Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 2

Author(s): G C Chaudhary
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 308

OPINIONS OF RĀJAŚEKHARA AS A CRITIC,
R. P. PODDAR
यायावरीयः सङ्क्षिप्य मुनीनां मतविस्तरम् । ब्याकरोत्काव्यमीमांसां कविभ्यो राजशेखरः ॥
Introductory
One of the five extant works of Rajasekhara is KavyaM-a treatise on poetry. The poet speaks of its eighteen Adhikarapas-only the 1st of which is available. It is difficult to say if the poet had been able to write all the eighteen Adhikarapas.
KavyaM. Ch. I.
The work is said to have followed the plays but its planning on a gigantic scale indicates that accumulation of materials for it might be proceeding alongside the composition of the plays and other short pieces to be arranged and sorted out at a later date and this necessary rehandling could be given only to the 1st of the eighteen planned
sections.
The available first section contains eighteen chapters and treats of conventional poetics, some rules regarding the language of poetry, plagiarism-how far it is permissible, routine of a poet, poetic conventions, the seasons and a bit of geography.
Kavyapuruşa
The poet imagines a Kavyapuruşa who is born of Sarasvati. His body is constituted by Sabda and Artha. Figures of speech decorate it. Rasa is its Soul and it is endowed with the Gupas-Samată, Prasada, Madhurya, Udarată and Oja.1
1.
2.
Gunas and their number
The number of Guņas given by NŚ and later by KA is ten." Vamana also held the Gunas to be ten but he applied each separately to Sabda and Artha. From these Rajasekhara excludes Śleṣa, Sukumāratā, Arthavyakti, Kanti and Samadhi. Maybe he held his five Gupas to have covered the field. Ślesa as lack of languidness-Śaithilya Vihīnatā
समः प्रसन्नो मधुर उदार ओजस्वी चासि । KavyaM
श्लेषः प्रसादः समता माधुर्य सकुमारता । अर्थव्यक्ति उदारत्वमोजः कान्ति समाधयः ॥