Mahākavibhaṭṭi's genius in Poetic Grammar or The Ideology of Grammatical Poetry

Abstract

‘Bhaṭṭikāvya', written by the great poet Bhaṭṭi, is a rare combination of poetry and grammar in Sanskrit literature. The poet's aim was to educate the reader in grammar by instilling of poetry. The main theme of these poem is the explanation of the grammar formulas propagated by Panini with examples, application of words and meanings. Mahākabi Bhaṭṭi's desire was to teach grammar and rhetoric through a leisurely narration of the story of Rāmāyaṇa. The poetic beauty of Bhaṭṭikāvya is incomplete without the knowledge of grammar, so this poetry can be called Kāvyaśāstra. Bhaṭṭikāvya captivates everyone by providing knowledge of grammar and rhetoric in the form of poetry. Such a beautiful combination of poetry and scholarship is truly rare in the world. This epic has no novelty in the description of the subject, but there is wonderful novelty in its style and composition. His special aim was to make everyone understand grammar and rhetoric through poetry.