144. 142 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

142 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

यथा-सोयं संप्रति चन्द्रगुप्ततनयश्चन्द्रप्रकाशो युवा जातो भूपतिराश्रयः कृतधियां दि्ट्या कृतार्थश्रमः ॥ भाश्रयः कृतधियामित्यस्य (च सुबन्धु-v. 1.) वसुबन्धुसाचिव्योपच्चेपपरत्वाव साभिप्रायत्वम्'. Round this a great controversy has raged as to what king is referred to as a and whether the proper read- ing is वसुबन्धुसाचिव्यो० or whether it is च सुबन्धुसाचिव्यो०. Vide I.A. vol. 40 (1911) p. 170 ff. (Prof. Pathak), p. 264 (Dr. Hoernle) and I. A. vol. 41 (1912) p. 1 (Prof. D. R. Bhandarkar) in favour of वसुबन्धु and I.A. 1911 p. 312 (Prof. Narasimhachar), I. H. Q. vol. I. p. 261, I. A. 1912 p. 15 (M. M. Haraprasāda Sastri) in favour of the reading च सुबन्धु. It depends upon the reading one adopts what historical incident is referred to. If we read वसुबन्धुसानिव्यो० then the reference would be to चन्द्रगुप्त, समुद्रगुप्त and वसुबन्धु and if we read it च सुबन्धुसाचिष्यो० then the reference is to चन्द्रगुप्तमौर्य, his son बिन्दुसार and his minister gaay. Vide Dr. Prof. Dasharatha Sarma in J.H.Q. vol. X. pp. 761 ff., who sees a close resemblance between this stanza quoted by arHa and the third stanza of the Mehrauli Pillar Inscription (Gupta Inscriptions p. 139, at p. 141). Now that the अभिनवभारती informs us of a play called वासवदत्तानाव्यधारा composed by महाकवि सुबन्धु, it is not necessary to hold that the reference to gay in this verse quoted by Vämana or the refe- rence to वासवदत्ता by Bana must necessarily be to the author of the prose romance called वासवदत्ता. On p. 172 of the G.O.S. edition vol. III. of the अभिनवभारती we find : तत्रास्य बछुतरव्यापिनो बडुगमस्त्रप्रायिततुल्यस्य नाव्यायितस्योदाहररं महाकविसुबन्धुनिवद्धो वासवदत्तानाट्य- धाराख्यः समस्त एव प्रयोग:। तत्र हि बिन्दुसारः प्रयोज्यवस्तुत उदयनचरिते सामाजिकी- कृतोपि &c. Vide Prof. Pathak in J.B.B.R.A. S. vol. 23 pp.185- 187 where he says that the verse quoted by वामन refers to कुमारगुप्त, son of चन्द्रगुप्त II (413-455 A.D.) परमार्थ (499-569 A. D.) says that वसुबन्धु died at the age of 80 during बालादित्य's reign. So वसुबनधु flourished about 420-500 A.D. (J.R.A.S. for 1905 pp. 33- 53). वसुबन्धु's श्भिधर्मकोश is mentioned by बाख in हर्षचरित VIII. For more recent discussions, vide I.H.Q. vol. 18 pp. 373-375, vol. 19 pp. 69-72, vol. 20 pp. 85 and 366. In the भवन्तिसुन्दरीकथा, सुबन्धु is mentioned immediately after वाल्मीकि, व्यास and one more (probably पाशिनि or पतञ्जलि) and before the बृहत्कथा, शद्रक, भास, कालिदास, वाख. The poets are arranged more or less in a chronological order. Therefore, gaay in the भ. सु. कथा must be a very ancient author. The words (सुबन्धु: किल निष्क्रान्तो बिन्दुसारस्य बन्धनात् । तस्यैव हृदयं बद्ध्वा वत्सराजो ... ) in the intro.