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of the poem was first suggested to Kālidāsa by the Yamakakāvya of Ghatakarpara, one of the nine gems of the court of Vikramāditya.
The rhetoricians left it undefined, Dandi (Kävyädarśa) enumerated Sanghāta among the divisions of poetry. His commentators elucidated this variety Sanghâta and cited Meghadūta as its example. Meghadūta employs a single theine and a single metre Mandākrāntā. Paramesvara, a commentator of Meghadūta, clearly states that the poet composed this work belonging to Sanghāta category.
The history of the development of Dutakavya literature in Sanskrit in Jaina tradition begins with that of the imitations of the Meghadīta. Pārsvābhyudaya of Jinasena l(8th cent. AD), incorporating the whole of the verses of the former by way of Samasyāpürti. The advent of Pārsvābhyudaya marks the most significant development in the history of the Dütakāvya literature as it introduces the sentiment of tranquility in this genre, earlier dominated by that of erotic. Jaina tradition paved the way for several poet-philosophers to utilise their Dūta works in furnishing religious and philosophical doctrines as in Šīladūtam. A number of Jaina poets composed messenger poems in form of Vijñaptipatras- serving the purpose of letters- required to send to their religious preceptors living far away, with a view to acquaint them with the works they were doing for the furtherance of the Jaina Faith e.g. Cetodüta, Indudūta etc.
This new element occurred in the Dütakāvya is, at the same time, a testimony to the immense hold that this genre had on the people. The philosopher and the leaders of the religious sects hit upon the noble idea of reaching the masses through their works in this form. The Jaina Ācāryas may be credited to have for the first time utilised this genre for the publication of religio- philosophical tenets.
Generally, the subject matter of the most of these Dütakāvyas is more or less mythological in character. The heroes and the heroines, depicted herein, are persons of mythological fame e.g. Neminātha, Pärsvanätha and Sthūlabhadra. It is interesting to note that barring in the Vijñaptipatras type Dütakavyas, non- mythological (historical or imaginary) heroes or heroines are absent. Generally. it comprises a message sent by a separated lover to his beloved, living far away.
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