Kuntaka- Makers of Indian Literature

Kuntaka, the 11th Century Kashmiri poetician holds a unique place in Sanskrit poetics due to the astounding depth of his aesthetic theory and the literary insight he displays in judging great masters of Sanskrit literature. Through his Vakroktijīvita, he develops the concept of Vakrokti into an all comprehensive principle of literary criticism which can account for the entire range of the creativity manifested at different levels of poetry. The main attraction of Kuntaka's theory is that it can pinpoint any type of creative deviation effected by the poet causing aesthetic charm, form the phonetic patterning at the surface level to the deeper structural innovations. As a literary critic, he displays amazing insight in unraveling the inherent beauty of classics like the Abhijñānaśākuntala and Meghasandeśa. The present monograph gives a comprehensive account of his contributions to Sanskrit poetics.

C. Rajendran, Professor of Sanskrit, University of Calicut is a scholar of international repute. Apart from the MIL monographs Mahimabhaṭṭa, and Melputtur Nārāyana Bhaṭṭa his main works include Vyaktiviveka- A Critical Study, Studies in Comparative Poetics, The Traditional Sanskrit Theatre of Kerala, Sign and Structure, and Understanding Tradition. Recipient of several prestigious awards, he has also served as Visiting Professor at Ecole des Etudes en Social Science, Paris (2005) and Jagiellonion University, Krakow, Paris (2008).

**Contents and Sample Pages**