Gathasaptashati

Author(s): Nathuram Shastri
Publisher: Pandurang Javji

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FOREWORD.
The following pages embody, the text of "Sanskrit Gatla Saptashati” with a new commentary, entitled “Vyangya Sarvankasha” in Sanskrit by Bhatta Mathura Nath Shastri of Jaipur. The text of the work is a free Sapskrit rendering, in metrical form, of the original Prakrit verses attributed to the great royal poet Hala or Satvahana of the Andhra dynasty. The present edition comprises the Prakrit Gathas of Hala, a literal Sanskrit translation, a free metrical version in Sanskrit and a new Sanskrit commentary.
The Gatha Saptashati is an anthology in Maharashtri Prakrit of above 700 erotic verses in the Ary: metre and occupies a unique place, as a lyrical poem, in the History of Sanskrit Poetry. The compilation was made by King Hala and contains a number of verses of his own, but the groater portion of the work represents the labour of other lyrical poets of the age, the names of some having been mentioned (with doubtful accuracy in several cases) in subsequent commentaries. Almost all the verses however are equally sweet, graceful, fresh, and vivid.
The popularity of the work may be inferred from the fact of its having been widely commented upon. So far as our present knowledge goes there were no less than eighteen commentaries on the work, some of which were really good and useful. The present commentary by Pandit Mathura Nath is an addition to this number, but a wel-come addition. Coming from the pen of a scholar, who is himself a poet of great eminence, it is naturally free as much from the rigidity as from the looseness and slip-shod character which we have come to associate with the ordinary commentaries on poetical works in Sanskrit. Written in an elegant and flowing style it has tried to keep in view, when interpreting the text, the requirements of artistic and asthetical sense. And it may be hoped that this will be found to be greatly helpful in the appreciation of the poetical flavour of the original verses. Government Sanskrit ) SA. GOPINATH KAVIRAJ, M. A College, BENARES.
Principal.