What is the concept of theory in India ?

The concept of theory in India 

Ans . Indian literature traditionally , like all other ancient literatures , has been oral . In this context of orality , literature has been an act of public communication . It has been a kind of performance . Even non - Hindu and non - native literatures , have been performative , often extempore . These are performances of sorts . This is why all literature is classified either as sravya ( aural ) or as preksa ( visual ) or as sravya - preksa ( aural - visual ) . This fact of aural , folk literature practices determines the nature of compositions , the relationship of the literary compositions to the audience / viewer / reader and therefore the concepts of literary theory . In this context the word literature itself is only partly appropriate . For " literature " is of letters , of the visible and legible marks on the page . Hence we have this notion that everything in print is literature , and we define literature in one of the ensuing sections . But it is sufficient to say that we have compositions , and for the poet / writer , the term composer is more appropriate , I quite rightly evokes associations of classical European music . As a poet like a musician in that part of his art which lies in shaping sounds , the sounds , Again we cannot use the word " reader " as in the case of the Western audience . Should we say " audience " , " participant " , " hearer " or " viewer " ? Perhaps the Indian term sahradya , one having the same kind of heart , i.e. , one who is able to emphasise , is a satisfactory term . It creates an entity that is more fluid and is richer , speech There is also a growing and important school of thought spearheaded by Harish Trivedi who thinks that Indian students of English literature need not be puritanically ativistic . They could study literature with a five - pronged approach , which he calls panchadhatu or the five elements , to wit : English literature , in English from countries other than England , literature in English translation , literature of an Indian region in the local language , and a classical literature in its original language .