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SUMMARY OF CONTENTS*
 

 
CHAPTER I
 

 
Ancestors of Dandin
 
ṇḍin
 
King Simhavişņṣṇu of the Pallava dynasty was ruling over

Kaāñci, the matchless city of Dakṣiṇāpatha, hallowed by the

feet of Agastya. One day when the king was in his audience

hall a Gandharva approached him and recited a song in āryā to

the accompaniment of the lute. The king was pleased and

asked about the author of the song. The Gandharva bowed

and said: "O King, in the city of AĀnandapura [the capital of
A

Ā
narta in Gujarat] in the north-west of AĀryadeśa there was a

great abode of Brahmans; and from among them a group of

families of Kausśika gotra migrated and settled in the city of

Acalapura (near Nasik) founded by Müladeva for his friend
ūladeva for his friend
Acala. Nārāyaṇasvāmin, one of these settlers, had a son

named Daāmodara whom the poetic muse marked, even in his

youth, for her own. The young poet associated himself with

the great poet Bharavi and through him secured the friendship
āravi and through him secured the friendship
of prince Vișnṣṇuvardhana. He once accompanied the prince in

a hunting excursion. On the way, being afflicted with hunger,

he was forced to take flesh in a forest. It is sacrilege to a

Brahman to resort to animal food, unless it is the residue of

the oblation offered to Gods in a sacrifice. To expiate the

sin Damodara started on a pilgrimage and visited several
āmodara started on a pilgrimage and visited several
sacred centres; and in the course of the journey he came into

contact with Durvinīta, the Ganga king. He now happy,

in the company of that king; and the āryā that I recited was

composed by this boy poet".

(Av. Sāra, I. 1-26; Av. pp. 1-10)
 

 
Life of Dandin
 
ṇḍin
 
On hearing this the Pallava king was eager to see the

author of that verse and with repeated invitations, he brought
 

 
*This summary is based on the Avantisundarī Kathā Sāra (Av.

Sāra) edited here and on the original Avantisundarī (Av.) of

Dandṇḍin published as Trivandrum Sanskrit Series 172. References

to both are given at the end of the respective paragraphs. Relevent

information contained only in the original Avantisundarī (Av.) is

given within brackets.