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8
Chhappaya verse, the first two lines whereof run as follows:एकरदन गजवदन सदन बुधि मदनकदन सुत । गवरिनंट आनंदकंद जगदम्ब चन्द युत ।
while Mohanalala begins his in a doha as follows:एकरदन वारनबदन सदनबुद्धि गुणगेह । Taनंद आनंद दें मोहन प्रगति करेह ||
TENTH REPORT ON THE
The similarity of phraseology in these extracts cannot be regarded as accidental, and there is little doubt that one has borrowed from the other. Kesavadasa, popularly regarded as the shining star among Hindi poets, who stand as fireflies before him (except of course Tulasidasa and Suradāsa who are compared to the moon and sun in this galaxy)* cannot be accused of plagiarism from a firefly like Mohanalala, and the inference is therefore inevitable that it is the latter who has borrrowed from the former. As such Mohanalala could not have preceded Kesavadasa by about 4 centuries. He must be a later poet and the year 1800 consequently would suit him better than 1200. We mnay, however, wait for a final verdict until another copy of the Pattali is brought to light.
7. Corrected date of Bhupati. — The motrical translation of the 10th Canto of Bhagavata in dolu and chaupai verses by Bhupati found in 1902 at Gorakhpur was written in Kaithi characters and was said to have been copied from one in Urdu characters. A Doha at the end ran as follows:चारो अधिक चालीस । बुधवार रजनीस ॥
This Doha reads in the present find as follows:
संवत सतारा से भए चार अधिक चालोस ।
मार्गशीर्ष एकादसी कीये बुधवार रजनोस ||
This changes the Samvat from 1344 to 1744 and yet affords no solution to the double week-day (Wednesday and Monday) given for a single date. Another independent find
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संवत तेरह सै भए मरसर सुद एकादसी
Compare. सूर सूर्य तुलसी शशी अब के कवि ग्वद्योत सम
उडुगण केशवदास । जहं तहं करत प्रकास ॥
