry is no exception to

the rule. The special feature of it lies only in the method

it adopts which is described by Mammata in the words

kantasammitataya Upadesayuje.It is not to delight

and to teach but to teach through delight. VisvasreyahKavyamexclaims the great poet and Sreyah is clearly

distinguished from Preyah by the Kathopanishadand it

is that, that is the end of all poetry.

tauryatrika a glance

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