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Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c55: XXIX Minor Writers On Alamkara

Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c55

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XXIX Minor Writers On Alamkara

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We propose in this chapter to deal with the minor writers on Alamkāra, other than the commentators as well as less known authors already mentioned in the preceding chapters, arranging them alphabetically, and giving the names of their works and such details as can be collected about them¹.

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¹ Doubtful names to be found in some catalogues, as well as those about which there is no reliable information, have been omitted in this list; and care has been taken to avoid useless or trifling entries.

1. Acyuta Śarman Or Acyutarāya Moḍaka

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*Sāhitya-sāra* and its commentary *Sarasāmoda*

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(Ed. Bombay 1860; N. S. P. Bombay 1906. Aufrecht i 716a, iii 171a).

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The work is dated in *śaka* 1753 = 1831 A.D. The author describes himself as the pupil of Nārāyaṇa Śāstrī. He appears to be identical with Acyutarāya who wrote the *Praṇaya-prakāśa* commentary on Jagannātha’s *Bhāminī-vilāsa*; for in it he refers to the *Sāhitya-sāra* as his own (ed. N. S. P. 1894 p. 1), citing the verses i 14-15 from the latter. In his *Sāhitya-sāra*, again, he refers to the *Bhāminī-vilāsa* at p. 7.

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The work consists of 12 chapters called *ratnas*, the metaphor being that these precious doctrines are churned by the author from the ocean of *Alaṃkāra-śāstra*. The chapters are accordingly named 1 Dhanvantari-ratna (the general characteristics of *kāvya*) 2 Airāvata-ratna (function of *śabda* and *artha*) 3 Indirā-ratna (the *vyaṅgya* and its occasions) 4 Dakṣiṇāvartakambu-ratna (divisions of *dhvani*, including *rasa-dhvani*) 5 Aśvavara-ratna (other inferior divisions of *dhvani*) 6 Viṣa-ratna (*doṣa*) 7 Guṇa-ratna (*guṇa*) 8 Kaustubha-ratna (*arthālaṃkāras*) 9 Kāmadhenu-ratna (*śabdālaṃkāras*) 10 Rambhā-ratna (*nāyikā*) 11 Candra-ratna (*nāyaka*) and 12 Amṛta-ratna (conclusion). Our author is possibly identical with Acyuta, author of the *Bhāgīrathī-campū* (written in the 1815 A.D.), who is described by Aufrecht (i 770b) as the son (?) of Nārāyaṇa. This work is divided into 7 chapters called *manorathas*.

2. Ajitasenācārya Or Ajitasena-Deva Yatīśvara

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a. *Alaṃkāra-cintāmaṇi

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(Ed. by Padmarāja Paṇḍita in the *Kāvyāmbudhi* 1893-94. MS in Rice 304: cf Aufrecht i 6a, iii 2a).

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b. *Śṛṅgāra-mañjarī

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(Aufrecht i 661; *SgS* ii pp. 83, 231 extract; *Madras Cat.* 12956-57).

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The author was the Jaina priest of Cāmuṇḍarāya, minister of the Gaṅga king Rācamalla, and flourished in the latter part of the 10th century. He was the teacher of Nāgavarman, a Kanarese poet, who lived under the protection of Rakkasa Gaṅga, younger brother of Rācamalla. Ajita also wrote *Cintāmaṇi-prakāśikā* on Yakṣavarman’s *Cintāmaṇi*, which is itself a commentary on Śakaṭāyana’s *Śabdānuśāsana*. See Rice p. 308.

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The *Śṛṅgāra-mañjarī* was written at the instance of a Jaina prince of the lunar race, named Rāya or Kāmirāya, for his instruction. It consists of three chapters and 128 stanzas, dealing with (1) *pada-doṣa* (viz., *alakṣaṇa*, *śrutikaṭu*, *vyāghātārtha*, *anarthaka*, *aprasiddha*, *neyārtha*, *grāmya* and *asammata*) which ends with a discussion of the *vṛttis*, (2) the ten *guṇas* of Vāmana and (3) *arthālaṃkāras* (viz. *upamā*, *rūpaka*, *jāti*, *bhrāntimān*, *hetu*, *saṃśaya*, *prativastūpamā*, *ākṣepa*, *dṛṣṭānta* and *tulyayogitā*).

3. Aṇuratnamaṇḍana Or Ratnamaṇḍana Gaṇi

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a. *Jalpa-kalpalatā

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(Weber 1722, long extract given ii pp. 278-80).

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This Jaina author was a pupil of Ratnaśekhara Sūri of Tapāgaccha, who died in *saṃvat* 1517 = 1461 A.D., and therefore belonged roughly to the middle of the 15th century. The work, in three *stavakas*, gives practical instruction on composition (*kavi-śikṣā*)¹.

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¹ For Ratnaśekhara, see Bhandarkar *Rep.* 1883-84, pp. 156-7: Peterson iv p. ciif: *IA* xi p. 256.

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b. *Mugdha-medhākara* (Peterson vi p. xv, extract given at p. 31). A manual on poetic figures and kindred topics.

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4. ANANTĀRYA

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*Kavi-samaya-kallola* (Madras Cat. 12808, extract).

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This South Indian writer was the son of Śiṅgarācārya. The work cites from Dharma-sūri, Narasiṃha's *Nañjarāja-yaśo-bhūṣaṇa*, and *Pratāparudrīya*; and therefore could not be earlier than the 14th century. He refers to another work by himself, called *Kṛṣṇarāja-yaśo-ḍiṇḍima*.

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5. ANANTA

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*Sāhitya-kalpavallī* (Aufrecht i 13a).

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6. AMṚTĀNANDA YOGIN

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*Alaṃkāra-saṃgraha* (ed. Calcutta 1887 with Engl. trans. Aufrecht i 29a ; Madras Cat. 12794, extract).

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The work consists of 5 chapters dealing with (1) *varṇa-gaṇa* (2) *śabdārtha* (3) *rasa* (4) *nāyaka-bheda* (5) *alaṃkāra*. The author says that he wrote this work at the request of Manvasamudra, son of Bhaktibhūmipati, who was a devotee of Śiva. It appears from the introductory verse that the author also intended to deal with *guṇa*, *doṣa* and *daśarūpaka*. He is probably identical with the Tāntrika Amṛtānanda who corrected (Weber p. 361) the *Tantra-sāra* of Kṛṣṇānanda.

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7. ALLARĀJA or MALLARĀJA

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*Rasa-ratna-dīpikā* (Aufrecht i 495b, ii 116a).

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A work of this name is cited by Bhānudatta in his *Rasa-taraṅgiṇī*, and by Ratnakaṇṭha on Mammaṭa (Peterson ii p. 17). See above p. 245, fn 5. The work is called *Rasa-ratna-pradīpa* by Allarāja in Bhandarkar *Rep.* 1884-87, no. 533.

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8. INDRAJIT

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*Rasika-priyā* (Peterson vi no. 379).

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The author also wrote a *Bāla-bodha* commentary on the *Vairāgya-śataka* (Aufrecht iii 13b).

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9. KACCHAPEŚVARA DĪKSITA

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*Rāmacandra-yaśo-bhūṣaṇa* (Madras Cat. 12950, extract).

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The author was the son of Vāsudeva and grandson of Kālahastīśvara who was a native of Brahmadeśa, a village in the North Arcot District, and the writer of a commentary on the *Bhāgavata*. His grandfather had two other sons, named Nārāyaṇa and Kṛṣṇa, his father being the second son. The work consists of three chapters dealing with the *rasas*, viz. (1) *śṛṅgāra* (2) the other 8 *rasas* (3) *bhāva-nirūpaṇa*. The illustrations are in praise of the valour of Bommarāja (probably of the Karvetnagar zamindary in North Arcot).

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10. KANDĀLAYĀRYA

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*Alaṃkāra-śirobhūṣaṇa*

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(Rice 283 anon.; Hultzsch i no. 371, extract at p. 75; *Madras Trm A* 168).

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The author was the son of Rāmānujārya and grandson of Keśavārya of the Ayaturi family. He probably lived at the court of either Veṅkaṭa I or II of the third Vijayanagar dynasty¹, and was thus a contemporary of Appayya Dīkṣita.

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¹ Hultzsch *ibid.* p. viii.

11. Kalyāṇa-Subrahmaṇya Sūri

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*Alaṃkāra-kaustubha* with commentary (*SgS* ii pp. 80, 221; *Madras Cat.* 12790).

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The author was son of Subrahmaṇya and grandson of Gopāla of the Prūru family. The work invokes and sings the praise throughout of Padmanābha, the god of the temple of Anantaśayana (Travancore), and of the Vañjipāla Balarāma Varman Kulaśekhara. It was probably composed about 1798 A.D., as the king of Travancore of that name ruled about 1798-1800 A.D. It gives the characteristics of the different poetic figures dealt with in the *Candrāloka* and illustrates them with examples by the author himself in praise of his patron and his deity.

12. Kānticandra Mukhopādhyāya

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*Kāvya-dīpikā* (ed. Calcutta 1870, 1886; Aufrecht i 92a. *Madras Cat.* 12815 may be this work, but is given without the name of the author).

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The work appears to be a compilation for beginners from Mammaṭa and other well-known writers by a modern author belonging to the 19th century.

13. Kāśīlaksmaṇa Kavi

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*Alaṃkāra-grantha* (Burnell 54a).

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The work was probably written at the end of the 17th or the beginning of the 18th century, as the examples are all in praise of the Tanjore prince Śāhajī (1684-1711 A.D.).

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14. KṚṢṆA *Sāhitya-taraṅgiṇī* (Aufrecht ii 171a).

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15. KUMBHA or KUMBHAKARṆA, Śrīrājādhirāja *Rasa-ratna-koṣa* (Aufrecht i 495b).

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A MS of this work in Devanāgarī character in the Paris Biblioth. Nationale (no. 243) is described by Regnaud p. 379. It is a treatise on *rasa* and kindred topics in 11 chapters, dealing with (1) 1-4 the *rasas* (2) 5-6 *nāyaka* and *nāyikā* (3) 7 *abhinaya* (4) 8-9 *anubhāva* and *vyabhicāri bhāvas* (5) 10-11 *rasa* and *bhāva*. The treatment corresponds to the 3rd chapter of the *Sāhitya-darpaṇa* and matters dealt with in Bhānudatta's two works on *rasa*. The author is probably king Kumbha of Mevāḍ (1428-1459 A.D.) who wrote, besides some treatises on *saṃgīta*, a commentary entitled *Rasika-priyā* (ed. N. S. P. 1917) on Jayadeva's *Gīta-govinda*, and flourished in the first half of the 15th century. It is interesting to note that in the present work, Kumbha cites (besides Abhinavagupta) Kīrtidhara (see above p. 37), of whose date we thus get a limit at the 15th century A.D.

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16. KṚṢṆA BHAṬṬA or JAYAKṚṢṆA MAUNIN *Vṛtti-dīpikā* (Aufrecht i 598a).

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The author was a grammarian, and the work probably deals with the grammatico-rhetorical question of the *vṛttis* of words. For his other works, see Aufrecht i 198a. He is described as the son of Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa and grandson of Govardhana Bhaṭṭa.

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17. KṚṢṆA DĪKṢITA or KṚṢṆA YAJVAN

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*Raghunātha-bhūpālīya* (Aufrecht i 486a; *Madras Trm C* 659d).

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A commentary called *Sāhitya-sāmrājya* by Sumatīndra Yati, pupil of Surīndra-pūjyapāda, is mentioned in Rice 288.

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18. KṚṢṆA ŚARMAN

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a. *Mandāra-maranda-campū* (ed. Kāvyamālā 52 with *Mādhurya-rañjanī* commentary, 1895).

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b. *Rasa-prakāśa* (Aufrecht i 495a).

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The first-named work is a so-called *campū*, dealing in reality with Prosody, Dramaturgy, Poetics as well as practical Kavi-śikṣā. The work consists of 11 chapters called *bindus*, dealing with (1) chandas (2) nāyaka-varṇana (3) śleṣa (4) yamaka and citra (5) the different bandhas (6) enigmatology (7) dramaturgy (8) nāyaka-lakṣaṇa (9) bhāva and rasa (10) alaṃkāra, with dhvani-nirūpaṇa etc. (11) doṣa, which however includes sections on śabdārtha, the three vṛttis etc., pāka, kāvya-bheda, and a section of practical hints for descriptive poetry. The work appears to be very ill-arranged and ill-digested, having no fixed theory but forming an encyclopaedic compilation from various sources, meant to serve as a complete hand-book for the poet. The author, who is described as an inhabitant of Guhapura and a pupil of Vāsudeva Yogīśvara, gives us no clue to his date: but his work is certainly very late. He copies, for instance, many definitions and illustrations from Appayya's *Kuvalayānanda*, and even appropriates the whole section on *pāka* from Vidyānātha. Some of the new poetic figures, which appear to be first adduced and illustrated by Appayya, find a place in this comprehensive compilation. One should conjecture from this that the work belongs to quite recent times. The *Rasa-prakāśa* is a commentary on Mammaṭa (see p. 186).

19. Keśava Bhaṭṭa

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*Rasika-saṃjīvanī* (Aufrecht i 127b, 497b; *Br. Mus.* no. 424, extract).

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The work, dealing with *rasa*, is in 3 *vilāsas*. The author was the son of Harivaṃśa Bhaṭṭa and a vaiṣṇava disciple of Viṭṭhaleśvara, who is apparently the son of the reformer Vallabhācārya. Hence our author probably belongs to the second half of the 16th century. The first *vilāsa* (11 *śl* only) is mainly introductory; the second deals with *nāyikās*, and the third with *māna*, *praṇaya*, *rāga*, *śṛṅgāra* etc.

20. Gaṅgānanda Maithila

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*Karṇa-bhūṣaṇa* (ed. Kāvyamālā 79, 1902).

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This is a work on the *rasas* in five chapters, dealing with (1) vibhāvas (2) anubhāvas (3) vyabhicāri-bhāvas (4) sthāyi-bhāvas (5) rasa. It was written, as the author himself says, at the command of king Śrīkarṇa of Bikaner (bikānerī-purī), who appears to be the same as Lūṇakarṇaji who ruled at Bikaner from 1505 to 1526 A.D.

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21. GANGĀRĀMA JAḌI or JAḌIN

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*Rasa-mīmāṃsā*

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(ed. with *Chāyā*, Benares 1885; Mss in Aufrecht i 495a, ii 116a, iii 106a).

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For details about the author and his commentary on Bhānudatta's work, see above p. 253. He belongs to the second quarter of the 18th century.

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22. GADĀDHARA BHAṬṬA

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*Rasika-jīvana* (Aufrecht i 497b, ii 116b).

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This work on *rasa*, which also bears the character of an anthology, is in ten *prabandhas*. The author is the son of Gaurīpati and grandson of Dāmodara. Regnaud (p. 379) gives an account of the Paris Biblioth. Nationale MS of this work.

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23. GOKULANĀTHA MAITHILA

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*Rasa-mahārṇava*

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The author is the celebrated Maithili Smārta and Naiyāyika Gokulanātha, son of Pitāmbara and Umādevī of Phaṇadaha family in Maṅgraunī, who lived and wrote in Benares at the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. The work is referred to by himself in his *Pada-vākya-ratnākara*¹. He is probably the same as wrote a commentary on Mammaṭa, see above p. 186. His drama *Amṛtodaya* (written about 1693 A.D.) has been published in *Kāvyamālā* 59, 1897¹.

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¹ ABod 246a.

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¹ See *HPS* i p. 17f

24. Gauranārya

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*Lakṣaṇa-dīpikā* (also called *Prabandha-dīpikā* or *Padārtha-dīpikā*. Madras Cat. 12951, extract).

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This work, which breaks off with the sixth *prakāśa*, deals with (1) *kāvya-svarūpā* (2) *paribhāṣā* (3) *kāvya-lakṣaṇa-bheda* (4) *kalikōtkalikādi* (5) *udāharaṇa-bheda* and (6) *nāyikā*. The author is described as the son of Āyamaprabhu and brother of Mitarāja, who was the minister of Śingaya Mādhava of Recarla family. The work cites *Sāhitya-cūḍāmaṇi* (of Bhaṭṭa Gopāla?). Another work, apparently in 4 *paricchedas*, also called *Lakṣaṇa-dīpikā* (consisting of *kārikā* and *vṛtti*) is attributed in the same Catalogue (no. 12952, extract) to Gauranārya, but the author is here described as the son of Ayyalu-mantrin, brother of *amātya* Potama. They may be identical. The latter work cites the *Alaṃkāra-saṃgraha*, *Kavi-kaṇṭha-pāśa*, *Camatkāra-candrikā* (see above p. 243fn.), *Sāhitya-candrōdaya* and *Sāhitya-ratnākara* (of Dharma Sūri?). The *Kavi-kaṇṭha-pāśa*, of which two MSS (without the name of the author) are noticed in *Madras Cat.* 12802-03, appears to be a treatise (said to be based on Piṅgala’s work) on the characteristics of a poet’s personal appearance and qualities, on the effect of the initial words of a poem, on the auspicious day for beginning a composition and so forth.

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