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A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
story-literature or kahas were of three types, viz. dhamma, attha, and kama.1 The dhammakahas included the tradition of the carita-kavyas which were usually written to eulogise the lifehistory of some religious hero or saint. The Vasudevacariya and Cedagakaha have been cited as the examples of the dhammakahas.2 Among the literature dealing with attha, Atthasattha has been mentioned, which seems to be the same as the Arthasastra of Kautilya. The works like Arghakadat were of great importance from the materialistic point of view, since they revealed proper time for venturing into trading or commercial enterprises.
The literature on erotics (kama-kaha) was variously known as siṁgarakaha,' simgðrakavva, chaliya-kavva" etc. Setu8 and Itthivannaga' have been cited as examples of such literature. Setu should be the same as Setubandha, 1. the Prakrit poem of Pravarasena, perhaps composed in late 6th century A. D.11
The various forms of classical literature like the kaha ( katha ), akhatiya ( akkhyāyika ) and akkhanaga ( akhyanaka )
1. FACETHE T 3Tourant fa freeri1_NC. 4, p. 26, also pp. 251, 253, 399. 2. a qafuanifest371_NC. 4, p. 26; NC. 3, p. 251; also Bih. V1.3,
p. 722. 3. seria" Per tal –NC. 3, p. 399. 4. NC. 4, p. 400. 5. Hreat TTTTTTTI FENTET op gehNC. 3, p. 253. 6. afin fotos a fiftieho qark-NC. 3, p. 251. 7. fic feft, first foutile 46Fel ?-Ibid., p. 399. 8. afh quot That grattaat-NC. 4, p. 26. 9. glaset ATITET ceftquure-NC. 3, p. 399. 10. Setubandha is attributed to Kalidāsa by certain scholars (sec-ed.
and trans. ty S. Goldschmieth, 1880-4 ), but according to later theory, it is to be excluded from the works of Kālidāsa because of the difference in its style (Kieth, History of Sanskrit Literature, p. 97 ). Bāna in the beginning of Harsacarita refers to the pocm of Pravara
sena, which must be the same as Setubandha (Kieth, op. cit., p. 316 ). 11. Stein, Rajatarangini, 1. 66, 84; also Kieth, op. cit., p. 97.
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