Prakrit Verses in Sanskrit Works on Poetics Part 02

SR No.: 006960
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology
Publication Year: 1990
Total Pages: 768
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 64

Prakrit Verses in Sanskrit Works on Poetics
15. Conclusion :
In conclusion, it may be said categorically that poetic works in Māhārāștri Prakrit exhibit excellences and literary beauty of a high order. They easily bear comparison with their counter-parts in Sanskrit literature. Notwithstanding the differences in language the Sanskrit alamkārikas (writers on Sanskrit Poetics) made no difference between Sanskrit and Prakrit literatures. They appreciated both and freely quoted from both. Some of them like Anandavardhana and Rājasekhara wrote in both. The norms laid down in the Sanskrit works on Poetics are equally applicable to both. That is why even a scholar of Hemacandra's eminence who has to his credit works on Sanskrit and Prakrit grammar and prosody did not feel the necessity of preparing an independent work exclusively dealing with Prakrit poetics. In fact, till recently - before the impact of Western literature and literary criticism was felt - the poetry. in Indian languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, etc. was being judged by the norms laid down by Sanskrit literary thinkers. So leaving aside the controversey as to whether Sanskrit is the source of Prakrit or vice versa, and realizing that the two languages are closely allied and that the literatures in both of these languages, in spite of their own distinguishing features, bear close affinity we should always strive for integrating the Sanskrit and Prakrit studies. 98
98) I am grateful to the Editors of Sambodhi for their courtesy in allowing me to
incorporate in this Introduction my paper, with some changes, “Prakrit Poetry And Sanskrit Poetics" appearing in Vol. 10 April 1981-January 1982, (pp.145-168)