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INTRODUCTION ]

whether Svami was his father’s name or just an honorific title which came later to be applied to ‘Bha(ti’ too. Colebrooke identifies him with Bhartrhari who mentions Sridharasvami as his father’s name, in the Vakyapadlya. He distinguishes this Bhartrhari (or Bhatti) from Bhartrhari the brother of King Vikramaditya. Aufrecht accepts Srlsvaml or Sridharasvami as BhaHi’s father’s name, but does not agree with his identification with Bhartrhari. Another tradition takes him to be the step­ brother of Vararuci, Vikramarka and Bhartrhari, and born to a Brahmin from a Vaisya wife. The only thing that one can say for certain is that he was a Brahmin who composed his art epic during the regime of (Sri) Dharasena, in Valabhi. Four Dharasenas ruled Valabhi from 495-641, Dharasena I upto A.D. 495, Dharasena II, A.D. 495-571, Dharasena III, A.D. 571-620 and Dharasena IV, A.D. 620-641.12 These dates are based on epigraphical evidence and there need be no doubt regar­ ding their authenticity. The question is, which Dharasena happened to be Bhatti’s patron. Valabhi, the capital of Saura§tra is the same as Walleh3 and the Valabhi Samvat is very probably the Gupta Valabhi Samvat. Dharasena I is placed in 183 and Dharasena IV in 330th year of this Samvat. But there is no concurrence of opinions regarding its commencement. The name ‘Bhatti’ occurs in the grants of Dharasena I and Dharasena III as that of the Kitchen Superin­ tendent ; this cannot, in all probability, be our learned poet. Dharasena I had taken to himself the title of Senapati, while Dharasena II styled himself, first as Samanta, then as Maharaja and then again as Mahasnmanta. He was a patron of learning and a very popular king. About Dharasena III we know next to nothing. Dharasena IV styled himself Paramabhaftaraka, Maharajadhiraja, Paramesvara and Cakravartin, indicating that he was an emperor, much more than a mere ‘Narendra’. Bhatti’s patron, however, was Srl-Dharasena ‘Narendra’ only. The Maitreya kings of Valabhi were devotees of Siva and prided on 1. 2.

C. Mabel Duff, Chronology of India, W estm inister, 1899, Indian Antiquary, I, (1872), p. 130.

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