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GENERAL INTRODUCTION
43
and his relations with the many poets and literary lights that were
wont to throng his court. Mayūra is mentioned a number of
times, principally in the anecdotes, and it has seemed best to me
simply to record here these references to him, although I realize
their probable utter lack of value as real historical and bio-
graphical data. In perusing them, the reader must always bear
in mind that Ballāla is dealing with fictitious events, possibly
leavened, here and there, with a germ of truth, and that the
Bhojaprabandha is universally condemned¹ for its anachronisms
and inaccuracies. The allusions, however, are as here recorded.
ALLUSIONS TO MAYŪRA IN THE BHOJAPRABANDHA
In the following extracts, taken mostly from the anecdotes con-
tained in the Bhojaprabandha, I have given text and translation
of such passages as actually include the name of Mayura. Of
other parts, introduced merely for the purpose of making clear
the context, only synopses or abridgments are given.
A list of poets at Bhoja's court. The text runs as follows:-
tataḥ kramena pañcaśatāni viduşām vararuci-bāṇa-mayüra-rephana-hari-
famkara-kalinga-karpura-vinayaka-madana-vidya-vinoda-kokila-tärendra-
mukhaḥ sarvaśastravicakşaṇaḥ sarve sarvajñaḥ śrībhojarajasabhām alam-
cakruḥ²
'Then there ornamented the court of the illustrious King Bhoja all the
five hundred omniscient savants, versed in all the fastras, chief of whom,
in order, were Vararuci, Bāṇa, Mayūra, Rephaṇa, Hari, Samkara, Kalinga,
Karpūra, Vinayaka, Madana, Vidyā, Vinoda, Kokila and Tärendra.'
The poet Kriḍācandra joins the court circle of Bhoja. One
day an unknown poet, clothed in a loin-cloth only, seeks ad-
mission to Bhoja's presence. Upon being admitted, he takes a
seat, unbidden, and recites a stanza. Bhoja inquires his name,
and after slight demur he confesses-in verse-that his name is
¹ Cf. Hall, Vasavadattă, introd., p. 7, note; Bhãu Dāji, On the Sanscrit
Poet, Kalidasa, in JBRAS, vol. 6, p. 23, footnote; M. Sashagiri Sastri, On
some Eminent Characters in Sanskrit Literature, in IA, vol. 1, p. 340; A.
Weber, History of Indian Literature (translated from the German by
Mann and Zachariae), p. 215, note 225, Boston, 1878; Krishnamacharya,
Sanskrit Literature, p. 148.
2 Parab's 2d edition, p. 14.
43
and his relations with the many poets and literary lights that were
wont to throng his court. Mayūra is mentioned a number of
times, principally in the anecdotes, and it has seemed best to me
simply to record here these references to him, although I realize
their probable utter lack of value as real historical and bio-
graphical data. In perusing them, the reader must always bear
in mind that Ballāla is dealing with fictitious events, possibly
leavened, here and there, with a germ of truth, and that the
Bhojaprabandha is universally condemned¹ for its anachronisms
and inaccuracies. The allusions, however, are as here recorded.
ALLUSIONS TO MAYŪRA IN THE BHOJAPRABANDHA
In the following extracts, taken mostly from the anecdotes con-
tained in the Bhojaprabandha, I have given text and translation
of such passages as actually include the name of Mayura. Of
other parts, introduced merely for the purpose of making clear
the context, only synopses or abridgments are given.
A list of poets at Bhoja's court. The text runs as follows:-
tataḥ kramena pañcaśatāni viduşām vararuci-bāṇa-mayüra-rephana-hari-
famkara-kalinga-karpura-vinayaka-madana-vidya-vinoda-kokila-tärendra-
mukhaḥ sarvaśastravicakşaṇaḥ sarve sarvajñaḥ śrībhojarajasabhām alam-
cakruḥ²
'Then there ornamented the court of the illustrious King Bhoja all the
five hundred omniscient savants, versed in all the fastras, chief of whom,
in order, were Vararuci, Bāṇa, Mayūra, Rephaṇa, Hari, Samkara, Kalinga,
Karpūra, Vinayaka, Madana, Vidyā, Vinoda, Kokila and Tärendra.'
The poet Kriḍācandra joins the court circle of Bhoja. One
day an unknown poet, clothed in a loin-cloth only, seeks ad-
mission to Bhoja's presence. Upon being admitted, he takes a
seat, unbidden, and recites a stanza. Bhoja inquires his name,
and after slight demur he confesses-in verse-that his name is
¹ Cf. Hall, Vasavadattă, introd., p. 7, note; Bhãu Dāji, On the Sanscrit
Poet, Kalidasa, in JBRAS, vol. 6, p. 23, footnote; M. Sashagiri Sastri, On
some Eminent Characters in Sanskrit Literature, in IA, vol. 1, p. 340; A.
Weber, History of Indian Literature (translated from the German by
Mann and Zachariae), p. 215, note 225, Boston, 1878; Krishnamacharya,
Sanskrit Literature, p. 148.
2 Parab's 2d edition, p. 14.