History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.14

c6.14

2 Coming to later days, there is ample evidence to show that centuries before the Christian era poetry of a high order had been composed. It is accepted almost by all scholars that the Mahābhārata in its extant form cannot be placed later than the 2nd century A. D. and that a large portion of it may be at least as old as 500 B. C. Similarly, the रामायण has been assigned to the 4th century B. C. by some scholars (Dr. Keith in JRAS 1915 p. 320), while others (like Dr. Jacobi) would place it as far back as 600 B. C. These two epics contain highly poetical passages. Many passages are quoted from the महाभारत in the ध्वन्यालोक (pp. 153 where the verse या निशा सर्वभूतानां is quoted and p. 299 where 'भगवान् वासुदेवश्च कौर्त्यतेऽत्र सनातनः' आदिपर्व chap. I. 256 is quoted) and a few from the रामायण are mentioned (e. g. in ध्व० p. 76 रविसंक्रान्त० which is भरय० 22. 13), The महाभारत is more of a धर्मशास्त्र than a काव्य, though, as the work itself asserts in no mood of vanity, it has inspired many poets ('इतिहासोत्तमास्माज्जायन्ते कविबुद्धयः' आदिपर्व 2. 385 and 'इदं कविवरैः सर्वैराख्यानमुपजीव्यते' आदि. 2 389). The रामायण is truly a kāvya in its main purpose, its form and contents.² It abounds in elaborate descriptions and flights of fancy. For example, the highly poetical description of the sea (इसन्तमिब फेनौघैर्नृत्यत्तमिव चोर्मिभिः) in the युद्धकाण्ड (4. 115 ff), the imaginative description of the sky in सुन्दरकाण्ड (57. 1-4) and the elaborate रूपक in अयोध्याकाण्ड (69. 28 ff), may be referred to in this connection. The दशरूप (I. 68)advises the authors of dramas to draw upon the रामायण and the बृहत्कथा for their plots. The quotation 'अक्रूरो ददते मणियम्' in the निरुक्त (II. 2) seems to be taken from some secular poetic work. The sūtra of Pāṇini (अधिकृत्य कृते ग्रन्थे IV. 3. 87) and the following sūtra indicate the existence of secular works before Pāṇini's day which may have been poetic. नमिसाधु on रुद्रट (II. 8) tells us that पाणििन wrote a महाकाव्य called पातालविजय and then quotes one verse and a portion of another from that work. राजशेखर³ attributes the composition of the kāvya जाम्बवतीजय to the grammarian पाणिनि (Peterson's 4th Report LXXVI). The सुवृत्ततिलक (III. 30) says that पाणिनि excelled in the composition of the उपजाति metre. Many verses ascribed to पाणिनि in the anthologies (vide Peterson's preface to सुभाषितवलि p. 58 out of which the verse उपोदरागेण० is ascribed to पाणिनि in सद्युक्ति० p. 58, सूक्तिमु० p. 260 and शार्ङ्ग० No. 3634 and occurs in the ध्व० p. 35, without name) and the verse ऐन्द्रं धनुः is ascribed to पाणिनि in सुभा० (No. 1815) and occurs in काव्या. सु. of वामन (IV. 3. 27) and व्यक्तिविवेक p. 75. A vārtika on अधिकृत्य कृते ग्रन्थे viz. लुबाख्यायिकाभ्यो बहुलम्) shows that the class of composition known as आख्यायिका existed long before पतञ्जलि. The latter speaks of a kāvya composed by वररुचि (‘यत्तेन कृतं न च तेन प्रोक्तं 'वाररुचं काव्यं जालुकाः श्लोकाः' महाभाष्य vol. II. p. 315). On pp. 2-3 पतञ्जलि refers to certain ślokas called आञ्ज from which he quotes one verse ‘यस्तु प्रयुंक्ते’ and explains it at length on which कैयट says that they were composed by कात्यायन. Vide काव्यमी. pp. 25-27. पतञ्जलि, while commenting on the वार्तिक ‘लुबाख्यायिकाभ्यो बहुलम्’ mentions by name three works of the आख्यायिका class, viz. वासवदत्ता, सुमनोत्तरा² and मैमरथी (महाभाष्य vol. II. p. 313; see also p. 284).