About the personal history of Sanskrit authors and especially poets, our knowledge is generally very meagre. In the case of many Sanskrit poets, we know next to nothing beyond their names. Around the names of some (e. g. Kâlidâsa), tradition has been busy in weaving such fanciful and bewildering stories that it is no easy task to separate the solid grain of truth from the chaff. In the case of some, the meagre account of themselves contained in their own works has to be eked out with information derived from contemporary or subsequent records in literature, grants and inscriptions. There are a few who have left to posterity a tolerably full account of themselves in their works[१] Bâṇa perhaps stands at the head of such Sanskrit authors. To his Kâdambarî is prefixed a brief account of his family. But in his Harshacharita, we find a much fuller account of his ancestors and of himself. The first two Tchchlivâsas of the Harshacharita are taken up with the history of Bâṇa's forefathers and of Bâṇa himself. The personal narrative is continued even in the third Uchchhvâsa. Space does not permit us to give in detail a full account of Bâṇa as gathered from the Harshacharita. We propose to dwell upon only a few salient points of the narrative of Bâṇa's personal history.
The genealogical tree of Bâṇa's family as constructed
- ↑ In this connection we may mention Bilhaṇa and Mankha who, in the Vikramânkadevacharita and Śrîkanṭhacharita respectively, furnish a full account of their lives, their contemporaries &c.
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