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may count for something, too, that the meter of three of the
stanzas is the sragdharā, the same as that in which the Süryasa-
taka is composed, as well as a number of the anthology stanzas
attributed to Mayūra.
In view of all the facts and circumstances as set forth, it seems
not unreasonable to believe that the poem Mayūrāṣṭaka, contained
in the Tübingen manuscript, is a creation of the poet Mayura,
although it must be acknowledged that the evidence is not espe-
cially strong. It might be argued, for example, that the name
Mayūrāṣṭaka may mean 'the aṣṭaka on the peacock,' or that the
commentator on the Bhaktamarastotra ascribed it to Mayura
merely because of its name, or that it is the composition of another
Mayūra, not the seventh-century poet of that name.
But on the other hand stand the facts that the name śri-
mayūrāṣṭakam is found in the colophon of the manuscript, that
the subject-matter of the manuscript poem harmonizes with the
content of the Mayūrāṣṭaka described by the commentator, that
there is not the faintest allusion to a peacock in any of the
stanzas, and that there is a general similarity in point of style
between the manuscript poem and the known writings of Mayūra.
The pros are, on the whole, stronger than the cons, and it can at
least be said that there is no direct evidence to show that Mayura
did not write the Mayürāṣṭaka contained in the Tübingen manu-
script. Until such evidence is adduced, I am inclined to accept
it as his work.
INTRODUCTION
may count for something, too, that the meter of three of the
stanzas is the sragdharā, the same as that in which the Süryasa-
taka is composed, as well as a number of the anthology stanzas
attributed to Mayūra.
In view of all the facts and circumstances as set forth, it seems
not unreasonable to believe that the poem Mayūrāṣṭaka, contained
in the Tübingen manuscript, is a creation of the poet Mayura,
although it must be acknowledged that the evidence is not espe-
cially strong. It might be argued, for example, that the name
Mayūrāṣṭaka may mean 'the aṣṭaka on the peacock,' or that the
commentator on the Bhaktamarastotra ascribed it to Mayura
merely because of its name, or that it is the composition of another
Mayūra, not the seventh-century poet of that name.
But on the other hand stand the facts that the name śri-
mayūrāṣṭakam is found in the colophon of the manuscript, that
the subject-matter of the manuscript poem harmonizes with the
content of the Mayūrāṣṭaka described by the commentator, that
there is not the faintest allusion to a peacock in any of the
stanzas, and that there is a general similarity in point of style
between the manuscript poem and the known writings of Mayūra.
The pros are, on the whole, stronger than the cons, and it can at
least be said that there is no direct evidence to show that Mayura
did not write the Mayürāṣṭaka contained in the Tübingen manu-
script. Until such evidence is adduced, I am inclined to accept
it as his work.
INTRODUCTION