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Classification of Poetry
829 Rājasekhara has also talked about a śāstra-kavi who is 'of three types such as : tatra tridhā śāstra-kavih. yaḥ śāstram vidhatte, yaśca śāstre kāvyam samvidhatte, yo'pi kävye śāstrátham vidhatte.” We can illustrate these. The first is one down śāstra and yet his style is such which may earn him the title of a poet. Thus, Sankara's śārīraka-mīmāmsā-bhāsya is a lyrical gem by itself. So is Sabara's prose. Anandavardhana, Kuntaka, Mahimā and Hemacandra also write beautiful prose. They are all writing a śāstra. Thus, they are śāstra-kavis. The second variety is illustrated by poetic passages as read in the Bhagavad-geetā or the upanişads. The third type is illustrated as in Bhatřikāvya, or Dvyāśraya-kāvyas of Hemacandra.
Dr. Raghavan observes : (pp. 629, ibid) - “Bhoja has defined prabandha or kāvya of all kinds as vidhi-nisedha-vyutpadaka, from the point of view of vyutpatti. And Mahimabhatta expressly says that, from this point of view, kāvya also is śāstra. Hence all Kavya is sastra; the conception is a very old one that the kävya coats with sugar the ideas of sastra. Cf. Bhāmaha - V. 3:
“svādu-kāvya-rasónmiśram śāstramapy upabhuñjate, prathamā”līdha-madhavaḥ
pibanti kațu bhesajam." Kośa for Bhoja is (pp. 470, ibid) -
“kośa iva yas subhāṣitaratna-samūhā”tmakaḥ samuddhriyate, mahataḥ kāvyámbhodheḥ
sa kośa iva sapta-satikā"di." Dandin (I. 13) also refers to this type. For Bhoja it is a selection and collection of best verses from a whole literature. It is like collecting subhāṣita-ratnas and
aking a samūha of it; e.g. 'sapta-śatikā' or 'gāthā-sapta-śati', of Hāla. Taruņavācaspati on Dandin (I. 13) explains it as selections made from different authors -
"kośo nānākartýka-subhāṣita-ratna-samudāyaḥ.” But Vādijanghāla, yet another commentator on Dandin takes it to be a string or collection of stories too, besides ideas : kośo'pyaneka-bhinnártha-kathā-grathitaḥ kathā-kośah; krsnasārah, tārāgana iti.” - Dandin also talks of samghāta (I. 13), which for Taruņavācaspati is a singleauthor-creation having theme of varied nature. Prabhā (pp. 15, ibid) gives different opinions which may be read there.
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