Mallikamakarandanatakam

Author(s): Ramchandra Mahakavi, Punyavijay
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

Introduction
23
Logic and Poetics (including Dramaturgy). He was indefatigably engaged in creative, literary activity4 writing poems or plays or 'stotra's or scientific works. It is perfectly understandable if one takes pride in his literary art and learning. Rāmacandra, however, goes a step further and indulges in boasting. 5 He declares : “There are many great poets like Murāri who diligently write plays that excel in striking modes of speech only, whereas he alone is expert in writing plays, imbued with sentiments which are the very soul (the essence) of drama." Generally, the works (of other poets), like sugar-cane, progressively deminish in rasa (1 sentiment 2 juice) but Rāmacandra's whole work grows progressively sweeter and sweeter still.? He proudly declares : 1 The good sayings (sūktis= subhāşitas) of Rāmacandra 2 the spring 3 melodious songs 4 Freedom and 5 union with one's beloved person-these five (things) are veritable showers of joy. 8
It seems that in the days of Ramacandra there was an army of poetasters who thrived on the poetic works of their predecessors. They unabashedly committed literary theft and passed the poems of their predecessors with some changes here and there as their own. Naturally, people, in general, were fed up with them and did not trust them at all; on the contrary they held these poetasters in utter contempt. Probably this charge of plagiarism was levelled, by some of his contemporary critics, against Rāmacandra. He stoutly defends himself against this baseless and mischievous charge in the Prologues to Nala-Vilāsa and Mallikamakaronda. The relevant dialogue
4 He calls himself. Acumbita-kāvya-tandram' (Prologue to Raghuvilāsa ) and
"Visirņa -kavya-nirmāņa-tandra' (Prologue to Kaumudi mitrānanda). He refers to his firm resolve to compose original works in his Prologue to Mallika-Maka
randa (1. 8). 5 Read : #fa: 102 14: 999#efa: |--Nalavilāsa 1.2.
प्रबन्धानाधातुं नवभणितिवैदग्ध्यमधुरान् कवीन्द्रा निस्तन्द्रा: कति नहि मुरारिप्रभृतयः । ऋते रामान्नान्यः किमुत परकोटी घटयितुं रसान् नाटय प्राणान् पटुरिति वितको मनसि नः ।।
-Ibid I. 3
--Kaumudi 1. 3 प्रबन्धा इक्षुवत् प्रायो हीयमानरसा: क्रमान् । कृतिस्तु रामचन्द्रस्य सर्वा स्वादुः पुर: पुरः ।।
-Ibid I. 4
-Kaumudi I, 4
-Satyahariscandra I. 4 सुक्तयो रामचन्द्रस्य वसन्तः कलगीतयः । स्वातन्त्र्यमिष्टयोगश्च पम्चेते हर्षवृष्टयः ।।
---Satya hariscandra I, 5 -Nirbhayabbima I. 2