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could readily compose verses in such a wide variety of verse forms. The poet seems to be at his best in longer forms of Sanskrit and Hindi inetres. His 'स्रग्धरा' is remarkable, his 'सवैया's' are sweet and 'दण्डक' 2s musical.
The Manuscript
The credit of discovering the MS. of the book goes to late Prof. P. K. Gode, Curator of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona. Prof. Gode got interested in Shri Krishna Kavi, the author of this work and another historical epic 'ईश्वरविलासमहाकाव्यम्', while searching for contemporary evidence to prove the performance of the Asvamedha Sacrifice at Jaipur by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh of Amber (A.D. 1699-1743). Supporting his thesis by quotations from the 'Ishvaravilasa Mahakavya', he established the historicity of the tradition about the Asvamedha Sacrifice by the Maharaja and also introduced the author of this work to the scholars by publishing a paper in the Bharata Itihasa Samshodhan Mandal Quarterly (1941).3 Incidentally he came across manuscripts of other works by the same author in the Govt. MSS. Library at the B.O.R. Institute, Poona, the 'Vrtta Muktavali' being one of them. In 1944 he published a paper in 'the Indian Culture' Vol. XI No. 1 (July-September, '44) introducing 'Vrtta Muktavali, a rare Sanskrit work by Krishna Kavi, the court poet of Sawai Jai Singh (A.D. 1699-1743).
In the Govt. MSS. Library, Poona, there are two MSS. of the "Vrtta Muktavali', the first representing the first chapter and the second the 2nd and 3rd. Prof Gode, in his paper, describes these manuscripts as follows:
"Aufrecht records some MSS. of a work on prosody of the title
1 p. 62. 2 p 66.
3 Vol. XXII, pp.15-23, entitled 'Krishna Kavi, the author of 'Ishvaravilasa Kavya-His works and descendants, Between A. D. 1669 and 1760'.
CCII, 142
metrics by Kṛṣṇa Pandita', Rgb. SSI
(inc.) (No. 551 of 1884-87). CC III, 125- 'Peters 5.455.' This MS. is missing in the Govt. MSS. Library since 1908. It is No. 455 of 1892-95 called ataft. I am not sure if this work was composed by Krsna Kavi.
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- Footnote by Prof. Gode.
