INTRODUCTION 1 Hence though the selfimposed curse of artificiality has no doubt somewhat suppressed, it has not completely neutralised Bhatti's narrative genius. His narrative fows undisturbed by lengthy didactic digressions or long-drawn descriptions. There is nothing recondite or obscure in his fancies, and the versification, though plain and simple, is varied, smooth and lively. We do often come across verses of real literary merit, so much so, that even a poet like Magha was tempted to borrow the fancifut comparison in jalada iva tadityan (I. 19) The Art Epic form The Bhattikaya possesses most of the external and internal characteristics of an art epic. It is a sarga-bandha divided into twenty-two sargas (cantos) of moderate length ; the shortest twenty-first-contains only twenty-three verses whereas the longest-ninth-runs to 137 verses. Cantos V, VIVII, VIII, IX, XV and XVII have each more than a hundred verses; but the remaining vary between 30 to 70 verses . There is a change of metre at the end of every canto without a single exception There is, however, neither a benediction nor a salutation at the beginning ; the commentators have explained away this lapse by arguing that Rama's very mention serves the purpose of both, or that abhat is a benedictory term in itself. But, in fact, the absence of air-namaskriya is no lapse from the rhetorician's point of view. They have mentioned the third option of was thirdexa, a mention of the subject-matter, which was availed of even by Kalidasa in his Kumarasannbhaya beginning with : asty uttarasya ati deatatna Himalay० hana nagaahirjah. It is but consistent with Bhatti’s fondness for brevity and directness that he, too, has begun straightway by introducing the father of the hero whom even the Omniscient chose as his father for the impending incarnation. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are distinguished as histories (Itihases) as against the eighteen mythological works (Puranas). Bhatti has abided by the rule Itihasakathodbhtam ' in choosing the hero of the Ramayana as his hero too. Rama, the seventh incarnation of Visnu himself, is a Dhirodatta (courageous and sublime) hero, much superior to the prescribed Catrodatta (destrous and
