"Saantideva's literary ability

[Roland Steiner]

On 28 Nov 01, at 8:33, Richard B Mahoney wrote:

> I am trying to track down secondary literature on what seems to be a form of literary affectation
> at the start of "Saantideva's Bodhicaryaavataara and "Sik.saasamuccaya.
>  na hi ki.mcid apuurvam atra vaacya.m na ca
>   sa.mgranthanakau"sala.m mamaasti | (Minayeff)

Judging from the "form" of the statement, quite the opposite can be
found in the prologue of many Sanskrit plays, in which the
authors often declare that their play is "new"; cf., e.g., Kaalidaasa's
Vikramorva"siiya I.1+ (apuurva.m naa.takam), Abhij~naana"sakuntala I.1+
(navena [...] naa.takena) and 4+ (Pkt.: apuvva.m .naa.daa.m);
Candragomin's Lokaananda I.4c (Tib.: sngon med zlos gar = *apuurva.m
naa.takam), Har.sa's Priyadar"sikaa I.2+ = Ratnaavalii I.4+ = Naagaananda
I.2+/3+ (apuurvavasturacanaala.mk.rta), Bhavabhuuti's Maalatiimaadhava
I.3.7 (apuurvaprakara.nena), Mahaaviiracarita I.7+ (apuurvatvaat
prabandhasya); Bha.t.tanaaraaya.na's Ve.niisa.mhaara I.5+ (navanaa.taka°).
See, also, Jan Gonda: "Ein neues Lied", in: Wiener Zeitschrift fuer die
Kunde des Morgenlandes 48 [1941], pp. 275-290 = J.G.: "Selected Studies.
Vol IV. Leiden, 1975, pp. 144-159.

With kind regards,
Roland Steiner