A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s7.64

v3.c35.s7.64

The Kīrtikaumudī², a biography of Vastupāla, minister of the Vāghelā kings Lavaṇaprasāda and Vīradhavala, written by Someśvaradeva, who lived between 1179 and 1262 A.D., covers the history of the Vāghelā dynasty of Gujarat. The poet, who refers to himself as the chief priest of the king of Gujarat, is also the author of many inscriptions that are dated 1241 and 1255 A.D. One of these inscriptions contains a stanza from Kīrtikaumudī. Although the work is simply a panegyric of a liberal minister, who had literary interest, it is not devoid of poetical worth and brings to our knowledge the history of the Caulukyas³. It throws much side-light on the life of eminent Indians of the 13th century. Someśvaradeva is the author also of the romantic epic Surathotsava⁴ in 15 cantos. Though the plot of the poem is fictitious it has perhaps a historical background. In the last canto the poet gives the history of his family, as is usual in historical and romantic epics, and concludes it with stanzas written in praise of Vastupāla. To the same minister Vastupāla, who was a pious Jaina, is connected somewhat younger but written in the same 13th century, Sukṛtasaṁkīrtana of Arisiṁha⁵. This "Praise of the Noble Acts" is an epic in 11 cantos, evidently of mediocre merit, but not an unimportant poem for the history of Gujarat.