74

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

[MARCH, 1873.

in Professor Cowell's Preface to Mr. Palmer

Dasarápaka Š and this commentary in its earlier pages abounds with quotations from the Venisańhāra, which must, therefore, at that time have been old enough to be regarded as fit for quotation. Hence it would seem to result that the date of the migration of Bhatta Nārāyana must be put back a century or so; but this still, only on the hypothesis that this Bhatta Nå rāyana is identical with the author of the Venisanhára." If so, and again taking Băbu

Boyd's Translation of the Nāgānanda Nātaka.”

Rajendralāla's identification of the poet Sri

But the Professor, after first remarking that his

Harsha to be correct, it will follow that the

age is uncertain, simply refers to the conjecture of Bābu Rajendralāla Mitra upon it, and then

Babu's conclusion as thus adjusted will be supported by the two different lines of argu ment suggested in my letter. The net result of this investigation may be thus stated:—The Jaima biographer's account,

the age of Rāma's incarnation lasted. And secondly—and this is of greater importance— I have not been able to discover the stanza

after looking through the whole of the drama for it, and after having once before read it. At present, therefore, we cannot in this investiga tion press to our aid the mention of Harsha by Jayadeva.

The date of Śri Harsha is casually alluded to

adds—“But I find, from a notice in the first

number of the Indian Antiquary, that Dr. Bühler of Bombay has recently fixed his date in the twelfth century.” Having regard to what has been said above on this point, this remark of Professor Cowell's cannot, of course,

albeit it has some points in its favour, cannot be much trusted. On the other hand, the fact of the Naishadhiya being quoted in a work

be considered satisfactory. Bābu Rajendralāla identifies this ºri Harsha with the Sri Harsha

which, at the latest, dates from the beginning of the eleventh century; the fact of the work

who went over to the court of

Ádistra, in

com

of a poet, probably contemporaneous with Sri

pany with others, one of whom was Bhatta Nārāyana, the author of the Venisaïhāra Nātaka.f But the Băbu adds that “this assump tion, probable as it may appear, is, it must be admitted, founded entirely upon presumptive

Harsha, being quoted in a work dating from a still earlier period ; the fact of an exceedingly well-k.own

evidence, and must await future more satisfactory

some six centuries or more before his time:–

research for confirmation.”f The period of this migration of Harsha and Nārāyana is fixed by Bābu Rājendralāla in the middle of the tenth century—by a calculation, however, which ad mittedly can give a result but roughly correct. But it seems clear that, if the Bhatta Nārāyana, who was received at his palace by king Ádisūra,

these facts indicate a period which is about two centuries earlier than the period to which

was the author of the Venisaſhāra, the date fixed

at least to this extent—that they show pretty clearly that the question of the date at which Śri Harsha flourished is not one which can be regarded as finally settled even by the circum

by Bābu Rājendralāla for his migration must undergo some modification. For about the middle of the tenth century, if not earlier, lived T)hanika, the author of the commentary on the

and well-informed writer of

the

fourteenth century making Sri Harsha the con temporary of a philosopher who flourished

the Harsha Prabandha assigns the subject of its narrative.

And although the considerations

here adduced against Rājasekhara's statement do not fix with any precision the date towards which they seem to point, still they are of value,

stantial narrative of the Harsha Prabandha.

• See page 12.

be coupled Hall's Vasaradattá, Pref. p. 50 addendum

+ Journal of the A. S. of Bengal, No. III., 1864, p. 326,-

to n. 9, notes l. 12.

alluded to by Prof. Cowell. I Ibid., p 327.

§ See Hall's Das'aripa, Pref. pp. 2, 3,-with which should

| See pp. 16, 18, 19, &c., and see Wilson's remarks in his Hindu Theatre.

-

• See Babu Rājendralāla's paper above referred to, p. 326.