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Prakrit Poetry and Sanskrit Poetics
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of the ninth century A. D. The verse makes a comparison between Yasovarman and Pravarasena. The former is also Pruvara-sena 'one that has an excellent army'; but while he built a bridge of piety-dharmasetu- consisting of his religious foundations, the other Pravarasena made only a Prakrit-setu which apparently means 'an ordinary bridge, but really means the Setukävya composed in Prakrit.(34)
Numerous Sanskrit commentaries on this Prakrit epic also attest to its immense popularity. (The eminent German scholar, Jacobi refers to this work (also known as Ravana-vaho) as "the most famous mahakavya of the Prakrit literature." • The eminent and erudite scholar S. P. Pandit, who first drew the attention of scholars, both in India and abroad, to the Prakrit Kavya Gaudavaho (of Väkpati) by bringing out its edition, extols it as 'most excellent poem'.
(4) Influence of Prakrit Poetry on Sanskrit Writers On Poetics
Although we do not find Prakrit illustrations in the early works on poetics like Bhāmaha's Kavyalamkara, Dandi's Kavyadarśa, etc., they clearly state the fact of the existence of Prakrit literature side by side with Sanskrit and Apabhramsa literature. The absence of Prakrit quotations in their works is due to the scheme of composing their own examples and not of quoting examples from the works of other authors. The few Prakrit examples we come across in Rudraţa are his own compositions. The fact that about two thousand and eight hundred verses from Prakrit works are cited by later alamkārikas beginning with Anandavardhana is a clear and definite proof of the great influence Prakrit poetry exercised on them
of all the writers on Sanskrit Poetics it is Anandavardhana who is considerably influenced by the Serubandha and the Gaudavaho. He as well as Kuntaka, the author of Vakroktijivita frequently use the expression bandha-cchāya (beauty of composition) in expounding their poetical theories. Anandavardhana refers to the objectives of 'bandha-cchaya' and "ahinava atthugai' (Sk abhinava arthagatih, a new range of meaning or the novelty of ideas) mentioned by Pravarasena in his Setuhandha in almost identical language :
"Novelty of ideas as well as great beauty of composition is achieved by adopting a single sentiment as predominant in any poem as a whole."(36) Vakpati, taking his cue from Pravarasena, also speaks of new ideas and beauty of composition in his Gaudavah ) (37) before Anandavardhana : Sambodhi-X-20
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