Vruttamauktik

The book "Vruttamauktik" (वृत्तमौक्तिक) by Chandrashekhar Bhatta, with commentaries by Bhatt Lakshminath and Meghavijaya Gani, edited by M. Vinayasagar, was published in 1965 AD by the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Jodhpur, as part of the Rajasthan Puratan Granthamala (Rajasthan Ancient Texts Series), volume 76.

Overview from the provided pages:

• Nature of the Text: "Vruttamauktik" is a work on Chhandasshastra (छन्दःशास्त्र), the science of prosody in Indian literature. It deals with the systematic description of verses or metrical forms (vṛtta).
• Author: The author is Chandrashekhar Bhatta (चन्द्रशेखर भट्ट). He belonged to the Bhatta lineage of the Telangadesha (Telangana region) and his lineage was closely connected to the Vaishnavaacharya Sri Vallabhacharya. The text's content, with its emphasis on Krishna bhakti and the divine play of Gopis in Mathura-Vrindavan, suggests the author might have been from that region.
• Editor: The editor is M. Vinayasagar (विनयसागर), who is described as a scholar with multiple titles like Sahitya-mahopadhyaya, Sahityacharya, Darshan-shastri, etc. He is credited with meticulously editing the text with elaborate prefaces and appendices, providing valuable insights into various related subjects.
• Publisher: Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Jodhpur, an institution established by the Government of Rajasthan, which aims to publish ancient literary and scholarly works, especially those related to Rajasthan.
• Significance:
  • The text is considered a "jewel" (mauktik) in the series due to its comprehensive treatment of metrical forms.
  • It covers a vast array of verses (vṛtta) used in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabhramsha literature. The introduction claims that the number of verses described in "Vruttamauktik" is not found in any preceding Sanskrit prosody text, making it a complete work on the subject.
  • A notable aspect is its detailed discussion of padyānugandhī or padyābhāsī gadya (padyānugandhī or padyābhāsī prose), prose passages that imitate metrical patterns or have a rhythmic quality, often found in virudāvalī (praise songs) and khaṇḍāvalī (narrative compositions). The text analyzes these prose compositions and includes specific examples that were not found in earlier prosody texts.
  • The work is dated to about a century before the "Vrttamuktāvalī" (वृत्तमुक्तावली) by Shri Krishna Bhatta, which was published earlier in the same series.
  • The author, like Shri Krishna Bhatta in "Vrttamuktāvalī," has provided his own verses as examples for all the metrical forms discussed.
  • Unlike "Vrttamuktāvalī," "Vruttamauktik" does not cover Vedic chandas but extensively describes Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabhramsha metrical forms.
• Commentaries: The edition includes commentaries (ṭīkā) by Bhatt Lakshminath (भट्ट लक्ष्मीनाथ) and Mahopadhyaya Meghavijaya (महोपाध्याय मेघविजय), which are crucial for understanding the difficult and complex sections (duṣkaroddhāra and durgamabodha).
• Structure: The book is divided into two main sections:
  1. First Section (प्रथम खंड): Primarily deals with mātrāvṛtta (syllabic meter) and includes sections on gāthā, ṣaṭpada, raḍḍā, padmāvatī, savayā, and galitaka.
  2. Second Section (द्वितीय खंड): Focuses on varṇavṛtta (morphemic meter) and covers a wide range of topics including varṇavṛtta description, prakīrṇaka (miscellaneous), daṇḍaka (continuous verses), ardhasamavrtta (half-meter), viṣamavrtta (uneven meter), vaitālīya (a specific type of meter), yati nirūpaṇa (pause rules), gadya nirūpaṇa (prose description), virudāvalī (praise songs), khaṇḍāvalī (narrative compositions), doṣa (defects in composition), and finally, anukramaṇī (indexes).
• Manuscript: The original manuscript is preserved in the renowned Anup Sanskrit Library in Bikaner, Rajasthan. This manuscript was written within 14 years of the author's time, completed in VS 1660 (AD 1603) by Lalmani Mishra of Agra.

The introduction by Muni Jinavijaya highlights "Vruttamauktik" as the sixth work on prosody published in the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute series, following five other important texts. It emphasizes the author Chandrashekhar Bhatta's scholarly depth and the book's unique contribution to the field of prosody, particularly its inclusion of hitherto less-discussed aspects like rhythmic prose.