Page:The Indian Antiquary, Vol. 4-1875.djvu/342

 Octobeb, 1875.] CORRESPONDENCE AM) MISCELLANEA. 31 S The Nuisluuth'i'f-uUj-nid is one of the oldest commentaries on Sriharsha's epic which has be- come known. Its author, Chandupaiidita, the son of Aliga, was a Nagara Br&hmaa of DhoIkS, near Ahmadabad. Ha states that he composed poetry, officiated as priest at many great sacrifices, -studied Saukhya philosophy, and wrote a commentary on the "Rigveda. His teachers were Yaidyauailm and Narasiniha ; the Naixliadha he learned from one Munideva. apparently a Jainn Yati. He asserts that before his time only one commentary on the Xaish - red. composed by Yidyadhara (alio* Sahityavidhyadhara, alias Charitravardhunamuni) of which I havo found fragments in Ahmatbibad and in Jesalmir. He partly confirms the of the Jaina author Rajiisekbara, who places Sri- harsha under Jayantachandra or Jayachandra of Kanoj at the end of the 12th century. He also calls the Nafohadhtya " navani kavyam, a modern poem." Chaadftpandita gives as the date of his own work the loth day of Snklapaksha Bhadra- pruln of the year 1513 according to Yikrama's era, or 1456-7 a.d, When he wrote, Sanga was chief ofDholka, and Madhava his minister. Chandu's younger brother Talhana revised and corrected the book. The MS. bears two dates, 1473 (at the end of canto xxii.) and 1476 (at the end of canto ii.), and consists of four pieces, which, however, have been written by the same writer, a Vaid called Nurayana, the son of Bhabhala. The elates refer, no doubt, to the Saka era. I received the MS. from Gandevf, in the Gaikvad's territory. The Yudhjthf, oar ' victory of Yudhish- thira,' is another novelty. It belongs to the numerous compositions which are based on le- gends taken from the MaJidblutrata. It contains eight Asvasas. The end of the first canto is gone. The second contains the sports of Krishna and Ariyxi&(krighjuirjuiior;hnr<n-,-r,t,iM-'), the third 'the depart mv bo the forest 1 mana), the fourth "the battle between Kirata and Arjuna' {kirdl-irjana'j'ul^b'varriaii.i), the fifth * the death of Ktobaka' (Wei -t), the sixth 'the peace- proposals 1 [sdmavarnana), the seventh 'the defeat of the Kuuravus,' and the eighth 'the victory of Yudhishthiro over Duryodhaua.' The work is written in the Ax-y&giti metro, half-verse rind with a Yamaka or rhyme of four syl- lables. Its literary value is about the same as lodaya. Its author is not named. One of my S&strifl told me that he had heard it mentioned by hia teacher as an old and rare work. The / . the amusement of the king,' or 'JcehapdlaHh Urima ham Ma* harUa, 'the life of Sultan Mahmud' (Bigadha of Ah- madabad), by Udayaraja, is quite a literary ca- riosity. The author, who declares himself to be the son of Prayagad&sa and the pupil ofRamadusa, cele- brates Mahmud, popularly reputed to have been the most violent persecutor of Hindus and Hin- duism, as if he were au orthodox Hindu king. He calls him the * crest-jewel of the royai race' (rdja- ■ lie were a Kshn id he asserts that Sri and Sarasvati attend ou his '■ steps, that he surpasses Karna in liberality, and that bis ancestor .Mux ■' .i-assittedKfishijo- aaeutui Sati, The Churita is divided into seven Sargas. The first (alokaa 29), entitled * Surendra's and Sarasvati's coll" is introductory, and relates how Brahma sent Indra to look after Saras vati, aud found her in the halls of Mahmud Shall, and how she sang the praises • >f .Mahmud. The second [vami -lokas 31) gives the genealogy of Mahmud, beginning with Muzailur Khan. The statements made appear to be historically correct. The third n eatm&gama (bloku* 33) describes Mahmud' s entry into the darbar hall. The fourth wttra, slokas 33) relates what princes and people Bcre received in darbar. The fifth (aanhgitaramgt . dlokas 35), describes a ndsh given by the Sultan. The abet teova,filokaB36)aud the seventh {vya/yalakohmildljha, 61okas 37) are ed to a rhapsodic description, of Mahmud's warlike exploits. Thy frequent allusions to the Padishah's liberality make it probable that the author either had received or hoped to receive com him. The Kpa is not identical with the ':!, stated to be one of the works of Bhoja of i Hiara. It was written at the order of Bhoja, the son of Bhararaalla, who ruled over Kachh some centuries ago. Tins king is the same te whom tine JJhojavydfairana of Yiuuya.-agara, Whwl> DOOHra in S.fromG' dedicated. The Dharmapradijw treats of Achara, or the rale of conduct, only. The MS. eome9 from Kachh. The bMeh'j" iif/ui ■ ■ >fa is lost important acq ni sit ion of the year among the works on Dharma. It gives a full explanation of the first eight Adhyayas of the Smriti, and helps greatly to settlo the text of this interesting but difficult law-book, of which vciy few copies arc procurable. Kalyaua says in the introductory verses that his work is based on an older but corrupt commentary* The MS- has been writ- ten in Batiarus, and has been procured from the library of the Raja of Bundi through the kind offices of the Aaat. Political in charge of Harauti. briaMvtoah&yaraehitoh narada6a«bAi/a«i h&khab*M*Mhfak kahjinena kriyale priktm tadvii'jiih-ja punah.