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Classification of Poetry
815 With 'paryāyabandha' are enumerated those types which are formed due to coming together of many sentences and therefore whose canvas is broader or larger. As noted above subordinate activities are led to completion and not just one activity as in the first four types. But all these activities have one goal such as, say the description of the spring season.
'Parikathā' is explained as : evam dharmā"di-puruśārtham uddiśya prakāravaicitryena ananta-vrttānta-varnana-prakārā-parikathā. Thus, parikathā is one in which one of the four chief pursuits of life such as dharma, artha, kāma and mokşa, is picked up and through prakāra vaicitrya i.e. variety in beautiful expression, a number of stories are glued together.
Khandakathā is narration of one part of a kathā, and it is termed khanda-kāvya as well. We will go to see that the Sāhityadarpanas defines khanda-kāvya as that which imitates one part of the kävya. Sakalakathā contains the description of many themes all of which extend upto the 'phala' i.e. the final objective or motivation. In the vṛtti both khanda-kathā and sakala-kathā are related through a dvandva compound. This is to suggest that these two sub-varieties were prevelant in Prakrit only, observes Abhinavagupta. Prior to these all the types that are enumerated beginning with muktaka, have no restriction to any particular language. .
Sargabandha, observes Locana, is of the form of a mahā-kävya; has one puruśārtha or pursuit of life as its phala or motivation, is only in Sanskrit and is - a big composition having for its description the whole theme i.e. the canvas covers the whole life as such
The type that is to be represented on the stage includes ten types of drama - daśa-rūpaka such as nātaka, prakarana, etc. It is written in many languages and has sub-varieties such as nātikā,trotaka, rāsaka, prakaranikā, etc. They are termed upa-rūpakas by later theorists. We will go to observe later that there are names as many as eighteen such as nātikā, trotaka, gosthi, sattaka, nātya-rāsaka, prasthāna, ullāpya, kāvva-prenkhana, rāsaka, samlāpaka, srī-gadita, silpaka, vilāsikā, durmallikā, prakaranī. halliśa and bhānikā. Viśvanātha discusses these. But some of them seen as early as in Bharata, Bhāmaha, Dandin etc. also, while Hemacandra and also Rāmacandra and Gunacandra discuss them following of course Bhoja. We will look into these later.
The ten types of major plays and all the sub-varieties such as nātikā and the rest are said to be “abhineyartha kävya” i.e. poetry to be enacted or represented on stage through acting. Many languages or dialects are used in these types. Some special characters are expected to speak in a special language or dilect and there are observations concerning these which are discussed in works on dramaturgy.
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