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OPINIONS OF RAJASEKHAR AS A CRITIC.
301
With the four Vedas, the six Argas and the four Sastra, the Kavya forms the fifteenth Vidyasthāna for it is a pleasant haunt where the rest frequent. It is written both in Verse and in prose, so it may cover all subjects; it is endowed with Kavidharma which consists in present. ing things in a pleasant way and it is also concerned with in beneficial instructions. So the Sastras follow' it i. e. they seek expression through it for this way they may be both palatable and instructive.
The realm of Kavya, again, is everywhere. Whatever said or spoken has a permanent value for humanity, has proceeded from an imagination akin to that of the poet's. It is at the behest of the Kavya that meaning emerges from the eternal verbum as cosmos sprang from chaos with the will of the creator. 2
Rajasekhara's dovetailing Sahityavidyā with the four Vidyas Anviksaki, Trayi, Vārtā and Dandanīti is forced. It is not clear what he precisely meant by Sahitya. He defines it as the proper union of sound with sense. With such a definition it embraces all the branches of learning not excluding poetry. The object of the Vidyās is the attainment of Artha and Dharma.4 Here all the four puruşārthas have to be understood since Artha will bring the fulfilment of Kāma and Dharma will bring Mokşa. The ultimate object of poetry also will therefore coincide with that of the Sahitya for in no case it can be anything ulterior to the attainment of the four Puruşarthas, Sixtyfour Kalás are held as the Upavidyās of this Sahityavidya--most of these are vocational in character. Rajasekhara says that these Kalas constitute the vital sap of poetry.
Sāhityavidyāvadha
In the ensuing chapter Rajasekhara imagines a Sahityavidyavadhū who attracts Kávyapuruşa and is ultimately married to him.
1. 'Hala ereTTÅTTTT 95745 firāzi faTIET TA' faq ata: I गद्यपद्यमयत्वात् कविधर्मत्वात् हितोपदेशकत्वाच्च । तद्धि शास्त्राण्यनुधावन्ति ।
Kávya M Ch. II. 2. यदे वाङमयं विश्वमर्थमा विवर्त्तते । सोऽस्मि काव्यपुमानम्ब ! पादौ वन्देय तावको ।।
Kavya M III. 3. tearreterachaaraa faat uifecafaar
KavyaM II. 4. sifarfafunt afecafarrar faaraan
Ibi:1. ІІ. 5. शब्दार्थयोर्यथावत्सहभावेन विद्या साहित्यविदा । उपविद्यास्तु चतु : षष्टिः । ताश्च _ कला इति विदग्धवादः । स आजीवः काव्यस्य ।
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