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INTRODUCTION
29
of composing PC. Svayambhū had already earned the title of Kavirāja. Such an eminent literary status could be won only when one has got several important poetical works to his credit. So before PC., Svayambhū must have composed at least two, possibly more, poetical works. Were the Siri-pañcami-kaha and The Suddhaya cariya written before PC.? We have no means to ascertain this or to decide whether there was any other work or works of Svayambhū over and above these two written before PC.
The Prasasti stanza 4 given in Appendix I, tells us that the intoxicated elephant in the form of Apabhraṁsa roams at will only so long as the goad in the form of Svayambhū's grammar does not strike on its head. Further stanza 5 given there states: Victerious be the Svayambhū-lion, having correct words as his terrible fangs, fierce to look at on account of claws in the form of metres and figures, and having grammar as his wealth of main. On the strength of these stanzas Jain and Premi suppose that Svayambhū had also written a grammar, possibly an Apabhrmsa grammar. Jain is even inclined to credit him with the authorship of a work on rhetorics and another on lexicography. But the references are too general and vague to permit even any tentative conclusions in this matter. They may be nothing more than tributes paid to Svayambhū for his proficiency in various sästras like Vyakarana, Alamkāra, Koša etc., that is evident from his poetic works. Tribhuvana describes himself also metaphorically as a choice bull (dhavala) having grammar as his strong shoulders, scriptures as limbs, logic as his terrible feet and carrying the load of poetry to the Jina-Tirtha.
The other references to Svayambhu's grammar and rhetorics pointed out by Jain are admittedly of a mythological or doubtful character and hence without any probative value.
strength written 73 credit hexicograpang tentat
for his prohey may be permit evenaphy. But inship of a nar., Jain
t from his Sastras like ributes paid fusions in this
Sva y a mbhū's achievements.
Svayambhū should be counted among those fortunate writers who achieved during their life-time recognition and literary fame that was amplified by subsequent generations. He was well-known as Kaviraja during his times and his son Tribhuvana never tires of speaking in glowing terms about his father. The Praśasti stanzas found in the beginning and end of some MSS. of PC., are most probably by Tribhuvana and they obviously give expression to the contemporary literary appraisal of Svayambhū. His name was spoken along with Caturmukha and Bhadra (or Dantibhandra). celebrated names in the field of Apabhramsa letters. He is even said to have excelled them. Especially Svayambhu's description of watersports (ialakrida) in PC. (Sandhi 14) was acknowledged as a masterpiece worth mentioning along side the Gograha-kathā of Caturmukha and the Matsyavedha of Bhadra. Whether you talk of the beauty of ideas or of expressions, whether you weigh knowledge of rhetorics, proficiency in Ap. grammar or skill in handling varied metres, Svayambhū is recognised as an all-round mater.
That the encomiums showered upon his father by Tribhuvana were not merely an expression of filial affection is borne out by the appreciations of many later poets and authors who are never sparing in their praise of Svayambhū. Puşpadanta, who along with Caturmukha and Svayambhū constitutes the big trio of Apabhraíśa
(1) Jain, 1936, 74-75; 1946, 113; Premi, 1912, 385-86. (2) Appendix I, stanza 34. (3) Appendix I, stanzas 1-6.
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