A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s6.66

v3.c35.s6.66

Among the many works that are wrongly attributed to Kālidāsa is found also the Prākrit epic Rāvaṇavaha (The Killing of Rāvaṇa) or the Setubandha (Construction of the Bridge)³, that describes in an elegant style the Rāma-legend from the expedition of Rāma for rescuing Sītā upto the death of Rāvaṇa (in fifteen cantos.). Probably the author of this work is Pravarasena II of Kashmir or one of his court poets⁴. Daṇḍin (Kāvyā- darśa I, 34) refers to the Setubandha as an example of a work written in Māhārāṣṭrī, the most elegant Prākrit dialect. In any case its importance lies more on the linguistic side¹. The style is unusually bombastic, full of far-fetched similes, puns, alliterations and long compounds, sometimes covering entire lines. In spite of all sorts of artificiality and affectations in style and language, the work, in any case, exhibits extraordinary perfection. It must be conceded that in many places the work shows real poetic skill, as near about the place where Rāma warns the ocean, for example, V, 34:—