103. 100 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

100 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

A Simhalese work called Siya-bas-lakara (TTeErT) edited by Hendrick Jayatilak (Golombo 1892) possesses great importance on this question. Its first verse is the same as that of the apraxf. The 2nd verse is different and says 'Having bowed to Mahā-Brahmā, Indra, Brhaspati, the sage Kāśyapa, Vāmana and Dandin and other eminent ācāryas who wrote on the science of poetics.' In the 3rd verse the author says that having condensed former books he composes his work in his own language. The 4th and 5th verses are the same as the 3rd and 4th verses of the arran I and almost all the verses of the two परिच्छेदsof काव्यादर्श are taken up in the Simhalese work, but the 3rd परिच्छेद of the काव्यादर्श is not translated. The last verse says 'this work was written by king Siri Silameghasena who comes of a royal race, who has a well-known following and who has lit with radiance from the rays of the jewels of the crown the inside of the white umbrella of sovereignty.' Dr. L. D. Barnett (in J. R. A. S. 1905 p. 841) refers to the Simhalese work, remarks that the author was king Sena I or Silameghavarnasena. In the 'Early History of Ceylon' by Mr. G. C. Mendis and Prof. Geiger it is stated (on p. 50 of the 8th edition of 1947) that Sena I reigned from 831 to 851 A. D. Dr. Barnett refers to the opinion of Mr. Nevill who holds that the real author was probably Akbo (son of Kasup III) who ascended the throne in 741 A. D. Dr. Barnett further points out that two mss. of the Simhalese work in the British Museum read 'Bamaha' for 'Vamana' and holds that there were two traditions. In any case the Simhalese work is not later then 840 A. D. and so Dandin cannot be placed later than about 750 A. D. All these converging lines of historical data lead on to this that both Bhamaha and Dandin cannot be later than about 750 A. D. and that they are separated only by a few decades and not by centuries as Mr. Batuknath Sarma asserts (Intro. to काव्यालक्कार on p. 40). Therefore we must examine other evidence to settle their relative position. The third work of Dandin is the दिसन्धानकाव्य ascribed to Daņdin by the Śrngāraprakāśa. Dr. Raghavan kindly informs me that the Madras ms. of 9 vol. II. p. 444 mentions the दिसन्धानमहाकाव्य of Dandin as an illustration of प्रबन्धविषय