Handbook of Classical Sanskrit Rhetoric /39

Introduction
 
xxvii
 
tively) and the maternal uncle of SŚriharṣa, the author of the

famous epic poem Naiṣadha-carita.
 

 
He was schooled and educated in Varanasi. His work is divided

into 10 chapters containing 143 kārikās with their commentaries

and illustrations. He mentions with respect the concepts of literary

criticism of his predecessors such as Bharata, Rudraţṭa, Lollata,
Sṭa,
Śankuka, Bhaṭṭanāyaka and Abhinavagupta, but sometimes it

seems that he is more eager to find fault with the opinions of oth-

ers than to establish his own thesis. In this work, 67 alamṃkāras have

been defined, explained and illustrated. Mammaṭa's Kāvyaprakāśa

turned to be the magnum opus and the standard text on literary crit-

icism throughout India. As a high profile critic and erudite scholar

Mammațṭa ranks as one of the best along with AĀnandavardhana,

Abhinavagupta, Rājaśekhara, Kuntaka and Jaganātha.
 

 
13. Alamṃkāra-sarvasva (or The Essence of Literary Criticism, 1100 -

1150 AD): This treatise, divided into three parts and written in the

form of definitions, commentaries and illustrations, is a pioneering

work of Ruyyaka and treats almost all the topics of poetics. But his

particular interest is to make a critical study of the figures of

speech. Here 6 figures of sound and 76 figures of sense have been

defined, explained and illustrated.
 

 
Ruyyaka does not advocate any special theory of his own but

strongly supports AĀnandvardhana's theory of duvani and also sum-

marises the views of his predecessors like Udbhaṭa, Rudrata,
ṭa,
Vāmana, Kuntaka and Mahimabhaṭṭa. He is a follower of Mammaţa
in the treatment of alamṭa
in the treatment of alaṃkāras. He mentions with respect many

famous works and authors of poetics and also refers to the opin-

ions of Mammațṭa while explaining the various theories of poetics.

Ruyyaka is also the author of some other works including treatises

on poetics and dramaturgy, commentaries and short poems. The

Alamṃkāra-sarvasva refers to the view of the eastern school

of rhetoricians like Bhäāmaha, Udbhaṭa and others, who, according

to Ruyyaka, think that figures are the fundamental attributes

of poetry or the figurative expression is the basic feature of

poet's language.
 
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN