A work, which would speak for itself, hardly requires a foreword. But my young friend, the author, who has already made some small but admirable contributions to the study of Sanskrit Poetics, seeks an introduction for his more ambitious work to the scholarly world. I gladly accede to his request and recommend it to the good sense of all students of Sanskrit literature.
The object of this work is mainly expository. The author takes the accepted text of the Dhuanyaloka and gives a full running exposition in English of its terse Kärikä and Vrtti. He takes good care to elucidate and illustrate his points by profuse quotations from earlier and later Ala?kara literature. Those who want to study the difficult text critically, in its proper historical perspective, will undoubtedly find the present work immensely interesting and helpful. There is also a very able introduction which deals with the various general problems connected with the Dhuanyaloka and its authorship, and utilises the latest researches on the subject with keen critical sense and well- balanced judgment.
Jagannatha, one of the latest but not the least important writers on Sanskrit Poetics, speaks of the Dhuanyalok as having been alamkara-sarani-vyavasthapaka.
It is needless here to dilate upon the importance of the Dhuanyaloka in the field of Sanskrit literary criticism, It would be enough if we characterise it as the fountain-head of all later speculations regarding the fundamental concepts of Sanskrit Poetics. Since the discovery of its manuscript by Dr. G. Bühler several editions have been published embodying the kärikäs, the urtti and the Locans, in some cases accompanied by some sub-commentaries. But as yet no complete English translation or exposition of this important text has appeared though long ago Dr. Jacobi published a German translation of the treatise in the Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gessellschaft (vols. Ivi and lvii) upto the Third Uddyota, which however re- mains a sealed book to most scholars in India due to their lack of an adequate acquaintance with that language. Of course, recently an English translation has been announced, but till now it has not seen the light of the day. In these circumstances, it is hoped, the present edition of the Dhuanyaloka with an introduction and an elaborate exposition in English may not be deemed useless.
I, Anandavardhana-His Date, Genealogy and Works Rajanaka Anandavardhana, to whom the Dhuanyaloka is generally ascribed was a reputed Kashmirian poet, critic and philosopher. As regards his date there is very little room for controversy. For, Kalhana, the celebrated author of the Rajatarangini, the most authoritative chronicle of Kashmir, mentions him in the following verse as one of the ornaments adorning the court of King.
Avantivarman:-
Now, according to Bühler and Jacobi Avantivarman flourished during the period 855-884 A.D. Thus, on the evidence of the Rajatarangini, Anandavardhana attained fame during the reign of Avantivarman, the first Utpalite king of Kashmir. Recently, attempts have been made by some scholars to temporaneity with King establish Anandavardhana's con- Samkaravarman (883-902 A.D.), the son of Avantivarman. The arguments advanced in support of this view mentions Ramabbyudaya, a drama by king Yasovarman, and cites a verse from it and that (2) Yasovarman, is another name of Samkaravarman. Bhatta Jayanta, the 3 known. But Kalhana admits that he obtained fame during the reign of Avantivarman (855/56-883 A.D.). He might have outlived the first Utpalite and could very well be contemporary of his son, Samkaravarman (883-962A.D.). The latter half of the ninth century thus may be the approximate age in which he might have lived." Suni Chandra Roy: The Author of the Ramabhyudaya-H Date and Identity (Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol. XXX No. 4, December 1954).
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