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Classification of Poetry
791 Such a composition lives for ages and it is necessarily decorated by poetic devices such as figures of speech both of word and sense. We may add that other devices such as excellences, styles and dictions, etc. are also covered by, “sadalamkrti". All these should promote the central effect i.e. rasa or relish, i.e. aesthetic delight. The composition may not have all these features, i.e. it may have only some of these, and yet it does not cease to be a mahākāvya.
After describing the major or minor compositions in verse, Dandin banks upon prose-compositions. But before that he observes that in verse-compositions there are two styles of narration. At times the poet refers to the high qualities of the hero and describes the humiliation of his enemies by such a hero. This is a naturally beautiful method adopted by poets. But at times, even such description pleases the men of taste, in which first the lineage, adventure, learning or culture of the enemy is described and the victory of the hero over such a qualified enemy is described.
Dandin starts with the discussion of prose compositions with kā. I. 23 which reads as -
"a pādah pada-santāno gadyam, ākhyāyikā kathā, iti tasya prabhedau dvau
tayor ākhyāyikā kila...” (K.D. I. 23) Prose is collection of padas or words nor arranged in a pāda'. By 'pāda' here is meant, according to Prabhā (pp. 25, ibid) : pādo gana-mātrā-nibaddho gadyaturīyāmśas tacchünyah apādah.” That writing which does not follow the dictates of 'gana' such as ya-gana, ma-gana etc., and 'mātrā' such as one-mātrā in short vovel, two in a long vovel etc. - is 'gadya' or prose. Pada-santānah means 'sup-tin-antapada-cayah - i.e. collection of words giving verbs, nouns etc. The prose writing is classified into two such as kathā and ākhyāyikā. Dandin seens to mention these two types simply because they were prevalent in literature but in fact he does not seem to have any faith in the distinction resorted to. For Dandin, whether the hero himself narrates his own story or somebody else does it, is of no telling effect. As in an ākhyāyikā, so also in a kathā, Dandin feels that we may come across poems written in vaktra and aparavaktra metres and also a division into ucchvāsas. So, for Dandin both kathā and ākhyāyikā are two names of a single type. : tat kathā'khyāyikety ekā jätiḥ samjñā-dvayánkitā." All other types of prose writing, for Dandin, are included in either of these two (K.D. I. 28a). It is possible that Dandin represents a tradition of literary criticism which was less honoured by Bhāmaha and vice versa. Dandin observes that even in prose writing of either variety we have
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