हम्मीर महाकाव्यम् (रणथम्भौर चौहान वीरगाथा एवं इतिहास)

THE HAMMÎRA MAHÂKÂVYA OF NAYACHANDRA SURI Dr Buhler, in his Introduction to the Vikramânka Charita (p 2), mentions the Hammiramardana, or "The destruction of Hammîra," as an historical Sanskrit poem that was extant some ninety years ago in the Jain library at Jesalmîr. I have recently obtained a work, written in the Jain character, styled The Ham- mira Mahâkâvya, which, notwithstanding the difference of the title, I presume is a copy of the same work as that which was once in the Jêsalmîr Sarasvatî Bhândar, since it ends with the death of Hammîra and a lamentation over the event. Colonel, Tod, indeed, mentions in his Râjasthân a Hammira Kâvya and a, Hammîra Râsâ, both composed, he says, by Śârangadhara, whom he makes the bard of Hammîra Chohân of Ranatham- bhôr. We have the authority of Sârangadhara himself for stating that he was not contemporary with Hammîra Chohân of Ranathambhôr, and that his grandfather, Raghunâtha, was that prince's Guru or spiritual teacher. Sârangadhara in his Paddhati, and Gadâdhara in his Rasika Jivan under the head of "anonymous,' quote some verses relating to Hammira that have no place in the present Kâvya. Appayyî Dîkshita, also, in his Kuvalayânanda, cites a verse as an instance of the Akramâtisayokti Alamkâra of which the subject is Hammîra, and which is not to be found in the work of our author. This shows that there must be some other poem in Sanskrit bearing the name of Hammîra Kâvya, but it may be doubted whether it