A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s6.71

v3.c35.s6.71

It is a matter of inquiry as to why such an epic was written in Prākrit. In style and artificiality it is similar to Sanskrit epics, and it is difficult to believe that the readers of these poems were different from those of written in Sanskrit had. More than any Sanskrit epic, it presupposes not only a cultured, but also a very learned general public. From this it may be possible to presume that in the court of Pravarasena, Sanskrit had an inferior recognition to that of Prākrit. But it seems more probable that the poet just wanted to demonstrate that all the difficulties of language could be overcome in Prākrit too, and that all the devices of the Kāvya-style could be employed there as well².