________________ . 17 Poetics. They are meant chiefly as manuals to guide the poet in his profession. They supply instructions to the aspiring poet in the practical art of composing Poetry. The Instructions render him valuable service in the composition of Poetry, which is regarded to be a more or less mechanical Ars Poetica. The treatment of the subject in Kavyasiksa : In the opening verses of the work, Acarya Vinayacandra announces that he draws the subject--matter of the Kavyasiksa from the study of various sastras and that he writes the treatise for instruction of the young, i. e. the young (or aspiring ) poet. While introducing the importance of Instructions ( siksas), the author makes a passing reference to the general characteristics of Poetry. He defines Kavya as constituted by Word and Sense, endowed with Gunas. He thus seems to favour the Alankara School and the Riti School of Poetics. He does not here include Alankara as a necessary constituent of Poetry as Acarya Hemacandra does. Though he makes no mention of Rasa or Dhvani in the definition, he seems to be regarding Gunas subservient to Rasas, to which he devotes a special Pariccheda. In this respect he probably follows earlier authors like Mammata and Hemacandra. As regards the purpose of Poetry, the author mentions only Joy and Glory and thus follows the earlier writers like Bbamaha, Dandin and Vamana. Unlike Mammata and Hemacandra he does not multiply the number of the motives underlying the composition of Poetry. Then the author contends that Poetry may be smoothly composed by means of the pure impartations of Instructions. This corresponds to what Mammata styles Practice under the Instructions (siksas) of those that know Poetry The author then proceeds to enumerate the numerous and various activities to be undertaken by an aspiring poet. In the treatment of metres, he supplies sets of stereotyped words and phrases that would suit the quarters of the different metres. Here he deals with Anustup, Indravajra, Vasantatilaka, Malini, Mandakranta, Sikharini. Sragdhara and sardulavikridita in particular. He also imparts instructions for the depiction of different colours, qualities and topics to be described in a Mabakavya. The Pariccheda on Kriya-nirnaya implies the emphasis laid by the author on the importance of the knowledge of the various verbs, their
