The Philosophical Significance of Dhvani: Ontology, Epistemology, and Aesthetic Consciousness in Dhvanyāloka of Ānandavardhana

Abstract

The theory of dhvani (suggestion), as articulated by Ānandavardhana in the Dhvanyāloka, marks a decisive philosophical transformation in Indian aesthetics and linguistic theory. This paper argues that dhvani is not merely a poetic device, but a comprehensive philosophical framework that redefines the ontology of meaning, expands epistemology, and establishes aesthetic experience (rasa) as a mode of knowledge. By introducing dhvani as a third semantic function beyond abhidhā (literal) and lakṣaṇā (indicative), Ānandavardhana shifts the understanding of language from a referential system to an experiential medium. Drawing on primary textual evidence from the Dhvanyāloka and contemporary scholarship, this article demonstrates how dhvani anticipates modern semantic, phenomenological, and reader-response theories while remaining firmly rooted in Indian philosophical traditions. The paper ultimately positions dhvani and argues for its relevance as a foundational contributional theory to the global philosophy of language and aesthetics.