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812
SAHRDAYĀLOKA etad yathoktam auityam eva tasyā niyāmakam, sarvatra gadya-bandhe’pi
cchando-niyama varjite. (Dhv. III. 8) - “In addition to decorum of speaker and the spoken, decorum of literary medium also governs the choice of texture. Literature in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhramsa has various forms such as 'pearls' (= muktakas, i.e. single stanzas forming a selfcontained unit) or run-on verses of two, three, four or more stanzas in the same
g a single unit, stanzas in one or more metres describing a single topic, diadectic stories in verse, full-fledged fiction in verse, short stories in verse, epics, dramatic works, historical novels in prose and romantic novels in prose. Texture becomes varied due to differences in their literary forms also. Of these, a poet who is intent on delineation of sentiment in pearls will be guided by the considerations of decorum relating to sentiment. This decorum has already been explained. In pearls where the poet has no such intent he is free to employ any texture he likes.
Poets are, however, mostly seen to be intent on delineating sentiment even in earls, as in full-fledged literary works. Thus the pearls of the poet Amaru are famous for their profusion in Erotic sentiment, and they are regarded as good as full-fledged works in point of charm. In run-on verses of two stanzas etc., affected and involved construction itself becomes proper, and therefore we will have textures of medium-sized and long compounds. But if these run-on verses occur as parts of another whole poem, then the decorum towards a whole poem, indicated already, will apply to it. In works dealing with a single theme, and containing verses in one or more metres, the textures to be employed should be only those without compounds and with medium-sized compounds. Sometimes though the texture of long compounds might occur in view of decorum of context, 'harsh' and 'pallid dictions will have to be avoided therein. But there is no such rule so far as diadectic stories in verse are concerned. The reason is that there will just be a narration of story and no intention of delineating sentiment. Full-fledged stories and short-stories in verse are common only in prakrit language and they abound in run-on verses upto more than five stanzas. Therefore, the use of texture with long compounds also will not be wrong in them. The decorum of diction should always be decided in view of the sentiments to be delineated. If an epic should be intent upon delineating sentiments, the decorum of sentiment will govern its use of texture. Otherwise, it is left to the free choice of the poet. We can see writers of epics who have composed works in both these ways; but of the two, the works that are intent upon sentiment
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