Indian Kavya Literature : Vol. IV. The Ways of Originality (Bana to Damodaragupta)/A.K. Warder. Reprint. Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, 1994, xiv, 642 p., ISBN 81-208-0449-x.

    Contents: Preface. 30. Bana. 31. Contemporaries of Bana. 32. The +7 in other parts of India. 33. Dandin; Tamil Kavya. 34. Matraraja and Kumaradasa. 35. Bhavabhuti. 36. Yasovarman, Vakpatiraja and others. 37. The novel in the +8. Additional bibliography for volume IV. Index.

    "Indian Kavya Literature is planned in seven volumes as a comprehensive study of the literature (Kavya) of India, the poetry, drama and fiction, in the light of classical Indian literary criticism. The first three volumes having outlined the main ideas of Indian criticism on aesthetics, structure, style and genre and illustrated them from the literature from the origins of Kavya, in about the 5 century B.C. to 6 century A.D., this fourth volume describes in more detail the extensive literature preserved from the 7 and 8 centuries. These centuries are relatively rich in extant novels, including those of Bana, Dandin, Kutuhala, Haribhadra and Uddyotana, from which we at last get a fairly full view of the scope of this genre in medieval India. The greatest Indian critics, writing in the 11 century, found the literature of these two centuries, and especially the plays of Harsa, Narayana, Matraraja and Bhavabhuti, of exceptional interest for such theories as those of the aesthetic development of emotions, and consequently provide us with very detailed analyses, here brought together for the first time. Some of the authors and critics saw a new movement in kavya, characterised by boldness in style and originality in content, begun by Bana and continued by Bhavabhuti, Vakpatiraja and others in various genres. This suggests a distinctive character for the period here presented and a subtitle for the present volume. Historically it matches the rise of a new political system after the collapse of the Gupta Empire. Additional spice is to be found in the minor genres during this period, for example, Mahendravikrama's comedy, Bhartrhari's ironical lyrics and the bitter ones of Dharmakirti, the satires of Haribhadra and Damodaragupta. The masterpieces of Matraraja, Kutuhala and Uddyotana, recently recovered from neglected manuscripts, are described in this volume, also the restored epic of Kumaradasa and the partly restored novel of Dandin. As far as possible the numerous 'lost' authors of the period, including Sita, Dharmakirti, Yasovarman, Kamalayudha, Kesata, Vijjika, Bhejjala, Ravigupta and Prabhanjana, have been restored to their places from quotations and other references." (jacket)

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