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BHATTIKIVYA
objective of illustrating the sUtras in Panini’s AtfSdhyayi. Bhatti has employed a few prakirna verses occasionally to preserve the fluency of the narrative. Even in the section dealing with the Bhasdsama or bilingual type of diction, he has inserted some asahkirna e rses, byway of a conscious effort at maintaining fluency as far as possible. The illustrations of some figures of speech, particularly the Sabdalahkaras in the Prasanna-kanda, do inevitably sound artificial and obscure. Barring these few exceptions, his style is simple, direct and fluent, in general. The Tinanta-kanda illustrating the verbal formations—moods and tenses—in the lakaras is particularly delightful. His choice of suitable occasions for illustrating particular moods and tenses is strikingly skilful. Instead of following the order of Papini, he has selected an appropriate lakara for narrating every incident. In Canto XXII, for instance, the Lut-lakara is illustrated through predicatory verses during Rama’s description of places on his way to Ayodhya. Vibhlsana’s lamentation illustrates the present tense (XVIII) and the potential mood is illustrated in the arrange ments for the funeral of Ravana and the coronation of Vibhlsana. The reunion of Rama and Sita has come in handy for illustrating the imperative mood. Prasada or lucidity, as expected, is most conspicuous in the major portion of the Prasanna-karida excepting the Bhnsnsama and Sabdalahkdra sections, mentioned above. But it is not wanting in the other kandas too. The style of the Bhattikavya with its explicitness and clarity, evenness and balance, com bined with exalted and sublime ideas, can therefore by safely described, in general, as Vaidarbhi. Long compounds are but few ; there are only a few instances of compounds extending over a whole line (XIII. 3, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 33, 34, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 46, 47, 49). Compounds, being a peculiarity of the quality of Ojas or forceful brilliance, occur, though sparingly, in the descriptions of battle (VIII. 131). These, coupled with harsh consonants like ta and sa, augment the effect of Vira and Raudra rasas. Bhatti, though generally fond of lucidity {Prasada) of expression, has thus shown considerable skill
