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Prakrit and Apabhramśa Studies
17. Thus from these references it clearly follows that Sātavāhana's Dhavala songs were very famous and were considered quite typical.22 Though both Svayambhū and Hemacandra treat, and the latter also illustrates, separately Dhavala as an Apabhramsa metre, this need not necessarily imply that Sātavāhana's Dhavalas were in Apabhramśa. Many of the typically Apabbramsa metres were also used for composing in Prakrit, and at times even in Sanskrit. 23
Sātavāhana's Dhavalas must have been short lyrics having eight, six or four lines describing some eminent person under the guise of a dhavala (i.e. a white bull of the best breed). In other words they must have been Dhavalānyokti-s, a few examples of which we come across in some Apabhramsa works. For example, we, have seven Dhavalānyokti-s in the seven Gathās of the Jarnbüsümicariu of Víra (VII. 6) (composed in 1020 A.D.).24 Again among the illustrations cited by Hemacandra in the Apabhraíša section of the Siddhahema we find two Dhavalānyokti-s (VIII. iv. 340/2; 421), one of which (iy 340/2) is clearly based on Jainbūsāmicariu VII. 6, lines 26-27. Although these stanzas are either in Gāthā or Dohā metre, while the Dhavalas defined by Hemacandra and Svayambhū have altogether different metrical structures, still the former were also called Dhavalas, as both the above-named metrical authorities make it clear that besides the songs of specific metrical forms, other songs also in metres like Utsāha, Helā, Vedana etc. were also called Dhavalas, if they described the hero under the guise of a dhavalu. 25 This second category of Dhavalas was named after their metre, e.g. Utsāhadhavala. Helādhavala etc. We cannot say whether Sātavāhana had also written Dhavalas coming under this second category.
18. Hemacandra's Desināmamālā has recorded several names by which Hāla-Sātavāhana was known to the tradition :26 Kuntala (DN. II. 36), Pūsa (VI. 80) and Cauraciṁdha (III. 7). There has been a persistent tradition taking Sātavāhana as a king of the Kuntala country with his capital at Pratișthāna. But from the following reference in the Kāmasūtra of Vātsyāyana it appears that
