Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v2.c85.55

v2.c85.55

The scope of Vidyānātha's work, written also in the form of kārikā with vṛtti, is much wider, and its plan somewhat different, but from the theoretical point of view it is perhaps less interesting. Its nine prakaraṇas cover almost the same ground as the ten paricchedas of Viśvanātha's Sāhitya-darpaṇa. Like Vidyādhara, Vidyānātha follows Mammaṭa in general, but prefers Bhoja in the matter of guṇas, and Ruyyaka in the matter of poetic figures. The author justifies the production of his work by stating that although the older writers have already dealt with the different branches of the subject, none of them has described a nāyaka or hero in it; but as the greatness of a composition depends on the representation of the merits of the hero described in it, the first prakaraṇa, entitled nāyaka-prakaraṇa, deals with the attributes of a hero, as well as of the heroine, and their necessary adjuncts. Then follows the kāvya-prakaraṇa, which describes in the usual way the nature of a kāvya and its constituents, the *vṛttis* and *rītis* suitable to the development of different sentiments, the *śayyā* or repose of words in their mutual favourableness, the *pāka* or maturity of sense ¹⁹, and the divisions of *kāvya*. It is curious that Vidyānātha’s definition of poetry (*guṇālaṃkāra-sahitau śabdārthau doṣa-varjitau | gadya-padyóbhayamayaṃ kāvyaṃ kāvya-vido viduḥ*) follows closely Mammaṭa’s famous definition which is quoted in a slightly modified form immediately afterwards. He speaks of *śabda* and *artha* as the ‘body’ of poetry, *vyaṅgya* as the ‘soul’, the *guṇas* and *alaṃkāras* in the usual manner