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INTRODUCTION
 
not depend on other verses for its plot, sentiment etc. Viśvanātha
in his Sahityadarpana points this self-dependence of muktaka by
saying:
 
27
 
छन्दोबद्धपदं पद्यं तेन मुक्तेन मुक्तकम् ॥
 
According to this definition, an independent and single verse
is called muktaka. This type of verse has a complete idea in
itself. Abhinavagupta presents the definition of muktaka thus :
पूर्वापरनिरपेक्षेणापि हि येन रसचर्वणं क्रियते तदेव
 
मुक्तकम् । 3
 
which means
 
Here in his statement he uses the word
that the taste of rasa (sentiment) must be present in a muktaka.
Muktaka works are of two types, kośa and sanghata. A collec-
tion of various verses on different topics is called kośa and a
collection of various verses on one topic is called sanghata. From
the point of view of contents, the muktakas can be placed under
various categories such as śṛngara-muktaka, nīti-muktaka, bhakti-
muktaka etc. Kashmir has made a notable contribution to this
branch of Sanskrit poetry. Devi Sataka of Anandavardhana, Isvara
Sataka of Avatāra, Dīnākrandana Stotra of Loṣṭaka, Vakrokti-
pancāśikā of Ratnakara and Ratna Sataka of Ratnakantha come
under bhakti-muktakas and Bhallata Sataka of Bhallata, Anyo-
ktimuktālata of Sambhu, Santi Sataka of Silhaṇa, Cărucaryā,
Caturvargasangraha and Darpadalana of Kṣemendra are niti-
muktakas. Bilhana's Caurapañcāśikā can be designated as
a śrngäraśataka. Amongst muktaka-kośas, Sūktimuktavali of
Jalhaṇa, Subhāṣitāvali of Vallabhadeva and Subhāṣitāvali of
Śrīvara are famous. Of these muktakas, the most effective and
powerful are those written in anyápadeśa style and the earliest
known anyāpadeśaśataka comes from a Kashmiri poet Bhallata
whose verse has been quoted in Anandavardhana's Dhvanyaloka.
 
1. साहित्यदर्पण, 6.314
 
2. Ibid., 6 314: तेन मुक्तेन मुक्तकम् । तेन पद्येन मुक्तेन पद्यान्तरनिरपेक्षेण एकेन । तेन॑केन
च मुक्तकम् इति क्वचित् पाठः । (Commentary on साहित्यदर्पण by दुर्गाप्रसाद द्विवेदी,
निर्णय सागर प्रेस, बम्बई, 1931).
 
3. भरतनाट्यशास्त्र (अभिनवभारती )
 
4. परार्थों यः पीडामनुभवति भङ्गेऽपि मधुरः। (भल्लटशतक 35; ध्वन्यालोक, 2.41, वृत्तिभाग)
 
CC-0 Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani Collection. Digitized by eGangotri