Paumchariu Part 1

SR No.: 002523
Original Sutra Author: Swayambhudev
Author: H C Bhayani
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown
Publication Year: 1953
Total Pages: 458
Language: Sanskrit, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 11 MB

Page 65

PAUMACARIU
All the citations in SC. that could be identified have been traced to PC. alone. Several of the anonymous stanzas have reference to the Mahābhārata theme and therefore, taking for guidance the context and the metre of these Harivarśa citations in SC., I casually examined RC., but could not identify a single citation. And that is natural because it is quite probable that RC. was Svayambhū's last work (see the next section). This also creates one more problem for us; what must have been the source of these anonymous citations having reference to the Harivamśa theme?
The Pk. section of SC. in this matter presents a contrast to its Ap. section. Therein all the illustrations are taken from other poets. There is not one anonymous citation. Svayambhu's literary activity seems to have been exclusively confined to Ap.
The lost portion of sc.
Velankar thinks that the lost portion of SC. consisting of folios 1 to 22 just dealt with the metres containing from 1 to 13 syllables in each line. The Prakrit metres proper are left, according to him, untouched by Svayambhū. He observes". Another strange thing about Svayambhū is that not only does he treat the ordinary Samskrta metres as the Prākrta ones, regarding them as the Mātrāvịttas and defining them as such, but he totally neglects the proper Prākṣta metres discussed at great length by Hemacandra in his Chandonusāsana, p. 28b and the following, and by Virahānka in his Vșttajātisamuccaya Chs. III-IV”. Again in his introductory remarks to the edition of Rajasekhara Kavi's Chandaśćekhara he says, 'unlike Svayambhū, however, they (Prūkyta Paingala and Chandahkosa) define the Gātha and its derivatives from the Prāksta meires.
Now it would be strange that though SC. claimed to contain all that was important in Pk. and Ap. prosody, it did not treat the genuine Pk. metres. And in that case the imposing title Chandascūdāmani 'the crest-jewel (?) of metrics' attached to Svayambhū by Tribhuvana would appear more of an expression of filial affection than a proper appraisal of Svayambhu's achievements in the field of Pk. metrics. It would be, moreover, inexplicable why Svayambhū did not treat those popular and well-known Pk. metres (commonly used in Ap. also) when he admiringly mentions by their names some of them', when he actually employs in his epics some of them and when he himself has written a work on Pk, and Ap. prosody.
The question, therefore, naturally arises: Is the assumption
(1) See for example, SC. VI 45, 58, 98, 102, 152; VIII 2, 9. Premi, 1942, 383
adumbrates the possibility of tracing some of these to RC. (2) Velankar, 1935, 23. (3) Velankar, 1946. 4.
Cakkalaehim Kulaehim Khandhaehim,
Pavanuddhua-Rāsaluddhaehim Manjariya-Vilāsiņi-Nakkudehim, suha-chandehim saddehim Khadahadehim | PC. 23 1 6-7.
Of these Cakkalaa and Kulaa are defined at SC. VIII 48, Khandhaya (Skandhaka) at Ch. IV 5, Pavanoddhuta at Ch. IV 64, Khadahadaya at Vrttajātisamuccaya (Velankar, 1929, IV 73-74). Hela-dvipadi is used in PC 17. and 25. Sandhis, Mañjari in PC. 19, and 45. Sandhis, Dvipadi in PC. 13. Sandhi, Salabhanjikā in PC. 46. Sandhi and Vilāsini ini PC. 17, 12; 46, 2. Most of these are used as Kadayaka-commencing stanzas. For their use in MP. see Section 7.
(5)
H