134. BHAMAHA AND DANDIN 131

BHAMAHA AND DANDIN 131

and वाल्मीकि. So she must have been a great poet indeed. It is faGu alone that has many charming verses to her credit. Therefore, it may quite plausibly be argued that the uieffa- याक्का (or विजया) and विज्जा are identical, that she was a queen of कर्णाट and that she is to be identified with the विजयमहादेवी of the grants mentioned above p. (129). One very beautiful verse attributed to her in {T° (No. 582) where the sound is an echo to the sense may be quoted here viz. the one that refers to corn-threshing by young women : 'विलासमसुणोल्लसन्मुसललोलदो :- कन्दली-परस्परपरिस्खलद्वलयनिःस्वनोद्बन्धुराः। लसन्ति कल्दुकृतिप्रसभकम्पितोर :- स्थलतुद्द्गमकसङ कुला: कलमकएडनीगीतयः॥" (शाई०p. 94 and सरस्वतीक एठामरण V. p. 602). She is the greatest of poetesses. A further question about विज्जा or विज्जका arises whether she is the author of the drama कौमुदोमहोत्सव, which Mr. R. Kavi published some years ago. The name of the author is not fully preserved but in the single ms. on which Mr. Kavi bases his edition we have the following passage in the prologue 'यत्तदस्यैव राशः समतीतचरितमधिकृत्य ... कया निबदध नाटकम्'. This indica- tes that the name of the writer ended in ar and that the writer was a lady. Mr. Kavi holds that the writer was fafGarenr. Until other mss. are found no final opinion can be given. But one verse in the drama (Act IV. 19) is rather striking viz. जयति प्रथमं विजया जयन्ति देवा: स्वयं महादेवः । श्रीमन्ती भगवन्तावनन्स- नारायणौ जयतः ।'. The plain meaning here is that विजया, the goddess presiding over the Kaumudi festival in Sarad season, is glorious, but it is possible that there is a veiled reference to the author विजया (or विज्जिका). It is not necessary for our purpo- ses to go into this question. For the controversies about the authenticity, the date and authorship of the कौमुदीमहोत्सव, vide Annals of B. O. R. I. vol. XII pp. 50-55, Festschrift Moriz Winternitz pp. 382-406 (Prof. K. C. Chattopadhyaya), J. Andhra H. R. S. vol. VI pp. 139-141 (by Mr. Raghavacha- ryulu) and vol. XI. pp. 63-67 (Dr. D. C. Sircar), Indian Culture, vol. XI. p. 87 ff., I. H. Q. 14 pp. 582-606, Journal of Bombay University vol. X. pp. 141-147 (Prof. Mankad on

1. In the सदुक्िकर्ामृत II. 18. 3 p. 145, this verse is ascribed to योगेश्वर, while शाङपर (No. 582) ascribes it to विज्जका and the सरस्वतीकएठाभरय does not mention the name of the author.