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A Recent Study of Indian Kavya Literature
whole. The contributions of Mahimabhatta. Markha, Jayadeva, Appayya Diksita are also noticed in passiog.. The chapter closes with the indications of the main directions of Indian criticism and their effects on the creative writers.
Chapter Five (pp. 122-168) begins with the discussion about the origin of the drama and characteristic features of each of the ten main types of drama in their order of evaluation from Bhāna, through Vithi, Prahasana, V yayoga, Utsrstkanka, Samavakāra, Dima, Thamrga, to Nataka and Prakarana all in their historical perspective. Beside the main types, the secondary type like Nauka and minor types of performance such as Totaka Sattaka Prakaran, Sallapa, Vāra, śilpaka, Durmallika, Gosthi, Preksanaka, Prerana, Mallika, Kalpavalli, Pārijataka, Rasaka, Natāyarāsaka, Tandava, Lasya (with all the twelve limbs), Nartanaka, Chalika, Hallisaka, Samya, Dvi padakhanda, Skandhaka, Dombika, Śrīgadita, BhanakaBhanikā, Bhana, Prasthana, şidgaka, Ramakrīda, Ullapyaka and Silpaka are similarly discussed in their bistorical evolution. This chapter is taken by the author as the best place to collect all information available uptodate about these obscure forms. At the close of the chapter our attention is drawn to the fact that the secondary dramas and Nityas found are essential part of the literary scene when Kavya flourished freely as a literature of the whole society, but that part of the heritage has for the most part accidently perislied, and that social criticism in literature was not impotent.
Chapter Six (pp. 169-180) is devoted to the historical evolution of the literary forms like epic, its manner of telling the story, the separate category of Citrakavya, the change of certain formal characteristics of the epics written in Maharastrı or Apabhramba, the lyrics, anthology of lyrics and a few examples of vernacular lyrics called Rasas,
Similarly, Chapter Seven (pp. 181-139) outlines in historical evolution the nature of literary forms like Akhyayikā, Äkhyana, Campū, Katha, Byhatkatha, Parikatha, Sakalakatha, Khandakatha, Nidarsana, Matallika, Manikulya and Pravahlika. The effect of the ravages of time on the novel, the real formal construction of the novel, belief in transmigration, dramatic effects in plot-construction and the prose style of the novel are also considered towards the close of the chapter.
Lastly, in Chapter Eight (pp 200-218) the author has discused the function of the Samaja of audience, the performance of the plays and recitation of the Kayyas therein, two aspects of Kavya as a literature of the people as a whole and as having a strong bias towards the ruling classes, the patronage by kings, ruling classes, merchants, Nagaraka and 'gaisbas', the royal poets, the education of Kavi, autobiographic fragments left in their works by poets like Bāna, Rajasekhara, Dandin and Puspadanta.
