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SAHRDAYĀLOKA There has been much controversy over the nature of the granthika mentioned along with saubhika, by Patañjali. Bhoja's Sr. Pra., elsewhere in the early chapters on grammatical chapters, mentions the Kathaka as the person involved in the expressions "kamsam ghātayati" and "balim bandhayati."
"tathā hi kathakaḥ 'kamsam ghātayati ity ukte kamsa-vadham ācasta iti pratīyate.” (p. 421, Vol. I. Šļ. Pra).
From the words "ākhyānaka-samjñām tat labhate" in Bhoja's definition of the Ākhyāna, one may doubt whether there was such an ākhyāna literature and whether the Ākhyāna was not the Upākhyānas found in epics themselves, sung and interpreted through gesture. But that there existed texts for Akhyāna by Granthikas, separate from and different in respect of form from the text of the upākhyānas in the epics is known from two evidences. Firstly, Bhoja refers to these three ākhyānas of Māra, Sāmba and Govinda as examples of compositions in prose and verse of an equal measure and of a varied nature in an earlier context (p. 232, Vol. I. see under "Akhyānas in the chapter on works and Authors Quoted in the Sr. Pra.). Secondly, the growth of prabandha literature in Kerala would point to the existence of a tradition of a special class of composition for Akhāna exposition.”
This rather long quotation from Dr. Rāghavan exerts to prove 'Ākhāna' literature as a type independent of the Upākhyānas in the epics. We agree to this and in support we refer, once again to our reference cited above, of a poet called Premānanda from Gujarat, famous for his 'Akhyānas', based on Nala-damayantikathā (or upākhyāna) etc., which are even to-day very popular when presented with music, singing, and eloquence by such great artists as Māņa-bhatta Dhārmikalaljee, who provides excellent performance on stage with the help of an empty “māņa” i.e. brass pot, with his figers with rings playing upon it.
'Nidarśana' - is defined by Bhoja (śr. Pra. XI, pp. 469, ibid) - as “niścīyate tiraścām a-tiraścām vā yatra cestābhiḥ, kāryam a-kāryam vā tannidarśanam pañcatantra"di.”
Pañcatantra and such other compositions are illustrations of nidarśana, wherein through activities of birds or other (i.e. animals, etc.), right activity or wrong one is decided. Thus, nidarśana is also a story but with a didactic purpose. It is a fable, an allegory or a parable. It may be noted however, that all nidarśanas are not animal stories. Persons who can be cited as examples of greatness are also created and described in nidarśanas to serve as models for teaching what is good or bad. Bhoja observes :
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