43. 40 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

40 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

the Natyasastra. It is sad to note that in spite of the noble words of the Natyasastra, dramatic artists descended to very low depths in a few centuries after it as attested by Dāmodaragupta in his Kuttanimata (latter half of the 8th century A. D.). Verses 881-928 of the कुट्टनीमत (edited by Mr. Tanasukhram, Bombay) refer to a unique matter, viz. the actual representa- tion of the first Act of the Ratnavali of Sriharsa before a prince in a temple at Benares by accomplished veśyās led by a teacher of dancing. Both male and female parts were acted by the veśyās, one of whom named Mañjarī (verses 803-805) perfor- med the part of Sāgarikā (or Ratnāvali) and another veśyā (not named) that of king Udayana. One verse, viz. Ratnāvali I. 24, is actually quoted by the Kuttanimata (v. 926). The vesyas are out for money and make no secret of their motives. The whole work, though written in mellifluous verse, depicts. very graphically the laxity of morals prevalent among most people and particularly among the votaries of singing and dancing. It will be shown later on how the verses of the aaira shed abundant light on the text of the Nātyasastra as it stood in the last quarter of 8th century A. D. The राजतरङ्गिणी expressly mentions that king Jayāpīda of Kashmir made Dāmodaragupta, author of कुट्टनीमत, his chief councillor (स दामोदरगुप्ताख्यं कुट्टनीमत- कारिशम्। कविं कवि बलिरिव धुर्य धीसचिवं व्यवात्। राजतरङ्गिर्णीं IV. 496). जयापीड ruled from about 779 to 813 A. D.

The date of the Nātyasastra In the discussion about the original kernel of the Nātyasāstra and its authorship some remarks have already been made which have a bearing on the date of the Nātyasastra. One matter must be made clear before starting further discussion of the date. Frequent additions have been made to the Nātyaśāstra and there are substantial discrepancies in the mss. of the work. Therefore, any discussion about the date of the work refers of necessity to a time when the principal structure and chapters of the work had been put up and takes no account of the insertion of some verse or verses here and there. Various dates have been assigned to the Nātysāstra. M. M. Haraprasad Shastri assigned it to the 2nd century before Christ (J. A. S. B. for 1913 p.307). Prof. Levi, in a brilliant article translated in the Indian Antiquary vol. 33 p. 163 relying upon