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Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c46: Śiṅgabhūpāla

Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c46

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Śiṅgabhūpāla

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Śiṅgabhūpāla, whose name is also given as Śiṅgadharaṇīśa, Śiṅgarāja or Śiṅgamahīpati (as well as in the Sanskrit forms of these name) has been identified by Śeṣagiri Śāstri with Śiṅgama Nāyaḍu, rājā of Veṅkaṭagiri, who ruled, on the authority of a biographical sketch of the Rājās of Veṅkaṭagiri, at about 1330 A.D.¹ This date is probable, as Mallinātha (on *Kumāra* i 25, *iti bhūpālaḥ = Rāsārṇa*° i 181), as well as Kumārasvāmin, quotes our author. The introductory verses of the Rasārṇava-sudhākara, attributed to this South Indian prince, show that he belonged to the Recarla dynasty, who ruled over the country lying between the Vindhyas and Śrīśaila, of which Rājācalam (Rācakoṇḍa) was the hereditary capital. He was the son of Ananta (or Anapota) and Annamāmbā, while his grandfather and great-grandfather were respectively named Śiṅgaprabhu (or Śiṅgama Nāyaka) and Yācama Nāyaka. Our author was, like Hemacandra, called sarvajña on account of his great knowledge, and was a patron of letters¹.

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¹ For details see ŚgS i pp. 7-11, also introd. to Trivandrum ed. of the *Rasārṇava*°.

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¹ ŚgŚ loc. cit. p. 9. A poem in 8 cantos called Camatkāra-candrikā or Siṃhabhūpāla-kīrti-sudhā-sāra-śitalā was written, with a view to illustrate the principles of rhetoric, by Viśveśvara Kavicandra, panegyrising our prince who is called here sarvajña. (IOC vii p. 1507).

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The Rasārṇava⁰ appears to be mainly based on previous works like Bhoja’s Śṛṅgāra-prakāśa and Śāradātanaya’s Bhāva-prakāśa, although it draws directly on Bharata, Rudrabhaṭṭa, the Daśarūpaka and other authors and works on rasa and dramaturgy. The author Śiṅgabhūpāla is in the third person throughout the work. We have a large number of dramas actually quoted or cited for illustration, among which may be noted Anargha-rāghava (pp. 72, 83, 261, 266, 274), Prasanna-rāghava (pp. 258, 277), Dhanañjaya-vijaya-vyāyoga² (p. 287) Abhirāma-rāghava³ (anapota-nāyakīya pp. 119, 243, 265, 273, 275), *Mādhavī-vīthikā* (p. 290), *Māyākuraṅgikā-ihāmṛga* (p. 298), *Padmāvatī* (pp. 263, 266), *Kāmadatta*¹ (p. 285), *Rāmānanda* (pp. 248, 255, 269), *Karuṇākandala-aṅka* (pp. 163, 197, 198, 286), *Vīrabhadra-vijṛmbhaṇa-ḍima* (pp. 272, 274, 276, 278, 298), *Maheśvarānanda* (p. 275), *Ānandakoṣa-prahasana* (pp. 40, 41, 278, 291, 297), *Śṛṅgāra-mañjarī-bhāṇa*² (p. 288), *Payodhimathana-samavakāra* (p. 290), *Kandarpa-sarvasva* by himself (p. 151), *Vīrānanda* (pp. 159, 160) and *Prabodha-candródaya* (pp. 265, 291).

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² By Kāñcana, son of Nārāyaṇa, in Aufrecht i 266b (ed. Kāvyamālā 54, 1895).

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³ A drama of this name was written by Maṇika in Nepal in 1390 A.D. (Lévi 268).

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¹ This little known work is also alluded to in the *Padmaprābhṛtaka-bhāṇa* (ed. Madras 1922), ascribed to Śūdraka. According to the editors of this bhāṇa (Pref. p. iv), the *Kāmadatta* was a *prakaraṇa* composed by Śūdraka himself. This *bhāṇa* is quoted anonymously by Hemacandra (p. 198, l. 12).

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² A *Śṛṅgāra-mañjarī-bhāṇa* by Gopālarāya, son of Jakkula Veṅkṭendra and Viranāmbā, is mentioned in Hultzsch i extract p. 77 (no. 385), also p. x.

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Śiṅgabhūpāla also appears to have written a *Nāṭaka-paribhāṣā*, which topic is also treated briefly at the end of his *Rasārṇava*°. The works of Śiṅgabhūpāla and Śaradātanaya deal incidentally with Dramaturgy.

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Editions. *Rasārṇava*°. (1) by Sarasvatīśeṣa Śāstrī, Venkatagiri 1895 (2) by T. Gaṇapati Śāstrī in the Trivandrum Sansk. Series, 1916.

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MSS. *Rasārṇava*°. Aufrecht i 497a, ii 116b, iii 106a; Madras *Trm* B 369, p. 507 (c), 402 (b), C 667; Madras Cat. 12945-49; *Śgś* i 56, p. 91. The *Śiṅgabhūpālīya Alaṃkāra* in Rice 288 and Oppert i 2462, ii 2104 probably means this work. *Nāṭaka-paribhāṣā* in Aufrecht i 284b, 791a.

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