The Sahitya-Darpana or Mirror of Commposition of Visvanatha: A Treatise on Poetical Criticism

The Sahitya Darpana or ‘Mirror of Composition’ is a renowned Sanskrit work on poetics by Visvanatha of early fourteenth century. It is divided into ten sections. The first section deals with the nature and definition of poetry. The second treats of various powers of a word (Vrttis). The third treats of sentiments (Rasa). The fourth treats of the divisions of poetry. The fifth discusses fully a power of a word called Vyanjana. The sixth treats of the division of poetry into Drsya (‘that which is to be seen’) and Sravya (‘that which is to be seen’) and Sravya (‘that which is to be heard’). The seventh treats of blemishes (Dosa). The eitht deals with the merits (Guna), viz. sweetness (Madhurya), Energy (Ojah), and perspicuity (Prasada). In the ninth section four styles (Riti), viz. Vaidarbhi, Gaudi, Pancati and Lati are discussed. And the tenth and last treats of the Figures of Speech (Alamkaras) in detail.

The present work is an English translation of the Sanskrit original first published in 1875 by J.r. Ballantyne who commenced the translation but could go only as far as one quarter of the work and Paramada Dasa Mitra, completed the rest of it.

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