2024-06-15 19:57:27 by DVudathala
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PREFACE.
The <i>Rāmacarita</i> composed by the Bengal author Abhinanda in the
mediaeæval period is now presented to the public for the first time in original
Sanskrit as No. XLVI of the <i>Gaekwad's Oriental Series</i>. The object
of the publication of this poem is two-fold: first, to enrich the classical
Sanskrit literature with a famous, popular and masterly production of a
well-known poet; and secondly, to show the extraordinary patronage
extended by the Buddhist kings of the Pāla dynasty of Bengal towards
the orthodox Hindu poets. One <i>Rāmacarita</i> by Sandhyākaranandin, with
Rāmapāla a later king of the Pâla dynasty as the hero of the poem, is already
well-known, and this is the second <i>Rāmacarita</i> composed by Abhinanda
the court-poet of king Devapāla <i>alias</i> Hārvarṣa Yuvarāja. The value of
the publication of Abhinanda's work cannot be overrated because of a large
number of references to the author and the extensive quotations from the
<i>Rāmacarita</i> in the later Alaṅkāra works right from the times of Mahima,
Mammaṭa and Bhoja to comparatively recent times.
The edition of the <i>Rāmacarita</i> is based on the following
five MSS:--
1. A. A transcript prepared from a Ms. copy preserved in the
Government Oriental MSS. Library, Madras. The Madras
copy also is a transcript, prepared from a Ms. in Oriya
script obtained on loan from M. R. Ry. Harihararâjaguru of
Chochinajagannāthapuram, in the Ganjam District Madras.
This Ms. contains Sargas 1-40 by Abhinanda, the 40th
Sarga being incomplete. The Ms. contains many good
readings and is in a good condition.
2. B. A Ms. obtained by the Curator of the Madras MSS. Library
from Bombay. The readings of this MS. were found noted
down in the transcript A. The Bombay Ms contained
Sargas 1-36 only as stated by the said Curator in one of
his letters.
3. C. A Ms. preserved in the Library of the Oriental Institute,
Baroda. This Ms. contains as usual Sargas 1-36, but it
has, in addition, another recension of the last four Sargas
( 37-40 ) attributed to one Bhimakavi. It abounds in
The <i>Rāmacarita</i> composed by the Bengal author Abhinanda in the
medi
Sanskrit as No. XLVI of the <i>Gaekwad's Oriental Series</i>. The object
of the publication of this poem is two-fold: first, to enrich the classical
Sanskrit literature with a famous, popular and masterly production of a
well-known poet; and secondly, to show the extraordinary patronage
extended by the Buddhist kings of the Pāla dynasty of Bengal towards
the orthodox Hindu poets. One <i>Rāmacarita</i> by Sandhyākaranandin, with
Rāmapāla a later king of the Pâla dynasty as the hero of the poem, is already
well-known, and this is the second <i>Rāmacarita</i> composed by Abhinanda
the court-poet of king Devapāla <i>alias</i> Hārvarṣa Yuvarāja. The value of
the publication of Abhinanda's work cannot be overrated because of a large
number of references to the author and the extensive quotations from the
<i>Rāmacarita</i> in the later Alaṅkāra works right from the times of Mahima,
Mammaṭa and Bhoja to comparatively recent times.
The edition of the <i>Rāmacarita</i> is based on the following
five MSS:--
1. A. A transcript prepared from a Ms. copy preserved in the
Government Oriental MSS. Library, Madras. The Madras
copy also is a transcript, prepared from a Ms. in Oriya
script obtained on loan from M. R. Ry. Harihararâjaguru of
Chochinajagannāthapuram, in the Ganjam District Madras.
This Ms. contains Sargas 1-40 by Abhinanda, the 40th
Sarga being incomplete. The Ms. contains many good
readings and is in a good condition.
2. B. A Ms. obtained by the Curator of the Madras MSS. Library
from Bombay. The readings of this MS. were found noted
down in the transcript A. The Bombay Ms contained
Sargas 1-36 only as stated by the said Curator in one of
his letters.
3. C. A Ms. preserved in the Library of the Oriental Institute,
Baroda. This Ms. contains as usual Sargas 1-36, but it
has, in addition, another recension of the last four Sargas
( 37-40 ) attributed to one Bhimakavi. It abounds in