Open Access
Classical and Contemporary Theories of Aesthetics
Vol. 2, No. 1 (2026)
Śrī Caitanya Deva, revered in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition as the combined manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Rādhā, is widely recognized for his philosophical contributions and devotional movement. This article highlights a less-explored dimension of his genius–his profound mastery of Sāhitya Śāstra (literary theory and poetics)–through a critical examination of his scholarly encounter with the Kashmirian digvijayī scholar Keśava Bhaṭṭa, as detailed in Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta and Caitanya Bhāgavata. During their meeting on the banks of the Gaṅgā, Keśava Bhaṭṭa, renowned for his extemporaneous composition (ghaṭikāśataka), composed one hundred verses glorifying the Gaṅgā. Caitanya selected one verse in the Śikharinī metre and subjected it to a masterful critique based on the principles of Alaṅkāraśāstra. He identified five poetic defects (pañcadoṣa)–two instances of avimṛṣṭavidheyāṃśa, viruddhamatikṛt, bhagnakrama, and punarātta–and five literary ornaments (pañcālaṅkāra): anuprāsa (alliteration), punaruktavadābhāsa, upamā (simile), virodhābhāsa (semblance of contradiction), and anumāna (inference). The article provides detailed definitions and textual analysis of each doṣa and alaṅkāra, drawing from authoritative texts like Sāhityadarpaṇa and Alaṅkārakaustubha. It demonstrates how Caitanya’s analysis reveals both the aesthetic strengths and compositional flaws of the verse, underscoring the primacy of doṣa-guṇa vicāra (critical evaluation of defects and merits) in poetic composition. This episode not only affirms Caitanya’s extraordinary erudition in Sanskrit poetics alongside grammar and philosophy but also exemplifies his humility and spiritual magnetism, which ultimately led to Keśava Bhaṭṭa’s surrender. The study thus illuminates Caitanya’s multifaceted brilliance as a consummate connoisseur of Sāhitya Śāstra.
DOI: 10.63752/pijcace.0201S01
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Open Access
Classical and Contemporary Theories of Aesthetics
Vol. 1, No. 2 (2026)
This article examines the concept of sādhāraṇīkaraṇa (generalization) as the indispensable condition for the experience of rasa in classical Indian poetics. While rasa is traditionally regarded as the soul of poetry, its realization requires the dissolution of specific spatial, temporal, and personal associations embedded in poetic elements such as vibhāva, anubhāva, vyabhicāribhāva, and sthāyibhāva. Through the process of generalization, these elements are freed from worldly limitations, allowing the sahṛdaya to experience emotions in a purified, universalized form. The study further argues that sādhāraṇīkaraṇa operates through a distinctive mode of aesthetic cognition that cannot be reduced to ordinary forms of knowledge such as illusion, doubt, or resemblance. By temporarily transcending self–other distinctions and worldly dualities, aesthetic experience approaches a Vedāntic state of non-duality and bliss. Thus, sādhāraṇīkaraṇa is shown to function not merely as a poetic mechanism but as a bridge between aesthetic enjoyment and metaphysical insight.
DOI: 10.63752/pijcace.0102W02
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Open Access
Indian, Eastern, and Indigenous Aesthetic Traditions
Vol. 1, No. 1 (2025)
This paper examines Bharata Muni through a traditional śāstrika lens, moving beyond historical debates to interpret him as a cosmic principle of performative knowledge (nāṭya-jñāna). Using Sanskrit philological analysis, the study unpacks the name Bharata as bharati-rāti-tanoti (sustains-offers-expands), revealing a microcosmic model of cosmic emanation functioning through icchā (will), jñāna (knowledge), and kriyā (action).
The analysis demonstrates how Bharata represents not merely an individual scholar but a community of artists—a sampradāya embodying the dharma of manifesting and offering theatrical knowledge for collective benefit. Drawing from the Nāṭyaśāstra, Abhinavabhāratī, Upanishads, and dharmaśāstra texts, the paper establishes connections between aesthetic theory and spiritual goals, positioning nāṭya as a means to transcend material existence and achieve Self-realization.
The study reveals how Bharata's system transforms both performers and spectators through rasa (aesthetic experience), leading from material engagement to spiritual awakening. This interpretation emphasizes nāṭya's role as dharmic practice rather than mere entertainment, offering a framework for understanding Indian performance traditions as vehicles for mokṣa (liberation) through the integration of artistic excellence with spiritual discipline.
DOI: 10.63752/pijcace.vol.1.issue.01S.001
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