Ritthnemichariyam Part 3 2

Author(s): Swayambhudev, Ramnish Tomar, Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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GENERAL EDITORS' FOREWARD
The Prakrit Text Society has great pleasure in publishing herewith one further part of Svayambhudeva's Ritthanemicariya also called Harivañsapurana, viz., the remaining portion of the Jujjha-kamda(Sandhis 64-92), edited by Professor Ram Sinh Tomar. Due to several difficulties, personal and others, we had almost decided to stop the publication of the remaining part of the work, but fortunately we got Dr. Ramanik Shah's sincere cooperation in the printing and related matters and we are able to bring out the text up to the end of the Jujjhakamda. The last part of the Ritthanemicariya, viz. sandhis 93-112 we hope to take up for publication shortly. We have also planned in its introduction to deal with, among other matters, Svayambhū's dependence upon Vyasa's Mahabharata, about which we have referred to in our Introduction to part III (1). In this part also Svayambhu's use of the Droņa, Karna and Salya Parvans of the Mahabhārata is quite evident. As an important link in the long and illustrious tradition of the Mahābhārata narrative and for its eminent qualities of language, style and narrative power, Svayambhu's place in the first rank of Indian Classical poets is unquestionable.
It is a very rare case in the Indian Classical tradition that the poets have left for us any information regarding their personal life, mode of writing etc. In this matter also Svayambhu is uniquely original. He has recorded meticulously at the close of the Yuddha-Kanda (end of sandhi 92) that it took him six years, three months