2023-04-07 05:51:03 by ambuda-bot
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INTRODUCTION
●
Like the Kadambari of Baṇabhatta and the Vasava-
datta of Sabandhu, the Avantisundari of Dandin is also a
valuable prose romance in Sanskrit. The colophon at the
end of the manuscript 'इत्याचार्य दण्डिना कृता अवन्तिसुन्दरी समाप्ता' makes
it clear that the name of the work is Avantisundari
and that its author is Dandin. The statement in the
work 'शुश्रूषवे सुहृद्गणाय कथामवन्तिसुन्दरीमाचिख्यासुरित्यभाषत' (p. 17 ) fure
ther establishes the name of the work to be Avantisundari.
The reference to the Avantisundari of Dandin by
Appayya Diksita (different from the famous Vedantin)
in his Nāwasangrahamāla 'इत्यवन्तिसुन्दरीये दण्डिप्रयोगात् '# confirms
the name of the work and the name of the author.
Except for certain incidental elaborations like
the genealogy of the lunar race of kings, the descrip-
tions of the islands, world etc., and the stories of
Vararuci, Kadambari and Samudradatta, the story is, in the
main, the same as that of the purvapithika cf Dasa-
kumaracarita. Though from the colophon garrafõcar
कृता अवन्तिसुन्दरी समाप्ता' cited above it wculd appear that the
work is complete, an examination of the manuscript would
show that the work as it is available here is incomplete.
The story ends here with the narration of the tale of
Kadambari by Mandakini: the daughter of Namuci when
*
Vide Dr. V. Raghavan, Annals of Oriental Research, Madras,
Vol. V, No. 2.
●
Like the Kadambari of Baṇabhatta and the Vasava-
datta of Sabandhu, the Avantisundari of Dandin is also a
valuable prose romance in Sanskrit. The colophon at the
end of the manuscript 'इत्याचार्य दण्डिना कृता अवन्तिसुन्दरी समाप्ता' makes
it clear that the name of the work is Avantisundari
and that its author is Dandin. The statement in the
work 'शुश्रूषवे सुहृद्गणाय कथामवन्तिसुन्दरीमाचिख्यासुरित्यभाषत' (p. 17 ) fure
ther establishes the name of the work to be Avantisundari.
The reference to the Avantisundari of Dandin by
Appayya Diksita (different from the famous Vedantin)
in his Nāwasangrahamāla 'इत्यवन्तिसुन्दरीये दण्डिप्रयोगात् '# confirms
the name of the work and the name of the author.
Except for certain incidental elaborations like
the genealogy of the lunar race of kings, the descrip-
tions of the islands, world etc., and the stories of
Vararuci, Kadambari and Samudradatta, the story is, in the
main, the same as that of the purvapithika cf Dasa-
kumaracarita. Though from the colophon garrafõcar
कृता अवन्तिसुन्दरी समाप्ता' cited above it wculd appear that the
work is complete, an examination of the manuscript would
show that the work as it is available here is incomplete.
The story ends here with the narration of the tale of
Kadambari by Mandakini: the daughter of Namuci when
*
Vide Dr. V. Raghavan, Annals of Oriental Research, Madras,
Vol. V, No. 2.