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Book Review
SAMBODHI
Campūh did not blaze a new trail, yet it made the campū literary form very popular and post 10th century c.e., many Campūs inspired by the Nalacampū were composed especially in the South India.?
Trivikrama Bhatta has been under the influence of the great prince of prose writers of Sanskrit literature Bāna and almost taken one of the images from Bāna's Harsacarita, while describing the pregnancy especially of the queen of Virasena who was carrying Nala in her womb. Bāna has described the pregnancy of the queen Yasomatī when she was carrying the future emperor Harsa in her womb. Bāņa describes her desire - during this state of pregnancy दोहद in this way. संनिहितेष्वपि मणिदर्पणेषु मुखमुत्खाते खड्गपटे वीक्षितं 274711HTC 18 See the same image is borrowed by Trivikrama Bhatta in the Nalacampū or Damayantī-Kathā-Campūḥ. The poet describes the pregnancy of the queen of Virasena. 3tua: Hochfaqure Hure HRHUS$147aafisafistकरवालतलेष्वात्ममुखकमलमवलोकयांचकार ।
Image by Trivikrama Bhatta bears a similarity with that of Bāņa too striking to be coincidental. Obviously, I would venture to say that Trivikrama Bhatta has borrowed the image from Bāna and further, not only the image, but the motif of Tufare also from Bāņa. Who can escape from the magnetic charm of the creative afflatus of Bāņa ?
Of course, this is not reflected either in the original commentary by Shri Gunavinayagani or in the edition by Mahopādhyāya. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has pointed out the similarity between these two images i.e. one from Bāna and one from Trivikramalo in the entire history of Classical Sanskrit Literature.
Further, many of the quotations in the commentary have not been traced to their sources either by the original commentator or by the present editor, which, it is admitted, in itself is a stupendous task.
Notwithstanding these minor lapses, the editor Mahopādhyāya Vinayasagara has very meticulously, diligently and with great erudition has edited the commentary by Shri Gunavinayagani on the Damayanti - KathaCampūḥ. All the lovers of the Classical Sanskrit Literature are, in fact, beholden to the L. D. Institute of Indology, for publishing this very valuable and erudite commentary on the Nalacampū or Damayantī-Kathā-Campūh as Mahopādhyāya Gunavinayagani would prefer to call and made it available to the scholarly world of Sanskrit.
