________________
Bhāsa's Treatment of the Kişna Legend
29 (3) The dramatist does not minimize the miraculous and supernatural elements in the story. He even uses some of them for a dramatic and spectacular effect. Yet the vision of Kārtyayani contains a little puzzle. Some details in it, like the associates of the goddess, may possibly go back to a period anterior to that of the puranic account. The mention of Sumbha and Nišumbha, however, seems to be definitely associated with Kali or Durga with whom the Vision is identfied in the purāņa story. This according to many critics is a later development, If so, we must suspect an interpolation in the dramatic story, not in the entire episode but only in the verse put in the mouth of Kārtyäyanja?
The point, of course, is difficult to be decided, the state of accuracy of relative chronology in Ancient Indian History being what it is. But we may admit the possibility that some passages, especially verses may have been later introduced in the play to make it up-to-date, though such insertion was an anachronism It is not necessary to assume that the entire play is spurious; it cannot become one because a few passages are of doubtful chronology. Besides, we know that Krşna worship, which is connected with the Bhāgavata religion is quite old. Megasthenes (300 B. C) knew Mathurā as the centre of Kinsa worship 28 Dr. Bhandarkar points out that Vasudeva-Kļşņa is an old personality and his identification with the cowherd Krsna (which latter is the subject of the drama) may be dated from about the beginning of the Christian era29. The present Harivaṁsa is supposed to be composed at about 400 A. D. Dr. P. L. Vaidya believes that it contains the oldest phase of the Krşņa myth'so. The oral tradition must naturally go back quite a few centuries. Some of the divergences found in the dramatic story may be due to the fact that it drew material from beliefs which belong to a floating period between the old oral tradition and the new purāņa phase of the legend based on bardic variations.
Foot Note :
1. Cf. Bălacarita 1.10 3ftforagida grla ooit yara1997 ACH TATOUT
1.19. 11, 71-72, gyda speaking to Nandagopa 9464 23 canla Farfet gran कंसेन मम षट्पुत्रा निधनमुपानीता इति । ... तत् सप्तमोऽयं दीर्घायुः । 11.12 (ayca:) qori garai A9C4 ATTH...
11.17 ($27:) 374, PE HATTA Estad ua: 1 .. 2. Harivansa (HV) (Cr. Ed. BORI) 46 15 :
तत्रैषा देवकी या ते मधुरायां पितृष्वसा । अस्या गर्भोऽष्टमः कंस स ते मृत्युभविष्यति ।।
