The Sovereignty of Auchitya Siddhanta in Pratibha Ray's Yajnaseni and Mahamoha

This research paper examines the application of Auchitya Siddhanta (Theory of Propriety), a key principle of Indian Poetics to the contemporary mythological fictions of Dr. Pratibha Ray. Although, Rasa (sentiment) is typically prioritised in classical Indian Poetics as the soul of literature, Kashmiri scholar Kshemendra argued that Auchitya is the ‘jivita’ (life force) of poetry as the aesthetic beauty can solely arise when all the narrative component perfectly aligns with its context. Auchitya acts as the ultimate regulator of Rasa (sentiment), Alankara (ornament) and Guna (merit) to ensure that they function harmoniously. This demonstrates how Ray’s novels especially Yajnaseni and Mahamoha are analysed as modern interpretation of Auchitya, where classical aesthetic ideals are utilised to align ancient myths with contemporary feminist and humanistic values. Ray applies Vichara-auchitya (propriety of thought) and Abhipraya-auchitya (propriety of intent) to reclaim the agency of Draupadi and Ahalya, and giving human qualities to these archetypes while maintaining the epic solemnity of their dharmic structures. In Yajnaseni, Ray utilises Prabandharth-auchitya (propriety of context) to achieve perfect narration. By adopting an epistolary form, she prioritises Draupadi as a character with narrative power instead of a passive patriarchal victim. This research examines how Ray changes the discourse of time by using techniques such as analepsis, stretch and pause which shifts the focus from the external martial events of Mahabharata to prioritise the inner psychological state of Draupadi (Sattva-auchitya). In Mahamoha, Ray similarly uses Tattva-auchitya (propriety of reality) to re-interpret the Ahalya myth. The ‘stone curse’ is reinterpreted as a metaphor for psychological immobility and social invisibility. Ray restores Ahalya’s erotic identity and affirms her human longing as genuine Svabhava (nature). This paper concludes that by following Kshemendra’s Auchitya Siddhanta, Ray transforms the myths into a genuine psychological exploration, keeping the Rasa of these ancient tales intact for the modern readers.