[INDOLOGY] training in poetic composition in traditional Sanskrit education?

[naresh keerthi]

Ksemendra's text the Kavi-kanThA'bharaNa is an important manual of
kavi-zikSA. He lays out rules about how the aspiring poet should read the
compositions of past masters, cultivate an ear and a palate for good poetry
- both in form and content; and prevent the malodour of sanctimony [and
VedA'bhyAsa] from wilting the sprout that may have started sprouting in his
heart. I am unable to recollect the verse.

It is interesting how he recommends not just high Sanskrit poetry, but also
poetry in Prakrt and the vernaculars [please note his use of the term
deza-bhASA to refer to the latter] -

 gIteSu gAthAsv'atha deza-bhASA- kavyeSu dadyAt  saraseSu karNam |
vAcAm camatkAra-vidhayinInAm  navArtha-carcAsu rucim vyadadhyAT || 17 ||

Rajashekhara too has a chapter on training in poetry. There is 13th century
manual of poetry, Kavya-kalpa-latA by Arisimha, completed by Amaracandra
yati.

John Cortin his book  'Jain Communities in Indian History' says something
to the effect that jaina writers dominate the scene in writing (systematic)
texts on poetics and rhetoric, especially those that emphasise kavi-zikSA,
or training in the art of poetry.

In the modern context, as Prof Deshpande pointed out, students are
encouraged to try their hand at versifying - not just to get a grip over
metric templates but to develop a sense for idiomatic language, and to get
a nuts-and-bolts picture of the various rhetoric and poetic elements of
language.

Colleges and schools conduct competitions for the composition of such
poetry. A session of impromptu poetry recitation is often part of the
vidvat-sadas - symposia hosted by Religious Mutts.

The central Sahitya Academy has restarted the journal SamskRta Pratibha,
which had a long run in the hands of Prof V.Raghavan. It is a bit
disheartening to see some of the poetry that is featured in it  now - the
verses are blank both in metric structure and poetic content.

Radio and National TV [Doordarshan] sometimes host gathering of poets,
where they are encouraged to compose and discuss verses on particular
topics. I  too have had occasion to participate in such events, and share
my  feeble attempts at Sanskrit poetry.


Best Regards,
Naresh Keerthi,
National Institute of Advanced Studies,
Bangalore - 12


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