Indian Kavya Literature

Book excerpt: It is multi-volume series work. The main pupose of this work is literary criticism, evaluating a great tradition of literature and to present comprehensive study of sanskrit literature. So far 6 volumes have been published. Each volume presents literature itself in successive periods of its development. Volume VI continues the exploration of Indian Literature (Kavya) into the eleventh century, from Padmagupta and Atula to Hilhana and Manovinoda. In the eleventh century besides what seems to be the culminating point of the storytelling tradition (Bhoja, Ksemendra, Somadeva, etc.), there are a number of surviving long novels, bu Soddhala, Jinesvara, Dhanesvara and Vardhamana. Even epics (e.g. Padmagupta`s) seem to be assimilated to fiction, and that even when extracted from Tradition (Laksmidhara). The Jaina narratives of jinas and the like, supposed to be historical, are likewise subject to the all-pervading influence of fiction (Bhavacandra, Gunapala).Beyond the scope of this influence, the rich imagination of the lyric poet Vallana composed verses in the best, and original, tradition of kavya. Among the rare dramas surviving from the eleventh century is Krsnamisra`s allegorical religious play personifying Vedic categories and the virtues, led by Discrimination, and vices, led by elusion.