Shodh Prabha: A Multidisciplinary Journal

Maṅgalaśloka of Dhvanyāloka

The Dhvanyāloka of Ānandavardhana is a milestone in the history of Sanskrit poetics. In this work, he establishes that dhvani (suggestion) is the soul of poetry, and defines it in a systematic and scientific manner. Following Indian tradition, Ānandavardhana begins the Dhvanyāloka with a maṅgalaśloka (auspicious verse). In the Locana, the commentary on the Dhvanyāloka, written by Abhinavagupta, it is said that this auspicious verse is very significant in that it illuminates different types of dhvani. In the later commentaries and studies on the Dhvanyāloka, it is this very perspective of Abhinavagupta that is seen to have been followed. However, this research paper discusses the significance of choosing such an auspicious verse wherein Ānandavardhana glorifies the claws of Narasiṃha in the context of the connection between the story of the Narasiṃhāvatāra and the subject matter of Dhvanyāloka. Here, various dimensions related to poetic appreciation — such as kāvyaśarīra (the body of poetry), kāvyātmā (the soul of poetry), vyañjanāvyāpāra, and sahṛdaya (the sensitive reader) — are discussed in connection with the mythological narrative.