Literary Sphere

Anandavardhana: Dhvani - Structure of Poetic Meaning Based on the excerpt in G. N. Devy (Ed.), Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation (pp. 31-40). Introduction to Anandavardhana and the Theory of Dhvani Anandavardhana, a highly influential 9th-century CE Indian literary theorist, revolutionized the understanding of poetic meaning with his groundbreaking theory of Dhwani ( ध्वनि ), often translated as "suggestion," "implication," or "resonance." His seminal work, the Dhvanyaloka ( ध्वन्यालोक , "The Light of Suggestion"), posits that the most significant and aesthetically potent aspect of poetry lies not in its literal or directly expressed meaning ( vachya , वाच्य ), but in the suggested or implied meaning ( vyangya , व्यङ्ग्य ) that resonates with the reader. The excerpt under discussion introduces this core concept and explores the structure and various type...

IMAGE SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA Bhartrhari: On Syntax and Meaning (from Vakyapadiya) Based on the excerpt in G. N. Devy (Ed.), Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation (pp. 20-25). Introduction to Bhartrhari and His Ideas Bhartrhari, a prominent Indian philosopher of language from around the 5th century CE, presented a sophisticated and holistic understanding of how language functions, particularly concerning the relationship between sentence structure ( syntax ) and meaning. His seminal work, the Vakyapadiya , delves into the nature of language as an indivisible entity that manifests meaning through structured expression. The excerpt discussed here emphasizes his view that the sentence is the primary unit of meaning, and understanding arises from a holistic grasp rather than a mere aggregation of individual word meanings. The Primacy of the Sentence (Vakya) For Bhartrhari,...