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xvi
 
The Sahityakantakoddhāra
 
III. The title and the subject of the S.K.U.
 
The S.K.U. does not seem to be intended by the
author to serve as a work on Kaviśikṣā (i.e. a manual
of instructions to those aspiring to become poets).
It is exegetical in nature, but belongs to the field
of "Grammar as an Applied Science". It is similar
to the section on śabdaśuddhi in the Kavyalamkārasūtra-
vrtti of Vāmana. The sixth chapter in Bhāmaha's
Kavyalamkāra, the Prayogikādhikarana (last section) of
Vamana, Durghatavṛtti, and the anonymous Mukha-
bhusana are only a few works that have a systematic
treatment pointing out the correctness or otherwise
of the usages of the Poets. The Mukhabhūṣaṇa, which
is not known to our author, has a good compilation
mostly based on Vāmana's, and sometimes on other
authoritative works on grammar, and it has also
some new and interesting comments of the anonymous
author himself. The 7th chapter of the Kavyapra-
kāśa and the S. D., which is based on K. P., have
some grammatical discussions on one or two points
such as the sandhi, and the use of Parasmaipada or the
Atmanepada etc. Compared to the bulk of works
dealing with other literary aspects, the (above-
noted) works on sabdaśuddhi are very few. This is
what seems to be intended by our author when he
says:
 
na kşunno'yam parair margaḥ (verse 11).
 
To the list, which was illustrative and not ex-
haustive, of the usages of the Poets noted by previous
writers like Bhamaha, and Vamana, our author has
added some more expressions with his own discus-
sions. In keeping with his declaration nām ūlam likhyate
in verse 12, he has all his discussions corroborated