A History of Sanskrit Literature c13.2

c13.2

NO other of the epic poets who have come down to us stands on the level of those whom we have reviewed, and of the early epic poets whose works are now lost we have far too little to be able to form any judgement of their true merit. Of Meṇṭha, or Bhartṛmeṇṭha, also called Hastipaka, Kalhaṇa¹ tells us that the king Mātṛgupta, himself a poet, found his *Hayagrīvavadha* so charming that he rewarded the poet by giving him a golden dish to place below it when it was being bound, lest the flavour should escape; delighted with this sign of appreciation the poet felt the reward needless. Mātṛgupta was according to Kalhaṇa a predecessor of Pravarasena, and his personality has suffered a confusion with Kālidāsa by unwise conjecture. His date must remain doubtful, but he is credited with a comment on the *Nāṭyaçāstra* of Bharata of which quotations remain. Kalhaṇa cites textually two stanzas, the former of which is heavy and laboured, the latter deserves citation: