V BHĀRAVI, BHAṬṬI, KUMĀRADĀSA, AND MĀGHA 1. Bharavi F Bharavi's life we know nothing whatever, though he O second of the Kavya. External evidence proves that he was older than A.D. 634 when he is mentioned with Kalidasa in the Aihole inscription, and he is cited in the Kāçikā Vṛtti; on the other hand he manifestly is influenced by Kālidāsa, while he strongly affected Magha.¹ Bāņa ignores him, so that he can hardly have preceded him long enough for his fame to compel recognition. It is, therefore, wiser to place him c. A.D 550 than as early as A.D. 500. His Kirātārjuniya2 is based, as usual, on the epic. The Mahabharata tells us how, when the Pāṇḍavas with their wife Draupadi have retired under their vow of twelve years' banish- ment to the Dvaita forest, Draupadi, with truly feminine faith- lessness, urges the heroes to break their pledge. A council is held; Yudhisthira pleads for the bond; Bhima controverts his contentions. Vyāsa counsels retirement from the Dvaita forest, and the brothers go to the Kāmyaka wood, where Yudhisthira takes the prudent course of bidding Arjuna, as a preliminary to war, to secure from Çiva divine weapons. Arjuna obeys, prac- tises in the Himālaya severe penances, meets and struggles with a Kirāta, who proves to be Çiva himself; he grants the boon desired, to which the other gods add further largesse. This theme Bhāravi has chosen to expand and illustrate with all the resources of a refined and elaborate art. The opening shows at once the hand of the artist; in the epic the discussion of the brothers arises merely from the dreary plight in which they are ¹ Cf Jacobi, WZKM. ii. 121 ff. 2 Ed. NSP. 1907; trans. C. Cappeller, HOS. 15, 1912; i-iii, with Citrabhānu's comm., TSS. 63. 3 i. 27-4¹.
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