124. BHĀMAHA AND DAŅDIN 121

BHĀMAHA AND DAŅDIN 121

राजवर्म (रातवर्म according to some commentators), who had a vision of the Deity (II. 279). Prof. R. Narasimhachar (I. A. 1912 p. 90-92) and Prof. Belvalkar (notes pp. 175-178 on the काव्या० II. 279 and III. 112) regard राजवर्मा to be a पल्लव, putting the two verses together and identify him with नरर्सिंहवर्म II or राजसिहवम (690-715 A.D.) and thus place दएडी at the end of the 7th century. But this is a risky effort. Whether राजवर्मा or रातवर्मा (Dr. Belvalkar reads in काव्यादर्श II. 279 इति साचात्कृते देवे राज्ो यद्रातवर्मयः) was a पल्लव we do not know. On the contrary the commentary श्रुतानुपालिनी says that he was a king of केरल.1 राजवर्मा is a very general name. Bearing in mind that, if we rely on the अवन्तिसुन्दरीकथा, Dandin was an inhabitant of काशी and was at the पल्वव court, we may accept the view of the majority of commentators that the verse नासिक्यमध्या refers to कान्ची and the पल्लव. But we cannot accept as certain the identity of राजवर्म or रातवर्म with any पल्लव king who does not exactly bear that name. Some think that the verses of भामह (I. 42-44 श्रयुक्तिमधथा दूता जलभृन्मात्रकेङ च (१मारुतेन्दवः)। तथा भ्रमरहारीतचक्रवाकशुकादयः। अ्रवाचो व्यक्तवाचश्र दूरदेशविचारियः । कथं दूत्यं प्रपधयेरन्निति युकत्या न युज्यते ॥) यदि चोत्कएठया यत्तदुन्मत्त इव भाषते। तथा भवतु भूम्नेदं सुमेवोभि: प्रयुज्यते॥ contain a covert attack on or reference to the मेघदूत. Mr. T. Ganapati Sāstri, who has his own axe to grind as will be seen later on, vehemently protests against this theory (Intro. to स्वप्र० 1916 p. 7) and says that कालिदास in his fine verse (धूमज्योतिःसलिलमरुतां) condescends to administer a gentle rebuke to the extreme theorist भामह In another part of his work भामह refers to the story of वत्सेश (उदयन) and delivers a spirited attack against some poet or poets who so narrated Udayana's story as to run counter to the dictates of sastra and worldly experience. 'अन्तर्योधशताकीर्ष सालक्कायननेत्रकम्। तथाविधं गजच्छम नाशासीत् स स्वभूगतम्।। यदि वोपेक्ितं तस्य सचिवैः स्वार्थसिद्धये। शहो नु मन्दिमा तेषां भक्तिर्वा नास्ति भतरि॥ शरा दृढधनुर्मुक्ता मन्युमद्द्िररातिभिः। मर्माखि परिहृत्यास्य पतिष्यन्तीति कानुमा ॥ हृतोनेनम म

1. The words of the श्रुतानुपालिनी (Govt. collection of mss. at B. O.R.I. Cat vol. XII. No. 125 p.137) are: केरलवंशाख्ये काव्ये रातवर्मयः इति रातवर्मा नाम केरलानामधिपतिरत्यन्तशिवभक्तः सोपि दिग्विजय- वशेन कैलासं प्राप्त: पाशुपतमन्त्रेण पशुपति त्र्यम्बकमाराध्य दृष्टवान्, तदामुं श्रोकं प्रीति- प्रकाशनायोक्तवान्.