Page:Kalhana's Rajatarangini Vol 1.djvu/38

 10 INTRODUCTION. [Chap. I,

SECTION 1.—KALHANA’S LITERARY TRAINING.

5. The anthor of the Chronicle tells us nowhere of the education and early studies which had fitted him for his task. But the manner in which he has solved it and occasional indications may help us to trace the outlines of his life ass student.

Kalhenoasa Kev, “Worthy of praise is thet power of true poets, whatever it may be, which surpasses even the stream of nectar, inasmuch as ig their own bodies of glory as well as those of others obtain immortality. Who else but poets....... able to bring forth lovely productions, can place the pest times before the eyes of men!” These words with which Kalhana opens the introduction to his work, suffice to show us what qualification he considered the chief one for the task he had undertaken.

Even if Kalhana had been Jess outspoken on the point, no reader of the original work could doubt for a moment that its author looked upon himself mainly in the light of a Kavi. Sanskrit classical poetry of the Kavya type, such as Kalhana knew and cultivated, presupposes a thorough training in the science of Indien rhetoric, the Alarnkarasastra, and an equal mastery of Sanskrit grammatical lore. Kalhana’s composition proves amply that his studies in these departments of traditional learning had been both thorough and extensive.

The form and style which, as we shall see, Kalhana chose for his poem, do not allow of that lavish display of intricate rhetorical art which delights the heart of the Pandit. But the occasions are not unfrequent where the Chronicler has succumbed to the charm of that poetic ‘ amplification” which, as he tells us, he had purposed to avoid (i. 6). The verses to which we are then treated, leave no doubt that their author had learned to apply with great skill and dexterity the more subtle arts of the Alamkaraéastra.

Kalhans’s literary 6. The conventionality pervading so much of Kavya literature, and the sub-

studies. _—_gtantive identity of the rhetorical precepts followed by its authors, make it difficult to ascertain the particular works hich Kalbana knew and studied. His acquaint- ance with the older standard Kavyas, such as the Raghuvarhéa and Meghadita, may

be assumed & priori, and is proved in fact by several evident reminiscences.” A

closer search in this direction than I was able to make, would probably show the

same for a number of other texts of that description.

Study of the Vitra- That Kalhana hed carefully studied the Vikramdnkadevacarita, the historical

minkaderacarita, poem of his fellow-countrymen Bilhana, written about the eighth decade of the eleventh century, may be considered as certain’ Kalhana shows himself thoroughly acquainted with the personal history of his fellow-poet, as detailed in the latter's work. He alo refers in at least two passages to historical incidents which are mentioned by Bilhane. He does this in terma which clearly indicate an acquaint- ance with the older poem.* In view of this evidence the strongly marked general

resemblance in phraseology and style which can be traced between the two works, assumes full significance.

_,' Compare for such e8,0.g,1 208eq.; — * Compare for this text and its author ili, 414 eqq.; v. 343 eqq., 361 9qq.; vii. 928 Prof. Bouer's Introduction to his edition of 09, 1657 qq, ; vill. 842 ‘8qq., 947° 099 1334 the poem, Bombay, 1876.

aqq,, ete. 7 ‘ See notes vii. 985-987, 250 and iii. 378.

? See note vii. 312. a