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20
Kāvyakalpalatāvsitti
and definitions, and even repeats the illustrative stanzas”33.
While conceding that De is partly right, it must be stated that the present author has his own noted contribution also in the 12 topics in which he does not borrow much from Amara. These parallel verses etc. prove that, in all probability, Deveśvara copied these verses from Amara, or, they both had a common source that has not come down to us. Be it as it may, Deveśvara definitely seems to know the work of Amara Candra and follows it, though certainly not blindly. This is proved by the separate topics and their fairly independent and scholarly treatment in the work; it reveals, partially atleast, the independent outlook of Deveśvara. In some verses again, he specifically refers to Kavikarma and it is here that he tries to become more clear than Amaracandra, though the latter is, in many respects, more scholarly, deeper and wider in his treatment both in Vrtti' and in 'Parimala'. We have one more and an important proof of Amara preceding Deveśvara when he states -
यत्किञ्चिदथ न मया गदितं
ग्रन्थस्य गौरवत्रासात् । मत्कृतकविकल्पलतापरिमलतः
तद् बुधैर्जेयम् ॥ The remark is repeated by the author at the end of 4.6, showing that like Amara, he too composed a Vitti entitled 'Parimala'. The Bibl. states in a different reading that the author wrote a commentary Scholy by name 34. The title of following Amara is more probable.
Before we refer to his contribution and thought-content in the other topics, it would be proper to refer to (i) his general remarks about poetry and poets at the commencement of the work and 'the submission of the writer', (ii) his positive reference to the topics discussed, in most of the sub-topics, and, (iii) the eulogy of the work at the end. This will give to us Deveśvara's own idea about the value of the work. At the commencement he states ---
(i) Poets, whose souls are shining forth with Pratibhā, no doubt compose poetry in their own way. Others, i. e., those who are clever in composing poetry are rare to come across.
(ii) However, the author proceeds on the very difficult path of guiding both these, by writing a work on the training and equipment of a poet.
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