Indian Antiquary Vol 01

SR No.: 032493
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 385

REVIEW.
Nov. 1, 1872.]
name of the Bharata, and the death of Pándu, by the curse of Kindama Muni, his wife Pritha having remained a widow all her life, the death of Abhimanyu, the widowhood of Uttaré, Arjuna's being killed by Babhruváhana, and afterwards restored to life by Ulupi, and several other incidents are alluded to in different parts of the work. (Kad. Cal. edn. of Samv. 1919, p. 57, 138, 103, 196, 197). The Mahábhárata then existed in a form, complete so far as concerns the main story, in the first-half of the 7th century A.D. Bána mentions a work called Vásavadattá, in the Harsha Charita, (Dr. Hall's Vásavadattá, p. 13), which is very probably a tale of that name by Subandhu. Subandhu is mentioned in a verse by Rajasekhara, from whose works there are quotations in the Sarasvatí-Kanthábharana (Dr. Aufrecht's Oxf. Cat. p. 209a) attributed to King Bhoja, and consequently to be referred to the early part of the 11th century A. D. Subandhu's Vásavadattá contains allusions to Bhima's having killed the giant Baka, to the skill of the Pandavas in gambling, to the Kichakas, the officers of king Viráta, Arjuna, Duhs'ásana and others. The name of the Mahabharata also occurs several times (Dr Hall's edition, p. 15, 21, 27, 33, 70, 106, 147.) One of the characters in the Mrichchhakatika, a very old dramatic play, mis-quotes the Mahabharata. According to him Draupadí is dragged by the hair by Ráma instead of Duhs'asana, Subhadra becomes the sister of Vis'vávasu and not Krishna, and she is carried away by Hanumán, instead of Arjuna. There are also many allusions in other parts of the play (Calc. edition of S'aka 1792, p. 28, 31, 109, 199). Mrichchhakatika is mentioned in Dhanika's commentary on the Das'arúpa. There is a commentary by S'ankaráchárya on the Bhagvadgítá, an episode of the Mahábhárata. In his principal work the Bháshya on the Vedánta Sútras there are quotations from the Bhagvadgitá, (Bibl. Ind. Sutr. Bh. Vol. I. p. 275, 456, &c.) A verse from the Sávitryupákhyána, an episode in the Vanaparva of the Mahabharata, occurs in the comments on Sútra 1,3, 24 (Ib. p. 276.) S'ankaráchárya is considered to have lived in the 9th century. In a Tamil chroicle he is spoken of as having converted a king of Chera of the name of Tiru Vikrama from Jainism to the S'aiva faith. From a copperplate grant by a successor of Tiru Vikrama, recently discovered, it appears that
A TRACT ON SACRIFICE (Yajatantrasudhanidhi) by Revd. F. Kittel, Basel M. Soc. Mangalore, 1872. 12mo. pp. 134.
REVIEW.
THE west coast of India has been for nearly three centuries the seat of a very considerable literary activity. By the end of the 16th century the Goa Jesuits had introduced printing and published many Konkani works in the roman character, which they first used in a scientific manner. In the 17th and 18th centuries they and the Carmelites continued the work of research chiefly in the Cochin territory. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries all enquiry seems to have died out, but since 1835 the Basel Missionaries have amply made
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this king probably reigned in 346 A.D., and another of the same name in 526 A.D. The drama of the Venisanhara by Bhatta Nárayana is based on the latter part of the story of the Mahábhárata. In the prologue Nárayana speaks of Krishna Dvaipáyana, the author of the Mahábhárata, in terms of reverence. The Kirátárjuniya of Bháravi and the S'is'upálavadha of Mágha are also based on parts of the Bharata story. There are quotations from these works in Dhanika's, commentary on the Das'arúpa by Dhananjaya (Dr. Hall's edn. pp. 118, 142, 143, 146, 148, 150, 151, 152, &c., &c.) Dhanika was possibly the brother of Dhananjaya, who was patronized by Munja, uncle of Bhoja. A copperplate. grant of the latter part of the 10th century mentions a Dhanika, who is very probably the same as the commentator of the Dasarúpa. (Dr. Hall's Dasarupa, p. 3, notes.) These authors are also quoted in the Sarasvati Kanthábharana.
in terms
are
Hemádri tells us that he was a minister to Mahádeva, a Yadava king of Devagiri, who, according to Mr. Elliot, ascended the throne in 1182 S'aka, i.e., 1260 A.D. (Jour. R.A.S. Vol IV. p. 28.) In the Dánakhanda of this author there are many quotations from the Mahábhárata. The Jnánes'varí,a Marathi commentary on the Bhagavadgítá, was written, as the author tells us, in 1212 S'aka, i.e. 1290 A.D. Jnánes'vara speaks of the Mahábhárata we of reverence, and told that the Bhagvadgítá is an episode occurring in the Bhishmaparva of that work, as it does in our existing copies. Sáyana was a Minister of Bukka, king of Vijayanagar, whom he mentions in all his works. Bukka was on the throne in 1334 A.D. (Prin. sep's Chron. Tab.) Sáyana mentions the Mahábhárata, and quotes from the work in the Sarvadars'ana Sangraha (Bibl. Ind. p. 64, 128,) in the commentary on Paras'ara and other works (Prof. Aufrecht's Oxf. Cat. p. 265a, 2666.) In the Sarvadars'ana Sangraha (p. 172) there are quotations from the Kávyapraksa and this latter quotes from the Venis'ahara. S'árngadhara, in his Paddhati tells us that his grandfather was patronnized by Hammira, a Chauhán prince, who came to the throne, according to Col. Tod, in 1300 A.D. (Dr. Hall's Vasavadattá, p. 48 notes.) S'árngadhara's work contains verses from the Venisanhára, Kirátárjuníya, S'is'upálavadha, Bhagvadgítá and other parts of the Mahabharata.
up for previous deficiencies, and both by the importance and also by the number of their works, they have surpassed already all that had been done before. Dr. Gündert's Malayalam Grammar and Dictionary are well known to every philologist as proof of German patient labour and tru: science. The little work now noticed is by a well known member of the same society, and though essentially a Missionary work, it deserves being brought to the attention of all interested in India on account of the mass of information it contains on the ancient Vedic sacrifices: The use to which this is applied does not come within the scope of the Indian Antiquary, but many persons will be glad to know that