246. 272 CHAPTER V E ALTHAM

272 CHAPTER V E ALTHAM

He was a house-holder and had sons and grandsons. His father's name was Sri Dhairya. His teacher's name1 was Syamalaka, who was & great poet. The name of one of his sons was Bhima. He wrote the Vyakti Viveka for grandsons, who were well known among the nobles for their good manners." He was a teacher. He was asked3 to point out the defects in the works of others. Accordingly he took up the destructive critical attitude, though he was conscious of the fact that it is not the path of the good and that it falls to the lot of the unfortunate. He was also conscious of the fact that his own work is not free from defects. But he asserts that his position is like that of a physician, who prescribes the rules of health to others, though he himself violates them. He was extremely proud of his learning. In com- parison with himself he did not count another as anything more than a straw4. It was because of his arrogance that he was not respected anywhere, inspite of his learning. He was very anxious to attain literary fame suddenly5. In fact it was his desire for such a fame which was at the bottom of his undertaking the criticism of so well recognised authorities on the literary criticism as Ananda Vardhana and Kuntaka. He looked upon himself as the sun of the literary world. He was aware of the fact that his work would not get the unanimous approbation of all; that it would arouse the anger of the supporters of the theory of Dhvani; that it would delight those who are of his way of thinking and that it would depress his rivalse. His work,

1. V. V. 456 2. V.V. 456 3. V.V., 152-3 4. V.V. Comm. 149. 5. V.V. 6 6. V.V. 4