Introduction to Indian Aesthetics--Criticism & Theory

Introduction to Indian Aesthetics 

S. Sreekumar

This introduction to Indian Aesthetics is meant for the beginners. Many students joining MPhil Programme may not have any idea about Indian Aesthetics, as the topic is rarely mentioned in the class rooms/lecture halls of Tamil Nadu. This introduction is meant for such students. This blogger recommends           LITERARY THEORY—INDIAN CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK by KAPIL KAPOOR,  distinguished scholar and former Professor of English, JNU, New Delhi, as primary reading material for all those interested in the subject. [ Kapil Kapoor can be accessed in You Tube where his lectures on the topic are available. ] The book avoids difficult terminology and is lucidly written.

Kapil Kapoor puts the major schools, thinkers and texts in tabular form at the beginning of his book.

School	Thinker/s	Text/s
Rasa (very difficult to give an exact translation)	Bharata Dhanika--Dhananjaya	Natyasastra (2nd Century B.C) Dasarupaka ( 10th Century A.D)
Alamkara (embellishment)	Bhamaha Dandin Rudrata	Kavyalamkara ( 9th Century A.D) Kavyadarsa ( 7th Century A.D) Kavyalamkara ( 9th Century A.D)
Riti (style)	Vamana	Kavyalamkarasutra (9th Century A.D)
Dhvani (very difficult to give an exact translation)	Anandavardhana Abhinavagupta	Dhvanyaloka ( 9th Century A.D) Abhinavabharati (for rasa theory) Locana (commentary on Dhvanyaloka) ( 11th Century A.D)
Vakrokti (oblique speech)	Kuntaka	Vakroktijivita ( 11th Century A.D)
Guna-Dosa (Merits and defects)	Dandin	Kavyadarsa ( 7th Century A.D)
Aucitya (propriety)	Ksemendra	Aucityavicarcarca( 11th Century A.D)

The major theoretical concepts of Indian Aesthetics—Rasa, Dhvani, Aucitya, Alamkara, Vakrokti and Aucitya—are briefly discussed (purely from an examination point of view) in the ensuing posts.

Dr. S. Sree Kumar