Aesthetics of Sanskrit Poetry from the Perspective of Computational Linguistics: A Case Study Analysis on Siksastaka

TL;DR

This paper introduces a computational framework for analyzing the aesthetic qualities of Sanskrit poetry, demonstrated through a detailed case study of Siksastaka, combining machine and human expertise.

Contribution

It presents a novel interpretable framework integrating computational methods and human insights for Sanskrit poetry analysis, with annotations and a web tool for future research.

Findings

Framework successfully analyzes Sanskrit poetic features

Annotations provide detailed linguistic and stylistic insights

Web application enables interactive exploration of Siksastaka

Abstract

Sanskrit poetry has played a significant role in shaping the literary and cultural landscape of the Indian subcontinent for centuries. However, not much attention has been devoted to uncovering the hidden beauty of Sanskrit poetry in computational linguistics. This article explores the intersection of Sanskrit poetry and computational linguistics by proposing a roadmap of an interpretable framework to analyze and classify the qualities and characteristics of fine Sanskrit poetry. We discuss the rich tradition of Sanskrit poetry and the significance of computational linguistics in automatically identifying the characteristics of fine poetry. The proposed framework involves a human-in-the-loop approach that combines deterministic aspects delegated to machines and deep semantics left to human experts. We provide a deep analysis of Siksastaka, a Sanskrit poem, from the perspective of 6 prominent kavyashastra schools, to illustrate the proposed framework. Additionally, we provide compound, dependency, anvaya (prose order linearised form), meter, rasa (mood), alankar (figure of speech), and riti (writing style) annotations for Siksastaka and a web application to illustrate the poem's analysis and annotations. Our key contributions include the proposed framework, the analysis of Siksastaka, the annotations and the web application for future research. Link for interactive analysis: https://sanskritshala.github.io/shikshastakam/