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VASTUPALA
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Naranarayananda, which describes the friendship of Arjuna and Krishna, their rambles on Mount Girnar and the consequent abduction of Subhadra by Arjuna is a composition of great literary merit. The genius of the poet shines forth with all its brilliancy and lustre as he depicts with consummate skill the great works of nature and art and the various passions of the human mind. The new poem was hailed by the poetic world with great delight and won for him the praise and admiration of his learned contemporaries. Vastupala being a man of opulence and position, men of letters found in him a generous patron and descerning friend. Someshvara, 1 Arisinha and many others enjoyed his patronage and shared in his bounty. Being himself a poet, he could appreciate and enjoy good poetry. It was solely due to this circumstance that in spite of the jealousy of Someshvara, Harihara was received with great honour at the court of Dholka. He not only himself cultivated the divine muse but also persuaded others to follow his example. At his request, Narachandra-suri composed the Katharatnasagara while his pupil Narendraprabha wrote the Alankaramahodadhi. Another author named Udayaprabha composed the Dharmabhyudaya in his honour. He founded at least three big libraries at an enormous cost and spared no pains in enriching them with good manuscripts. 2
Viradhavala died in A.D. 12393_six years after his father's retirement from the business of the government. Each and every body regretted his death and went into mourning. So great was the devotion of his followers that one hundred and twenty of them preferred to share the funeral pyre with him.
1. He composed his Kirtikaumudi in honour of Vastupala while Arisingh immortalised his patron in his Sukritasanak irtana. Vide-also B. R. 1904-5 and 1905-6, pp. 14-24.
2. Dalal and Shastry, Naranarayananda, introd.; Ratnamandira, Upadesha tarangini.
3. Bhandarkar is inclined to place his death in about Vik. Sam. 1292. Vide Duff, Chronology of India p. 185; Rhandarkar, History of Deccan (Bom. Gaz. I, II, 243.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
