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PREFACE
It is a matter of immense gratification that we are able to bring out the present edition of the Avantigundari Kathā, a fragment of which was published in 1924 by Sri M. Rāmakrena Kavi. The edition of Sri Kavi was based on a very defective, fragmentary manuscript full of lacunæ, discovere 1 from Kottakkal, Malabar. Only the beginning of the book was available to him and his edition covers only 25 pages in print. The present edition is based on a fur fuller manuscript although this too is defective and fragmentary. This runs to 246 pages in print and carries the story to the narration of the tale of Kadambari by Mandakini. It may be seen thal this covers nearly hail the story in the Fūrvapithikä сf the Dašakumăracarica, the subjectmatter of which is identical.
This work is bound to be of great interest to the students of the works of Dandin, the celebrateit rhetorician and story-teller of Sanskrit. Much has bee. written about the works of Jandin by several scholars• There is no consensus of opinion regarding his works. * From a verse of Rājasekhara, we know that llandin was the author of three works. Only about one work viz., the Kävyädarša, there is absolute unanimity
*Kävyädarg'a, Da'sakumāracarita, Mrcchakatika, Chandoviciti,
Kalaparicchēda, Dvisandhāna and Avantisundari are attributed to Dandin by several scholars,
