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INTRODUCTION
Shri K. N. MAHAPATRA, Mk, who composed both DVM and PS, must have lived for a pretty long time, say 90 years from circa 1475 to 1568 A. D. For giving this opinion about his date Shri MAHAPATRA presupposes Mk to have been contemparary both of Puruşottama and Pratāparudra. Again he attributes the authorship of Dasagrīvavadha mentioned in Venīsamharana-nātaka of Parusottamadeva to Mk and identifies the work with DVM. For the following reasons I cannot subscribe to the view of MAHAPATRA.
(i) The word babhūva, lit, of bhū in 20.57 of DVM. clearly suggests that Puruşottamadeva was. already dead by the time of the author, or better say the author had no remenıbrance of having seen him in his life-time. He simply says that the king was a friend of his father from the childhood. It is interesting to note that the author uses abhavat in case of his father whereas babhiva in case of the king. These uses are particularly significant in determining the date of the author. Froin this it will be evident that the author flourished not during the time of Puruşottamadeva but of Pratāparudradeva as the subsequent verse shows. As such there is no reason of pushing the date of the author back to 1475 as Shri MAHAPATRA does.
(ii) The author proclaims to have completed DVM during the reign of Sri Rudra and not of Puruşottama. In 20.58 he sings the glory of Pratāparudradeva in high-flown words from which his sense of admiration for the heroic exploits of the king is obvious. He might have been patronised by this king to write this poem whereby he feels obliged to eulogise the king at the end of the work. Therefore, there is sufficient reason
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