r Kashmir; he was the reputed author of several works, being,
however, only the patron, the compositions bearing his name being
written by Dhavaka and other authors.

RAJA SEKHAR.

Raja Sekhar is the author of Prachanda Pandava, Biddhasalvanjika, and
Karpura Manjari.

MURARI.

Murari composed Anargha Raghava.

VENISANHARA.

The author is Bhatta Narayana surnamed Mrigaraja or Simha, "the lion."
He is one of the five Brahmins who, with five Kayesthas, came from
Kanouj and settled in Bengal at the invitation of Adisura, the then king
of Bengal.

PROBODHA CHANDRODAYA.

This play was composed by Krishnamisra. It is an allegorical play, the
_dramatis personae_ of which consist entirely of abstract ideas, divided
into two conflicting hosts.

HANUMANANATAKA.

The play is a dramatized version of the story of Rama interspersed with
numerous purely descriptive poetic passages. It consists of fourteen
acts and on account of its great length is also called the Mahanataka,
or the great drama.

Tradition relates that it was composed by Hanuman, the monkey general,
and inscribed on rocks; but, Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, being
afraid lest it might throw his own poem into the shade, Hanuman allowed
him to cast his verses into the sea. Thence fragments were ultimately
picked up by a merchant, and brought to King Bhoja, who directed the
poet Damodara Misra to put them together, and fill up the lacunae; whence
the present composition originated. Whatever particle of truth there may
be in this story, the "Great Drama" seems certainly to be the production
of different hands.

VASAVADATTA.

Vasavadatta of Subandhu is a short romance, of which the story is this.

Kandarpaketu, a young and valiant prince, son of Chintamani king of
Kusumapura, saw in a dream a beautiful maiden of whom he became
desperately enamoured. Impressed with the belief, that a person, such as
was seen by him in his dream, had a real existence, he resolves to
travel in search of her, and departs, attended only by his confidant
Makaranda. While reposing under a tree in a forest at the foot of the
Vindhya mountains, where they halted, Makaranda overhears two birds
conversing, and from their discourse he learns that the princess
Vasavadatta, having rejected all the suitors who had been assembled by
the king her father for her to make choice of a husband, had seen
Kandarpaketu in a dream, in which she had even dreamt his name. Her
confid