APRIL, 1873.]
103
ABHINANDA THE GAUDA.
which appears to be at least four hundred years old, contains portions of thirty-six Sargas, viz. Sargas I-VI. 82; Sargas XV. 20–XIX. 1; the latter portion of Sarga XXII.; Sargas XXIII.XXIX. ; a large portion of Sarga XXX., and Sargas XXXI.—XXXVI. 19. The leaves are in great confusion, and Sargas XVI. 40–XVIII. have been placed last. The first verses of the poem run thus:
Abhinanda's boasting about his work is not
quite groundless. His style is easy and flowing, and simpler and more intelligible than that of most of the later Sanskrit poets. Should a complete MS. of the Rāmacharitra turn up, f it would be well worth printing. Abhinanda's second poem, the Kālambari
kathására, has less literary value, but greater
Atha mályavatah prasthe kåmukasya viyoginah Durnivārāśrusaſhvego jagāma jaladāgamah || 1 ||
historical importance. The MS. which is men tioned in my Catalogue, and the perusal of which I owe to the courtesy of Mr. Nilkanth Ranchod,
Sašāma vrishtir meghānām utsange
is very old and in excellent preservation. It
tasya bhū
bhritah I.
Virarāma na rāmasya dhārāsantatir ağrunah |2|. The work, as appears from this specimen, is written in Anushtubh Slokas.
It treats, as its
title indicates, of the history of Rāma, but only of that portion of the hero's adventures which
follow the rape of Sità, i.e. of his war against and conquest of Lankä. At the beginning and at the end of several cantos, A b h in a n d a praises his patron, the Yuvarāja or prince-royal Hà ra.
contains an epitome of the Kādambari of Bă n a and of its continuation by Bán a 's unnamed son. With the exception of the last stanzas, the metre is throughout Anushtubh, and the style is as simple and easy as that of the Rāmacharitra. Its most important part is the introduction, vs. 1–12, in which the poet gives some account of his family. It runs as follows:
Sarasvatyai namah ||
v a r s h a,” whom he calls the son of Vikra -
Sriyath dadhatu vah Saurerdvaye tulyaśramāh m a Śil a (Vikramaśīlanandanah,
III.
99),
kramāh I
and the moon of the lotus-forest-like family of
Sridh arm a på la + He tells us also that this prince made after H a la , the author
of the Saptaśati or Gáthákosha, a collection of stanzas from various poets. The exact words of the text are—
Namah Srihāravarshāya yena hālādanantaram | Svakoshah kavikoshānām avirbhāvāya sam
Ye châdau goshpadam paśchât trailokyan krä matašcha ye || 1 || Sarasāh sadalamkārāh prasādamadhură girah Käntästätajayantasyajayantijagatāſh guroh || 2 || Gunoddyotanadipānām satàrn na param uijva lam I.
Yāvanmalinam apyeshåm karmadrishteh prasā dhanam || 3 ||.
bhritah || “Praise to the illustrious Häravarsha, who, after Håla, collected his own Kosha in order to
Gunopi krišah prathate prithurapyapachiyate [. Prāpya sådhukhalau chandrah pakshāviva sitā
make known the treasures of poets.” In several passages he also praises himself
Śaktirnāmābhavadgaudo bhāradvājakule sthi
and his work.
Thus we read at the end of
Sarga XVIII. the following verse, which probably
was intended to conclude the whole poem : Achandrastīryam nidadhe jagatsu vyāsasya yad vajjanamejayena I Eshobhinandasya mahāprabandhah kshonibhujã bhimaparākramena || ‘This great romance of Ab h in a n d a has been established in the world, to last as long as sun and moon endure, by the prince of awe
inspiring bravery, just as Vyāsa's (Mahā bhārata was established) by J an a mejay a .”
- II. 1, 106; III. 99; XXII. end XXIII.90; XXVIII. end.
+ XXVIII. end—after the colophon: śrīdharmapālaka
kairavakånanenduh......vijayate yuvarājadevah ||.
-
sitau || 4 ||.
tah I.
Dārvābhisãramāsādya kritadāraparigrahah || 5 || Tasya mitrābhidhãnobhūdātmajastejasām nid
hih Janena doshoparamaprabuddhenārchitodayah ||6|| Sa Śaktisväminam putram avāpa Śrutišālinam Rājñah karkotavanśasya muktápidasya mantri nam l 7 ||.
-
Kalyānasvämināmāsya yājñavalkya ivābhavat Tanayah Šuddhayogarddhinirdhūtabhavakalma shah || 8 ||.
Agādhahridayāttasmät paramesvaramandanam † Since writing the above I have heard that one of my agents has procured a copy of the poem.