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NOTICES OF BOOKS CONNECTED WITH SANSKRIT LITERATURE.

The Kumára-Sambhava, eighth canto, with a commentary by Prema Chandra Tarkabágís'a. Calcutta, 1862.

It is generally believed that only seven cantos of the KumáraSambhava are extant, and some have said that Kálidása died before he finished the work. Few European scholars are aware that the whole of the work exists in seventeen adhyayas,* but whether it really belongs to Kálidása or not is a question which remains for future criticism to determine. The Professor of Rhetoric in the Sanskrit College has just published an edition of the eighth canto, the first of these doubtful sections, and he promises in the preface, that, should his labour be approved, he will publish the remainder in the same

manner.

The present canto describes the loves of S'iva and Párvatí, but in a manner which befits mortals alone; and hence perhaps the oblivion into which the poem has fallen, as it violates a direct canon of Hindu criticism. Although, however, some of the opening verses, from their indelicacy, do not deserve to be published, this by no means applies to the greater part of the canto, which is chiefly occupied with a very full description of the phenomena of evening and moonlight on the Gandhamádana mountains. Many of the verses are very beautiful, and as they have never before been published, we add a few of those which seemed to us most worthy of being ascribed to Kálidása.

"See! the declining sun, as it hangs on the edge of the western quarter of the sky, seems to make with its long reflected beams a golden bridge across the lake."‡

There is a MS. of it in the Sanskrit College Library, and Dr. Aufrecht gives an account of two MSS. in his Bodleian Catalogue. The last book ends with the destruction of the demon Táraka, as foreshadowed in the second book. + This is probably alluded to in Sahitya D. vii. p. 233; "yathá vá kumárasambhave, uttamadevatayoh párvatí parames'warayoh sambhogasʻringáravarnaIdam pitroh sambhogavarnanam ivátyantam anuchitam, ityáhuh.”

nam.

‡ qæ qfqnfzımgfazı fafâð fuaqqı fagyar |
दीर्घया प्रतिमया सरोऽम्भसां तापनीयमिव मेतुबन्धनं ॥

We might almost compare these lines with the well-known passage of Moore.

"And as I watch the line of light that plays

Far o'er the hushed wave toward the gleaming west,

I long to tread that golden path of rays

And think 'twill lead to some bright isle of rest."

"Yonder setting sun, bearing the day with him, plunges into the ocean, and the horses of his chariot bend down their necks, their eyes touched by the chowries in their ears and their manes pressed down by the yoke."*

This description of the westering sun driving "his downward team" amplifies the idea in Ovid's lines,

"Pronus erat Titan, inclinatoque tenebat

Hesperium temone fretum."

"The western horizon wears a streak of the evening red, all the rest of the sunshine being gone, as a battle-field displays a bloody scimetar uplifted aslant."+

Yonder moon, O fairfaced one, is united to its constellation with trembling light, as a bridegroom with his newly-won bride still trembling with fear at her new lord."+

We do not remember to have ever seen before in Hindu poetry an allusion to the phenomenon of the rainbow over a waterfall, such as we find in the following lines.

"As the sun sinks, destroying the connection of his rays with the waterdrops, the cataracts of thy father Himálaya lose their rainbow-halo."§

It would be premature to pass a definite judgment on the authorship of the poem, until we have seen some of the other cantos. Dr. Aufrecht, in his Catalogue, has passed an unfavourable report on them, "hi * सोऽयमानतशिरोधरैः कर्णचामरविघट्टितेक्षणैः । अस्तमेति युगभग्नकेसरैः सन्निधाय दिवस महोदधैौ ॥ + सान्ध्यमस्तमितशेषमातपं रक्त लेखमपरा बिभर्ति दिक् । सम्परायवसुधा सशोणितं मण्डलाग्रमिव तिर्यगुत्थितं ॥ † एष चारुमुखि योग्यतारया यज्यते तरलविम्बया शशी । साध्वंसादुपगतप्रकम्पया कन्ययव नवदीक्षया वरः ॥ $ शोक र व्यतिकरं मरोचिभिर्दूरयत्यवनते विवखति । इन्द्रचापपरिवेशशून्यतां निर्झरास्तव पितुर्व्रजन्त्य मौ ॥

libri utrum à Kálidásâ profecti sint necne, in præsentiâ quidem dijudicare incautum esset; quæ equidem legi, mirum in modum frigere mihi videbantur;" but certainly though some verses in this eighth canto are unworthy of Kálidása, many would do him no discredit.

In conclusion we may add that there are several allusions to this eighth canto in Hindu literature. Thus the Sahitya Darpana (Book iii. §. 218), in its account of mána or 'amantium iræ,' refers as its example to Párvatí's displeasure at the description of the evening by S'iva, and his wish to perform the evening rites, and quotes it as from the Kumára-Sambhava. The Das'a Rúpa in book iv. §. 12, quotes anonymously the lines beginning

एवमालि निग्टहीतसाध्वसं ।

which are the fifth S'loka of the present edition. But the most important reference is one in the second book of the Sankshipta Sára, which, in its account of námadhátus, gives the following sútra and commentary.

दूराद् वा ॥ दूरयति दवयति । दूरयत्यवनते विवखतौति कालिदासः. This is important as not only quoting a verse of the eighth canto (s'l. 31,) but as mentioning the poet's name.

E. B. C.

Since writing the above we have learned that Dr. Bhau Dájí is printing these cantos of Kálidása in Bombay. He has succeeded in finding Mallinátha's Commentary to the eighth.

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PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL,

FOR APRIL, 1862.

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The Monthly General Meeting of the Asiatic Society of Bengal was held on the 2nd instant.

A. Grote, Esq., President, in the chair.

Presentations were received :

1. From Dr. Hunter, under instructions from His Excellency Sir W. Denison, a set of Capt. Tripe's photographs of Tanjore, Trivady, Madura, Poodoocottah, Trichinopoly, Rya Kotta and Seringham, of an inscription around the basement of the Binanum of the Great Pagoda at Tanjore, and of the Elliot marbles and other objects in the Madras Central Museum.

2. From Mr. C. Metcalfe, an inscribed slab from Rajshahi recording a grant of land made by Vijaya Sena, a monarch of the Sena dynasty of Bengal.

3. From Capt. E. Smyth, skins of a yak, a thar, a burral and a musk deer.

4. From Major Anstruther Thomson, a young cuttle fish, in spirit.

5. From Capt. F. W. Stubbs, a small silver coin of Alexander the Great.

With reference to this coin the following note was communicated by Mr. E. C. Bayley :-

"No small coin of Alexander the Great so minute as the present has as yet been certainly found in India. Coins of the same size, however, of the Bactrian kings Demetrius and Eukratides are not uncommon. I am inclined to think the present type was struck in Alexander's Eastern possessions."

6. From Major S. R. Tickell, a specimen of a Turtle, (Sphargis Coriacea).

7. From Mr. Becket, Gurhwal, a collection of specimens of birds consisting of Tibetan Gallinaceæ.

8. From Mrs. Major Turnbull, two stuffed squirrels.

9. From Major J. L. Sherwill, several boxes of specimens of coal, limestone, and minerals from Pundeeni mountain in the Manbhoom district.

10. From Mrs. Brandis, two bird skins.

11. From J. G. Thompson, Esq., two bird skins.

A rare silver coin of Altumsh, found in re-excavating a tank at Kandi in the Moorshedabad district, lent by Babu Gour Doss Bysack, was exhibited; in reference to which Mr. Bayley communicated the following remarks:

"The coin is curious, for it gives the Khalif's name wrong, i. e. Mostanser be amr illah instead of Mostanser billah, and it is also curious as wrong, the word for the denomination of the coin al sika not al dirhem as is usual. I have never I think met "al sika," save on a later gold coin. The date is A. H. 680.

The following notice was submitted on the part of the Council The Council beg to notify that they propose, for the consideration of the Society, the following additions and amendments in the Code of Bye-Laws:

1. To amend Rule 43 by the insertion of the words "unless originated by the Council" after the word "then" in line 5.

2. To add the following clauses to Rule 46:

The Council shall have the power of appointing any other day not later than that day fortnight for the Annual Meeting.

After the termination of the regular business of the Annual Meeting, the Meeting may be considered an ordinary general meeting.

3. To omit clause 1 of Rule 60 which provides that the names of the visitors allowed to be present at the meeting shall be read aloud by the chairman.

Ordered that the amendments, &c., be referred to the Council for report, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 43.

Mr. Oldham gave notice that he should move at the next meeting that the following clauses should be added after Rules 78 and 86 respectively:

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