When Bâṇa was presented to Harsha who had with him the son of the king of Mâlvâ, the emperor received him at first with mock signs of anger, hut afterwards showed him much favour. After basking in the sunshine of royal favour, Bâṇa returned to his native place. He was greeted with a cordial welcome by his friends and relatives. The reader Sudṛishṭi entertained him with a recital of the Vâyupurâṇa. Then the bard Sûchibâṇa recited two verses (Âryâs), which pointedly referred to the life of Harsha. All were charmed and Bâṇa's cousins (sons of his paternal uncles), Gaṇapati, Adhipati, Târâpati and Śyâmala looked at one another and the youngest of them, Śyâmala, made bold to ask Bâṇa to tell them from the beginning the wondrous story of Harsha's life. Bâṇa expressed his inability to do justice to the mighty deeds of the emperor and, as the day was far advanced, began the narrative the next morning.
Here ends the autobiographical part of the Harshacharita with which alone we are concerned here.
As to the later stages of Bâṇa's life we have no account left. He died leaving his romance of Kâdambarî unfinished. Bâṇa's son tells us in the introduction to the Uttarabhâga that he finished the Kâdambarî as a work of filial duty and not out of pride[१]. Dr. Buhler says that the name of Bâṇa's son was Bhûshaṇabâṇa[२]. In some MSS. of the Kâdambarî, the son is called Pulinda[३] or Pulina. Dhanapâla, while praising Bâṇa in his introduction to the Tilakamanjarî, seems to suggest that Pulinda was the name of his son[४]
- ↑ "याते दिवं पितरि तद्वचसैव सार्धं विच्छेदमापभुवि यस्तु कथाप्रबन्धः । दुःखं सतां तदसमाप्तिकृतं विलोक्य प्रारब्ध एव स मया न कवित्वदर्पात् ॥"
- ↑ See Dr. Peterson's Introduction to Kâdambarî p. 40.
- ↑ Vide Prof. S. R. Bhandarkar's report on the search for MSS. 1904-5, 1905-6 p. 39; see also Dr. Stein's Catalogue of Sanskrit Mss at Jammu p. 299.
- ↑ केवलोऽपि स्फुरन्बाणः करोति विमदान्कवीन् । किं पुनः क्लृप्तसन्धानपुलिन्ध्र (न्द्?) कृतसन्निधिः ॥ verse 26. (It will be noticed that the verse has two meanings).
