A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s6.99

v3.c35.s6.99

Māgha attempts to surpass his model Bhāravi in each one the devices and affectations of subtlety¹. Like Bhāravi in canto IV of the Kirātārjunīya, Māgha tries to show his skill in metrics in canto IV of the Śiśupālavadha. Whilst Bhāravi has used only 19 different types of metres, Māgha uses 23 of them². Again like canto XV that is devoted to the description of the battle and shows artificiality, alliteration and play of words at the most in the Kirātārjunīya, Māgha introduces in his canto XIX, that is devoted to the description of the battle, more and more similar complicated devices. Here we find verses that give a second meaning when read from below, of which the syllables which read according to different devices form all sorts of figures in zigzag way, in a circle etc., and verses in which only particular consonants occur, e.g. the formidable verse.