Some Problems of Sanskrit Poetics (Review)
Summary
The review Some Problems of Sanskrit Poetics discusses a volume that compiles fifteen papers by Sushil Kumar De, bringing together articles previously scattered across oriental journals and other works. These essays cover a broad range of topics in Sanskrit poetics, including debates over the nature of poetic expression, Bhamaha’s views on the concept of “guna” (poetic qualities), Anandavardhana’s analysis of “gauḍī” stylistics, the theory of rasa, and the treatment of “śānta rasa” in Bharata’s Natyaśastra and Daśarupaka. Other papers consider the relationship between the narrative forms Akhyayika and Katha in classical Sanskrit literature; the use of curtains in ancient Indian theatre; the theory of dhvani (suggestion) and Anandavardhana’s contribution; profiles of critics such as Bhanudatta; textual questions surrounding Bharata and Adibharata; Mammata’s poetic treatise Kavyaprakasha; Prakasavarsa’s Rasarnava‑vilamkara; and the text of Kavyalokalocana IV. By compiling these diverse studies, the volume makes De’s scholarship accessible in a single resource. The reviewer notes that students of Sanskrit literature will appreciate having the writings of an authoritative scholar on poetics gathered together and praises the publishers for their efforts to reprint other important works by the author.
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Conclusion
This review notes that Sushil Kumar De’s volume assembles fifteen influential essays on Sanskrit poetics, making them readily available. It highlights the breadth of topics—from theories of poetic expression and rasa to discussions of major treatises and scholars— and commends the publisher for preserving the author’s scattered papers. Students and researchers of Sanskrit literary theory will benefit from this consolidated collection.