49. 46 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

46 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

lute, who are experts in the knowledge of the (22) śrūtis and (18) jātis and know tāla reach the road to moksa. It is interes- ting to note that the Mitākșarā and Aparārka refer to Bharata in explaining these, while Viśvarūpa refers to Nārada and others and the Dipakalika to Visakhila and others. The seven names occur in the Nātyaśātra 31. 287 (K. M. 31. 184) but with some variation. The Nātyasastra devotes over hundred and thirty verses to the treatment of these seven and winds up by saying that these seven promulgated by Brahma are holy and propitiate the gods. The अभिनवभारती also (B.O. R. I ms.) dev- otes several pages (from p. 479 of the ms.) to the elucidation of the seven kinds of non-Vedic songs. The names of the seven acc. to the Natyasastra are मन्द्रक, अपरान्तक, प्रकरी, रोविन्दक (for सरोबिन्दु of या.), शवेयक, उल्लोप्यक, उत्तर. On several grounds it may be argued that the याशवल्क्यस्मृति borrows from the नाट्यशास्त्र. The four early commentators are agreed that TaFy has in view some work on गीतवाद्य, while the मिताक्षरा and अपरार्क refer to भरत alone. Besides, in TaFT the verses are rather abruptly introduced, while their position in the नाटयशास्त्र is natural. I am inclined to hold that the source of these verses in Yajñaval- kya is the Natyasastra. In that case the 4T5 will easily have to be placed not later than the first or 2nd century of the Christian era. (h) The Sāptaśatī of Sātavāhana (or Hāla) says in a verse 344 (Weber's ed. 27) that embraces are the yarF of the drama of love.1 This has in view the fifth chapter of the Natyasastra which treats of पूवरw. It is generally held that the गाथासप्तशती was composed between 200 to 400 A. D. Vide Prof. Keith's H. S. L. p. 224. (i) From Fleet's Sanskrit and Old Canarese inscriptions (I. A. vol. X. pp. 166-167) we find that two Sanskrit verses are incised on a pillar at Pattadakal (the characters being of the 8th or 9th century A. D.) which were composed by one Achala (or Acalada), the second of which may be quoted here to indicate how even in Southern India dancers instructed in Bharata's doctrines were supposed to vanquish their competitors brought up in another or a rival school of dancing : I मानदुमपरुसपवसस्स मामि सव्वंगगिव्वुदिभरस्स। अवऊहस्स भद्दं रहनाड- अ्पुव्बरंगस्स॥ सत्तसई (सप्तशतो) 344 and IV. 44 (of Nirn. ed.).