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DHURTAKHYANA:
made up of conversation with casual descriptions, there is a Preamble (I. 1-16) which introduces the rogues, their stipulation and their agreement, besides the opening mangala; and there is also a Conclusion (V. 111f.) which summarily denounces some of the legends, besides giving the author's conclusion, aim and personal details.
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The improbable and fantastic tales narrated by the rogues as a part of their experience, are consistent and compact units. Even the elements of exaggeration are quite in keeping with medieval tales. If they were not followed by any legendary confirmation, they could be easily passed off as amusing and adventurous tales, quite innocent in their constitution. But when the author holds them up side by side with the Puranic legends, their sarcastic potency becomes at once apparent. The tales by themselves speak highly for the skilful inventiveness of Haribhadra. As they stand, I think, they aro composed by Haribhadra himself, keeping in view the Puranic legends to be denounced. The stories thus are his creation; but quite well-known in Indian literature are some of their motifa: namely, a wild elephant pursuing a traveller; people holding a fair in honour of a Yakşa; a robber-party attacking a caravan; an ambitious youth pursuing the mirage of metallic transmutation by procuring some juice from an inaccessible pond; etc. It is the use of these motifs that at once lends a popular air and a sort of reality to the tales of rogues. The first four stories illustrate the author's ingenuity as also the richness of his imagination, whereas the story of Khandapänä shows his wit and fund of worldly wisdom.
Haribhadra has a special fascination for popular stories of humorous and satirical style. Some of thema in Prakrit he quotes in his commentary on the Dadavaikälikasūtra. In one we have a group of Karpatikas; they begin narrating their fantastical experiences; but a rational Sravaka tries to expose the weakness in the narration. In another context he quotes a fine dilemmatic short story which reminds us of the dilemma of Khandapänä In a certain town there was a Parivräjaka who roamed about with a golden bowl declaring that he would give it to one who narrated to him an unheard event. Śrävaka addressed him thus, Your father owed to my father one hundred thousand coins: if you know this already, please return the amount; but if you do not know it, please give the golden bowl as declared by you.' He also quotes
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1 Sri Daśavaikalikasutram with Haribhadra's commentary, Bombay 1918, pp. 54, 56 f. कापडिया मिलिया भगति मे भवे किनि अच्छेरियं दि तत्व एगो कहिगो नगर गए दिट्ठति । जइ पुण पत्थ समणोवासभ नत्थि तो साहेमि । तओ सेसेहिं भणियं । णत्थित्थ समणोवासओ । पच्छा सो भणइ । मए हिंडतेणं पुब्ववेयालीए समुद्दस्त तडे रुक्खो मद्दश्महंतो दिट्ठो । तस्सेगा साहा समुद्दे पइडिया एगा य थले । तत्थ आणि पचाणि जले पति ताणि जलचराणि सत्ताणि हवंति। जाणते ताणि चराणि इति ते कप्पडिया भति । अहो अच्छेरयं देवेण भट्ठारएण णिम्मियं ति । तत्थेगो सावगो कप्पडिओ । सो भणर। जाणि अद्धमज्झे पडंति ताण किं हवंति । ताहे सो खुद्धो भणइ । मया पुव्वं चेव भणियं । जइ सावओ नत्थि तो कहेमि । PP. 54-5.
3 एगम्मि नगरे एगो परिव्वायगो सोवण्णरण खोरपण तहिं हिंडइ । सो भणइ । जो मम असुयं सुणावेह तस्स एयं देमि सोरमं तत्थ एते सानो रोग भणिदं इन्सपिया गम पधारे सदसहर
पुष्पं दिख
अनसूयं खोरयं देहि ॥
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