Adhyaya 341

Verse 1

इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे अलङ्कारे नृत्यादावङ्गकर्मनिरूपणम् नाम चत्वरिंशदधिकत्रिशततमो ऽध्यायः अथैकचत्वारिंशदधिकत्रिशततमो ऽध्यायः अभिनयादिनिरूपणं अग्निर् उवाच आभिमुख्यन्नयन्नर्थान्विज्ञेयो ऽभिनयो बुधैः चतुर्धा सम्भवः सत्त्ववागङ्गाहरणाश्रयः

Thus, in the Agni Mahāpurāṇa, within the section on poetics (alaṅkāra), ends the chapter titled “Determination of bodily movements in dance and related arts,” the three-hundred-and-fortieth chapter. Now begins the three-hundred-and-forty-first chapter: “Explanation of Abhinaya and related topics.” Agni said: “That by which meanings are brought directly before (the audience) is known by the learned as abhinaya (dramatic representation). It arises in four forms, grounded in (1) inner feeling (sattva), (2) speech (vāc), (3) bodily gesture (aṅga), and (4) costume and ornamentation (āhārya).”

Verse 2

स्तम्भादिः सात्त्विको वागारम्भो वाचिक आङ्गिकः शरीरारम्भ आहार्यो बुद्ध्यारम्भप्रवृत्तयः

Beginning with states such as stambha (stupefaction), sāttvika expression (involuntary, emotion-born) is described. Expression that begins with speech is vācika (verbal), that which is bodily is āṅgika (gestural), that which begins with costume and external adornment is āhārya (costumic), and activities that begin with the intellect (buddhi) are also counted among these modes of enactment.

Verse 3

रसादिविनियोगो ऽथ कथ्यते ह्य् अभिमानतः तमन्तरेण सर्वे षामपार्थैव स्वतन्त्रता

Now the proper employment of rasa and the rest is explained—indeed, with due regard to intention (abhimāna); for without that intended purport, everyone’s “independence” is only meaningless.

Verse 4

सम्भोगो विप्रलम्भश् च शृङ्गारो द्विविधः स्मृतः प्रच्छन्नश् च प्रकाशश् च तावपि द्विविधौ पुनः

The erotic sentiment (śṛṅgāra) is traditionally held to be of two kinds: union (sambhoga) and separation (vipralambha). And again, each of those is of two kinds: concealed (pracchanna) and openly expressed (prakāśa).

Verse 5

विप्रलम्भाभिधानो यः शृङ्गारः स चतुर्विधः पूर्वानुरागानाख्यः प्रवामकरुणात्मकः

That form of Śṛṅgāra termed Vipralambha (love-in-separation) is fourfold: (1) Pūrvānurāga (love before union), (2) Pravāsa (separation due to absence/going away), (3) Māna (separation born of offended pride), and (4) Karuṇa-ātmaka (separation suffused with pathos).

Verse 6

एतेभ्यो ऽन्यतरं जायमानमम्भोगलक्षणम् विवर्तते चतुर्धैव न च प्रागतिवर्तते

Arising from one among these bases, the suggested sense (vyañjanā)—marked by bringing forth the intended purport—manifests in four modes, and it does not go beyond the principle stated earlier.

Verse 7

स्त्रीपुंसयोस्तदुदयस्तस्य निर्विर्तिका रतिः निखिलाः सात्त्विकास्तत्र वैवर्ण्यप्रलयौ विना

From the conjoint arising of woman and man, there arises in them rati, a delighting erotic enjoyment. In that act all their states are sāttvika—without loss of vital lustre of complexion and without collapse or exhaustion.

Verse 8

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षैश् च शृङ्गार उपचीयते आलम्वनविशेषैश् च तद्विशेषैर् निरन्तरः

Śṛṅgāra-rasa is fostered through themes of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa; and it is continuously developed by particular kinds of ālambana (supporting persons/objects) and by their specific features.

Verse 9

शृङ्गारं द्विविधं विद्याद्वाङ्नेपथ्यक्रियात्मकम् हासश् च तुर्विधो ऽलक्ष्यदन्तः स्मित इतीरितः

One should know Śṛṅgāra (the rasa of love and tenderness) to be of two kinds: (i) that expressed through speech and stage costume/appearance, and (ii) that expressed through actions. And Hāsa (the rasa of laughter) is said to be fourfold; the form in which the teeth are not visible is called “smita” (a gentle smile).

Verse 10

किञ्चिल्लक्षितदन्ताग्रं हसितं फुल्ललोचनम् विहसितं सस्वनं स्याज्जिह्मोपहसितन्तु तत्

When the tips of the teeth are only slightly visible, it is called hasita (a gentle smile), with the eyes brightened. When accompanied by sound, it is called vihasita (audible laughter); but laughter that is crooked or oblique is termed jihmopahasita (a derisive, sidelong laugh).

Verse 11

सशब्दं पापहसितमशब्दमतिहासितं यश्चासौ करुणो नाम स रसस्त्रिविधो भवेत्

Laughter accompanied by sound is called pāpa-hāsita (boisterous, coarse laughter); laughter without sound is called ati-hāsita (silent or excessive laughter). Thus, the rasa known as Karuṇa (compassionate sorrow) is understood as being threefold.

Verse 12

धर्मोपघातजश्चित्तविलासजनितस् तथा शोकः शोकाद्भवेत् स्थायी कः स्थायी पूर्वजो मतः

Grief (śoka) is produced from the injury to, or violation of, dharma, and also arises from the mind’s various emotional movements (citta-vilāsa). From grief, the abiding state (sthayin-bhāva) is said to arise. Which emotion did the ancients regard as the primordial abiding state?

Verse 13

अङ्गनेपथ्यवाक्यैश् च रौद्रो ऽपि त्रिविधो रसः तस्य निर्वर्तकः क्रोधः स्वेदो रोमाञ्चवपथुः

Through bodily acting, costume-and-stage presentation, and spoken dialogue, Raudra (the rasa of fury) is also of three kinds. Its producing cause is anger (krodha); its physical manifestations are sweating, horripilation (romāñca), and trembling (vapathu).

Verse 14

दानवीरो धर्मवीरो युद्धवीर इति त्रयम् वीरस्तस्य च निष्पत्तिहेतुरुत्साह इष्यते

A “hero” is of three kinds—hero in generosity, hero in dharma (righteousness), and hero in battle; and the accepted cause that brings such heroism to fulfillment is utsāha, enthusiastic and courageous resolve.

Verse 15

आरम्भेषु भवेद्यत्र वीरमेवानुवर्तते भयानको नाम रसस्तस्य निर्वर्तकं भयं

That aesthetic mood which arises in frightful undertakings and is specifically accompanied by the heroic sentiment (vīra) is called Bhayānaka-rasa; its producing determinant is fear.

Verse 16

उद्वेजनः क्षोभणश् च वीभत्सो द्विविधः स्मृतः उद्वेजनः स्यात् प्लुत्याद्यैः क्षोभणो रुधिरादिभिः

Vībhatsa (disgust) is regarded as twofold: (1) udvejana and (2) kṣobhaṇa. Udvejana arises from frightful cries and the like, whereas kṣobhaṇa arises from blood and similar repulsive substances.

Verse 17

जगुप्सारम्भिका तस्य सात्त्विकांशो निवर्तते काव्यशोभाकरान् धर्मानलङ्कारान् प्रचक्ष्यते

When disgust (jagupsā) becomes the initiating mood in it, its sāttvika component withdraws; therefore, the principles that beautify poetry—namely, the poetic ornaments (alaṅkāras)—are now declared.

Verse 18

अलङ्करिष्णवस्ते च शब्दमर्थमुभौ त्रिधा ये व्युत्पत्त्यादिना शब्दमलङ्कर्तुमिह क्षमाः

And those who are capable of ornamenting speech here—by vyutpatti (derivational analysis) and the like—classify both word (śabda) and meaning (artha) in a threefold manner.

Verse 19

शब्दालङ्कारमाहुस्तान् काव्यमीमांसका विदः छाया मुद्रा तथोक्तिश् च युक्तिर्गुम्फनया सह

Those learned investigators of poetics (kāvyamīmāṃsakāḥ) declare these to be verbal ornaments (śabdālaṅkāra): chāyā, mudrā, tathokti, and yukti together with gumphanā (artful interweaving/arrangement).

Verse 20

वाकोवाक्यमनुप्रासश्चित्रं दुष्करमेव च ज्णेया नवालङ्कृतयः शब्दानामित्यसङ्करात्

Vākovākya, anuprāsa, citra, and also duṣkara—these are to be understood as the nine ornaments of words (sound-based figures), since they are distinguished by not being mixed with one another.

Verse 21

तत्रान्योक्तेरनुकृतिश्छाया सापि चत्रुव्विधा लोकच्छेकार्भकोक्तीनामेकोक्तेरनुकारतः

In this context, the ‘shadow’ (chāyā) is the imitation (anukṛti) of another’s statement; and it is fourfold—arising through the imitation of a single utterance, as seen in the sayings of common folk, the witty/clever, and children.

Verse 22

आभाणकोक्तिर्लोकोक्तिः सर्वसामान्य एव ताः यानुधावति लोकोक्तिश्छायामिच्छन्ति तां बुधाः

An ‘ābhāṇaka-saying’—that is, a proverb (lokokti)—is of a wholly general, universally applicable nature. That very proverbial “shade” which common speech runs after, the learned also seek.

Verse 23

छेका विदग्धा वैदग्ध्यं कलासु कुशला मतिः तामुल्लिखन्ती छेकोक्तिश्छाया कविभिरिष्यते

A clever, refined intellect—skilled in the arts and possessed of cultivated sophistication (vaidakdhya)—when it sketches and echoes that refined manner of expression, is regarded by poets as chāyā, namely chekokti (witty utterance).

Verse 24

अव्युत्पन्नोक्तिरखिलैर् अर्भकोक्त्योपलक्ष्यते तेनार्भकोक्तिश्छाया तन्मात्रोक्तिमनुकुर्वती

All varieties of untrained or unsophisticated speech are recognized as “arbha-kokti” (childlike utterance); therefore, the poetic “shadow” (chāyā) called arbha-kokti is that which imitates only that kind of utterance.

Verse 25

विप्लुताक्षरमश्लीलं वचो मत्तस्य तादृशी या सा भवति मत्तोक्तिश्छायोक्ताप्यतिशोभते

Even speech with jumbled syllables and even indecorous words—when they belong to a drunkard—assume that very character; yet an expression styled as “mattokti” (drunken speech), though only imitated as a poetic semblance, can still appear highly charming.

Verse 26

अभिप्रायविशेषेण कविशक्तिं विवृण्वती मुत्प्रदायिनीति सा मुद्रा सैव शय्यापि नो मते

That device which, through a particular intended sense, unfolds the poet’s expressive power and yields the intended meaning is called “mudrā”; in our view, that very same term is also “śayyā”.

Verse 27

उक्तिः सा कथ्यते यस्यामर्थको ऽप्युपपत्तिमान् लोकयात्रार्थविधिना धिनोति हृदयं सतां

That is called an “ukti” (apt poetic utterance) in which even a commonplace sense—endowed with sound reasoning—by a mode of expression suited to worldly communication, captivates the hearts of the good.

Verse 28

उभौ विधिनिषेधौ च नियमानियमावपि विकल्पपरिसङ्ख्ये च तदीयाः षडथोक्तयः

These six kinds of statements are taught here: injunction and prohibition; restriction and non-restriction; and also option and exclusion (by implication, parisaṅkhyā).

Verse 29

अयुक्तयोरिव मिथो वाच्यवाचकयोर्द्वयोः योजनायै कल्प्यमाना युक्तिरुक्ता मनीषिभिः

For two mutually unconnected factors—namely, the expressed meaning (vācya) and the expressing word (vācaka)—the deliberately fashioned linkage made to connect them is what the learned call ‘yukti’ (a rational/interpretive connection).

Verse 30

पदञ्चैव पदार्थश् च वाक्यं वाक्यर्थमेव च विषयो ऽस्त्याः प्रकरणं प्रपञ्चश्चेति षड्विधः

A śāstra (teaching) is sixfold in structure: the word (pada), the word-meaning (padārtha), the sentence (vākya), the sentence-meaning (vākyārtha), its subject-matter (viṣaya), its topical section (prakaraṇa), and its extended exposition (prapañca).

Verse 31

गुम्फना रचनाचर्या शब्दार्थक्रमगोचरा शब्दानुकारादर्थानुपूर्वार्थेयं क्रमात्त्रिधा

‘Gumphanā’ (weaving/structuring) is the discipline of composition concerned with the sequential arrangement of words and meanings. In due order it is threefold: (i) based on the imitation/ordering of words (śabdānukāra), (ii) based on the ordered sequence of meanings (arthānupūrva), and (iii) based on the ordered sequence of both, word and meaning.

Verse 32

उक्तिप्रत्युक्तिमद्वाक्यं वाकोवाक्यं द्विधैव तत् ऋजुवक्रोक्तिभेदेन तत्राद्यं सहजं वचः

A composition consisting of statement and counter-statement is called vākovākya (dialogue), and it is of two kinds. By the division into straight speech (ṛju-ukti) and oblique/indirect speech (vakra-ukti), the first is natural, straightforward utterance.

Verse 33

सा पूर्वप्रश्निका प्रश्नपूर्विकेति द्विधा भवेत् वक्रोक्तिस्तु भवेड्भङ्ग्या काकुस्तेन कृता द्विधा

That figure is of two kinds: (1) ‘prior-questioning’ (pūrvapraśnikā) and (2) ‘question-led’ (praśnapūrvikā). Vakrokti (oblique expression) arises through bhaṅgī, a turn of phrasing; and by that same turn, kākū (suggestive intonation/innuendo) is likewise made twofold.