पृष्ठम्:Sanskrit Literature.djvu/१४९

BHATTI 117 four cantos illustrate miscellaneous rules; v-ix the leading rules, x-xiii¹ are given to illustration of the ornaments of poetry, the names of the figures unfortunately being supplied merely in the commentary or the manuscripts, and the rest of the poem illus- trates the use of the moods and tenses. The combination of pleasure and profit is by no means ill devised, and Indian opinion gives Bhaṭṭi without hesitation rank as a Mahakavi. It is dubious if any sound taste can justify this position; what is true is that, considering the appalling nature of the obstacle set and the rather hackneyed theme adopted, Bhaṭṭi contrives to produce some fairly interesting and, at its best, both lively and effective verse. His aim in some degree helps his style, as it prevents the adoption of long compounds or too recondite allusions or ideas. His style may best be judged by a fragment of the scene where Rāvana in his need turns to Kumbhakarṇa for aid, and airs his aorists: najñāsis tvam sukhi Rāmo yad akārşīt sa rākṣasān udatārīd udanvantam puram naḥ parito 'rudhat vyajyotista rane çastrair anaişīd rākṣasān kṣayam. na prāvocam aham kimcit priyaṁ jāvad ajīvisam bandhus tvam arcitaḥ snehän mä dviso na vadhir mama. vīryam mã nà dadarças tvam mā na trāsthāḥ kṣatām puram. tavādrākṣma vayam vīryam tvam ajaisīḥ pură surān. 'Hast thou not known in thy happiness what Rāma hath done to the Rākṣasas? He hath crossed the ocean, and completelyhemmed in our city. He hath warred brilliantly and his weapons have brought death to the Rākṣasas. Never in all my life have I spoken one word of flattery; thou hast been honoured by me from love of kin; do not fail to slay my foes. Fail not to show thy might, fail not to guard our smitten town; thy might have we beheld, thou didst aforetime conquer the gods.' The flow of the narrative is, it will be seen, simple and limpid, but it lacks fire and colour, and the task of illustrating the figures of speech proves extremely wearisome to all but the commentators, whose joy the poet was. Some, no doubt, of the passages are happy enough; in one we find a proverb known from the Vikramorvaçi : ² ¹ x is on figures; xi on the quality of sweetness; xii on Bhāvika, vivid description; xiii gives verses which can be read as Sanskrit or Prakrit. 2 11. 16 (ed. Pandit).