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Some Prakrit Poets
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15. Further, from two other references we come to know that Sālāhana had acquired lasting reputation as a composer of a particular type of Prakrit lyrics called Dhavala. In the Apabhramśa section of Hemacandra's metrical treatise, the Chandonuśāsana, we find at the end of the Utsāha subsection the description of a class of metres called Dhavala. Hemacandra defines and illustrates several varieties of the Dhavala. But at the very beginning of his treatment, and just after describing the general form and character of the Dhavala, he remarks that he would be illustrating only a few of the varieties, but for a fuller picture one should consult the utterences' (ukti) of Sātavāhana - dhavalāni Sātavāhanoktișu drstavyäni, digmātrāṁ tūdāharisyate 20
16. What is exactly the meaning of the words 'the ukti-s of Sātavāhana' in Hemacandra's allusion ? Were they some sadıkti-s or sūkti-s composed by Sātavāhana in different varieties of the Dhavala metre or were they possibly his descriptive statements about the same in his metrical treatise ? The required clarification, on this point can be found from a similar statement of the Apabhramśa poet Svayambhū. And it is quite likely that Svayambhū’s remarks, discussed below, was the source of Hemacandra's statement. In his famous manual of Prakrit and Apabhramsa metres, the Svayambhūcchandas, Svavam bhū has described in the last chapter the general metrical organization of some outstanding Apabhramśa literary genres like the Sandhjbandha, the Rāsābandha etc. First he defines different types of Chaddaņiā, Ghattā and Padhadiā which built up the Sandhi, and thereafter he seems to specify the kinds of metres used in the composition of Giti-s which were probably short Prakrit or Apabhramśa lyrics. He refers in this connection to various types of Ghattā, Chaddani and Vidārikā, different from those he had described earlier and adds that over and above these there were various types of Dhavalas such as those composed in quantity by Sātavāhana :-Sülāhaņeņa dhavalāiti jāim viraiaiṁ area is balu-rihāim.21 Here Sālāhaņa i.e. Sātavāhana is said to have composed (riraiais) a number of diverse types of Dhavala songs.
