95
Shiatta Narayana was " one of the Kanoja iuvitsd into Bengal by Adisura, from, whom the brahmin* that province are descended. He was of the Sattdiiya fa ^ Adisura was the 22-nd prince in descent from Ballalasen reigned about the I3th century. Assigning a moderate tion of 300 years to the intermediate princes, BhattaNaraysi*3^ must have flourished about the 8th or 9th century. He belonged to the class of Gauda brahmins of the Pancharatra sect:. He was surnamed Mngaraja. The identity of our author with the historical one is established thus :—-
(^) The plot of the Venisamhara where the grant of five towns is referred to bears an obvious resemblance^ to the fact of Adisura's presenting the five with a town apiece. , m
(A) Traces of the Pancharatra doctrine are visible m L drama. The two prominent verses of the
' refer to Krishna. So also I, 23 and VI, 43-
(c) The episode of Charvaka is a poetic innovation in tn. , plot, meant apparently to bring the materialists to
ridicule.
His Vemsamhara^a drama in six acts^-alludes to »» incident Ip the Sabhaparvan, the dragging of Draupadi S h«t« in the public assembly. It dratnatisea the Bharata War end-
tog in the tyiog-up of Draupadi's braid aod the ooroottioa of
So«i«
ttsr. The secopd act has been the object of critici.*, as being unsuited to the purpose of the drama. It only shows out the extreme recklessness of the Katarava prince and .strictly develops the diama in accordance with rhetorical canons. The introduction of the Rakshasa me« di-oint in the 'last act is amusing. As a heroic piece, the poet 8 work must be regarded as a success. His style is at ttcKie*al evidence comes* forth. Proceeding from the imainatgion of a sound scholarr. the theory has high merits and deserves all congratulation*