DHVANI
IN ‘MEGHADUTA’
B.
R. K. MURTY
The
great lyric Meghaduta of Kalidasa is
undoubtedly a Dhvani kavya,
for we have in it the three types of Dhvani–of
Rasa, Alankara and Vastu–which
correspond to sentiment, figure and idea. The main sentiment in this piece
is Vipralambha Sringara,
or love in separation, and it is revealed in the yaksha
couple. It is depicted in detail in the second canto. On the other hand, the Sambhoga, or love in consummation, is found
here and there in the first canto in the descriptions of the rivers, mountains,
cities, etc. There are, however, subtle touches of the other sentiments as
heroism or Veera, wonder or Adbhuta, sorrow or Karuna
scattered here and there and subordinating to the main.
The
very approach of a cloud as a consummator of love, is
congenial to love-making for all the living beings. The plants and creepers
too bloom and ripen. Besides even the inanimate things as the rivers,
mountains, etc., or their presiding deities in the bosom of Nature as her dear
children, put on a spick and span appearance while lingering in a romantic
mood. Thus Nature as a beloved awaits the approaching cloud as her lower in
company of the crane couples which may be taken more
or less as his banner. So it is obvious that the cloud as an agent of love and
a lover as well suggest the love in consummation. The start of the cloud along
with the crane couples, followed by the romantic pictures of a rainbow as a
peacock feather and a mountain as the earth’s breast, etc., set tone and colour to the love scenes of the picture gallery.
The
suggestion of love in consummation in the case of rivers Vetravati,
Nirvindhya and Gambhira is
very beautiful. The rippling waters of Vetravati look
like the knitted eyebrows in her beautiful watery face and the heightened love
is suggested by the idea of tasting her lips in drinking her waters. In the
case of Nirvindhya, her gestures like Showing off her
eddy-like navel with her ringing golden-belt formed by the cries of swans in
rows and her graceful movements like stumbling gait,
reveal her love, the ecstasy of which is suggested by the word Rasaabhyantara, that is, enjoyment of her
love. As regards Gambhira she is described rather
sensually as undressed and tightly embraced by the cloud leading to the acrue of love, which is also suggested by the words Kathamapi Prasthaanam (leaving
her with great difficulty) and defended by the Arthaantaranyaasa
following. Similar is the description of the city Alaka
and the mountain Kailasa as lovers. Again in the
beginning of the second canto the richness and profusion of the pleasures of
love is suggested by the various Vibhavaadi–the
luxuries of the city Alaka, the palaces and
pleasure gardens, the drinking and sporting, etc., of the ever-young lavicious couples in the ever-flourishing all-season
surroundings.
The
sentiment of Vipralambha Sringaara or love in separation between the hero and
the heroine is mainly suggested in the second canto. The effect of this
sentiment bordering almost on Karuna or
pathos, is enormously enhanced by the exuberance of
the love in consummation preceding it in contrast, besides its own treatment in
detail. The various states of the heroine as a Virahini,
or separated lover, are finely portrayed. They are like languor, emaciation,
sleeplessness, etc., that are enumerated and defined in Rasaratnaakara.
Her slender and miserable picture is marked with unmatted
hair, unpaired nails, soiled clothes, parched lips, rough looks, tears, sighs,
etc. Very apt similes as the following nicely reflect her state–iaataam
manye sisira mathitaam padmineem vaanyaroopaam; praacheemoole tanumiva kalaamaatraseshaam himaamsoh; saabhrenheeva sthala kamalineem na prabuddhaam
na suptaam. Her
appearance is likened to a blighted lotus in winter, to the crescent
moon on the eastern horizon, to a lotus in a cloudy day. These pictures reveal
her genuine and heart-rending pain of separation.
Similarly
the different states of the love-lorn hero, the yaksha, may be figured out from his message. His burning
desire to embrace her, to talk to her face, to explore her likeness in his
surroundings, and to draw her up in her love-anger and fall prostrate at her,
show his various unsuccessful attempts of gratifying his love. His involuntary
acts of embracing her by way of feeling the breeze from her direction,
soften anybody as the sylvan deities in this instance into tears. His painful
state too is marked by anguish, worry, tears, sighs, emaciation, etc.
Though the sentiment of love is main
in this work, it is diversified by devotion as a subsidiary. Even in the midst
of suffering the hero does not grow perverse as to become a cynic and atheist.
On the other hand he has a great faith in the Lord Iswara and a robust optimism
of a happy future, which he tries to instil in his
wife through his message. As the Lord’s mercy is also desirable for the success of his embassy, he implores it
implicitly while requesting the cloud to visit the Lord of the
The
poet’s genius is unquestionable in establishing the cloud as a devotee in so
natural a manner that his devotional services to the Lord are suited to his
shape, colour, thunder, lightning, etc.–his
paraphernalia. For example, by his attenuated and modulated thundering, he can
join the orchestra as a drummer for the Lord’s evening dance in Mahakala. He can alleviate the pains of the dancing girls
while dancing before the Lord of Mahakala by his cool
soothing drizzles. He will attain the graces of the Goddess and the Lord’s
followers by virtue of his black appearance resembling the Lord’s lovely neck.
By his divine powers acquired through his divine lineage and office, he can
propitiate the Lord Skanda of Devagiri
by his flowery showers. In the same way he can please the peacock of the Lord
by his cool drizzles so as to make it dance for the Lord’s pleasure. The cloud
can further move round the Lord’s feet engraved on a sacred spot on the Kanakhala mountain by way of his smoky curls. Again On the Kailasa mountain he can form a staircase with his wavy form
embedding water so that the Lord with His consort makes a pleasure trip on it.
Besides
love and devotion the sentiments of heroism and wonder appear here and there.
The description of Ujjain and Kurukshetra
reveal heroism, while the pictures on the Himalayas and of the city Alaka strike in one, a general feeling of wonder and fancy.
Thus
the merit of the work is also due to the proper proportion of the sentiments
without the defect known as Rasaabhaasa or
sentimentality.
According
to the commentator of Dhvanikaara, the Alankara Dhvani and
Vastu Dhvani as
well contribute to Rasa Dhvani. Some examples
of Alankara Dhvani
may be considered. In the stanza beginning with Veneebhuta,
the love act of Megha and the river Vetravati by which the latter can get rid of her emaciation
suggest the equal give and take (Adhara and Veerya). Thus there is Parivrithi
Dhvani. Again in the verse beginning with Hitwa Haalaam there
is Upama Dhvani. The
comparison between Balarama and Megha
in respect of becoming pure in heart by the waters of Saraswatit
is suggested. The phrase Sagaratanaya swarga sopaana panktim with reference to the river Ganges that got
down from the Himalayas, reveals Utpreksha Dhvani. The Ganges in getting down the Himalayas from
Heaven forms a staircase for the sons of Sagara to
ascend the Heaven through the mountainous path. The various turns the river
takes in getting down the mountain are supposed to be the steps of the staircase.
Again the verse beginning with Gatvah Sadyaa suggests Upama
between the Megha’s manoevres
seated on the pleasure hill to those of Hanuman seated on Simsupa
tree.
That
the Megha Sandesa
is based on Hanumat Sandesa
of Ramayana is suggested by the phrase Ramagiryaasrameshu
in the very first stanza, while suggesting the comparison between yaksha and Rama as regards the pain of separation. This
suggestion is repeated here and there. In the verse beginning with Aapricchasva the second line suggests the
same comparison between yaksha and Rama. The verse
commencing with Gatwa Sadyah
suggests the similar search of Hanuman seated on Simsupa
tree. Again the verse beginning with Ityaakhyaate
expressing the above comparison strongly supports these suggestions.
The
offices of the cloud as a messenger and accomplisher of the union of the lovers
are suggested and in a way defended for the propriety of the kavya. The line beginning with Jaatam
Vamse suggests the nobility of the cloud for
being a messenger. The word Kaamaroopa supports
the Kalabhatanuta of the cloud. Again
the line Santaptaanaam... Visleshitasyat, the line Kassannaddhe…paraadheenavrittih, the line Tvaamaarudham...
Aasvasatyah and the line tvaamaasadya
... lingitaani will suggest the
latter office ghatakatva of the cloud.
Dhvani
is the technical term given by the Eastern school to the
supreme class of poetry where the suggestive meaning out and out surpasses the
literal sense. As the attribute of a first class poetry, Dhvani
made a landmark in the history of Indian poetics though it was followed by
the theory of propriety (Auchitya), the latter
had however to submit to the supremacy of Dhvani.
On the other hand, the Western school of critics too have given a great
prominence to suggestion. According to them, words and phrases are symbols of
meaning and association; they have a defined and undefined significance; in
literature or poetry the associations made with the words–The
undefined significance is of equal or greater importance even; in poetry where
the appeal is primarily to the emotions, the associations of
words are of even more importance than their exact meaning; all poetry depends
for its lasting effect on the undefined significance of words giving rise to
innumerable suggestions.
Is
this Western view of suggestion not akin to the Indian theory of Dhvani? Their resemblance can be observed
more homely by considering some of their correspondences in terms or
techniques. The symbolic or suggestive power of words produces a complex of
feeling and idea, which in Indian terminology may be said to correspond to the
sentiment or Rasa on one hand and Vastu
and Alankaara on the other. Vastu and Alankaara
too as said already, subordinate or contribute to Rasa alone, though
they do have their own beauty, which is more intellectual. So it may be said
again that the primary appeal of poetry is emotional. In this connection
Wordsworth may be quoted: “All good poetry is a spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings recollected in tranquillity.” It is the
communication of a mood in a mysterious way and it is the final test of poetry.
The mysterious power of suggestion which is the dominating element or poetry
makes it unfathomable though apparently obscure. Obscurity, as far as it is
noted in the suggestion itself, is an element of poetry rather than a
defect of the poet, for in its widest perspective a poem reveals the same for
no two persons. So it is said, “What a poem means for each one of us and which
mood it communicates to us, is a personal matter.”