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Prakrit Verses in Sanskrit Works on Poetics
Note : The text of this verse is highly corrupt. It is, however, cited in Bhoja's Sarasvatikanthabharana (V.v.no. 13, p.576) and Narendraprabha's Alamkaramahodadhi as an example of rasābhāsa. Metrically these two quotations are imperfect. There the text makes a clear mention of 'Dasakandhara', 'Raghava' and 'Janakasuta' and these names lead us to trace the verse to Setubandha. Although its Nirnayasagar edition does not include it, the Calcutta edition (Rāvanavahamahākāvyam) presents it at XV. 66. K.K. Handiqui (Introduction p.113, Pravarasena's Setubandha, Translation, Prakrit Text Society, Ahmedabad - 9, 1976) rightly observes : “But not a few commentators from different parts of India seem to have rejected it because of the unpleasant idea involving Sītā in the description." पुलअं जणेति दसकंधरस्स राहव-सरा सरीर-अडंता । जणअ-तणआ-पओहर-फंस-महग्घविअ-कर-जुअल-णिव्वूढा ॥ [पुलकं जनयन्ति दशकन्धरस्य राघव-शरा: शरीर-पतन्तः । जनक-तनया-पयोधर-स्पर्श-महर्षित-कर-युगल-नियूंढा: ॥] (iii) 'संरवकुलमि' त्ति स (?) - p.121
Only the pratīka Sarkhakula' is given here, on its basis and taking into consideration the context of "samudre parikajam varnyam' - although lotuses do not
exist in an ocean they should be so described - we identify the intended full verse . . to be:
संख-उल-धवल-कमले, फुड-मरगअ-हरिअ-पत्तभंग-णिहाए । विहुम-मिलिअ-किसलए उहअतडाबद्धसंकमम्मि णलवहे ।। [शङ्खकुलधवलकमले स्फुटमरकतहरितपत्रभङ्गनिघाते । विद्रुम-मिलित-किसलये उभयतटाबद्धसंक्रमे नलपथे ।]
- Setu VIII. 100 (iv) "आसण्णकुडुग्गजण्ण --- वाहिणीगोलो ।" - p.150
This passage, although printed as prose, is really not in prose. Through scribal error four independent gāthas illustrating the festival of navapatrikā are presented as prose. The whole passage is adopted by the author of Sāhityamīmāṁsā from Srigaraprakasa (Ch. XXXIV, pp. 1192-1193, Mysore edition) : (i) आसण्ण-कुडुंगे जुण्णदेउले बहु-जुआण-संकिण्णे ।
थेरो पइ ति मा रुअसु पुत्ति दिण्णासि सुग्गामे ॥ [आसन्नलतागृहे जीर्ण-देवकुले बहुयुवसंकीर्णे । स्थविरः पतिरिति मा रुदिहि पुत्रि दत्तासि सुग्रामे ॥]