Gaudavaho

Author(s): Vakpatiraj, Narhari Govind Suru, P L Vaidya, A N Upadhye, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 84

(Lxvii)
Among his predecessors and contemporary writers, Vākpatirāja mentions Bhāsa-Jvalanamitra, Kuntideva, Raghukāra, Subandhu and Haricandra ( Harianda ). The epithet Jvalanamitra for Bhāsa, according to Dr. Winternitz, is quite appropriate. “The33 appearance of Agni in human form, as also the mention and the description of conflagrations and fires in a number of his Plays are sufficient to justify this epithet”. No information is available about Kuntideva, who remains an unknown figure. Raghukāra is, of course, Kālidāsa, the author of Raghuvamsa, a Mahākāvya, which Vākpatirāja has drawn upon for the description of his King's Digvijaya and of the desolation of his enemies' cities. The epithet 'Raghukāra' for Kālidāsa appears to have been popular in those days, as can be seen from the following verse in Sadukti-Karnāmsta :
सुबन्धौ भक्तिर्नः क इह रघुकारे न रमते धृतिर्दाक्षीपुत्रे हरति हरिचन्द्रोऽपि हृदयम् । विशुद्धोक्तिः सूरः प्रकृतिमधुरा भारविगिर
स्तथाप्यन्तर्मोदं कमपि भवभूतिर्वितनुते ॥ Who is this Haricandra ( Harianda ), who was such a great delight to Vākpatirāja and who has been mentioned as the captivator of hearts' in the verse, quoted above? In the Harşacarita, Bāna mentions one Bhattāra Haricandra34 " whose prose-coniposition stands 33. See 'Bhāsa, a study' by Pusalkar P. 44.
Also note the following verse, attributed to Rājasekhara in Sūktimuktāvali :भासनाटकचक्रेऽपि छेकैः क्षिप्ते परीक्षितुम् ।
स्वप्नवासवदत्तस्य दाहकोऽभून्न पावकः ।। 34. qaputcast and Faxaferra: 1 भट्टारहरिचन्द्रस्य गद्य बन्धो नृपायते ॥
arafta 1.4