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MERUTUNGA AND VIKRAMA
A.K.WARDER* Merutunga, after introductory verses, begins his Prabandhacintāmaņi (completed in 1306 A.D.) with Vikramārka or Vikrama or Vikramāditya (names used interchangeably). After a series of anecdotes, including his being consecrated king in Avanti, we read that the samvatsara era of Vikramāditya has prevailed in the world since his death (C.H. Tawney's translation p.14). Merutunga then gives many dates in years of Vikramāditya, beginning with that of Vanarāja Cāpotkața (V.S. 802, Tawney p.18). (Šātavāhana, however, though his brief story is placed immediately after that of Vikramāditya, but not connected with it, is not given any date.) The apparently chronological arrangement, with many precise V.S. dates, continues until the end of chapter IV, on Vastupāla, who is said to have begun a pilgrimage in V.S. 1277 (Tawney p. 157).
The last (fifth) chapter of Merutunga is a miscellaneous supplement of mostly undated anecdotes not in chronological order (unplaceable, evidently, in chapters I to IV). But one date does appear, that of the destruction of Valabhi by the mlecchas, after they killed King Silāditya (sic). It is 375 years after Vikrama (Tawney p.176). This is most extraordinary, because it would correspond to about 316 A.D., long before the Arabs invaded Sindhu, let alone Saurāstra (Merutunga probably did not place this story in his chronological narrative precisely because it did not seem to fit; he apparently took the story from Jinabhadra II ---Indian Kävya Literature Vol. VII 86918, from Jinavijaya). Tawney in a footnote on p. 175 notes the date from Miss Duff as 'probably 766 A.D.' for the overthrow of the Valabhī dynasty. Usually the event is
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