MIA Miscellany

Author(s): H C Bhayani
Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf and Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf and Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf

Page 6

Vol. II-1996
MIA, Miscellany
23
connection, it is to be noted that Anandavardhana, while pointing out how there are endless literary modes of expressing a theme (ukti-vaicitrya), mentions one that is based on a particular language or dialect and illustrates this with the following verse composed by himself :
महु महु इत्ति भणंतहो, वच्चेइ कालु जणस्सु ।
तो-वि ण देउप्पणद्दणउ, गोअरिहोइ मणस्सु ॥ Now, the language of the verse is standard Apabhramsa, but in Abhinavagupta's ‘Locana', the language is designated as Saindhavabhäşa, 'the dialect of Sindhudeśa'. If we put these points together, it seems probable that, in the performance of some dramatic works, when the Saindhava Lāsyāngya was employed, the language of the song text was, sometimes at least, Apabhramśa. 5. THE ILLUSTRATION OF UTTHAKKA CITED IN THE SVAYAMBHŪCCHANDAS The eighth chapter (but really the 14th if we include the Pūrvabhāga portion) of the Svayambhucchandas, called 'Utthakādayah (i.e. Treatment of Utthakka and other metres) opens with the definition as illustration of the metre Utthakka. It is defined as follows:
जइ तिणि होति पादावसाण, जमआ-वि होति पादावसाण ।
उत्थक्क होई तउ तुहुँ-विजाण, पाआण ताण xx तहुं विजाण ॥ (The last line is defective) 'If each line has three pa-ganas and ends with a da-gana, and if the yamaka occurs, you know it to be the metre Utthakka— x!' This is illustrated there with the following verse :
धअटु-णरिंदूसासणेण, विसमेण सुटू दूसासणेण ।
जई मई ण भग्गु दूसासणेण, तो पहेण जामि दूसासणेण ॥ (मह in the printed text is corrected as मई) 'If I, Duhśāsana, who is a life-breath of the emperor Dhrtarastra, who is difficult to deal with and is highly uncontrollable, does not force (the opponent) to flee, I may pass away by the path ruled by evil.' Now, this citation, given anonymously by Svayambhū, can be identified from his epic poem Ritthanemicariya (or Harivarsapurana) as 5.,5,4 / 5-6 : In the MSS. the lines 2 and 3 are exchanged. These words are spoken by Duhśāśana who takes up the challenge to confront and defeat Abhimanyu. The latter has broken through and entered the Cakravyuha and he is inflicting defeat after defeat on all the top seasoned Kuru warriors.
This identification has several important implications: (1) This confirms that the Svayambhücchandas was written after the Ritthanemicariya : (2) The anonymous