काव्यमीमांसा (महाकवि राजशेखर - कवि-रहस्य एवं देश-विभाग सटीक)

ELEVENTH ADHYĀYA 217 It may be remembered here that the Rāmasetupradīpa, the commentary on the Setubandha, records an interesting fact in this connection that Kālidāsa composed the Setubandha-Kāvya at the request of Vikramāditya, but published the same under the name of king Pravarasena. The relevent passages from the commentary are quoted below : धीराणां काव्यचर्चाचतुरिमविधये विक्रमादित्यवाचा यं चक्रे कालिदासः कविकुमुदविधुः सेतुनामप्रबन्धम् । etc. इह तावन्महाराजप्रवरसेननिमित्तं महाराजाधिराजविक्रमादित्येनाज्ञप्तः निखिलकविचक्र- चूडामणिः कालिदासमहाशयः सेतुबन्धप्रबन्धं चिकीर्षुः etc. These passages make it abundantly clear that these three persons : Vikramāditya, Kālidāsa and Pravarasena were intimately connected and had some hand in the composition of the Setubandha. It may be suggested here that Kuntaleśvara, mentioned in the verse : असकलहसितत्वात् etc. and referred to by Bhoja and Kṣemendra in their works, must be no other than king Pṛthvīṣeṇa I, of the Vākāṭaka dynasty. Pravarasena, to whom the Setubandha Kāvya is generally attributed, is his grand-son being the son of Rudrasena II and Prabhāvatīguptā, the daughter of Candragupta II. It may be remembered in this connection that both Daṇḍin (Kāvyādarśa, 1-34) and Hemacandra (Book VIII. Grammar) consider the style of the Setubandha as the best available in the Mahārāṣṭrī dialect. These two references, also prove that among the two Pravarasenas of Kashmir none can be the author of this Setubandha because being Kashmirians they are not expected to write excellently in the Mahārāṣṭrī dialect. Another reason for not considering any of the two Pravarasenas of Kashmir as the author of the Setu- bandha, is that they are not contemporaries of either Vikrama or Kālidāsa since they ruled over Kashmir in the first and second centuries A. D. according to the Rājataraṅgiṇī. The Kuntala country being a part of Mahārāṣṭra, the authorship of the Setu- bandha may well be attributed to the Vākāṭaka Pravarasena II, who ruled over this part of the Mahārāṣṭra country in the beginning of the fifth century A. D. as suggested by Mr. K. P. Jayaswal in his 'History of India cir. 150 to 350 A. D.' (J. B. O. R. S. vol. XIX 1933. Pt. I. II.); and General Cunningham (Archaeological Reports Vol. XI. p. 123), and confirmed by Dr. G. Bühler (Indian Antiquary Vol. XII. p. 239). In this case, Pravarasena II of the Vākāṭaka dynasty who ruled over a tract