काव्यालङ्कार (आचार्य भामह - भारतीय काव्यशास्त्र एवं अलङ्कार-सिद्धान्त मूल महाग्रन्थ सटीक)

FIRST PARICCHEDA 27
(4)' An Ākhyāyikā should be impressed with
certain favourite marks of the poet in ideas or
words. They are known as मुद्रा or अङ्क or कविसाहसाङ्क.
By way of illustration for मुद्रा may be cited the use
of the word लक्ष्मी in the concluding stanzas of all
sargas in Kirātārjunīya by Bhāravi, the word श्री
likewise in all the concluding stanzas of Śiśupāla-
vadha by Māgha and the phrase—नीलकण्ठमखिनिहितकारुण्य
in Nīlakaṇṭhavijaya by Nīlakaṇṭhadīkshita. This
distinguishing characteristic of Ākhyāyikā is thus
referred to by Bhāmaha:—कवेरभिप्रायकृतैः कथनैः कैश्चिदङ्किता.
(5) The next distinction relates to the topics in
Ākhyāyikā as contrasted with Kathā. कन्याहरणसंग्राम-
विप्रलम्भोदयान्विता. Ākhyāyikā deals with the kidnap-
ping of maidens, battles, separation of lovers, the
hero's material progress and so on.
(6) The next point of difference lies in the pre-
amble. An Ākhyāyikā should begin with a des-
cription of the author's heredity in prose and in ex-
tenso—कर्तृवंशप्रशंसा स्याद्यत्र गद्येन विस्तरात्; whereas Kathā
should begin with a description of the same in
verse and in brief, and further a preliminary story
should be introduced by way of preamble to the
principal narrative—
श्लोकैः स्ववंशं संक्षेपात्कविर्यत्र प्रशंसति ।
मुख्यार्थस्यावताराय भवेद्यत्र कथान्तरम् ॥