Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 23
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 228
________________ 216 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [AUGUST, 1894. whom he assisted in the battle of Buxar. He obtained from the emperor Shah Alam, the title of Râjâ Bahadur, and the dignity of mansabdár of 3,000. Samêru Simha was succeeded by his brother Damara Simha, who was succeeded by his son Aurada(?) Simha. Jas'want Singh was son of this last, but did not succeed to the title, which was secured by his brother Pitam Singh.3 His name is still well known locally, as the builder of a large stone temple to Annapůrna Dêvi, und of other memorials still existing. He died in the year 1815. He is said to have been learned hoth in Sanskrit and Persian. He wrote a Nayaka-bheda, or Classification of Heroes, entitled the Singara-siromani, and a treatise on Veterinary Surgery called Salihotra. The work, however, on which his reputation rests, is the Bhasha-bhashana, which has great authority. It has had numerous commentators, the best known of whom is Maharaja Ranadhira Simha, Sir'maur, of Sing'ra Maû, who wrote the Bhúshana-Kaumudi; which I have referred to throughout in editing the text. The Bhúshá-bhúshana deserves its reputation. It is a miracle of compactness. Its author contrives, generally most successfully, to contain the definition of each rhetorical figure, together with an example, within the limits of a single dóha. At the same time, the language is usually remarkably simple, and the style pleasing. Now and then, the necessity of compactness has made him obscure, and the available commentaries have, as is frequent in such cases, eluded the difficulty. I have therefore consulted the Sahitya-darpana throughout, giving references in every instance to the corresponding verse in the English translation of that work. I have, moreover, as a rule, adopted the renderings of technical terms given in that translation, and have followed its language as much as possible. I have also consulted other modern works on Rhetoric, more especially, the Rasika-mohana of Raghunatha-bhatta (f. 1745 A. D.), the Bharat-bhúshana of the celebrated Giridhara-desa (fl. 1875 A. D.), and the Padmábharana of the equally celebrated Padmakara-bhatta (f. 1815 A. D.). It will be seen that I have quoted these authors frequently, especially when the Bháshá-bhúshana deals with subjects not touched upon by the Sahitya-darpana. In preparing the text, I have had in mind the requirements of European Sanskrit scholars, and when a word admitted of several spellings, I have given the form which nearest approaches the Sanskrit original. I do not anticipate that, with the aid of the translation, any difficulty will be found in understanding the text by any person who knows Sanskṣit and Prakrit. The work is divided into five lectures. The first is merely introductory. The second deals with Heroes and Heroines. Their classification is carried out to a minuteness even greater than that of the Dasarúpa, or its follower the Sáhitya-darpaņa. The third deals with the various essentials of a poem, - the flavours, the emotions and the various modes of their expression, the essential and enhancing excitants, their accessories and ensuants. Then follows the fourth lecture, the main portion of the work, in which the various rhetorical ornaments of sense, the simile, metaphor, and so forth are defined and illustrated. The fifth lecture deals with verbal ornaments, - alliteration and the like. Where the text was wanting, I have, so far as my knowledge extends, supplied omissions, printing them within square brackets. So also all annotations and remarks, for which I am responsible, and which do not form part of the text, are enclosed between these signs. In transliterating, I have followed the system used by the Indian Antiquary, except that I represent anundsika by a dot (an inverted period) after the vowel nasalized; thus aira bhá ti. ATHA MANGALACHARANA-NAMA PRATHAMAH PRAKASALI LECTURE I. Introductory Invocation. Text. Vighna-harana tuma hau sada Ganapati hőhu sahái Binali, kara jóri, harau dijai* grantha bandi || 1 11 These names being partially Prakrit, I spell the tribe namo Singh and not Simha.

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