Book Title: Mruccha Katikam
Author(s): Sudraka, Prithvidhara, Hiranand Mulraja Sarma, Kashinath Pandurang Parab
Publisher: Tukaram Javaji
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PREFACE.
vi
'The Msicchakatika does not seem to be composed according
to the injunctions of the rhetoricians known Some facts indicative of the at present for it does not give pre-eminence antiquity of the to Rasa.* Besides it is quoted by them piece.
though not copiously possibly because it does not supply proper illustrations.t
The style of this play is simple, unartificial and free from rhetorical devices with which other similar works teem. Such a simplicity cannot be attributed to any Rîti or school.I No school prevents a kavi from ornamenting his literary work with Dhvani at least.
Various Prakritic dialects used in the piece are free from artificialities noticeable in those of other dramatists. Their evidence is not invalidated by the mere statement of Prof. Levi that the older Prakrit-Grammarians take no notice of them. Their works have no pretensions to comprehensiveness. They treat of those words which have regular formation and are well-known.T
The accurate mention of the Bauddha rites and the flourishing condition of Buddhism, indicated by the recom
__* न हि कवेरितिवृत्तमात्रनिर्वहणेन किंचित् प्रयोजन कविना प्रबन्धमुपनिबनता सर्वाTHAT THE SOT aface-Dhvanyâloka p. 148. also cf. arifti THTH* Fri—Sâhityadarpaņa.
† Vâmana--pp. 54-5,57—Bhojadeva--Sarasvatikanthâbharana p. 375, Dhanika”-pp. 41, 63, 83, 127.–Vis'vapâthâ--Sâhityadarpaņa p. 36, 46, 158, 191–Vardhamâna-Gaņaratnamahodadhi pp. 8, 102, 233. Mammața-Kâvyaprakâs'a.
1 Prof. Levi and Böhtlingk ascribe this simplicity to some school to which the author of the play-in theif opinion-belonged.
$ Cf. Cut Tecret aryunanista ga: maria-Mamnata; quilti: 71custardi, -Halafatear saia:-Ânandavardhana. etc.
| Cf. 'जे लक्खणेण सिद्धा णपसिद्धा सक्कयाहिहाणेसु । णय गउण लक्खणासत्तिसंभवा ते इहणिवद्धा ॥ देसविसेसपसिद्धीए भण्णमाणा अणन्तया हुन्ति । तं झा अणाइ 91587 Tire HTAT Pawan.? Hemachandra Des'inâmamâla pp. 2–3.
Also cf. F* ratugat: Fifat:' etc. Patañjali Mahâbhâshya pp. 11-12
