Concept of katha and akhyayika in sanskrit literature

Abstract

Kavya or poetry in general in Sanskrit, is divided in to two दृश्य, what is to be seen and श्रव्य, what is to be heard.The Rūpakas, like नाटक fall under the first division while all other works like Mahakavyas are grouped under the second.Another principle of division is based on the form of language which is 'heard' indicating an oral tradition.According to it poetry is divided into three principal groups gadya (prose), padya (verse) and misra (the mixture of the two) [1] .Padya is predominant in Sanskrit, while gadya and misra compositions form only a small portion.Gadya is employed chiefly in the writings of plays, commentaries and other works of interpretation.Gadya is used very much as a medium of narration in kathas and ākhyāyikas.The art of storytelling might have begun at a pre-historic time when language was emerging as the medium of communication.The popular tales which were transmitted orally are linked to the primitive narrative tradition.In Vedic literature also we can see many upākhyānas or