335. EARLY BEGINNINGS OF POETICS 337

EARLY BEGINNINGS OF POETICS 337

Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions were engraved and followed the same pattern of literary style. The Ayodhya Sunga Inscription of धन (देवor भूति), who was the sixth from Senapati Puşyamitra is in Sanskrit (E. I. vol. 20 p. 54) and the Inscri- ption of रुद्रदामन् has been cited above already. The Inscription of Khāravela (referred to above on p. 19 and n 3) is in Prakrit, shows all the traits of the Ins. of रुद्रदामन् and mentions गन्धर्ववेद, नट, गीत, वादित्र and उत्सवसमाज. A quotation from it and one from the Nasik Ins. in the 19th year of Siri Pulumāyi are given below.1 It will be noticed that they are full of allitera- tion, the language is forcible and sonorous and therc are long compounds, which were the essence of prose according to some- what later works like the काव्यादश (शजः समासभूयस्त्वमेतद्रधस्य जीवि- a | I. 80) which dictum was probably based on older prose works now lost that were imitated by the writers of the early inscriptions in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Vide for other compara- tively old Sanskrit Inscriptions, Dr. R. C. Majumdar's 'Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East' (vol. 1, book III. p. 1, the Vo-Chanh Rock Inscription from Champa in Sanskrit of the 2nd or 3rd century A. D. containing two वसन्ततिलका verses), I. H. Q. vol. 16 p. 484 (Dr. G. Coedés), vol. 17 pp. 107-110 (Dr. D. C. Sarkar for same as to date); the Pikira grant of Pallava king सिंह्वमन्, son of युवमहाराज विष्युगोप and grandson of महाराजस्कन्दवर्मन् II in Sanskrit prose with long compounds. An inscription of the 4th century A. D. contains a panegyric of the great Emperor समुद्रगुप्त by हरिषेय (vide Flect's Gupta Inscriptions, No. I p.8). The prose of this प्रशस्ति rivals the style of Bana. This प्रशस्ति tells us that 'the title कविराज has been applied to agaga on account of the composition of many kāvyas that were the source of inspiration to learned men'. A

1. महाराजेन ... पसथसुभलखनेन चतुरन्तलुठितगुखोपहितेन कलिङ्गाधिपतिना सिरिखारवेलेन ... ततो लेखरूपगण नाववहारविधिविसारदेन सवविजावदातेन नववसानि योवराजं पसासितं ...... सवपासएडपूजको सवदेवायतनसंखारकारको अरपतिहतच किवाहि- निबलो, चकधुरगतचको ... राजा खारवेलसिरि। E. I. vol. 20 at pp. 79-80; Nasik Ins. No. 2 in Bombay Gazetteer vol. 16 at p. 550 and E. I. vol. 8 at p. 60 'राजरनो गोतमितपुतस द्विमवतमदरपवतसमसारस ... सवराज- लोकमडल पतिग हीतसासनस ... दिवसकर विवोधितकमल विभलस दिसवदनस ... पटिपुखचद- मडलससिरीक पियदसनस ... सुविभत तिवगदेसकालस पोरजननिविसेससुखदुखस ... सकय- वनपल्हवनिसूदनस धमोपचितकरविनियोगकरस &c.'