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REVIEWS
disagrees with Jacobi about Rantäkara's inferiority (pp. 9-11). Even more unfavourable opinions on the merits of the Haravijaya were expressed by Richard Schmidt in 1915 and by A. B. Keith in 1928. David Smith states that his own judgement is at variance with the opinions of Schmidt and Keith. His book is a spirited defense of Ratnākara's poem. In the first three chapters David Smith studies what he calls the essential features of the court epic. Ratnākara's own view of his poem is studied in Chapter Four. Chapter Five is devoted to the structure of the poem. The following three chapters examine three groups of characters: the gaṇas, Šiva's followers, the women and the gods and goddesses. Chapter Nine studies the role of symbols in the Haravijaya. Ratnakara's use of the śleṣa is examined in Chapter Ten, and in Chapter Eleven, David Smith offers his 'tentative conclusions' about the merits of the poem.
In Chapter Two David Smith remarks that 'there is a danger that the study of Sanskrit poetry may be hindered by the stress that recent writers have put upon poetics'. According to him 'the form of the mahäkävya, as it had developed beyond Kālidāsa, did not appeal to what may be called the New School of poetics'. These critics found fault with the descriptive elements of mahäkävya and the undue use of alamkäras which lead to the destruction of rasa. David Smith states that 'the mahākāvya has its own inner logic as an art form, but this was not perceived by the poeticians'. How difficult it is for a Western scholar in the twentieth century to arrive at a proper appreciation of kavya, is shown by the fact that David Smith quotes approvingly a verse which Ingalls considers to be a rather frigid example of the use of figured speech, although he fully recognises the importance of Ingalls' contributions to the understanding of kavya..
Chapter Three is entitled 'Kings, Courts, and Poets' and examines the connections between kavya and the society which gave rise to it. David Smith touches upon many topics as can be seen from his own words: 'Let me state what exactly I do hope to show in this chapter. Beginning with the origins of kavya, we shall see the importance of eulogy in kavya. Eulogy itself can only be understood by appreciating the Indian view of kingship, which is presented here mainly with material from kavya. I then look behind the ideology to discern considerable insecurity in court circles. I suggest that kävya provides a sense of security. In this, kavya is analogous to ritual. Having looked at kavya as cause I then see it as effect, the product of court idleness: play, irresponsible creativity. Thus far, we have the two sides of the same coin. Kavya works hard to produce order; at the same time, it is free to create disorder. I then take up another line of argument, and suggest that kāvya is in some sense an updating of the Vedas, and,
