The History of Indian Literature c9.52

c9.52

Between the Rámáyaṇa and the remaining Kávyas there exists a gap similar to that between the Mahá-Bhárata and the extant Puráṇas. Towards filling up this blank we might perhaps employ the titles of the Kávyas found in the Kavi language in the island of Bali,²⁰⁷ most of which certainly come from Sanskṛit originals. In any case, the emigration of Hindús to Java, whence they subsequently passed over to Bali, must have taken place at a time when the Kávya literature was particularly flourishing; otherwise we could not well explain the peculiar use they have made of the terms *kavi* and *kávya*. Of the surviving Kávyas, the most independent in character, and on that account ranking next to the Rámáyaṇa—passably pure, too, in respect of form—are two works ∗ bearing the name of Kálidása, namely, the *Raghu-vaṅśa* and the *Kumára-sambhava* (both extant in Kavi also). The other Kávyas, on the contrary, uniformly follow, as regards their subject, the Mahá-Bhárata or the Rámáyaṇa; and they are also plainly enough distinguished from the two just mentioned by their language and form of exposition. This latter abandons more and more the epic domain and passes into the erotic, lyrical, or didactic-descriptive field; while the language is more and more overlaid with turgid bombast, until at length, in its latest phases, this artificial epic resolves itself into a wretched jingle of words. A pretended elegance of form, and the performance of difficult tricks and feats of expression, constitute the main aim of the poet; while the subject has become a purely subordinate consideration, and merely serves as the material which enables him to display his expertness in manipulating the language.²⁰⁸