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INTRODUCTION
 
The idea of popularising our standard prose
works by epitomising them in a convenient form,
fully preserving the native vigour of the author's
style and omitting unnecessarily long compounds
and uninteresting puns and repetitions was first
conceived by Pandit R. V. KRISHNAMACHARIAR.
Readers of the Kadambari Sangraha know full
well how successfully our Pandit has achieved this
laborious task. Thanks to the Kadambari Sangraha,
the immortal story of Kadambari is now more
widely known and better appreciated by scholars
and students alike. The learned Pandit has now
presented the other great prose work of Bana-
the Harsha Charita-in an abridged form as the
Harshacharita Sangraha. The story of King Sri
Harsha is here retold in an interesting and attract-
ive form in Bana's own words. Much irrelevant
matter contained in the first three Ucchvasas has
been deservedly omitted. The interest of the
reader is deftly kept up till the end by piecing to-
gether the narrative material from incident to in-
cident with sustained charm.
 
Anikow
 
Bana represents a definite landmark in the
history of Sanskrit literature. In his Harsha
Charita, he has given us definite information about
his contemporaries. By his own statements regard-
ing his patron Sri Harsha, he enables us to find his
date with fair certainty. Thanks to the Chinese