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SAMDESARASAKA
III FORM AND STRUCTURE
As stated at the beginning, there is not one but several aspects from which the SR. proves to be of considerable importance and interest. In the present section we shall consider the literary form of the SR. which is so novel as to bestow on it the distinction of being the first Ap. text of its kind published so far." As the title of the SR. indicates, it is a type of poetic composition. By this one would be instantly reminded of the compositions whose exuberance in the Old Western Rajasthani literature is so remarkable. But the form of the present is, as the treatment below indicates, altogether different from that of the OwR. Ais.
76
There are two prosodists who at all take any notice of the form. The addition they make to our knowledge, though meagre, is quite welcome in view of the general paucity of information relating to the structural side of the Ap. poetry." Of these two prosodists one is far. The portion IV 27 to IV 38 of his evidently, though not expressly, deals with a few Ap. metres, strictly so called. This small section, after treating दोहा, मागधिका, मात्रा, रड्डा, अडिल्ला and ढोसा ends up by defining the form at 37-38. We come to know from this that two different types of were familiar to far. VJs. IV 37 says that रासक is constituted with विस्तारितकs or द्विपदीs closed with विदारी. All these peculiar terms are defined by far at the beginning of the II of the Vлs. But our concern is with the second type of रासक, treated at IV 38,8 There we are told that that which is built up with many अsिors or दुवहअs, with many मात्राs, रड्डाs and ढोसाs is called by the name रासक. A definition essentially similar but supplementary in details is advanced by स्वयंभू. In his स्वयंभूच्छंदस् while closing the treatment of Ap. metres, he thinks his worthwhile to say something regarding the form and the last four stanzas (VIII 49-52) of the Sc. are devoted
1 The उपदेशरसायनरास of जिनदत्तसूरि published in the अपभ्रंशकाव्यत्रयी ( GOS. XXXVII) is on the lines of the OwR. TITS. cf. also Kr. pp. 34-35.
2
Of course, to some degree we have to make an exception of the Epic, which the Sc. and the Ch. treat at considerable length, though here also much is still left desired.
3 अडिलाहिं दुवइएहिं व मत्ता रडहिं तह अ ढोसाहिं । बहुएहिं जो रइज्जइ सो भण्णइ रासओ णाम ||
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