Part 21 - Rājaśekhara’s later work’s on Kavi-śikṣā

Kavikaṇthāvaraṇa and Aucityvicāracarcā of Kṣemendra:

Kṣemendra’s Kavikaṇthāvaraṇa is a valuable work from many aspects of Kavi-śikṣā. It is divided into five chapters or ‘Sandhis’. In the beginning of first chapter he describes the contrivance of poetic genius which is divided into two parts: Divya (pleasant) and Pauruṣa (masculinity). Chapter I deal with earning the poetic talent. Chapter II discusses the detail account of apprenticeship of a poet (kavi). The next chapter III describes the astonishment of Kāvyas and the chapter IV goes to the Guṇas and Doṣas elements of poetry. The last chapter V, highlights the adore view of Śāstras.

In the work Aucityavicāracarcā Kṣemendra discusses the theory of Auchitya or propriety, which is the same treatment of Ānandavardhana’s. It is also demonstrated into Kaviśikṣā works.

Kāvyanuśāsana of Hemachandra:

In the Kāvyānuśāsana (of Hemacandra), Hemacandra basically discusses about the general topic of Sanskrit poetics but certain things of first chapters’ are importantly connected with applied poetics. In this part he discusses the attainment of perfection on word power; the instruction for poetic sensibility is too easy. There he also describe like other alaṃkārikas as the poetry is the sprouts from the imagination of a poet for pleasure, fame and advice like of a wife. Then he says about pratibhā as the main cause of poetic faculty, with this vyutpatti and abhāsya can enrich the imagination of a poet.

Kavitārahasya of Arisiṃha:

Kṣemendra’s subsequent Arisiṃha composed the Kavitā-rahasya, an unprecedented Kavi-śikṣā work, his father Lāvanya Simha^[1] and guru Jindutta lived in Gurjar prodesa. His friend Vastupāla was the minister (councilor) of Dholokrāja during 13th Century A. D. So it may be possible that, Kavitā-rahasya was composed in this period.

Kāvyakalpalatāvṛtti of Amarachandra

It is a famous Kavi-śikṣā work, written by Amaracandra [Amarachandra]. Though his parents name could not be recovered but his Guru was Jindutta. Its composition was based on the Arisiṃhas Kavitā-rahasya with its own vṛtti. Probably ‘Sukavisaṃkirtan’ is also another work of Amarchandra.^[2] According to Shyam Sundar Das, Amarachandra composed other thirteen Kavi-śikṣā works.^[3]

Kāvya-kalpalatā-vṛtti is divided into four protānas

1. Chanda-siddhi,
2. Śabda-siddhi,
3. Śleṣa-siddhi and
4. Arthasiddhi, which is very adequate for poetic creation.

Kavi-śikṣā works of Jaimaṅgala and Vinay Chandra:

Amarchandra’s preceding Jaimaṅgala composed a Kavi-śikṣā work and Amarchandra’s same times Vinay Chandra composed a Kavi-śikṣā work. But it is very painful that those works are not available in the present time, we can get only those names.^[4] A large part of Rājaśekhara’s Kāvyamīmāṃsā is concerned with similar topic.

Kavikalpalatā of Deveśvara

Devesvara’s Kavi-kalpalatā is a recognized and charming Kavi-śikṣā work. It is the specimen or general arrangement of Kavi-śikṣā work. The author cited many ‘paricchedas’ of Kavitā-rahasya in this work and it is not difficult to show that he also copies wholesale from the text of his predecessors.^[5] In this way it is highly probable that he was the follower of Kavitā-rahasya.

Chandamañjarī of Gangādasa

Gangādāsa’s ‘Chanda-mañjarī’ is a mentionable work on Kavi-śikṣā. It is written by ideal pursued of Kedarratta’s vṛttaratnākara. There we have seen a brief discussion about Joti, Vṛtti, Mitra and Gaṇa etc. in the various Chandas and their parts.

Kavikalpalatā of Raghava Caitanya:

It is another work of Kavi-śikṣā written by Raghav Caitanya.

Sāhityasāra of Aucitya Raigi Morak:

Sāhityasāra is a suitable work on Kavi-śikṣā, composed by Auchutya Raigi Morak, son of Nārayaṇa and Annapurnā. He was Maharastriya Brāhmana. It may be composed in 1837 A. D.^[6] this work is divided into twelve ‘Ratnas’.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

S. K. De–History of Sanskrit Poetics. Vol.–I, Pp. 258

[2]:

Kāvya-kalpalatā-vṛtti ed. by Dadan Upadhyaya. Intro–Pp. 12.

[3]:

Ibid.

[4]:

S.K.De–History of Sanskrit Poetics. Vol.–I, Pp. 260, 280.

[5]:

Ibid, Pp. 260, 259.

[6]:

Kavi-kaṇṭhāvaraṇa of Kṣmendra ed. Vaman Kesav Lale. Introduction, Pp. 31.