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INTRODUCTION
39
ges other than Sanskrit. He must be aware of works like the Brhatkathā in Paiśāci (-Prakrit). He, however, recognises three languages, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhrarnsa, for literary composition. The language of earlier compositions like the Brhatkathā, Vasudevahindi etc. could be called Prākrit; but as yet we are not aware of any Kathās in Apabhramsa prose.
Rudrata's recognition of Katha in verse in any language other than Sanskrit, one can easily believe, presupposes Präkrit Kathās of the prototype of Līlāvati. And it will be seen that this Līlāvati admirably and suitably fulfils all the requirements of a Kath, as noted by Rudrata. In gāthās, 1-11, we have salutations etc. to devas; then there is a discourse on sajjana and durjana, then there is a succinct account of the poet's family; thereafter we are told how the poet's beloved requested him to compose a story pleasing to womenfolk; then follows a description of th melodious prose; Sātavähana's conversation with Candralekha reminds him of his military mission against Silāmegha, and soon we are introduced to the main story; winning of Lilāvati by Sātavāhana is the chief theme, and the predominant sentiment in the poem is that of love; and the story is composed in (Māhārāsţri) Prākrit and mostly in găthās. Further, as expected by Bhāmaha in the case of Kathā, this Līlāvati has no division of ucсhvāsa: in fact, it is one continuous poem with no pauses o sections; and the story is narrated not by the hero but by others. Thus this Lilāvati fundamentally conforms to the poetician's description of Kathā, and the author himself has rightly called it so.
The major bulk of this poem consists of gāthās (1352 in all the MSS. put together); and there are only five verses in other metres (No. 12 Vamsastha, 24 and 668 Sārdülavikridita, 607 Galitaka (?) and 1170 Prthvi). There is a long prose passage (between Nos. 49 and 50); there are a few sentences (between 23 & 24, 31 & 32 and 1304 & 1305); and there are some detached words to introduce certain verses (atthi 44, avi ya 49, 348 & 1081, ahavā 13, etthamtarammi 120, kim jaha 138, jahä 732, jam tań 240, tao 1171 and tāva ya 1170). The form of the Lilâvati has its speciality. It is one continuous composition without the subject matter being divided into any sections like the Lambhaka, Parvan, Kānda, Samdhi, Sarga, Aśvāsa, Ucchvása, Pariccheda, Prastăva, Bhava etc. These terms have
1 Kavyadarśa 36: 3 procent: Fletaqxana 9: 1 TIÊT a darpaquistarian
Perhaps he has in view those observations of Patañjali in his Mahābhāsya
I, p. 5, 21 f. 2 That is perhaps a kathāntara.
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