Dhwani theory
Name: Malek Muskan Naushadbhai
College: Maharanishree Nandkuverba Mahila Arts And Commerce College
Year: T. Y. B. A.
Sem:5
Subject :Indian Knowledge System
Topic: Dhwani theory, Rasa theory, vakrokti theory
Assignment:Home assignment, class assignment, essay writing
Submitted to : Rachna ma'am
Home assignment :
Dhvani Theory by Anandavardhana
Introduction
Indian literary criticism is one of the richest traditions in the world. Among its many theories, Dhvani Theory (theory of suggestion) introduced by Ānandavardhana in the 9th century CE is considered a turning point. He explained that the real beauty of poetry lies not in the direct meaning of words but in the suggested meaning, which touches the heart and creates rasa (aesthetic emotion).
About Ānandavardhana and Dhvanyāloka
Ānandavardhana (c. 820–890 CE) was a Kashmiri poet, philosopher, and literary critic.
His most famous work is Dhvanyāloka (“The Light on Suggestion”), which laid the foundation of the Dhvani theory.
In this book, he argued against the earlier focus on alankāra (figures of speech) and rīti (style), saying that the soul of poetry is Dhvani (suggestion).
His ideas were later expanded by Abhinavagupta, another great Kashmiri thinker.
What is Dhvani Theory?
The word Dhvani literally means “echo” or “resonance.”
In poetry, Dhvani means the suggested meaning that goes beyond the literal (direct) meaning of words.
According to Ānandavardhana:
> “Poetry without Dhvani is like a body without a soul.”
The literal words (Vācya) are important, but the suggested meaning (Vyaṅgya) is what gives poetry its emotional depth and beauty.
Meaning of Dhvani
Vācya (Literal Meaning) → What the words directly say.
Vyaṅgya (Suggested Meaning) → What is implied or hinted beyond words.
Dhvani lies in this suggested layer, which creates rasa (aesthetic experience) in the heart of a sensitive reader (sahridaya).
Types of Dhvani
Ānandavardhana classifies Dhvani into three types:
1. Vastu-dhvani → Suggestion of an idea or fact.
Example: A simple description that indirectly suggests something deeper.
2. Alaṅkāra-dhvani → Suggestion created through figures of speech (metaphor, simile, etc.).
Example: A metaphor that goes beyond ornamentation to imply an emotion.
3. Rasa-dhvani → Suggestion of a mood or emotion (the highest form).
Example: Words that do not directly say “love” or “sorrow” but make the reader feel it deeply.
Among these, Rasa-dhvani is considered the most important and powerful, because evoking emotion is the ultimate goal of poetry.
The Three Levels of Meaning
Ānandavardhana also explains that words can convey meaning in three ways:
1. Abhidha (Denotative meaning)
The primary, literal meaning of a word.
Example: “Lotus” = a flower.
2. Lakṣaṇā (Indicative meaning)
The secondary meaning, used when the literal one doesn’t make sense.
Example: “The village is on the Ganga.” (It means “on the bank of the Ganga,” not literally on the river.)
3. Vyañjanā (Suggestive meaning)
The implied or suggested meaning beyond literal and secondary sense.
Example: “She is a lotus.” → not literal, not just metaphor, but suggests beauty, purity, delicacy.
Among these, Vyañjanā is the basis of Dhvani, because it creates the unspoken resonance that makes poetry powerful.
Conclusion
Anandavardhana’s Dhvani Theory transformed Indian poetics by showing that poetry’s true strength is not in its surface meaning but in the suggestions and emotions it awakens in the reader. His work Dhvanyāloka continues to inspire critics and readers, reminding us that the soul of literature is what is felt, not just what is said.
Class assignment:
Essay writing:
Vakrokti Theory by Kuntaka
Introduction
Indian poetics has given rise to several influential schools of literary theory—such as Rasa, Dhvani, Rīti, and Alamkāra—each emphasizing a different aspect of poetic beauty. Among them, the Vakrokti School founded by Kuntaka (10th–11th century CE) stands out for its originality. His work Vakroktijīvitam declares that the very life-force of poetry (kāvyajīvitam) lies in vakrokti, meaning “oblique” or “deviated expression.”
Unlike everyday speech, poetry distinguishes itself by its freshness of expression. It is not what is said, but how it is said that creates charm, wonder (camatkāra), and aesthetic delight (rasa). Hence, for Kuntaka, Vakrokti is the essence of poetry.
Essence of the Theory
The central idea of Kuntaka’s theory can be explained in these points:
1. Vakrokti as Deviation
The word vakra means “crooked” or “indirect,” and ukti means “speech.”
Together, it implies that poetry is not a straight or plain statement, but a deviation from ordinary expression.
2. The Uniqueness of Expression
Kuntaka rejected svabhāvokti (plain description of reality), arguing that it brings no aesthetic delight because it merely mirrors the commonplace.
Instead, through vakratā (obliqueness/strikingness), even simple or familiar content acquires beauty and freshness.
3. Poetry as Re-creation of Reality
For Kuntaka, the poet does not create a new world but reshapes reality through unique expression.
This re-creation evokes wonder and transforms an ordinary experience into an extraordinary one.
4. Vakrokti as the Life-Force of Poetry
Other schools emphasized rasa (emotion), alaṅkāra (ornament), or dhvani (suggestion), but Kuntaka saw all these as subordinate to vakratā, the distinctiveness of expression.
Thus, he declared vakrokti = kāvyajīvitam (“the soul of poetry”).
Six Levels of Vakrokti
Kuntaka classified vakrokti into six hierarchical levels, showing that poetic charm can operate at every layer of language:
1. Phonetic Level (Varṇa-vinyāsa Vakratā)
Concerned with the arrangement of sounds in poetry.
Beauty arises through alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia, repetition, and sound harmony.
Example: The use of repeated soft consonants can produce tenderness, while harsh sounds can create anger or violence.
Illustration: In Sanskrit, poets often use sounds like “ka,” “ta,” “pa” repeatedly to mimic the sound of battle, or “ma,” “na,” “la” for softness.
Essence: Sound itself can generate aesthetic delight when used creatively.
2. Lexical Level (Pada-pūrvārddha Vakratā)
Concerned with the choice of words.
A poet’s word choice differs from ordinary language: rare, striking, metaphorical, or symbolic words are preferred.
Wordplay, double meanings (śleṣa), or imaginative diction also belong here.
Illustration: Calling the moon “night’s lamp” or the lotus “the mirror of the lake” shows vakrokti at the lexical level.
Essence: The uniqueness of diction gives ordinary ideas freshness and beauty.
3. Grammatical Level (Pada-parārddha Vakratā)
Beauty created through grammatical modifications and innovative use of suffixes, cases, tenses, and persons.
It includes personification, unusual plural forms, or using one grammatical form in a surprising way.
Example: Addressing a lifeless river as a “mother,” or shifting suddenly from third-person narration to second-person (direct address) for emotional impact.
Essence: Grammar, when used unconventionally, produces striking poetic effects.
4. Sentential Level (Vākya Vakratā)
Operates at the sentence level.
The arrangement of words in a sentence, rhetorical figures, inversion, or unusual syntactic patterns give beauty to expression.
Example: Instead of saying “The sun sets,” a poet may write, “Into the western ocean of the sky, the fiery lord descends.”
Figures like simile (upamā), metaphor (rūpaka), and hyperbole (atiśayokti) often appear here.
Essence: The poetic power of a sentence lies in how ideas are phrased and structured.
5. Contextual Level (Prakaraṇa Vakratā)
Deals with situational and contextual uniqueness.
Even a familiar theme can appear novel when placed in an unexpected or fresh context.
Example: Describing a hero’s sorrow through the setting sun or nature’s silence, rather than through direct narration of his emotions.Here, the surrounding circumstances and narrative situation add aesthetic depth.
Essence: The beauty of poetry depends on how context enriches meaning.
6. Compositional Level (Prabandha Vakratā)
The highest level, dealing with the whole work of art—its plot, structure, sequencing, and design.
It includes how episodes are arranged, how stories are retold in a novel manner, and how the composition as a whole creates a unique impression.
Example: A poet may narrate the Rāmāyaṇa or Mahābhārata not in the usual way, but from a new angle, such as the viewpoint of a minor character.This makes the entire work original and striking.
Essence: At this level, the uniqueness of the entire composition distinguishes one poet from another.
Aesthetic Function of Vakrokti
Vakrokti creates camatkāra (aesthetic wonder), which is the essence of poetic pleasure.It turns habitual perception into fresh experience by deviating from normal speech.
Conclusion
Kuntaka’s Vakrokti Theory presents a comprehensive vision of poetry as a craft of unique expression. By asserting that vakrokti is the soul of poetry, Kuntaka shifted the focus from content to style, from “what is said” to “how it is said.” His six levels—from sound to entire composition—show how poetry differs from ordinary speech at every stage of language.
