Riti Theory by Nidhi Dave

Riti Theory by Vamana in Indian Poetics. This presentation is about Riti Theory. In Indian Poetics, there were several school like Rasa, Alamkara, Riti, Dhavani , Vakrokti and Auchitya.

1. Introduction

2. The Elements of Poetics are as follows:

3. Rasa: (Emotive content)
Guna: (Excellence of poetic expression) Riti : (Style and dicition of poetry) Alankara : (figurative beanty of poetic expressions) Dosha : (Blemishes in poetic expressions) Natya -Vidhana: dramaturgy.

4. Kavya and Indian Poetics in Riti

5. Various Thinker’s View on Riti Various thinkers and writers of the Lakshana granthas , over a long period, have put forward several theories based on their concept of the essential core , the heart or the soul of the Kavya ( kavyasya Atma ). While the authors like Bhamaha , Dandin , Udbhata and Rudrata focused on Alamkara ; Vamana emphasized the concept of Riti . However, it was Anandavardhana who changed the entire course of discussion by introducing the concept of Dhvani . It was perhaps Vamana the author of Kavyalankara -sutra- vritti who initiated the speculation about the Atman or the soul of poetry. He declared – Ritir Atma kavyasya – // Vkal_1,2.6 // ( Riti is the soul of Poetry).

6. Vamana’s Views on Riti

7. – Rinati gacchati asyam guna iti riyate ksaraty asyam vanmaddhu-dhareti va ritih (Vamana KSS). The language and its structural form lead us to the inner core of poetry. And, when that language becomes style ( Riti ), it absorbs into itself all the other constituent elements of poetry. It allows them, as also the poetic vision, to shine through it. Dandin had earlier highlighted two styles ( Marga ) of presenting a Kavya: Vaidarbhi and Gaudi, each having its special characteristics. To that, Vamana added Panchali – sā tridhā vaidarbhī gauḍīyā pāñcālī ceti . (And, much later, Rudrata , in his Kavya- alamkara , added Latiya as the fourth Riti ; while Raja Bhoja in his Sringara Prakasa added Avantika and Magadhi as other styles.)

8. According to Vamana, only the Vaidarbhi Marga , which he approves, has all the twenty Gunas – sweet as the notes of the lute. According to Vamana, the Gaudiya is marked by Ojas (vigour) and Kanti (grace) , but it lacks Madhurya (sweetness) and Saukumarya (delicacy) plagued by long winding compounds and bombastic words. And, Panchali , he says, while it has Madhurya and Saukumarya , it is devoid of Ojas and Kanti He remarks that the difference between Vaidarbhi and other modes (Gaudi, Panchali etc) is analogous to differences between silken thread and jute fiber (I.2.11-18).
Therefore, Guņas are nitya (essential) because they are related to the soul of poetry called rītī and alamkāra are anitya (trivial) because they are related to the body of poetry namely śabda and artha Gauḍī dambarabaddhā syād vaidarbhī lalitakramā / pāňcālī miśra bhāvena lāṭī tu mṛdubhiḥ padaiḥ

9. Dandin and Kutakas views on riti As said earlier; Dandin had named certain literary styles as Marga -s (say, Vaidarbhi and Gaudiya Marga ). Vamana not only modified the concept of style, but also renamed Marga as Riti – style or diction – rītīnāṃ pūrvā vaidarbhī grāhyā , guṇānāṃ sākalyāt . Vaidarbhi , Gaudiya and Pañc li are the three rītī that poets choose as their mode of expression. Vaidarbhi , for V mana, is superior to the other two styles as it possesses ten guņas as mentioned earlier by Dandin . Riti , according to him, is a particular mode or organization of verbal structure that is different from common usage – Visista pada- racana – having the excellences of Gunas . He, in fact, calls this structure or arrangement of words as Viseso Gunatma (1.2.8) – a combination of various Gunas . Kutaka also objected to the old practice of classifying the Vaidarbhi , Gaudi and Panchali type of Ritis as Uttama , Madhyama and Adhama , receptively.

10. Thus, Riti is not just a regional mode of arranging words or diction or style; and, it could mean harmony and rhythm in the composition , as well. Just as in the human body the placement and proportion of each organ contributes to the handsome or otherwise appearance of a person, so also the arrangement of the words which aptly bring out the poetic and the dramatic intent of the component are highly important. Riti aims to harmonize Sabda and Artha , the body and the soul. Vamana , therefore, accorded Riti a very high position by designating Riti as the Soul of Kavya – Ritr Atma kavyasya / śarīrasyeveti vākyaśeṣaḥ (I.2.6) – Riti is to the Kavya what Atman is to the Sarira (body).

11. Conclusion Prof.SK De (in his Sanskrit Poetics) explains : it should be observed that the term Riti is hardly equivalent to the English word style, by which it is often rendered, but in which there is always a distinct subjective valuation. … Riti is not, like the style, the expression of poetic individuality as is generally understood by western criticism, but it is merely the outward presentation of its beauty called forth by a harmonious combination of more or less fixed ‘literary excellence ( Gunas )’.

12. Work Cited Sreenivasaraos . (2015, August 19). Kavya and Indian Poetics . Sreenivasarao’s blogs. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://sreenivasaraos.com/tag/vamana/ https://baou.edu.in/assets/pdf/CIP_03_slm.pdf “ Riti – Vamana – P.urbanpro.com.” P.urbanpro.com Was First Indexed by Google in June 2021, Google , June 2021, https://p.urbanpro.com/tv-prod/documents%2Fnull-Riti.pdf .

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