Kavyashiksha

Author(s): Vinaychandrasuri, Hariprasad G Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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PREFACE We are happy to publish for the first time the Kavyasiksa ( also called Kavisiksa) by Acarya Vinayacandra who flourished in the latter half of the thirteenth century. Though the work attracted the attention of the scholars since 1937 when it was first known by some of the extracts given in the Discriptive Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Jaina Bhandaras at Patan, no one attempted to edit it as only one MS was available and that too was incomplete. On my request Dr. H. G. Shastri, the Asstt.. Director of B. J. Institute of Learning and Research, Ahmedabad has edited it and I must thank him for the trouble he has taken to give correct readings as far as possible. In this task he was helped by Rev. Muni Shri Punyavijayaji who is always ready to help the scholars. The publication of this work is made possible by the grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, and we are very much thankful to the said Ministry for this generous grant. In order to acquaint their pupils with the secular literature of the times and also to train them to produce such literature, some of the Jaina Acaryas had engaged themselves in the activity of writing secular works. Among them, Acarya Hemacandra tops the list. Acarya Vinayacandra follows him and adopts a lucid and simple style for this important work meant mainly for the beginners in the art of poetry. As the main purpose of the work is to introduce the beginners in the art of poetry we should not expect from the author the discussion of the intricate problems of the poetics. But it is sure that the author tries to make the entry very easy, in the portals of the large and splendid palace of poetic art by providing the fundamental steps of information regarding language, the words to be used, metres and the world around us. No one, though endow. ed with great intellect and intuition, can produce the great work of poetic art, if he is innocent of what is necessary for poetry. This work should be judged bearing in mind the scope and purpose the author had in view. And if we try to evaluate the work in this manner we would find that the author has achieved his goal. Dalsukh Malvania Ahmedabad : 27-10-64