Bhattikavya

poem epic by Bhatti

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July 23, 2026

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The Bhattikavya is an epic poem, or mahakavya, written by the Sanskrit poet and grammarian Bhatti, likely in the 6th or 7th century CE. It retells the story of Rama and Sita from the Ramayana.1

The poem is notable for its dual purpose: it serves as a narrative epic while also illustrating the rules of Sanskrit grammar and poetics, as codified by Panini. The Bhattikavya is structured into 22 cantos with 1,650 verses, systematically covering grammatical rules, poetic techniques, and the use of moods and tenses. It is considered a significant work in Sanskrit literature, often included among model mahakavyas.12

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Bhatti
…grammarian, author of the influential Bhattikavya, which is a mahakavya (“great poem”), or classical epic composed of a variable number of comparatively short cantos. He is often confused with the writers Bhartrihari and Vatsabhatti.
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…grammarian, author of the influential Bhattikavya, which is a mahakavya (“great poem”), or classical epic composed of a variable number of comparatively short cantos. He is often confused with the writers Bhartrihari and Vatsabhatti.
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South Asian arts
The mahākāvya
…phenomenon, for example, is the Bhaṭṭikāvya, a poem by Bhaṭṭi (probably 6th or 7th century). It again deals with the story of Rāma and Sītā, but at the same time it illustrates in stanza after stanza, in exactly the proper sequence, the principal rules of Sanskrit grammar and poetics. Less…
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…phenomenon, for example, is the Bhaṭṭikāvya, a poem by Bhaṭṭi (probably 6th or 7th century). It again deals with the story of Rāma and Sītā, but at the same time it illustrates in stanza after stanza, in exactly the proper sequence, the principal rules of Sanskrit grammar and poetics. Less…
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