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DECEMBER, 1902.]
THE SUKRITASAMKIRTANA OF ARISIMHA.
479
the Kavi. asya of the excellent post Arisimba, who, like the full moon, causes the great ocean of the nectar of poetry to swell, on account of extempore composition, I shall comment upon the aphorisms composed partly by me, partly by him." From this it follows, first, that Arisimha wrote a handbook of poetry with the title Kavitárahasya, and, secondly, that the text of the Kavyakalpalaid was written by him and Amarachandra in common.
More is contained in Rajasekhara's Prabandhakosha, in which the thirteenth part is dedicated to the poet Amarachandra. It is narrated there that Amarachandra, pupil of Jinadattasari, received the charm called Siddhasárasvata from an unnamed Kaviraja, i. e., from a man who bore the title poet-prince. Through the proper use of the same, Awarachandra compelled the goddess of eloquence to appear to him, and obtained grace from her to become a perfect poet, honoured by all princes. He then wrote the first and second of the above-named works as well as the Chhandoratnávali, the Súktaratnávalt, the Kaldkaldpa, and later, upon the word,' i. e., at the desire of a patron, the Kaushthágárika Padma, the Sastra called Padmananda. Rajasekhara farther records that Amarachandra, after various adventures, arrived at the court of Visaladeva, king of Dholků, and won his favour. Once, it continues, the king asked him : 'Who is thy teacher in the fine arts P' Amara said: The poet-prince Arisim ha.' Then bring him to me to-morrow morning' answered the king). The following morning Amarachandra led the poet before the king. The king sat leaning on his sword and asked : 'Is this the poet-prince?' He answered: Om. Then the king said: "Recite something suitable to the occasion. Thereupon Arisimha recited four verses in which he praised Visaladeva's sword. The prince was so charmed that he bestowed a permanent appointment and a high salary upon the poet. Soon afterwards the salary was doubled because he sang in a masterly manner of a blade of grass which the king held in his hand.
Like the records of most of the Prabandhas, this one also contains, besides what is undoubtedly correct, much that is not so. In the first place it is true that Amarachandra wrote a work called Padmánanda. Peterson found it and bought it for the Bombay Government (see First Report, p. 126, No. 285). From the extracts given there from the Cambay Library MS., it appears that it bears also the title Jinendracharita and is a Nahá kávya, containing 12 Sargas (cf. also Peterson, loc. cit. p. 58).
The statement, then, that Arisimha was the teacher of Amarachandra in the fine arts agrees with the contents of the above second verse of the Kavyakalpalata. The reverential way in which Amarachandra expresses himself in his verses about Arisimha speaks for the same thing:
I. 45. - "Arisińha, a lion for his elephant-like opponents, composed this work, which, like the glances of the ever-gracions Vastupala, dispenses rivers of neotar."
VIII. 48. — "This work, a flood of beams from the moon of the face of Lavanyasimba's son, which draws off the swarms of bees from those waterlilies, the faces of the unworthy, produces mighty waves in the milk-ocean of fame of the excellent minister and prince Vastapala."
Only a pupil speaking of his teacher, or a client of his patron, would express himself thus.
* See Aufrecht, Catalogus cod. 8. M. Bibl. Bodleians, p. 2104. In the beginning of the second Pada, MS. No. 119 of my colleotion has matyd instead of nutud and I translate accordingly. Compare also Bh&pdArkar, Report on the Search, eto., 1883-84, p. 6.
• The swarms of boos are the admirers, who formerly hnng upon the lips of the bad poets, but now turn to Arisimha,
