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Krishnamachariar from 1939 to 1941. But the latter could not show him the manuscript that contained the verses quoted. Krishnamachariar (presumably the owner of such a manuscript) died in 1941 and the matter could not be pursued further. However, the scholars have examined the published material and concluded that the Kaliyu. garājavrttānta was composed some time after 1889 A. C. after the discovery of the Bhitari seal of Kumargupta. This conclusion based on internal evidence cannot be brushed aside. 43
There are scholars like K. D. Seth na who do not believe in the authenticity of the Kaliyugarājavrttānta and yet contend that the Guptas followed shortly after the Āndhras. They identify Sandrocottus with some ruler. That does not seen probable from the Purānas. Whenever a dynasty follows the other, the Purānas mention it. The Sśunāga dynasty was followed by the Nandas. When the Nandas were uprooted, the Mauryas came to power, We have quoted the relevant verses earlier. The Purānas do not fail to mention that Pusya mitra founded the Sunga dynasty after murdering the Maurya ruler Brhadratha :
पुष्यमित्रस्तु सेनानीरुद्धृत्य स बृहद्र थम् ।
profecuta â TETT........**** 11 Devabhūmi, the last ruler of Sunga dynasty was murdered by his minister Vasudeva who founded the Kāņva dynasty :
अमात्यो वसुदेवस्तु बाल्यात् व्यसनिनं नृपम् ।
देवभूमि तथोत्पाट्य शुङ्गषु भविता नृपः ।। His dynasty was uprooted by Sindhuk (or Śsuka) who founded the Andhra dynasty.44 Thus the Purānas do not hide even the murders committed by the ruler's they could have favoured. They are not expected to hide the alleged murders of Chandrasri and Pulomā by the founder of the Gupta dynasty under the circumstances if it were true. More so, if the Guptas were low caste people, namely. barbers. It is significant that the Purānas, despite their attempts to maintain a continuity, do not name the Guptas as the successors of the Guptas. Instead they mention Āndhra bhịtyas, Abhiras, Gardabhins, Sakas, Yavanas and Tuşaras as the rulers of the period that followed. A powerful king named Visvasphāni or Visvasphūrji was the ruler of Magadha for some time and the Nāgas held sway in Mathurā and Champā. Then came the Guptas. So there was a long interval between the Āndhras and the Guptas. ,
We can approach the problem from a different point too. 1500
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