Poetcrit

Current Volume: 37 (2024 )

ISSN: 0970-2830

Periodicity: Half-Yearly

Month(s) of Publication: January & July

Subject: Language & Literature

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/POET

Online Access is Free for all Life Members of Poetcrit

100

A Critical Study of F. R. Scott’s The Dance is One in The Light of The Aucitya Siddhanta

By : Archana D. Tyagi

Page No: 17-24

Abstract
Right from Bharata, the Indian Sanskrit acaryas considered aucitya as an important phenomenon for a good poetry. But they dealt with aucitya in general sense. However, in the eleventh centrury, Acarya Ksemendra used this term in its technical sense. He, who was inspired by Anandavardhana and his literary teacher, Abhinavagupta, composed a full length treatise, named Aucitya-vicara-carca, to elucidate and expand the concept of aucitya, evidently elevating it to the status of a full-fledged doctrine of poetry. In his opinion, the life of poetry is neither rasa nor dhavni nor any other factor but aucitya. He defines it as “Auciatyam rasasidhasya sthiram kavyasya javitam" which means that ‘propriety is the abiding life of poetry and that is endowed with rasa or sentiment’. The present study is an analysis of Scott’s The Dance is One in the light of Sanskrit poetics with special reference to the aucitya-siddhanta as propounded by Acarya Ksemendra. The present attempt has affirmed that Scott’s The Dance is One bears the striking, graceful qualities, alluring charm and elegance of expression caused by bhasaucitya or propriety of language, gunalamkara-rasaucitya or propriety of excellence, poetic figure and sentiment, vyakaranaucitya or propriety of grammar, sanskriti-aucitya or propriety of culture and kavya-pratibhaucitya or propriety of creative genius.
The secret of the appeal of Scott’s The Dance is One lies in the fact that it is based on the fundamental qualities of human life and human nature. It aims not only at instructing but delighting and transporting too. Moreover, it comes from the heart of the poet and goes deep down into the heart of the reader. Keeping this account of Scott’s The Dance is One, it can be said that it has unlimited expanse, extraordinary power and velocity, unprecedented majesty and universal appeal. It bears all the possible proprieties of the aucitya-siddhanta of Acarya Ksemendra.

Author :
Dr. Archana D. Tyagi
Asst. Prof. of English, B.S.M. (PG) College, Roorkee, Haridwar (U.K.) -247 667

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/POET.2021.34.01.3

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