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YAŠASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE
With regard to the other poets mentioned in Somadeva's list no early poet of the name of Kantha is known, but a writer named Kantha is oited several times as an authority on Sanskrit roots in Ksïrasvămin's Koiratarungini.' Combination of grammar and poetry is not rare in Sanskrit literature, but we do not know whether this Kantha was also a Mahākavi. As to Urva, two of our Manuscripts (B and C) give the name as Utsavva, but the reading of the printed text is supported by the other two Manuscripts (A and D) which seem to read Urva. There seems no doubt that Urva is the correct reading which has also the merit of being adopted in Śrutasāgara's commentary. Urva is probably the same as the poet Aurva cited in Vallabhadeva's Subhāṣitāvali which attributes the following verses to him:
भ्रश्ययनान्धकारेऽथ प्राप्ते वर्षानिशाक्षये। शरत् प्राभातवेलेव प्रकाशमनयहिशः॥
रिक्ता विपाण्डुरात्मानो निःशब्दाः प्राप्तलाघवाः। त्वरसपना इव घना न्यस्तचापा दिशो ययुः॥ The second verse is evidently addressed to a king, and Aurva seems to have been a court-poet.
of the remaining poets, Bāņa is mentioned in another place, the reference being to his Kādambari, Māgha, too, is mentioned twice, Yasodhara being addressed as a Māgha in poetio appreciation. As regards Bhavabhūti, a reference to the plot of his Mălatimădhava occurs in Somadeva's Nitivākyāmrta ( Yuddhasamuddesa).* In Book V Somadeva quotes verses from two other poets about whom we know nothing. They are Grahila, who sings the glory of Siva, and Nilapata, who heaps scorn on those who deny themselves the charms of women to seek the bliss of salvation. The following two verses are by Grahila :
भास्तां तवान्यदपि तावदतुल्यकक्षमैश्वर्यमीश्वरपदस्य निमित्तभूतम् । स्वच्छेफसोऽपि भगवन्न गतोऽवसानं विष्णुः पितामहयुतः किमुतापरस्य ॥ इति, रथः क्षोणी यन्ता शततिरगेन्द्रो धनुरथो रथाङ्गे चन्द्राकौं रथचरणपाणिः शर इति ।
दिधक्षोस्ते कोऽयं त्रिपुरतृणमाडम्बरविधिर्विधेयैः क्रीडन्यो न खलु परतन्याः प्रभुधियः॥ sfat a gan (Vol. II, p. 55)."
The following verse is attributed by Somadeva to Nilapata (Vol. II, p. 252). Ha a ara99apisala iraya
1 Ed. Liebich, Breslau, 1930. 2 See Chap. IV. 3 'affairfaitatag ' Book II. 4 'श्रयते हि किल दूरस्थोऽपि माधवपिता कामन्दकीयप्रयोगेण माधवाय मालतीं साधयामास ।'
The second vorse occurs in Puşpadanta's Mahimnastotra. It is possible that Somadeva's remark erfarw might simply mean "an obstinate utterance,' as the verses in question are cited to illustrate certain alleged contradictiong in the concepe tion of Siva. See Chap. VIII.
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