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SAHRDAYĀLOKA
variety which is to be presented and visualized on the stage. We will first concern ourselves with what Hemacandra calls śravya type of poetry i.e. literature meant for reading and hearing only.
We are treating this topic of classification of poetry in sequence to the consideration of definition of poetry as word and sense and then after consideration of the nature of word and sense, powers of word etc. So, after broadly understanding the nature of literature as understood by Sanskrit critics, we go for the classification or consideration of types of compositions.
We have observed earlier that this classification is attempted from the point of view of literary criticism also and has resulted into poetry as classified into dhvani, gunībhūtavyangya and citra, or as one with vakrokti as its life-force etc. Thus thought-currents concerning dhvani, vakratā, etc. and the other allied topics such as guna, dosa, alamkāra, vakrokti, rīti, aucitya etc. will be taken up in due course. But prior to that, after classification of poetry, we will also have to discuss the topic concerning the types of heroes, heroines, their friends and enemies, their helpers, servants etc. also. In short we will also have to deal with the topic concerning the nature and varieties of various characters in literature both dramatic and poetic. Works on dramaturgy such as those of Bharata and others modelled on these such as the Daśa-rūpaka, Nārya-darpana and portions from Hemacandra's or Viśvanāthas works, deal with these topics. We will take into account all this as and when the context arises. We will begin with the classification of poetry first.
Earlier ālamkārikas such as Bhāmaha to Rudrata have the following forms to offer.
Bhāmaha in his Kāvyālamkāra (I. 16) attempts the definition of poetry and goes on to suggest that poetry is basically two-fold, i.e. prose and verse - gadyam padyam ca. We may observe to begin with that Bhāmaha has attempted classification from four angles such as - (i) external form viz. prose and verse. This angle is basically an attempt in the direction of supplying a basically formal classification. Thus we have two basic forms such as gadya i.e. prose and padya i.e. verse i.e. metrical composition. (ii) Now there is second angle which we may call the linguistic angle. So, from this linguistic angle, which also is basically a formal approach, we have kāvya divided into sanskrta, prakrta and apabhramśa. This may be termed linguistic classification but, this can also be both prose and verse. Thus we arrive at six basic formal types of poetry. From the point of view of contents i.e. (iii) varnya-vastu, again poetry can be classified into four sub-varieties such as (a) vịtta' i.e. poetry dealing with historical theme describing the story or history of past
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