296. THE SAHITYADARPAŅA OF VISVANĀTHA 297

THE SAHITYADARPAŅA OF VISVANĀTHA 297

and scholar. His verses are often quoted by Viśvanātha (pp. 108, 122, 178, 182 &c. Nirn. ed, of 1922). Viśvanātha mentions by name two works of hisfather, viz. the Puspamālā (on VI. 25) and Bhäsārnava which dealt with the characteri- stics of Sanskrit, Sauraseni, Mahārāstrī and other Prākrit dialects. As Viśvanātha explains certain Sanskrit expressions by Uriya equivalents in his commentary on the Kāvyaprakāśa, he appears to have been an inhabitant of Orissa.1 The father of Viśvanātha and Viśvanātha himself appear to have held some important office at the court of a king, probably of Kalinga. Both of them are styled Sandhivigrahika-Mahapātra. Viśvanātha w.s a Vaisnava as is made clear by the colophon2 at the end of the first Paricchcda and the last verse of the Sāhityadarpana.3 He was a poet and quotes his own verses in Sanskrit and Prakrit at every step, when illustrating the canons of Rhetoric. He composed a number of works, besides the Sahityadarpana, of which the following are mentioned in the lıtter :- I. a mahākāvya in Sanskrit, called Rāghava-vilāsa (under III. 222-224); II Kuvalayāśvacarita, a kāvya in Prakrit (III. 149); Prabhāvatī-pariņaya, a Nāțikā (III (58); IV Chandrakalā, another Nāțikā (III. 96); V Praśastiratnāvalī, a Karambhaka in sixteen languages (VI. 337). After compo- sing the Sahityadarpana, he wrote two other works, a kāvya called Narasimha-vijaya4 and a commentary on the Kāvya- prakāśa called Kāvyaprakāśa-darpaņa (see Intro. to K. P. p. 25, Vā,). Candīdāsa, who wrote a commentary on the Kāvy- prakāśā, was the younger brother of Viśvanātha's grand-father.5 The question of Visvanatha's date does not present much difficulty. There are certain data, which fortunately for us, fix within very narrow limits his chronological position. 1. See Vāmanācharya's Introduction to K. P. p. 25 वैपरीत्यं रुचिं कुर्विति पाठः, अत्र चिङ्कुपदं काश्मीरादिभाषायामश्लीलार्थबोधकम्, उत्कलादिभाषायां घृतवांडकद्रव इत्यादि।' 2. 'श्रीमन्नारायणचरखारविन्दमधुव्रत etc.' Note the words 'काव्या- द्धर्मप्राप्तिर्भगवन्नारायखचर खारविन्दस्तवादिना' p. 1. 3. यावत्प्रसन्नेन्दुनिभानना श्रीर्नीरायणस्याऊ्मलक्वरोंति।. 4. अनन्तदास quotes a verse on p. 9 with the words यथा मम तातपादाना विजयनरसिंहे.

VII. 31. 5. 'अस्मत्पिताम हानुजकविर्पाएडतमुख्यश्रीचएडीदासपादानां तु खएडरसनाम्ना'