Indian Antiquary Vol 53

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

Page 16

10
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ JANUARY, 1924
namely Kumaragupta, Skandagupta and Baladitya, and the interesting half-verse quoted by Vâmana was taken from some lost Guptavamsamaha kavya, in which the name of Vasubandhu is directly mentioned, or which was composed by Vasubandhu himself, to congratulate Kumaragupta on his accession to the throne, as the word "samprati," in the verse shows; and he gives expression to the hope that the work may be discovered one of these days and shed fresh light upon Gupta history.
Again Mah. H. P. Sastri (ante, Vol. XLI, 1912, p. 15) writes that his study of Subandhu's Vasavadattá, added weight to his belief that the reading Subandhu in Vâmana's hemistich is correct. Subandhu appears, according to him, to mention Chandraprakasa in his work in the slista form of the word Himakarôdyôta in the fifth verse. (Himakarôdyotaand Chandraprakasa mean the same thing.) He reiterates the belief that Chandraprakása is a proper name. In the sixth verse Subandhu is very bitter against Khalas, the wicked, who are more wicked than serpents. In the seventh he compares the wicked with owls. In the eighth he is again hard on the wicked. The word Sasiruk in this verse again means Chandraprakasa, and he complains that the commentator who did not know history does not note the point.
The tenth verse is well known throughout India, and is in the mouth of every Pandit. It says that, "on the death of Vikramaditya, love of art and poetry are gone." "Upstarts are flourishing and everybody's hand is on his neighbour's throat." "What does this mean," he questions, "unless it means a revolution, in which the author did not fare well on the death of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. Read the hemistich with the prefatory verses of Vasavadatta3 and the inference is irresistible that the changes of the times were ruinous to Subandhu and his party."
Simultaneously with Mah. H. P. Sastri, Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar (ante, Vol. XLI, 1912, pp. 1 and 2) gave it as his opinion that Vasubandhu represents the original reading. His conclusion will best be expressed in his own words. "All things considered, Govindagupta appears to be the Chandraguptanaya (son of Chandragupta) alluded in the verse quoted by Vamana, and also the Balâditya, son of Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II), mentioned by Paramartha." Govindagupta Balâditya has to be placed, according to him, between A.D. 411 and 414. He says that Balâditya may have been ousted by his brother Kumâragupta, or he might have died a natural death and without an heir.
3 सनयति हिमकर लेखाचकास्ति यस्यो मयोत्कया निहिता । waendremafaggat magfufta || 4 ||
भवति सुभगत्वमधिकं विस्तारित परगुण सुननस्य । वहति विकासित कुमुदो द्विदायें हिमकरोद्योतः ॥ 5 ॥ विषधरतोप्यति विषयः खल इति न मृषा वदन्ति विद्वांसः । यदयं द्वेषी सकुद्वेषी पुनः पिशुनः ॥ 6 ॥
मिलने कर्तव्ये भवति नानतीय निपुणा श्रीः । तिमिरेदि कोशिकानां भवानी मनि ॥ 7 ॥ विघ्नस्तपरगुणानां भवतिखलानामतीष मलिनत्वं ।
जनम् ।
अन्तरित शशिरुचामपि सलिलमुचां मलिनियाऽभ्यधिकः ॥ 8 ॥ इस्तभूति मसिनो ययायालयति दर्पण इवतं कुरुते तथा तथा निर्मलच्छायम् ॥ 9 ॥ सारसवत्ता विहवा नवका विलसन्ति चरतिनोकङ्कः । सरसीकीर्तिशेष गतवारी मुषि विक्रमादित्ये ॥ 10 ॥