Fwd: Identification of Vidyasagara's writing on poetics

[Dominik Wujastyk]

Please make sure to CC your responses to the author, Gyurme Dorje <
gyurme_d at yahoo.com>.

Thanks,
DW

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: gyurme dorje <gyurme_d at yahoo.com>
Date: 4 February 2010 12:39
Subject: Identification of Vidyasagara's writing on poetics
To: wujastyk at gmail.com


[...]

I'm writing on the off-chance that you might be able to help me identify a
particular Indian author on Sanskrit poetics. Over the last two years or so
I have been working on the translation of a section from a 19th century
Tibetan encyclopaedia, which outlines the Tibetan understanding of the
so-called ten classical sciences (grammar, logic, fine and applied art,
medicine, astrology, poetics, prosody, lexicography, dramaturgy, Buddhist
abhidharma). In the section on poetics the author cits one "pa.n.dita rig
byed rgya mtsho", which translates back into Sanskrit as Pa.n.dita
Vedaar.nava or Vidyaasaagara.

The latter name appears in Karl Potter's listing (no. 805), as a 14th
century figure, and I'm trying to track down references to his works to see
if he indeed wrote on poetics. Potter cites one potentially useful source:
V. Raghavan, "Date and works of Anandapurna Vidyasagara", Journal of
Oriental Research, Madras, 4.1, 1939-40, 1-5.

I'm wondering if you might have access to that article and whether it does
indeed refer to any work on poetics. The passage cited in the Tibetan text
reads: "The defining characteristic of narrative is that knowledge is
expressed in the poetic medium of prose that is not deduced from historical
legends (itihäsakathä, sngon byung gi gtam rgyud), whereas the defining
characteristic of legend is that it is expressed in the poetic medium of
prose that largely commences with ancient tales".

Any light you can shed on this identification would be most welcome!

best regards

Gyurme Dorje