In the whole range of Sanskrit poetics, the term vakrokti took altogether a new significance and the highest position as the all pervading poetic concept in Kuntaka's Vakroktijivita. He revived the concept from more verbal poetic figure to the lessons of poetry. He not only explains but also explores the multi-dimensional aspects of Vakrokti. But unfortunately, no comprehensive study of Vakrokti has been done in a systematic way. This book is an effort in this direction. Presenting the major schools of Sanskrit poetics, the book gives general definition of vakrokti and its multi-dimensional implications. Further taking a close look at the views of different theorists on vakrokti, it exposes in detail kuntaka's theory of vakrokti and makes its critical analysis in relation to various literary concepts- alankara, svabhavokti, rasavadalankara, marga and rasa. Finally, it deals with the striking similarities between dhvani and vakrokti, and brings out the fundamental aspects of practical criticism as shown by kuntaka.

There is a marked awareness about the language of literature and its meaning both in Indian and Western aesthetic thinking. The aestheticians of both schools hold that the language of literature embodies a significant aspect of human experience, and represents a creative pattern of verbal structure to impart meaning effectively. Modern Western aesthetic thinking, which includes theories like formalism, new criticism, stylistics, structuralism, post-structuralism, deconstruction, discourse analysis, semiotics and dialogic criticism, in one way or another emphasizes the study of the language of literature in order to understand its meaning. Similarly, there is a distinct focus on the language of literature and its meaning in Indian literary theories which include the theory of rasa (aesthetic experience), alaṁkāra (the poetic figure), rīti (diction), dhvani (suggestion), vakrokti (oblique expression) and aucitya (propriety). This book explores how the language of literature and its meaning have been dealt with in both Indian and Western aesthetic thinking. In doing so, the study concentrates on Kuntaka’s theory of vakrokti and Ānandavardhana’s theory of dhvani in Indian aesthetic thinking and Russian formalism and deconstruction in Western thinking. The book categorically focuses on the intersection between the theory of vakrokti and Russian formalism and the meeting-point between the theory of dhvani and deconstruction.

In the whole range of Sanskrit poetics, the term vakrokti took altogether a new significance and the highest position as the all pervading poetic concept in Kuntaka's Vakroktijivita. He revived the concept from more verbal poetic figure to the lessons of poetry. He not only explains but also explores the multi-dimensional aspects of Vakrokti. But unfortunately, no comprehensive study of Vakrokti has been done in a systematic way. This book is an effort in this direction. Presenting the major schools of Sanskrit poetics, the book gives general definition of vakrokti and its multi-dimensional implications. Further taking a close look at the views of different theorists on vakrokti, it exposes in detail kuntaka's theory of vakrokti and makes its critical analysis in relation to various literary concepts- alankara, svabhavokti, rasavadalankara, marga and rasa. Finally, it deals with the striking similarities between dhvani and vakrokti, and brings out the fundamental aspects of practical criticism as shown by kuntaka.

The thinkers and philosophers of ancient India contemplated intensively and extensively about all aspects related to life, and art was one of the major domains they touched upon. A profound and intense analysis of the art experience in literature naturally led to the evolution of one of the most sophisticated and long-standing poetic systems in the world. An Introduction to Indian Aesthetics: History, Theory, and Theoreticians offers a comprehensive historical and conceptual overview of all the major schools in Sanskrit poetics-one of the most sophisticated and long-standing traditions of literary criticism in the ancient world. The book, despite its primary focus on the major exponents of each school, also aims to give the reader a good idea as to how these concepts were treated before and after their major practitioners. An important part of Sanskrit poetics that often intimidates a modern reader is its seemingly difficult terminology. This book particularly addresses this issue by using contemporary idioms for readers who have no background of Sanskrit. It also aims to draw points of comparison, wherever relevant, between certain concepts in Sanskrit poetics and their western counterparts.