Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 2.djvu/117

 April, 1873.] ABHINAXDA THE GAUDA. 103 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 arc in great confusion, and Sargas XVI. 40—XVIII. have been placed last. The first verses of tho poem ran thus : Atha niiilyavatah prasthe kamukasya viyoginah | Durnivarasrusamvcgo jagama jaladagamah u 1 Q Sas'ima vrishtir meghanam utsange tasya bliu- bhritah |. Virarama na ramasya dharasamtatir asrunah D'-l. The work, as appears from this specimen, is i written in Anushtubh slokas. It treats, as its title indicates, of the history of Rama, but only of that portion of the hero’s adventures which follow the rape of Situ, i. e. of his war against and conquest of Lanka. At the beginning and at the end of several cantos, Abhinanda praises Ills patron, the Yu vara j a or prince-royal Htira v a r s h a,* whom he calls the son of V i k ra- raasila (Vikramasilanandanah, III. 99), and the moon of the lotus-forest-like family of S r i d h a r m a p ai 1 a. t He tells us also that this prince made after H a 1 a, the author of the Sapt'riati or Gdthdkosha, a collection of stanzas from various poets. The exact words of the text are— Nainah sriharavarshaya yena haladanantaram I Svakoshah kavikoshanam avirbhavaya sam- bhritah R 1 Praise to the illustrious Haravarsha, who, after Hala, collected his own Kosha in order to make known the treasures of poets.’ In several passages he also praises himself and his work. Thus we read at the end of Sarga XVIII. the following verse, which probably was intended to conclude the whole poem: Achandrasuryam nidadhe jagatsu vyasasya yad- vajjanamejayena | Eshobhinandasya mahaprabandhah kshonibhuja bhunaparakramena | ‘This great romance of Abhinanda has been established in the world, to last as long as sun and moon endure, by the prince of awe¬ inspiring bravery, just as Vyasa’s (Maha¬ bharata was established) by Janamejaya.’ t XXVIII. end—after tho colophon: sridharmapalaka- kairavak&nanenduh vijayato yuvanlgadevah ||. 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 Bdmacharitra turn up,£ it would be well worth printing. Abhinanda’s second poem, the Kddamban- katlidsdra, has less literary value, but greater 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, is very old and in excellent preservation. It contains an epitome of the Kddambari of B a n a and of its continuation by B a n 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 Rdmacharitm. 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 Q Sriyam dadhatu vah saurerdvaye tulyasramAh kramith | Ye chadau goshpadam paschat trailokyam kra- matascha ye 0 1 I Sarasah sadalamkarah prasadamadhura girah | Kantastatajayantasyajayantijagatamguroh B - II Gunoddyotanadipanam satam na param ujjva- lam |. Yavanmalinam apyesham karmadrisliteh prasa- dhanam | 3 |. Gunopi krisah prathate prithurapyapachiyate |. Prapya sadhukhalau chandrah pakshaviva sita- sitau | 4 B. ‘ Saktimamabhavadgaudo bharadvajakule sthi- tah |. Darvabliisaramasadya kritadaraparigrahah H 5 |) Tasya miti*abhidhanobhudatmajastejasam nid- hih | Janena doshoparamaprabuddhenarchitodayah nGfl Sa saktisvaminam putram avapa srutisalinam | Rajnah karkotavamsasya muktapidasya man tri¬ ll am | 7 fl. Kalyanasv&minamasya yajnavalkya ivabhavat I Tanayah suddhayogarddliinirdhfitabhavakalma- shah | 8 |. Agadhahridayattasmat paramesvaramandanam | J Since writing tho above I have heard that one of ray agents has procured a copy of the poem.
 * II. 1,106; III. 99; XXII. end XXIII. 90; XXVIII. end.