Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 72

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(MARCH, 1923
With the rejection of the historical theory of character of the argument from Bina's reference Sudraka we can attain a plausible explanation of to the fame won by Bhasa with plays whose begin the apparent absurdity of the attribution to thenings were performed hy tho silmudhira. It would, king of tho M rechakatika. The author who worked certainly, be a non sequitur to conclude that the up Bhas's play, perhaps left incomplete by its Trivandrum plays are Bhasa's simply bocause writer, may well have thought it possible by the they are begun by the stru-dhara, but this is not device of ascribing the work to Sadraka to secure the argument to be met. The contentionis (1) that for it a measure of attention which would not have by this clecidedly noteworthy fact the plays are beon accorded to it, had it appeared under his true eligible to be considered Bhâsa's; (2) that they name. Nor is it probable that the period between are, takon as a whole, marked by such outstanding the Cdrudalta and the Mrochalaţikd was short, a merit as to indicate as their author a dramatist of mere half century if we are to accept Konow's the highest rank, and therefore accord with Bapa's indentification of the rdjasimhal of Bhasa's playa reference to the winning of fame by them; (3) with Rudrasimha,' the Western Ksatrapa, who one of them, the Svapna-Vasavadatta bears the roigned as Mahakpatrapa from 181-188 and 191-196 same title and clearly dealt with the same incident A.D., falling in the interim to the lower dignity of as did, according to Rajasekhara and doubtless Ksatrapa. This identification wholly lacks plausi- also Vakpati, a play of Bhasa's ; (4) Bhamaha bility, and against it may be set off that of Dr. pays one of these plays, the Pratija yaugandhardBarnett7 who finds in the word an allusion to the yana the same compliment of anonymous criticism Påndy& Tér-Mâran Rajasimha I (c. A.D. 675), an as he does to KAlidâ sa's Meghadata. To ignore indentification which postulatos a decidedly lato these coincidences and to leave us with an anony. date for the Myochakafilea.
mous dramatist of the highest Indian rank is to Mr. Morgenstierne rejects with Prof. Konow demand too much from probability. Moreover, the theory of Dr. Barnett, which denies Bhâsa's the language, style, metre, and the dramatic techni. paternity of the dramas. On the whole it seems que are all most naturally explained by acceptance iinpossible to avoid the conclusion that the ascrip of a date prior to Kalidasa. On the other hand tion to Bhâsa is correct. The arguments adduced Bhisa stands very far from the origins of drama, in support of the escription have, indeed, very which oven in Abvaghoga appears in so highly Varying weight, and against that from the condition developed a condition as to render it impossible to of Bhasa's Prakrit Dr. Barnett has brought a very accept Konow's suggestion 10that the drama need not pertinent consideration in the shape of a reminder be carried back more than a century before his datothat the Southern tradition presents plays like the assumed to be the middle of the sccond century Nagananda in & condition showing Prakrit forms A.D., & conclusion induced in part by an unfortumore archaic than are found in the Northern tradi- nate acceptance of Profossor Lüders' mistaken tion, though he has not completely disposed of the attemptil to reinterpret the evidence of the Mahdevidence. But Dr. Barnett clearly ignores the true bharya, 12
A. BERRIEDALE KEITH.
NOTES AND QUERIES. NOTES FROM OLD FACTORY RECORDS. desires may be transmitted to his Britannick 41. An early Fountain Pen.
Majesty : The same being translated is now brought 31 March 1750. Consultation at Fort St. before the Board.... David. The President produces a letter from the In the Name of God Gracious and mercifull, By Ambassadors advising that on the 27th Instant they the Mercy of the Lord of the Earth, I am in hopes had an Audience of Nazir Jung (Nazir Jang, Gove to have the North under my Possession as that of of the Deccan from 1748, murdered in 1760) and the South is under the Command of my Pen 88 deliver'd him the Present, on which Occasion he far as a Certain Part of the Sea. I received the express'd himself in such friendly terms towards Pen you sent me as a good sign that by the Worke us and the English Nation in general as gives us of the said Pen the remaining comer namely the the greatest reason to hope that all our Requests East and West, may fall under my Command. will be complied with, the rather as he promises By the help of God he that obeys me will attain 'ore long to give us convincing Proofs of his Esteem. his end, he that disobeys me will fall & Proy They incloso a Paper wrote in their presence by to the bloody and revengefull Swords of my bravo Nauzir Jings own Hand with one of the Fountain Soldiers. (Factory Records, Fort St. David, vol. 7, Pens that was an Article of the Present, which helpp. 150, 153).
R. C. TEMPLE. 7 Buft. School Oriental Studies, I, I, 35-38; JRAS., 1921, pp. 687-889. . Besides Lenny, ZDMG., lxxii, 203-208, see W. Printz, Bhdsa's Prakrit (1921). - Soe Sukthankar,“ Studies in Bhâsa" in JAOS., xl and xli; Lindenau, Bhdea-Studien (1918). 10 Das indische Drama, p. 49.
11 SBAW'., 1916, pp. 698 ff. 13 Soe Bull School Oriental Studies, I, iv, 27-32.