Lilavaikaha

Author(s): K R Chandra, Ramniklal M Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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his father's treasury! Vīravāhana, therefore, cannot be Malayānila. The author does not say how the necklace came to him. Except for this instance, however, the plot construction is flawless, justifying the claim of the author that the story has a welljointed' plot.
The smooth flow of the narration in Llāvai is hampered at several places by rather long descriptions of different kinds. Mountains, mythical and real, the ocean, the sunrise and sunset, the cities and the countryside, the temples and groves are all described with great gusto. Physical beauty of persons is described in detail (cf. Līlāvati : 763-77). Moods of characters in different situations are described so as to arouse different sentiments( cf. Mahānumati's love at first sight; 393-403, Vasantasri's depression after Ganesā's curse 305-20) Certain events and episodes are - also described in minute detail. Descriptions of Ganesa's dance (246-91), king Sālāhana's rising in his durbar (116-25), the march of his army (1103-16), the swing-ride enjoyed by girls on Malaya mountain (378-93) are excellent examples of the poet's keen observation resulting in beautiful pen-portraits. Descriptions of nature are mostly conventional. They follow their Sanskrit proto-types and some of them are fantastic. At times the poet loses his sense of propriety, as, for example, when he sees the sun setting on the western mountain and at the seashore at the same time ! (439-41) But the imagery in these descriptions is quite striking, although the attempts to vie with the Sanskrit masters are apparent. Most of the descriptions abound in figures of speech like svega, 3991, gigg1, 97, afaga fəa, faitware etc. The richness of such stuff in Lilāvai indicates that it belonged to the age of decadence in Sanskrit and Prakrit poetry.
In characterization, Lilavai is a partial success. While all other major and minor characters are deftly delineated, the hero and the heroine are not so convincing. The hero, king Sālāhaņa is the historical-mythical ruler of Pratisthāna. He has all the conventional qualities of a Dhiralalita Nayaka. He is interested in pleasures of life like Apāna-carcari, courtezan Candralekhā, a hunting expedition and poet-companions. He sends spies and