Essay name: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
Author: A. D. Pusalker
This book studies Bhasa, the author of thirteen plays ascribed found in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. These works largely adhere to the rules of traditional Indian theatrics known as Natya-Shastra.
Page 90 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
90 (of 564)
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70
Śūdraka we prefer not to complicate matters by our own
conclusions though it may be stated that Sudraka appears
to have preceded KÄlidÄsa. In a subsequent chapter we
shall prove the priority of the Car to the Mrcch without
entering into the discussion of the date and authorship
of the latter, as it is not necessary for our purposes."
Now, we have already treated the direct evidence
furnished by BÄṇa, Dandin, Abhinavagupta, RÄmacandra
and Gunacandra, SÄradÄtanaya, Bhojadeva, Sagaranandin
and SarvÄnanda, which covers a period from the seventh
century A. D. to the twelfth century A. D. Other literary
references not dealt with earlier, and belonging to this
and later periods will, for the sake of convenience, be
given in an appendix. Among the references from or to
the Trivandrum plays in the works of authors subsequent
to BÄṇa, we have dealt with only the important writers
as also those about whose quotations there is a difference
of opinion. We shall begin with the KUNDAMÄ€LÄ€
of DINNAGA (? DHIRANAGA) and proceed in an
ascending chronological order. The KundamÄlÄ at one
time was taken to have been composed somewhere in the
earlier part of the fifth century A. D., and we also
contributed to the view; but later on, it has been proved
that the author of the work is Dhiranäga or ViranÄga, and
that no reference to the KundamÄlÄ earlier than the 12th
century A. D. has been found. A comparison between.
the KundamÄlÄ and UttararÄmacarita and
a close
examination of the two works has convinced us that the
author of the KundamÄlÄ is the borrower.
In the KundamÄlÄ, there is a passage in which
पडिमागदो महाराओ [paá¸imÄgado mahÄrÄo ] is mentioned with regard to Dasaratha.
वचà¥à¤› लख (कà¥à¤� [vaccha lakha (kkha ] ? ), पणमिदनà¥à¤µà¤� तà¥à¤� मम वअणादो राहवउल अधाणी
à¤à¤…वदी अयोजà¥à¤œà¤�, सà¥à¤¸à¥à¤¸à¤¸à¤¿à¤¦à¤¬à¥à¤¬à¥‹ पडिमागदो महाराओ, साहिदनà¥à¤µà¤� अजà¥à¤œà¥‚ाà¤� आयतà¥à¤¤à¤¿, समसà¥à¤¸à¤¾-
सिदगà¥à¤µà¤� पिअंवदà¤� मम पितà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¸à¤¹à¥€, सà¥à¤®à¤°à¤¿à¤¦à¤µà¥à¤µà¤¾ सवà¥à¤µà¤•ालं मनà¥à¤¦à¤à¤¾à¤‡à¤£à¥€ à¥� [paṇamidanvÄ tue mama vaaṇÄdo rÄhavaula adhÄṇÄ�
bhaavadÄ« ayojjÄ, sussasidabbo paá¸imÄgado mahÄrÄo, sÄhidanvÄ ajjūाṃ Äyatti, samassÄ-
sidagvÄ piaṃvadÄ mama pitrÄsahÄ«, sumaridavvÄ savvakÄlaá¹� mandabhÄiṇÄ� | ] '
KundamÄlÄ, Daksina Bh. Series p. 10.
1 We have, however, written a short note on the 'Authorship of the
Mrcchakatika', in Chap. VI. We submitted a paper on the "Authorship and Date
of the Mrechakatika" to the Ninth All-India Oriental Conference held at Trivandrum;
the same has been accepted for publication in the JAHRS. 2 KundamÄlÄ, Daksina
BhÄrati Series, Intr., p. vi; JUB, 2, p. 179. 3 K. A. Subramania Iyer,
KundamÄlÄ and the Uttararamacarita, OC, VII, pp. 91-97 on p. 97.
4 वतà¥à¤¸ लकà¥à¤·à¥à¤®à¤�, पà¥à¤°à¤£à¤®à¤¿à¤¤à¤¨à¥à¤¯à¤� तà¥à¤µà¤¯à¤� मम वचनादà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤˜à¤µ कà¥à¤²à¤°à¤¾à¤œà¤§à¤¾à¤¨à¥€ à¤à¤—वती अयोधà¥à¤¯à¤�, शà¥à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥‚षयितवà¥à¤¯à¥‹
पà¥à¤°à¤¤à¤¿à¤®à¤¾à¤—तो महाराजà¤� साधयितवà¥à¤¯à¤¾ शà¥à¤µà¤à¥à¤°à¥‚णामाजà¥à¤žà¤ªà¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤� समाशà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤¸à¤¯à¤¿à¤¤à¤µà¥à¤¯à¤� पà¥à¤°à¤¿à¤¯à¤‚वदà¤� मम पà¥à¤°à¤¿à¤¯à¤¸à¤–à¥à¤¯à¤ƒ,
सरà¥à¤¤à¤µà¥à¤¯à¤¾ सरà¥à¤µà¤•ालं मनà¥à¤¦à¤à¤¾à¤—िनी à¥�
[vatsa laká¹£maṇa, praṇamitanyÄ tvayÄ mama vacanÄdrÄghava kularÄjadhÄnÄ« bhagavatÄ« ayodhyÄ, Å›uÅ›rūṣayitavyo
pratimÄgato mahÄrÄjaá¸� sÄdhayitavyÄ Å›vabhrūṇÄmÄjñaptiá¸� samÄÅ›vÄsayitavyÄ priyaṃvadÄ mama priyasakhyaá¸�,
sartavyÄ sarvakÄlaá¹� mandabhÄginÄ« |
]
