स्वप्नवासवदत्तम् (महाकवि भास - संस्कृत मूल एवं हिन्दी अनुवाद)

XX INTRODUCTION. appears as the Bharata Vâkya both in Svapnanâtaka and in Bâlacharita. The passage, “भवन्त्वरजसो गावः परचक्रं प्रशाम्यतु । इमामपि महीं कृत्स्नां राजसिंहः प्रशास्तु नः ॥” is seen in the plays, Pratijñâ, Avimâraka and Abhisheka, and the latter half of the Sloka occurs in Pancharâtra also. The practice of suggesting names of the principal dramatis personæ in the benedictory verse is alike in Pratijñâ, Pancharâtra, Pratimâ, and Svapnanâtaka. The Sloka:- “लिम्पतीव तमोऽङ्गानि वर्षतीवाञ्जनं नभः । असत्पुरुषसेवेव दृष्टिनिष्फलतां गता ॥ appears in the first Act of both Chârudatta and Bâlacharita. The pass- age, “किं वक्ष्यतीति हृदयं परिशङ्कितं मे” occurs in the 6th Act of Svapna- nâtaka and also in the 4th Act of Abhishekanâtaka. The part, “धर्मस्नेहान्तरे न्यस्ता” of a Sloka is seen in both the second Act of Pratimâ and in the sixth Act of Abhishekanâtaka. Many more points of similarity of this kind can be observed in the plays. As indicated by these points of close similarity, it is very likely that all these plays are the work of the same author. [Marginal Note: The authorship of the plays.] As neither the name of the author nor that of the work is mentioned in the Sthâpanâ of these plays, it seems to me that they must have been written before such a practice came into vogue. Having regard to the various poetic excellences which will be hereafter noticed, I should think that the author was a great poet of antiquity and of wide renown. What we have till now known as Svapnavâsavadatta, though only in name, from ancient works of such great authors as Âchâryâbhinavaguptapâda and others may in all proba- bility be the same work as this Svapnanâtaka, which is perhaps only a contracted form of the full name; for, in Svapnanâtaka, we have the des- cription of prince Vatsarâja's dream about Vâsavadattâ. These con- siderations make me regard this series of plays with unusual appre- ciation; for it is well-known that Svapnavâsavadatta which was till now thought to have been lost for ever was composed by the great poet