Kavyabandha or Vakyavinyasa

Summary

R. S. Betai’s essay delves into classical Sanskrit poetics through the lens of Narendraprabhasuri’s teachings on kavyabandha (the binding of poetry) or vakyavinyasa (sentence‑formation). The author begins by emphasising that the poet’s primary tools are words and meaning, analogous to the painter’s colours or the musician’s notes. Poetry arises from a skilful combination of these elements, and an accomplished poet invests them with fresh vitality and nuanced suggestiveness beyond their ordinary capacity. Betai surveys the historical discussion of word–meaning relationships in literary theory, noting how earlier masters influenced Narendraprabhasuri but how the latter developed his own distinctive approach. Narendraprabhasuri is shown to treat the arrangement of words and sentences not merely as grammatical necessity but as a creative process that shapes aesthetic experience. He articulates categories of vakyavinyasa, explains how variation in syntactic structure can enhance poetic mood and outlines how different configurations draw attention to particular emotions or images. The essay highlights his analysis of poetic “word‑power”—the ability of words, through context and association, to evoke layers of meaning not explicitly stated. Betai also examines Narendraprabhasuri’s critiques of contemporaries and his contributions to debates on figures of speech, style and the hierarchy of poetic qualities. Throughout, the essay underscores that kavyabandha is both a technique and an art: mastering it requires conscious training but ultimately manifests as effortless expression once a poet internalises the principles. The discussion thus illuminates a sophisticated strand of Jain aesthetic thought within the broader Sanskritic tradition and shows how theoretical reflection on language informs creative practice.