Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c11.s5.51

c11.s5.51

harmony and prodigality of verbal dexterity, are the more extensive *Mukunda-muktāvali*, *Utkalikā-vallari* and *Svāyam-utprekṣita-līlā* composed in varied metres; the two Biruda and Chanda-kāvyas, namely, *Govinda-birudāvali* and *Aṣṭādaśa-cchandas*; and the fine collection of songs in the moric metres, entitled the *Gitāvali*. Apart from their devotional merit, they are literary exercises of great ingenuity; but since they attempt to evolve new rhythmic and lyrical forms in verse, prose and song, they deserve a more detailed treatment. The *Mukunda-muktāvali*¹ consists of thirty rhymed or alliterative stanzas, eight being composed in the moric Pajjhaṭika of sixteen Mātrās, four in Mālinī, and two in each of the following short lyrical measures, namely, Citrā, Jaladharamālā, Raṅgiṇī, Tūṇaka, Bhujaṅgaprayāta, Sragviṇī, Jaloddhatagati, Śālinī and Tvaritagati. Some of these metres are of rare occurrence in general literature, but they are employed with great skill and fine adjustment of sound-effect, so much so that the work may be as well called, not inappropriately, *Vṛtta-muktāvali*. Take, for instance, the Vṛttyanuprāsa in the following stanza in Raṅgiṇī metre: