________________
INTRODUCTION
49
have composed three Sattakas: 1) Vaikuntha-carita, 2) Anandasundarī, and 3) an anonymous one. Two Mss.of Ā.-sundarī have been accessible to me; and its contents are summarised below.
1. After benedictory verses invoking Vişņu-Lakşmi etc., Sthāpaka or Sūtradhāra and Vidūşaka discuss a letter from an Association (sāmājika-lekhah) for staging an interesting play; and it is decided to enact a Sattaka, the Ananda-sundarī, composed, at the age of 22, by Ghanaśyāma (described ) who is as competent as Rājasekhara, who has won a title Kaņthīrava, and who can compose works in various languages. Sūtradhāra, who is wishing for a son, suggests the plot by a simile: Sikhandacandra marries the daughter of Caņdavega; he has a son from her; and he becomes a universal monarch.
The king reflects on his fortune and discloses certain details : The minister Diņdiraka has been sent out to subdue Vibhāņďaka of Sindhudurga who refused to pay the tribute; and he is expected to come back victorious. The king hopes that his anxiety for a son would soon disappear: the king of Angas has sent his daughter Anandasundarī to win his affection; fearing that the queen might know this, A.-sundari has been dressed as a man, with a name Pingalaka, and given in charge of the chamberlain Mandāraka; and as foretold by an astrologer, she might have a son. Bards greet the king with morning prayers by describing the advancing day. Vidūşaka has offended unwittingly another Brāhmaṇa Maņdūraka; and the king settles the quarrel by a present to the latter. The king wishes to see a nāțaka staging how Ānandasundari was brought etc. composed by Pārijāta-kavi. Pingalaka and Mandāraka are also invited, and a garbha-nāšaka is introduced. It depicts how
1 It has to be seen whether this anonymous play can be the Navagraha
carita which, though put by Keith under Nāțaka (The Sanskrit Drama, p. 345), is described by M. Krishnamachariar (History of Classical Sanskrit Literature, p. 248) as Sattaka in Prākrit. It is necessary that MSS. of Vaikunthacarita and Navagrahacarita should be inspected and seen whether they are Sattakas. One complete ms. containing Prākrit text and Bhattanātha's Sanskrit commentary belongs to the Government collection at the Bhandarkar Oriental R. Institute, Poona, No. 432 of 1899-1915; and another & transcript of a ms. No. 683/4681 from The Tanjore Sarasvati Mahāl Library, Tanjore. The latter is wanting in some portion at the beginning. 7 * .
For Private & Personal Use Only
Jain Education International
www.jainelibrary.org
