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illustrate upākhyāna, ākhyāna, nidarsana, etc., and sub-varieties of katha like khandakatha, sakalakatha, etc.
Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta, it would seem, take note of only two types of Prakrit kathās: khandakatha and sakalakathā. Prakrit writers like Haribhadra, Uddyotanasuri treat of some more types of kathās in Prakrit.
Leaving aside great works like Brhatkatha and its descendants we notice herebelow the descriptions or definitions of the various types of kathās noted by Prakrit writers of eminence and Sanskrit writers on poetics.
(A) Katha and its varieties as given in Prakrit Works
According to the Sthānănga-sūtra', kathä has three varieties: 1. arthakatha, 2. dharmakatha and 3. kamakatha, whereas vikatha has four : 1. stri katha, 2. bhaktakathā, 3. desakathā and 4. rājakathā. Each of these four is further sub-divided into four varieties. Further on, sutra 569 declares that there are seven vikathäs and adds to the above four varieties the following three vikathās: 5. mrdukārunikā, 6. darsana-bhedini and 7. căritra-bhedini 3.
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1. तिविहा कहा पन्नत्ता, तं जहा - अत्थकहा, धम्मकहा, कामकहा ।
-स्थानाङ्गसूत्र, अध्ययन ३, उद्देशक- ३ , सूत्र १९४, पृ. ७७ 2. चत्तारि विकहाओ पन्नत्ताओ, तं जहा - इत्थिकहा, भत्तकहा, देसकहा,
रायकहा । इत्तिकहा चउव्विहा पन्नत्ता, तं जहा - इत्थीणं जाइकहा, इत्थींणं कुलकहा, इत्थीणं रूवकहा, इत्थीणं णेवत्थकहा । भत्तकहा चउव्विहा पन्नत्ता, तंजहा - अत्तस्स आवावकहा, भत्तस्स णिव्वावकहा, भत्तस्स आरंभकहा, भत्तस्स निहाणकहा । देसकहा चउव्विहा पन्नत्ता, तंजहा -देसविहिकहा, देसविकप्पकहा, देसच्छंदकहा, देसनेवत्थकहा। रायकहा चउव्विहा पन्नत्ता, तं जहा - रन्नो अतिताणकहा रन्नो निजाणकहा, रन्नो बलवाहणकहा, रन्नो कोस कोडागारकहा।
-स्थानाङ्गसूत्र, अध्ययन ४, उद्देशक २, सूत्र २८२ १,१११-११२ 3. सत्त विकहाओ पन्नत्ताओ, तंजहा - इत्थिकहा, भत्तकहा, देसकहा,
रायकहा, मिठकालुणिता, दंसणभेयणी, चरित्तभेद (?य)णी ।
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