233. VAKROKTIJIVITA 233

VAKROKTIJIVITA 233

चित्रता। यत्रोल्लसति सोल्लेखा सापराप्यस्य वक्रता ।।' (अस्य प्रकरणस्य). The episode introduced with the words ततः प्रविशति रज्जुहस्तः पुरुषः (6th Act of मुद्राराक्षस) is an instance of प्रकरणवक्रता. प्रबन्धवक्रता is defined as (folio 203) 'इतिवृत्तान्यथावृत्तरससम्पदपेच्षया। रसान्तरेख रम्बेष यत्र निर्वहयं भवेत्॥ तस्या एव कथामूर्तेरामूलोन्मीलितश्रियः । विनेयानन्दनिष्पस्य सा प्रबन्धस्य वक्रता ॥'. The रामायण and the महाभारत are examples 'रामाययमहा- भारतयोश्च शान्ताहित्वं पूर्वसूरिभिरेव निरूपितम् ।' folio 20t (probably a reference to ध्वन्यालोक pp.298-300). Another variety of प्रबन्धवक्रता is 'त्रैलोक्यामिनवोल्लेखनायकोत्कर्षपोषिया। इतिहासैकदेशेन प्रबन्धस्य समापनम्।। तदुचरकथावर्त्तिविरसत्वजिहासया । कु्वीत यत्र सुकविः सा विचित्रास्य वक्रता ।'. An example is the किराताजनीय. He says that great poets show their imagination in the very names with which they christen their works (भास्तां वस्तुषु वैदग्ध्यं काव्ये कामपि वक्रताम्। प्रधानसंविधानाककना- म्नापि कुरुते कवि:॥) and instances (folio 208) अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तल, मुद्रा- राक्षस, प्रतिमानिरुद्ध, मायापुष्पक, कृत्यारावण etc. as instances. But there is no such charm in the names of certain works such as हयग्रीववध, शिशुपालवध, पाए्डवाभ्युदय, रामानन्द, रामचरित &c. It is genius that mikes all the difference, though the plot may be the same (folio 209) 'कथोन्मेषे समानेपि वपुषीव निजैगः । प्रबन्धाः प्राखिन इव भासन्ते हि पृथक पृथक II'. The वक्रोक्तिजीवित denies the independent existeuce of ध्वनि or व्यक्षय as the soul of poetry and tries to include it under its all-pervading वक्रोक्ति. It therefore makes the soul of poetry to consist of something that is strikingly different from pue above what is ordinary. The emphasis is mainly laid by Kuntaka on कविव्यापार and secondarily on the aesthetic pleasure th it the man of taste enjoys from poetry or drama. According to Jayaratha and the Ekavali1 (p. 51) the Vakroktijīvita was included among those who belong to the भक्तिवादि school referred to in the first karika of the Dhvanya- loka (भाक्तमाहुस्तमन्ये). But this is not accurate, as the discussion about the Vakrokti school in the 2nd part will show. In the colophons to the unmesas of the ms. the author is spoken of as राजानककुन्तलक. But in the verse from the व्यक्तिविवेक quoted above (p.216 काव्यकाखन०) the nameis given as कुन्तक. Gopala in his com. on the काव्यप्रकाश (Intro. vers. 2) indicates

1. एतेन भत्र कुन्तकेन भक्तावन्तर्भावितो ध्वनिस्तदपि प्रत्याख्यातम्। एकावली p.51(B.S.S.ed.); इदानी यदप्यन्यैरस्य भक्त्यन्तमतत्वमुक्तं तदपि दर्शयितु- माह वक्रोक्तीत्यादि। जयरथ p.8.