Art of Sanskrit Poetry

by Niels Hammer

This book is both an introduction to Sanskrit and an investigation into the relationship between the nine basic affective states (bhava) and the form they take in the absence of self-interest (tatasthya) according to the theory of Indian aesthetics as developed in the Dhvanyaloka and the Abhinavabharati.

To illustrate the process of aesthetic appreciation the different categories of suggestion (dhvani) in a continuous twelfth century poetic text (kavya), and the various forms of aesthetic experience (rasa) which the suggestions initiate, are analysed consecutively.

The aspects of culture, mythology, astronomy, botany, etc., which were particularly characteristic of mediaeval India, are discussed in the notes on the basis of references to Vedic, Upanisadic, Epic, and Puranic texts, as well as to other anthologies of poetry, but also to recent scientific literature in order to explicate them in a more multidisciplinary context.

The grammatical section is based on the text. The vocabulary facilitates alternative translations and hence different suggestions and aesthetic experiences. The general index includes explanations of all grammatical forms and translations of Sanskrit technical terms plus cross references of English-Sanskrit and Latin-English-Sanskrit regarding flora and fauna.

About the Author:

Niels Hammer studies Sanskrit at the University of Copenhagen. He is currently writing a monograph of the aesthetics of early Indian temple iconography.