Introduction:
Anandavardhana – Dhvani Theory
The **theory of Dhvani** (suggestion) in Indian poetics is not only a great contribution to Sanskrit literature but also to world aesthetics and rhetoric. The idea of aesthetics was first presented in **Bharata’s Natya Shastra**, and later many scholars developed different theories of poetry and literature. Along with Bharata’s famous **Rasa theory**, six more major schools of thought emerged:
1. **Alankara School** – Bhamaha and Udbhata (emphasis on figures of speech)
2. **Guna School** – Dandi (focus on qualities of style, though he did not explicitly propose it)
3. **Riti School** – Vamana (style as the soul of poetry)
4. **Dhvani School** – Anandavardhana (suggestion as the soul of poetry)
5. **Vakrokti School** – Kuntaka (poetic beauty lies in oblique or unique expression)
6. **Auchitya School** – Kshemendra (propriety or appropriateness as the essence of poetry)
Among these, **Anandavardhana** holds a very important place. His ideas opened new perspectives for understanding great works like the **Ramayana** and **Mahabharata**, and influenced many later scholars of poetics.
Most theorists agreed that both **Śabda (sound/word)** and **Artha (meaning)** form the **body (śarīra)** of poetry. These must be free from **faults (doṣas)** to create good literature. Dandin described poetry as a “group of words” (Padavali), where meaning adds beauty. This started a debate on what the **soul (ātma)** of poetry really is.
* **Vamana** was the first to call this soul **Rīti (style)**.
* **Anandavardhana** argued that the real soul of poetry is **Dhvani (suggestion)**.
* **Viswanatha** said it is **Rasa (aesthetic emotion)**.
* **Kuntaka** believed it is **Vakrokti (figurative expression)**.
* **Kshemendra** declared it is **Auchitya (propriety/appropriateness)**.
Thus, different scholars gave different answers, and schools were divided into two groups:
* **Pre-Dhvani School (Prācīna)** – Bhamaha, Dandin, Vamana, and others. They focused mainly on figures of speech (Alankaras) and stayed close to word and meaning.
* **Navina or Dhvani School (new school)** – Anandavardhana introduced the idea that poetry should be understood not only through its literal meaning but also through its **suggested meaning (Vyangya)**.
According to him, a **Sahridaya** (sensitive and sympathetic reader, “one with taste”) experiences true delight when they grasp this hidden suggestion, which ultimately evokes **Rasa**.
The groundbreaking work of Anandavardhana, **Dhvanyāloka**, is the first systematic attempt to study poetics from the aesthetic point of view, giving central importance to **Rasa**.
### Dhvanyāloka
* Anandavardhana lived around the **9th century CE**.
* His work **Dhvanyāloka** shows deep scholarship and originality, written in a clear and accessible style.
* It is divided into **four Udhyotas (sections)** and has three parts:
1. **Karika** – the main verses,
2. **Vritti** – prose explanations,
3. **Examples** – drawn from Prakrit texts and earlier great poets.
* The prose explanations (Vritti) are often detailed.
* Later, **Abhinavagupta** wrote a famous commentary on it called **Locana**, which is described as the “eye” that helps us see into Dhvanyāloka.
# Contents of Anandavardhana’s *Dhvanyāloka*
Anandavardhana’s *Dhvanyāloka* is divided into **four Udhyotas (sections/chapters)**. In this work, he establishes the **theory of Dhvani (suggestion)** as the **soul of poetry** and explains it through arguments, classifications, and examples.
Definition of Dhvani Kavya
Anandavardhana, in his Dhvanyāloka, defines Dhvani Kavya (suggestive poetry) as poetry in which the explicit meaning (Vāchyārtha) becomes secondary, and the implicit or suggested meaning (Vyangyārtha) becomes primary. In such poetry, words and their direct meanings step aside to highlight a deeper, hidden sense that creates the real charm.
This distinguishes Dhvani from the traditional figures of speech (Alankaras like similes, metaphors, etc.), since those depend on decorative devices, whereas Dhvani depends on suggestion as the soul of poetry.
Examples of Suggestion (Vyangyārtha)
-
Explicit permission, implicit prohibition:
A lady tells a holy man that he can move freely since a dog has been killed by a lion on the banks of the Godavari. On the surface, it is permission. But the implied meaning is prohibition, since no one can walk freely where a lion is present. The hidden motive is to ensure her privacy with her lover. -
Explicit prohibition, implicit invitation:
In a verse from Gāthāsaptashatī, a woman tells a traveler not to stumble into her bed because her mother-in-law is nearby. Explicitly it sounds like prohibition, but the hidden meaning is an invitation to come secretly before dark.
These examples illustrate that Dhvani works by suggestion, where the hidden meaning dominates the literal meaning.
