Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 66

The text of the third
line here seems to be corrupt in few places, but the general meaning is quite clear. The poet says: The Rāmāyaṇa story is not enjoyable because of the sufferings of Sita due to separation. The Bharata story is marred by the constant family feud of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The tale of Suddaya teems with incidents involving gambling dens, Kolis, robbers, police guards and similar low characters. As against these narratives the life-story of Sudamsaṇa cannot be alleged to have a single fault.
Like the author of the Samdeśarāsaka, Nayanandin also bears witness to Suddayacariya being one of the most popular fales, comparable with "The Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahabharata'. It seems to have been a tale of adventures full of popular characters and interesting incidents. Nayanandin's allusion is amply born out by some later versions of the Suddayakaha preserved in Old Gujarati. Further the references by Vira and Nayanadin point to the great popularity of this tale in the Malwa region in the tenth and eleventh century. This is self-explanatory in view of the fact that the hero is a prince of Ujjayinī.
Sadayavatsa-Vira-Prabandha of Bhima in Old Gujarati was composed c. 1400 A D. Regarding the extent of the text there is considerable variation among the manuscripts. Roughly the work has round about seven hundred verses. The work in mostly composed in the Caupai and Duba metres, but numerous other metres also are used for variation, etc. Besides there are some thirtyfour Gathas in Prakrit. It is obvious that at least some of these Gathas were borrowed from some early Prakrit version of the tale, as mostly they repeat in short what is said in the Gujarati verses. 6
preceding Old
The tale narrates the loves and adventures of Sudavaccha, who was a Prince of Ujjayini and son-in-low of Salivahana, the ruler of Pratiṣṭhāna. Rescuing a woman from a mast elephant, machinations of a minister, exile, wandering in strange countries, princesses pining for the heroes, omens and portents, helpful robbers, godesses, hunchbacks, courtesans, battles, wrestlers, goblins, witches, cemeteries, deserted cities and all the rest of the hot romantic stuff, and numerous well-known motifs fill up the tale. There is also a Sanskrit version of the tale in prose and verse prepared by Harṣavardhana in 1471. But it is just a recast of Bhima's Old Gujarati
work.
Later on the tale of Saday-Vatsa and Sävalimga underwent such development and alteration as to become altogether a different tale. This new version of the tale is represented in the Sadayavaccha-Savalinga Caupar of Kesava Muni alias Kirtivardhana, which was completed in 1623 A D.
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