# An Introduction to Indian Literary Theory

- Institution: IIT Madras
- Department: Humanities and Social Sciences
- Teacher: Prof. Sreenath V.S
- Level: Graduate
- Language: English
- Subjects: Society and politics
- Source: [NPTEL](https://nptel.ac.in/courses/109106195)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-SA](https://nptel.ac.in/faq) (Non-commercial use only.)
- Syllabus: [at the source](https://nptel.ac.in/courses/109106195)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Poetics is the theory of literary forms and devices, and the term is familiar to us mainly through the Greek philosopher Aristotle’s work of the same name. Aristotle’s Poetics is believed to be an incomplete treatise and the work that we have with us today is a systematic attempt to define only one genre, namely the art of tragedy. The treatise explores the various aspects of the genre, providing answers to what goes into the making of a tragedy and how it evokes the right kind of aesthetic response in a spectator. This attempt to systematize the study of poetry or all forms of literary composition is not specific to Greek or western literature but can be found in all literatures worthy of the name. In the Indian literary history, the term poetics in its broadest sense was concerned with two domains of art, namely nāṭya (play which blended drama, music, and dance) and kāvya (poetry and other forms of literary composition). The factors that distinguished nāṭya from kāvya in terms of form as well as content were so discernible that Sanskrit poetics virtually got bifurcated into two streams, namely nāṭyaśāstra and kāvyaśāstra. The nāṭyaśāstra tradition of poetics, as the term denotes, focused primarily on nāṭya or performance of plays on stage with the accompaniment of dance and music; these aspects were technically termed in Sanskrit as āṅgika (pertaining to gestures) vācika (verbal elements) āhārya (make-up and dress) and sāttvika abhinaya (representation of emotions). Kāvyaśāstra, on the other hand, was exclusively concerned with the ontology of kāvya (poetry and literary prose). The proposed course aims to introduce the students to the eight major schools in Indian aesthetics which functioned as the foundation of these two streams of poetics, such as rasa, dhvani, vakrokti, aucitya, alaṅkāra, anumāna, guṇa and doṣa.

Intended audience: B.A and M.A students of English literature. At present, many universities in India have incorporated Indian literary theory in…

## Lectures

1. [The Social History of Sanskrit and the Origin of Kāvya](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/a5b1cbd667aa) (YouTube)
2. [The Rāmāyaṇa and Sanskrit Literary Theory](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/47e077b2791b) (YouTube)
3. [The Genesis and Evolution of Sanskrit Literary Theory](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/946fcf708a97) (YouTube)
4. [The Actual Relation Between Kāvyaśāstra or Kāvya](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/17a443d50777) (YouTube)
5. [Sanskrit Kāvyaśāstra in the Medieval Period](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/80dca274eac5) (YouTube)
6. [Sanskrit Literary Theoreticians--Early Period](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/b6c5ea4e8613) (YouTube)
7. [Sanskrit Literary Theoreticians--Medieval Period A](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/d0efc8471d78) (YouTube)
8. [Sanskrit Literary Theoreticians--Medieval Period B](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/5beee4c999f1) (YouTube)
9. [Sanskrit Literary Theory in the Colonial Period](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/6af2da33ff2e) (YouTube)
10. [Sanskrit poetics in the Postcolonial Phase](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/1d1593340760) (YouTube)
11. [Reader in Sanskritic kāvya tradition](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/06903c04d961) (YouTube)
12. [Who is the ideal spectator for nāṭya?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/6d81a414a356) (YouTube)
13. [Daśarūpaka: Ten dramatic forms - Part I](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/e67be4eb7210) (YouTube)
14. [Daśarūpaka: Ten dramatic forms - Part II](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/c553b5287ccb) (YouTube)
15. [Uparūpakas](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/e73230f18945) (YouTube)
16. [Kāvya and the Three Languages](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/639157018c2e) (YouTube)
17. [Kāvyasvarūpa or the Ontology of Poetry](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/662ee60ef7d2) (YouTube)
18. [Bharata and the Idea of Rasa](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/7110e7e07012) (YouTube)
19. [The Beginning of Rasa Discourse in Literary Theory](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/5cf067dc88cc) (YouTube)
20. [Rasa Theory and Ānandavardhana](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/a92cd136c64a) (YouTube)
21. [Rasa Theory and Bhaṭṭ Lollaṭa](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/e6bee237a6b8) (YouTube)
22. [Rasa Theory and Śri Śaṅkuka](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/8214bdbfe979) (YouTube)
23. [Rasa Theory and Bhaṭṭa Tauta](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/6ed2723f67c4) (YouTube)
24. [Rasa Theory and Bhaṭṭa Nāyaka](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/2e8e2a8c6414) (YouTube)
25. [Rasa Theory and Abhinavagupta](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/95710e0c9b29) (YouTube)
26. [Rasa Theory, Rāmacandra and Guṇacandra](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/63aa6a9d8b73) (YouTube)
27. [Rasa Theory and Vidyādhara](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/4e32a29f49cb) (YouTube)
28. [The Theory of Alamkara](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/1dac3cb6fbce) (YouTube)
29. [The Concept of Aucitya: An Introduction](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/6022a360a447) (YouTube)
30. [The Concept of Aucitya and Kṣemendra](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/4e4241622687) (YouTube)
31. [Two Ways of Implementing Aucitya - Part 1](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/a11709651ff9) (YouTube)
32. [Two Ways of Implementing Aucitya - Part 2](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/421bcd303e31) (YouTube)
33. [Aucitya and Kaviśikṣa](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/29c2723de973) (YouTube)
34. [Aucitya and the Readers](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/2b0e05683c0b) (YouTube)
35. [Aucitya and the Opinion of Literary Theoreticians](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/fbf3dc76f994) (YouTube)
36. [Aucitya and Ānandavardhana](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/5ad1cc3a9dee) (YouTube)
37. [Guna or Poetic Merit: Bharata and Bhamaha](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/e72a30161bbe) (YouTube)
38. [Guna or Poetic Merit: Daṇḍin and Udbhaṭa](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/e4a0bcd370ca) (YouTube)
39. [Guna or Poetic Merit: Vāmana’s Contribution](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/25fcd2c22831) (YouTube)
40. [Guna or Poetic Merit: Ānandavardhana, Namidāshu and Pratihārenduraja](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/c60994caee9e) (YouTube)
41. [Guna or Poetic Merit: Bhoja](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/31232562a342) (YouTube)
42. [Guna or Poetic Merit:Viśveśvara and the author of Agnipurāṇa](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/03dcbcade44c) (YouTube)
43. [Guna or Poetic Merit:Mammaṭa’s View](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/ad87eb9306c4) (YouTube)
44. [Rīti or the Theory of Poetic Styles](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/a70d5c9b383c) (YouTube)
45. [Theory of Dosa or Poetic Blemish: Bharata’s View](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/d7b161987828) (YouTube)
46. [Theory of Doṣa or Poetic Blemish: Bhāmaha’s View](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/df0c06ecb83e) (YouTube)
47. [Theory of Doṣa or Poetic Blemish: Daṇdin’s View](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/42d774c6c832) (YouTube)
48. [Theory of Doṣa or Poetic Blemish: Vāmana’s View](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/94a581f0055f) (YouTube)
49. [Theory of Doṣa or Poetic Blemish: Ānandavardhana and Mammaṭa’s Views](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/0f9622d9543c) (YouTube)
50. [Theory of Doṣa or Poetic Blemish: Mammaṭa’s View II](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/404344b62393) (YouTube)
51. [Theory of Doṣa or Poetic Blemish: Ānandavardhana and Mammaṭa’s View III](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/9d7ffef49bd7) (YouTube)
52. [Vakrokti: An Introduction](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/0247c9f5777e) (YouTube)
53. [Vakrokti: Pada-pūrvārtha-vakrata I](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/114df2364dc3) (YouTube)
54. [Vakrokti: Pada-pūrvārtha-vakrata II](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/5ee47e24b654) (YouTube)
55. [Vakrokti: Pada-pūrvārtha-vakrata III](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/4c703ce41fc5) (YouTube)
56. [Vakrokti: Padaparārddha vakratā](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/cbff498a52bd) (YouTube)
57. [Vakrokti: Vākya-vakratā](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/6bf1b406a7a9) (YouTube)
58. [Vakrokti: Prakaraṇa-vakratā](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/5c7e26e6baec) (YouTube)
59. [Vakrokti: Prabandha vakratā](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/317504d93162) (YouTube)
60. ["Dhvani: Avivakṣita-vācya "](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/92a7bb3afc49) (YouTube)
61. [Vivakṣitānya-paravācya](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/nptel/109106195/7bc789769443) (YouTube)