A History of Sanskrit Literature c11.s9.45

c11.s9.45

In the Çloka the rules had already been established by epic practice, and Kālidāsa observes them carefully. Of the four Vipulā forms he uses the last once only; the figures¹ for the other three out of 1410 half-stanzas in the epics are 46, 27, and 41, or 8·15 per cent., showing that the third Vipulā was Kālidāsa’s favourite. It is interesting to note that in the form of the syllables preceding the first Vipulā Kālidāsa shows special care to select that form (⏑ ⏑ – –) which is not allowed in the second Vipulā as against that (⏑ – ⏑ –) which is permitted in both. The *Kumārasambhava* has 11 cases of the first to 3 of the second form, the *Raghuvaṁça* 31 to 1; this doubtless indicates increasing care to secure elegance, and it accords with this that in the *Kumārasambhava* alone is the fourth Vipulā found.²