Dhvani

Dhvani Theory is basically a semantic theory. Rasa siddhanta is an affective theory. Though it is Bharata who is credited with having originated the rasa theory was Abhinava developed it into a systematic poetic principle.Anandavardhana was the chief exponent of the Dhvani Theory, all the same Abhinava Gupta had made significant contributions to it.

Poetry is constituted of emotive language. Dhvani relates itself to meanings and the suggestive power of words the ancient Sanskrit Acharyas understood poetry as a verbal complex, profoundly emotive. Hence they explained poetry on the basis of dhvani siddhanta and rasa siddhanta

The basic principle of dhvani is inherent in sphota vada; three firmly speaking it are not acceptable to take words separately by splitting a sentence. To those who advocated the divisibility of both pada (word) and vakya (sentence) it is the last sentence in a structure that indicates sphota. Sphota is practically manifest from the last sound. It is from the last sound that the cognition of the entire word structure it’s derived, together with the impression produced by preceding sound.

Sphotu in this context is 'antima buddhi graahya' or what is known by the last word, sphota it is also 'antima varna graahya' , or what is known by the last syllable as even the last alphabet. Abhidha, Laksana, Vvaniana.  Dhvani is so termed because it sounds, rings, or reverberates because it is sphota.

Three types of Dhvani; Abhinava Gupta accepts the general three-fold classification of dhvani as given by Ananda. However he adds some other explanation to it. For him the 'pratiiyamana' or implied sense is described as two-fold of which one is 'loukika' or the one that we wet in ordinary life and the other is 'kaavya vyaapaara gocara'  or one  which is met only in poetry. The loukika dhvani in poetry is two-fold; the one that suggests vasthu or some matter or other is vastu dhvani. The other which suggests a figure of speech is alanknara dhvani; in both instances the loukika dhvani is explicit.