The Kavyadarsha ( sa, काव्यादर्श, ) by
Dandin is the earliest surviving systematic treatment of
poetics
Poetics is the theory of structure, form, and discourse within literature, and, in particular, within poetry.
History
The term ''poetics'' derives from the Ancient Greek ποιητικός ''poietikos'' "pertaining to poetry"; also "creative" an ...
in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
.
Contents
This work is divided into 3 ''pariccheda''s (chapters) in most of the printed editions, except one, where the third chapter of the other editions is further divided into two. Most of the printed editions have 660 verses, except one, which has 663.
In ''Kāvyādarśa'', Daṇḍin argued that a poem's beauty derived from its use of
rhetorical device
In rhetoric, a rhetorical device, persuasive device, or stylistic device is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading them towards considering a topic from a perspective, ...
s – of which he distinguished thirty-six types. He was the main proponent of ''gunaprasthana'', the view that poetry needed qualities or virtues such as ''shleshha'' (punning), ''prasaada'' (favour), ''samataa'' (sameness), ''maadhurya'' (beauty), ''arthavyakti'' (interpretation), and ''ojah'' (vigour). Poetry consisted in the presence of one of these qualities or a combination of them.
Influence
The ''Kavyadarsha'' was in ancient times translated into Kannada, Sinhala, Pali, Tamil and Tibetan, and perhaps even influenced Chinese
regulated verse Regulated verse – also known as Jintishi () – is a development within Classical Chinese poetry of the '' shi'' main formal type. Regulated verse is one of the most important of all Classical Chinese poetry types. Although often regarded as a T ...
. It was widely quoted by premodern scholars of Sanskrit, including
Appayya Dīkṣita (1520–1592); it was included almost in its entirety in the poetic treatises by King
Bhoja
Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all ...
of Dhār (r. 1011–1055).
Editions and translations
Daṇḍin's ''Kavyadarsha'' was first printed in 1863, and has often been re-edited since.
[Yigal Bronner, 'A Question of Priority: Revisiting the Bhamaha-Daṇḍin Debate', ''The Journal of Indian Philosophy'', 40 (2012), 67–118 (p. 68 n. 1). DOI 10.1007/s10781-011-9128-x, citing D. Dimitrov, Mārgavibhāga: Die Unterscheidung der Stilarten; Kritische Ausgabe des ersten Kapitels von Daṇḍins Poetik Kāvyādarśa und der tibetischen Übertragung Sñan ṅag me loṅ nebst einer deutschen Übersetzung des Sansksrittextes (Marburg: Indica et Tibetica Verlag, 2002), pp. 3–6, 305–321.]
*
Daṇḍin's Poetik (Kâvyâdarça): Sanskrit und Deutsch'. Ed. and trans. O. Böhtlingk. Leipzig: Haessel, 1890 (with German translation).
* ''Kāvyādarśa of Daṇḍin, with the commentary of Taruṇavācaspati and the anonymous Hṛdayaṅgama''. Ed. M. Rangacharya. Madras: Brahmavadin Press, 1910.
*
Śrīmad-ācārya-Daṇḍi-viracitaḥ Kāvyādarśaḥ/Kāvyādarśa of Daṇḍin: Sanskrit text and English translation'. Ed. and trans.
S. K. Belvalkar. Poona: Oriental Book-Supplying Agency, 1924 (with English translation).
* ''Kāvyādarśa of Daṇḍin, with the commentaries of Vādijaṅghāladeva and Taruṇavācaspati and an anonymous gloss''. Ed. D. T. Tatacharya. Tirupati: Shrinivas Press, 1936.
* ''Kāvyādarśa
āvyalakṣaṇaof Daṇḍin, with the commentary of Ratnaśrījñāna. Ed. Anantalal Thakur and Upendra Jha. Darbhanga: Mithila Institute of Post Graduate Studies, 1957.
* ''Kāvyādarśa of Daṇḍin, with commentaries by Ratnaśrījñāna, Jīvānanda Vidyāsāgara Bhaṭṭācārya, Raṅgācārya Reḍḍi, and Taruṇavācaspati. 4 vols. Delhi: NAG Publishers, 1999.
*
Review* ''Mārgavibhāga – Die Unterscheidung der Stilarten.'' Kritische Ausgabe des ersten Kapitels von Daṇḍins Poetik ''Kāvyādarśa'' und der tibetischen Übertragung ''Sñan ṅag me loṅ'' nebst einer deutschen Übersetzung des Sanskrittextes. Herausgegeben nach nepalesischen Handschriften des Sanskrittextes und der kanonischen und außerkanonischen tibetischen Überlieferung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der älteren Kommentarliteratur, samt Glossaren, ausführlichen Bibliographien, Konkordanzen und Indizes. Von Dragomir Dimitrov. Marburg 2002. (Indica et Tibetica, 40)
* ''Śabdālaṃkāradoṣavibhāga – Die Unterscheidung der Lautfiguren und der Fehler.'' Kritische Ausgabe des dritten Kapitels von Daṇḍins Poetik ''Kāvyādarśa'' und der tibetischen Übertragung ''Sñan ṅag me loṅ'' samt dem Sanskrit-Kommentar des Ratnaśrījñāna, dem tibetischen Kommentar des Dpaṅ Blo gros brtan pa und einer deutschen Übersetzung des Sanskrit-Grundtextes. Von Dragomir Dimitrov. Wiesbaden 2011. (Veröffentlichungen der Helmuth von Glasenapp-Stiftung, Monographien 2)
References
*
* Edwin Gerow, "Indian poetics" in ''History of Indian Literature'' ed. Jan Gonda
* S. K. De, ''History of Sanskrit Poetics''
*
P. V. Kane, ''History of Sanskrit Poetics''
Notes
{{Reflist
Sanskrit poetry
Poetics
Indian poetics