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Studies in
Gathasaptasatt is immensely popular with the Alamkarikas as most of them from Anandavardhana onwards quote it. Bhoja amongst them all quotes it profusely. But his statement that "a considerable number of the Gathas of the Lilavat also seem to be quoted in the Sr. Pra." does not stand scrutiny. We find only a few gathās cited from Lilavatt by way of illustrations. Next in popularity stands Pravarasena's Setubandha, also styled Ravanavaho. Among other works drawn on are: Vajjalagga, Galḍavaho, Karpuramañjarī, and Balarāmāyaṇa. A few stray verses are cited which are the composition of Dhanika, Bhaffendurāja," and Abhinavagupta. It is difficult to say whether these verses are Muktakas or cited from some Prakrit works which are now lost.
Principal theme and Governing sentiments
Some of the verses contain maxims and popular sayings; some, especially from Setubandha deal with nature and heroism. A majority of them, however, deal with love and the contents of these verses are highly erotic. This preference for the theme of love and the sentiment of eroticism should be easy to understand on psychological grounds Lovell is the most dominant of all feelings, and is easily within the experience of one and all. The erotic12 sentiment is the most charming of all sentiments and because of its tremendous popularity is regarded the prince of all sentiments. Anandavardhana was fully conversant with human psychology, so well expressed by
Bhamaha -
Svādukavyatasonmiśram Sastranapyupayuñjate |
Prathamaliḍhamadhavaḥ pibanti katu bheṣajam ||
He, therefore, almost laid it down as a theory14 that with a view to winning the attention of people or investing the work with charm, other Rasas, although opposed to the erotic sentiment, should be touched up with it-for it has the power to delight the minds of one and all. Unless instruction in Sastras is alloyed with erotic sentiment, it does not become appealing to popular taste.
8. Avaloka, p. 52, p. 54,
9. Locana, p. 499.
10. Locana p. 535.
11. तंत्र कामस्य सफल जातिमुलभत यात्यन्तपरिचितरखेन सर्वान् प्रति हृद्यता ।
Abhinavabharati, Vol. I, p. 267.
. भावान्तरेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यो रतिभावः प्रकृष्यते ।
12. शृङ्गाररसो हि संसारिणां नियमेनानुभवविषयत्वात् सर्वर सेभ्यः कमनीयतया प्रधानभूतः ।
14. विनेयानुन्मुखीकर्तुं काव्यशोभार्थमेव वा । तद्विरुद्धरसस्पर्शस्तदङ्गानां न दुष्यति ॥
Srigaraprakasa XIII, p. 565.
--Dhvanyaloka III, p. 397.
13. Cf. the famous Guḍajihvika-nyaya-The maxim of the tongue (smeared) with treacle'.
-Dhvanyaloka, III. 30.
