Prakrit Poetry and Sanskrit Poetics
By V. M. Kulkarni
Summary
This comprehensive essay investigates the reciprocal influence between Prakrit poetry and Sanskrit poetics. Surveying major Prakrit works such as the Gāthāsaptaśatī, Setubandha and courtly romances, the author shows how their themes, imagery and narrative techniques enriched the Sanskrit aesthetic tradition. The article argues that Prakrit’s colloquial expressions and emotive intensity introduced new possibilities for conveying rasa (aesthetic flavour) and dhvani (suggestion), which Sanskrit theoreticians later codified. It highlights the contributions of poets and scholars who wrote in both languages and examines how Ānandavardhana and Abhinavagupta drew upon Prakrit exemplars in formulating theories of poetic meaning. The essay also notes how Sanskrit poetics in turn influenced Prakrit compositions, producing a dynamic intertextual exchange that blurred linguistic hierarchies.
Conclusion
The author concludes that the creative dialogue between Prakrit and Sanskrit enriched both traditions. Recognising the mutual influence challenges assumptions about linguistic superiority and highlights the pluralistic and interconnected nature of classical Indian literary culture.