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INTRODUCTION
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corresponding to the description of Dvārakā (s. iii. 33 etc.), we have here (K. ii. 39 etc.) the description of Mathurā put in the mouth of Krsna ; announcement of the morning by the bards (S. xi. 1 & K. iii. 2); and lastly just as Bhīşma praises and narrates the various events from Kışņa's life in s. xiv, so also Akrūra is doing here in K. iv. Not only that there are common or parallel ideas, but some of them are expressed in similar words : $. ii. 13 & K. i. 14 ; S. i. 31 & K. i. 15 ; S. xvi. 35 & K. i. 29 : S. xv. 17 & K. i. 40; $. xiv. 64, xx. 79 & K. ii. 9; , iï. 79 & K. ii. 47 ; S. viii. 14 & K. ii. 5 K. ii. 50 ; S. xi. 24 & K "ii. 5 ; Š. xi. 49 & K. iii. 15; $. xi. 55 & K. iii. 17; S. xi. 43-5 & K. iii. 18 ; etc. In addition to these some other points of similarity might be noted as well. Ś. begins with the phrase sriyah palim and K. with siñia ņāho, and the titles of both works are of the same pattern. Though it is not a good criterion of parallelism, especially when the Sanskrit vocabulary is almost oceanic and the literature sufficiently extensive, still one must say that Rāma Pāṇivāda has much in common with the vocabulary and the turns of expression met with ... Siśupālavadha. In the description of the town and the songs of the bards many ideas and words are common. Des pite many points of agreement, it is really creditable that Rama Pāṇivāda is not a slavish and mechanical imitator. One feels that Māgha is being followed, but Rāma Pāṇivāda has everywhere his touch of variety, if not speciality. I feel that it is not a case of a novice imitating and reproducing. Rāma Pāṇivāda has so thoroughly mastered śiśupālavadha that ideas and expressions from Māgha are being echoed in this work without any special or intentional effort on the part of our author. This is not impossible when we remember that our old Panditas committed to memory not only Amarakośa but also Raghuvarśa, Meghadüta, Siśupālavadha etc.
Any one who is acquainted with the classical poems like
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