________________
Classification of Poetry
807 of verses from five to fourteen that carry a sentence-sense, i.e. they together deal with a single topic of description. By 'di', Namisādhu covers up such cases as of a single verse in a given metre called a muktaka, and two of them make for a sandānitaka, three a visesaka, and four verses make for a 'kalāpaka'. From five to fourteen centred round a single subject as seen above, was a 'kulaka'. We know that Anandavardhana has also in some context as we will go to see after Rudrata, has mentioned some of these types. But Namisādhu wants us that Rudrata also knew them and there is no reson to deny this assertion. Actually a group of verses describing a single topic, say the body of a deity or a given charater as read in the greater epics or the earlier Mahākāvyas, was nothing new for a discerning reader or critic. Namisādhu further states that these individual verses when collected together are said to be a 'koşa'. Parikathā is perhaps one which is so covers up from all sides (= pari) some topics. So, when many verses are placed together they make for a 'parikathā'. Namisādhu explains that when Rudrata says, "nāțakā”dy anyat" - he seems to refer to what Bharata has laid down. By 'ādi' in ‘nāțakā"di', such types of rūpakas as 'prakarana', 'Thāmrga', 'samavakāra', 'bhāņa', vyāyoga', dima', 'vīthi, 'prahasana' and the rest are to be taken. These are written with the help of many languages or dilects. They are charming also as they are adorned by a variety of samdhis i.e. junctures, samdhangas or parts of junctures, (four-fold) acting etc.
One thing is certain that literary critics from Bhāmaha to Rudrata and even later, include the dramatic compositions under literature or kāvya, perhaps because they all have to have a written script. Actually Bharata also is favourably inclined to this idea and he discusses such topics as guna, dosa, alamkāras and laksanas only from the angle of they being devices that make for the charm in poetic compositions, of course 'dosa' harms the same. But we should also note that for the discerning in India a drama was primarily composed for presentation on the stage and thus, though being a literary art as well, had its own identity with acting as its special mark or 'linga'. It is therefore that excepting some later alamkarikas as Hemacandra and Viśvanātha, other literary critics avoided discussing this variety of what is termed as "drśya kāvya".
After dealing with defining a number of types of literature, Rudrața tries to impart some practical instructions to poets suggesting what they should not do. This is perhaps to make the writing look more sensible and acceptable. Perhaps we may say that one can read the beginning of a topic called kavi-samava or poetic convention or kavi-śiksā or training of a poet here in a wider sense.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
