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Alankara Kaustubha

Alankara Kaustubha is the title of several works written by as many as four authors. Out of the different Alankara Kaustubhas, that which is written by Venkatacharya, son of Annamacharya records six sabdatarupakaras (verbal figures) and one hundred and eight arthalankaras (figures of speech based on meaning), whereas the one written by Kalyana Subrahmanya, who adorned the court of Ramavarma, king of Travancore, has dealt with only arthalankaras. Another work written by Visveshwara, son of Lakshmidhara defines and illustrates sixty-one figures of speech.

Paramananda Dasa Sena, more popularly known as Kavi Karnapura has also written a work called Alankara Kaustubha in which he has attempted to show his literary talent and knowledge in the field of poetics. He is said to have been born in 1524 CE. His work is divided into ten chapters. The definitions of different figures of speech have been given and unlike the previous writers in the field, Karnapura has composed verses to illustrate the figures. Therein he has shown his poetic talent and religious leaning and his preference for Chaitanya philosophy by composing verses on Krishna and Radha. The popularity of the work can be better determined from the copious commentaries by Visvanathacakravartin, Vridavanacandra, Lokamatha Cakravartin and Sarvabhauma. Another work by Kavikarnapura is a play Chaitanya Chandrodaya which brings out through the imaginative characters, the glory of Chaitanya who spread Vaishnavism in eastern India, specially influencing the regions of Bengal and Odisha.