स्वप्नवासवदत्तम् (महाकवि भास - संस्कृत मूल एवं हिन्दी अनुवाद)

INTRODUCTION. xxxvii The benedictory verse in the work (of unknown name) runs as follows:— “पादः पायादुपेन्द्रस्य सर्वलोकोत्सवः स वः । व्याविद्धो नमुचिर्येन तनुताम्रनखेन खे ॥” So far with reference to verses. The superior excellence of sen- tences which are not subject to the restrictions of versification is every- where to be observed in these Rūpakas. It really surpasses in grandeur the style of other works and is in comparable. A perusal of the work will make this clear; hence no illustrations are given. There is no path trodden by great poets like Kālidāsa, but is Bhāsa’s followers. pioneered by Bhāsa. There are many points of similarity to Bhāsa’s works in Abhijñānasākuntala the best known work of Kālidāsa, who has attained unrivalled fame as the prince of poets, since the era of Vikramāditya. For example, a sloka in the fourth Act of Abhishekanātaka runs thus:— “यस्यां न प्रियमण्डनापि महिषी देवस्य मन्दोदरी स्नेहाल्लुम्पति पल्लवान् न च पुनर्व्राजन्ति यस्यां भयात् । वीजन्तो मलयानििला अपि करैरस्पृष्टबालद्रुमा सेयं शक्ररिपोरशोकवनिका भग्नेति विज्ञाप्यताम् ॥” There is a similar verse in the fourth Act of Sākuntala:— “पातुं न प्रथमं व्यवस्यति पयो युष्मास्वपीतेषु या नादत्ते प्रियमण्डनापि भवतां स्नेहेन या पल्लवम् । आद्ये वः कुसुमप्रसूतिसमये यस्या भवत्युत्सवः सेयं याति शकुन्तला पतिगृहं सर्वैरनुज्ञायताम् ॥” Here it may be observed that there is not only similarity of ideas between the two slokas but the very same sweet and melodious expres- sions, such as ‘प्रियमण्डनापि’, ‘स्नेहात्’, ‘पल्लवान्’, ‘सेयं’, are used by Kālidāsa also. Again in the first act of Bālacharita, the following verse has reference to Devakì, who, having entrusted the child to Vāsu-