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INTRODUCTION
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by Ratnaprabha who gives at the most a few adjectives and similes to suit the idiom. The Km has a few paragraphs for describing Madhyadeśa and Vinītā (S$ 13-17); some descriptions seem to be put together for stylistic effect; they are detachable partly or wholly, without much loss to the narration; and they are richly embellished with sleşa and parisamkhyā. The Kmk, however, has just some sentences rounded with a few verses with slesa (*3.1-18). Likewise Ratnaprabha gives the description of the river Narmadā in four lines (*52.36-39), but in Km nearly a full page (121) is occupied with what may be called alternative
ches of description of a river. Uddyotana's elaborate description of Vijayāpurī (referring to such details as buildings, talks in the street, schools of study, gossips in Boys' hostels, conversation of merchants from different parts of the country, traders' dialogues, a mad elephant running amuck etc., 149.20-154.24) is covered in kmk in half a page (61.13-30). Ratnaprabha has stood the temptation of describing the Saudharma-vimāna (92.12 f. & *39.55), though he has devoted nearly a page for the details of the Samavasaraņa (*41). In such descriptions the Kmk does inherit some words, ideas, similes etc., but these are well digested and expressed effectively to suit the Sanskrit idiom.
Ratnaprabha's verse-for-verse renderings (for instance, 10.17 & *4.14) are quite catching. Often Uddyotana heightens curiosity and skilfully pushes the reader into entertaining and interesting contexts, while Ratnaprabha goes on narrating the story in a likable manner (cf. 28.20 f. & *10.7 f.). Ratnaprabha effectively summarises the elaborations of Km (31.3 ff. & *11.7 f., this being the description of Kausāmbī). What are series of simple narrative sentences in Prākrit become, at times, gerundive clauses in the Sanskrit style which is more terse and compressed (for instance, 62.17 f. & *20.26 f.). Even in narrative contexts, in some places, the Prākrit text is closely followed by Ratnaprabha (10.18 & *4.15, 17.4 f. & *7.23 f., 23.12 & *9.11 f., 27.28 & *10.2, 31.1 & *11.5-6, 51.19 & *16.3, 63.5 & *21.2, 77.32 & *28.15 etc.). In a few cases, even conversational contexts which heighten the effect of narration are closely followed by Ratnaprabha (cf. 10,24 f. with *4.21 f.). Some of the catching conversations (53.18 f. & 17.1 f.), a number of descriptions in Apabhramba (for instance, 8.18 f. & *6.24), talks in Mid-Indian colloquial and Paiśācī (for instance, 55.12 f. & *17.31, 71.9 f. & *24.17 f.), interesting situations (14.24 & *6.24 f.) and informative details and contexts (16.17 f. & *7.16, 23.21 f. & *9.17 f., 129.4 f. & *55.36 f.). of the Prākrit original are not allowed in kmk to subordinate the narration of the story. Sometimes Ratnaprabha has his independent ideas (17.20 & *7.28 f., 54.3 & *17.12 f., 74.18 & *26.20 f.). Though such contexts are rare, they testify to Ratnaprabha's poetic talents and literary training (see also his description of Bhrgukaccha, *42.36). He has a classical touch about his descriptions as against the homely and rural affectations of the Prākrit original (51.32 ff. & *16.9 f.). Now and then, he catches the style of short sentences in quick succession so often used in the Prākrit original (119.10 f. & *52.6). Thus in Kmk the story element, the current of narration, neat spicing of expression and embellished ideas are mainly attended to. Ratnaprabha's narration is less distracted by digressions, descriptions, religious details, language puns, jocular contexts, subordinate episodes and poetic flourishes than in Km.
, Interest: quial and Apabhra Catching
contexts
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