Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c8.7

c8.7

The Mahârâshṭrî derived its importance from its literature. From the manner in which Daṇḍin speaks of that literature it appears to have been very extensive and valuable. He himself mentions one work, the Setubandha, a poem attributed to Kâlidâsa but written by one Pravarasena, whose “fame,” Bâṇa says in his Harshacharita, “reached the other side of the ocean by means of the Setu.” I find in a Ms. in the colophon at the end of each âśvâsa or canto, sometimes इअ सिरीपवरसेणविरइए दहमुहवहे ( thus in the Das'amukhavadha composed by the prosperous Pravarasena ), and sometimes, इअ पवरसेणविरइए कालिदासकए दहमुहवहे ( thus in the Das'amukhavadha, the work of Kâlidâsa, composed by Pravarasena ). Some kings of Kas'mîr bore the name of Pravarasena, but there is nothing to show that any one of them was the poet who wrote this work. There is a collection of seven hundred songs, chiefly of an amorous nature, by a poet of the name of Hâla, which is called the Saptas'atî. We have an edition of this in Roman characters by Prof. Weber. Another long poem entitled the Gauḍavadhakâvya by a poet named Vâkpatirâja, who lived at the court of Yas'ovarman, king of Kanoj, in the early part of the eighth century, was discovered by Dr. Bühler about three years ago. And several other works may turn up, if diligent search is made for them. The Kâvyaprakâs'a contains about 75 Prâkṛit verses quoted to illustrate the rules laid down by the author, and S'ârṅgadhara also gives a good many in his Paddhati.