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Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c48.s2: Kavikarṇapūra

Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c48.s2

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Kavikarṇapūra

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Kavikarṇapūra, alias Paramānanda-dāsa Sena, described as the son of Śivānanda Sena and pupil of Śrīnātha, wrote a work called *Alaṃkāra-kaustubha*. The author was a well-known Vaiṣṇava of Bengal belonging to the Vaidya family, and wrote several *vaiṣṇava* works. His drama *Caitanya-candródaya* was composed in *śaka* 1494 = 1572 A.D.¹, and his father Śivānanda was a disciple of Caitanyadeva. Mitra in his introduction to his edition of the drama (p. vi) says that Kavikarṇapūra was born in 1524 A.D. at Kāñcanapallī (Kañcḍāpāḍā) in Nadiyā. His *Gaurāṅga-guṇoddeśa-dīpikā* was composed in 1576 A.D.². The *Alaṃkāra-kaustubha* is composed in ten *kiraṇas*, as follows: 1 Kāvya-lakṣaṇa 2 Śabdārtha 3 Dhvani 4 Guṇībhūta-vyaṅgya 5 Rasabhāva-tadbheda 6 Guṇa 7 Śabdālaṃkāra. 8 Arthālaṃkāra 9 Rīti 10 Doṣa¹. It is thus a more comprehensive work than Rūpa Gosvāmin's and the vaiṣṇavite proclivities are not so prominent; but most of the illustrative verses are in praise of Kṛṣṇa and the subject-matter follows the *Kāvya-prakāśa* in treatment. The commentaries on this work are noticed below.

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¹ The date is given in the verse: *śāke caturdaśa-śate ravi-vīji-yukte | gauro harir dharaṇi-maṇḍala āvirāsit | tasmin catur-navati-bhāji tadīya-līlā-| grantho yam āvirabhavat katamasya vaktrāt*, which tells us that Gaura-hari or Caitanya was born in *śaka* 1407, and that the drama, which deals with him, was written in *śaka* 1494. Aufrecht is incorrect in stating that it was composed in 1543 A.D. (But see Sten Konow *Ind. Drama* p. 93, section 104).

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² HPS ii p. 50, as well as *ALeip* 721, reads *śāke vasu-graha-mite* which gives 1576 or 1577 A.D.: but *IOC* no. 2510 reads *śāke rasārasa-mite* which would give 1540 A.D.

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¹ For a detailed résumé of its contents see Mitra 1662.

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